Blue Oyster Cult - A Long Day's Night

Oh yeah.I first heard BOC in my hard rocker days, when I still had hair, back in 1972. I'd read about them in Rolling Stone, and found their first release in the music section of a chain store. I still remember tearing the cellophane off my very own vinyl slab of "Blue Oyster Cult," and listening transfixed to "Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll." I'd never heard anything like it, and from that moment I was a fan! It burned my eyes out!Like Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, Buck Dharma is the ultimate riff-master. Unlike Tony, Buck has chops on top of that. He's right up there in the Guitar-God pantheon with Jimmy Page. The other guys in BOC are talented musicians, but it's clear this is Buck's band. And his guitar burns--his solos are still clean and vicious. Eric Bloom complements Buck nicely; on this DVD his vocals aren't that great, but he's been doing this for 30 years so I forgive him. Unlike fingers, vocal chords wear out. And I had so much fun singing along with the songs on this DVD, I didn't mind too much.What WAS annoying, and why I docked this DVD one star, was the mix on Buck's vocals. His voice is very different from Eric's. Eric always had a nasty snarl in his voice that complemented his larger than life on-stage persona; Buck's voice was cleaner and more melodic. Buck was the "good cop" to Eric's "bad cop." And it worked nicely--even on "Godzilla," where the two of them sang lead together. (Albert Bouchard, who sang from the drummer's throne, had an eerie wail which he used to good effect on "Cities on Flame," which was Al's song anyway.) But on this DVD, Buck's vocals are mixed way down; you can barely hear him on the songs where he sings lead, whereas Eric's voice, although tired and somewhat ragged, still comes through loud and clear.BOC didn't make its mark as a vocal powerhouse. There was nobody in the band like Robert Plant or even Ozzie; it was the guitars that made BOC stand out from the pack. BOC still stands out because of its superior talents on guitar. What surprised me on this DVD were Allen Lanier's guitar chops. He was always adequate, but no more, as a keyboard player; and for BOC's music Allen's keyboards were fine. BOC didn't need a monster keyboard player like Jon Lord (Deep Purple) or Rick Wakeman (Yes). Like I said, it was all about guitars. And on this DVD, Lanier plays some fine guitar licks. Yeah, he looks burned out, a la Keith Richard. But like Eric and Buck, the rock and roll fire still burns. (I've played in bands since 1968--you never get it out of your system!)Ever since BOC separated themselves from the Bouchard brothers, the rhythm section has been notoriously unstable. I've got to confess; I miss Joe and Albert. They were part of the signature BOC sound, particularly Al's uncanny vocals. But that's only a personal preference; on this DVD Danny Miranda and Bobby Rondinelli do a workmanlike job in holding down bass and drums respectively. I understand they're both gone now--I'm not surprised.I grew up in Small Town Rocky Mountain America. But about 10 years ago, I was lucky enough to see BOC live, with the same personnel as on this DVD. It was a great night; a bunch of Led Zeppelin wannabees opened the concert. Then BOC came onstage, and showed them how to rock and roll. They've still got it! Watching the DVD, I never thought these guys were "Going Through the Motions." (Sorry) They were having way too much fun making very fine hard rock.An added bonus were the brief interviews with band members. I was surprised by how genial and friendly they all seemed, particularly Eric (who intentionally sounds like an arrogant male chauvinist pig on some of the live recordings). But I remember, back in the day, the Rolling Stone author commented on how friendly and down to earth the BOC'ers were, unlike the typical "rock star."I read on their website that Buck fell and injured his shoulder in Autumn 2008. For my part, I hope they're back on the road soon. The same website tells me BOC will be gigging this summer a few hours from where I live. I'm sure I'll make the pilgrimage, and a bunch of us bald, overweight males can rock out and recapture our lost glory, if only for a couple of hours. I hope they never stop.Cities on flame with rock and roll, indeed!!

Minor nigglings aside -- the mix is not ideal, a couple more songs not previously recorded live would have been nice, and thirty seconds of their taped intro over the audience noise would have provided the album a more exciting kick-off -- this album is awe inspiring. Let's get something straight about BOC. This not some burned out seventies band peddling nostalga. This is the work of a contemporary, creative, vibrant, powerful and dynamic musical force. Fans at a BOC concert don't suffer through the new songs waiting for the classics(Like in that Simpson's episode when Holmer abuses Bachman Turner Overdrive),they cup their hands together and yell out for for Dance on Stilts(2001) as well as Cities on Flame (1971).To experience a Buck Dharma,a.k.a.Donald Roesner, performance, is to see both an instrumental virtuoso and a singer/songwriter laureat. It's as if Paul Simon and Jimi Hendrix somehow comingle within his unassuming personage. Eric Bloom is the Frank Sinatra of hard rock. His phrasing is as crisp as a potato chip, every line focused and understandable. Listen, you can actually hear the words,and on a live album no less! Keyboard/guitarist Alan Lanier is the umlat in the Oyster. His guitar gives BOC its legendary crunch, and his keyboards adds a layer, a tension, a patina, a counter point. The two non-original members are not your typical metal mercinaries. They have been with BOC for a combined twelve years, considerably longer than the life span of most bands. Bobby Rondelli is a heavy hitter - a jacked-up Jabba the Hut with a proud pedigree (Sabbath, Rainbow). Danny Miranda works his bass like a bebop hepcat crashing his bull fiddle through the sound barrier, all geeked up on Lord knows what. Their presence cannot be underestimated.As for the songs,Buck's Boogie is as ebullient as a Baptist Choir welcoming in the rapture. Lips In The Hills is a wee hours tear through haunted mountain on a motorcycle. Perfect Water, lyrics by junkie-poet laurete Jim Carrol, allows one to vicariously experience shooting up a fat gob of black tar heroin and hopping in the shower. Dancing on Stilts bespeaks of that higher plain attainable only through love while offering an upper register guitar solo so sublime as to bring tears of joy. The powerful gravity of Quicklime Girl,a fine showcase for Bloom's still powerful voice, drags you down and stomps you around. Harvest Moon is a concentrated Buckshot of Grape of Wrath juice, a plaintive and evocative tale that bursts into a bittersweet jamfest that puts many a whippersnapper band to shame.I am given to understand that in most alternative universes, BOC still sells out arenas. Lucky for us, we can experience them in more intimate venues. Take advantage!

Good to very good. This DVD quickly grew on me. At first you see their appearance and think they look a little old to still be doing this. Eric looks pretty much the same but Allen looks worse for wear and Buck is a little on the heavy side. Allen definitely looks like he's been touring for 30 years. Allen, go see a dentist. Hard to believe he was Patty Smith's squeeze for a while. Still he comes across lucidly in the band interviews on this DVD. Buck has put on few pounds but he doesn't look out of shape, just a little larger.But then they start playing and you realize why they are BOC. They can flat out rock. Lots of good songs on here. The mix is pretty good. The DD 5.1 sounds better than the DTS though.They come across in the band interviews as a great bunch of guys who are in it for the music. They use few, if any, special effects in the show. Just great songwriting and playing are on display here. Buck is just amazing. He's such a good guitar player. Always seems to play exactly the right note and hold it the right length of time. Allan and Eric are okay musically as well. The relatively new rhythm section is okay. They seem nice enough guys who hold up their end of things.I'd recommend this DVD. The band is oddly endearing considering the nature of the music and come across as genuinely fan friendly. Buck could be your uncle who is "musically inclined and can play the guitar pretty good."For fans it's a no-brainer, for non-fans you'll probably like it but don't expect a pretty MTV band. Although some of the albums have a dated sound, the dvd concert sounds contemporary, and actually better than their contemporaries. I'll probably buy the concert CD based on the performance and sound of the DVD. Thumbs up!

Do yourself a favour, if you’ve got the original dvd put it in the bin. This blue Ray release is absolutely brilliant. They have cleaned the picture up much clearer & the sound is incredible. Every instrument is picked up clearer. 2 hours of BOC AT their glorious best. Worth paying the extra money for this revamp version. 😷👍

The Blue Oyster Cult. One of the most enigmatic bands from the 70's return with a live show, proving why they are still a massive talent to be reckoned with.This show, recorded in Chicago highlights why good rock bands keep plugging away at the live scene. Quality.Their songs have always challenged the tradional rock boundaries, with intelligent lyrics and well structured songs.They now boast the strongest line up they've had in years and live are unstoppable.If you want to watch a well formed band at the peak of their talents, buy this, you'll not be dissapointed.

The DVD features Blue Oyster Cult filmed live at the Navy Pier in Chicago, July 2002. The material on the DVD spans the band's whole career with a few surprises thrown in.The show kicks off with 'Stairway to the Stars' and ends with 'The Red and the Black'. In the midst of these two great songs BOC just keep churning out classic after classic. Notable is an amazing version of 'Last Days of May' featuring the guitar talents of Allen Lanier and Buck Dharma, played with amazing skill and clarity. Of course Eric Bloom and Danny Miranda (bass) and Bobby Rondinelli (drums) contribute with equal finesse.If you are'nt a BOC fan but appreciate Rock Music at it's finest, it's well worth buying this DVD. You'll soon be hooked!

Brilliant

Blue oyster cult have been around long enough to know how to put on a good show watching this dvd confirms that.All the great songs spanning their 30+ year career are included in this dvd filmed at the navy pier in Chicago in June 2002 its very hard to pick out highlights but I have to mention The Last Days Of May which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and is worth the price of the dvd alone The whole band are in top form and are up for it Buck Dharmas guitar playing is spellbinding {when it comes to rock guitar he is one of the most underrated but also one of the best there is) For those of you who only know Blue Oyster Cult from Dont Fear The Reaper (there.s a blistering version of that included here as well) your in for a treat.There.s also Band and Fan interviews(featuring some very die hard fans) included also if you move the selection icon to the centre of the BOC symbol on the menu you get Eric Bloom telling one of the corniest jokes in the history of comedy.So overall great music great entertainment and at the price a great bargain buy it today you will not regret it PS I saw BOC in Glasgow earlier this year and during the encore Eric Bloom came onstage wearing a Scotland football top a nice touch from a great Band CHEERS