Blue Oyster Cult - A Long Day's Night

It has been a summer of great guitar band shows for me. I was at the Allman Brothers show in Macon where Derek Trucks showed why he is the best of the new guitarists and caught ZZ Top and Jeff Beck at Chastain. I am looking forward to seeing BOC live in October. I have a feeling they will be great!Of all the concert DVDS i have this one is the best. Clean sound, great focus in Bucks playing, nice selection of songs. Most of the bands still around after 30 years just rehash the hits and try to recapture their glory years --- BOC is not that way. Similar to ZZ Top they actually improve on their songs by chosing the best ones and then dropping the synths and pop pretensions of the 80s. Buck makes each song special with an extremely well crafted solo that captures the song, makes it special, then moves into pure shred for a climax. Check out Last Days of May for a great Allen Lanier solo then Buck dialing it up to 11 going faster and faster and faster till he has to stop.Very tough to beat! Enjoy!

Listened to this about three times today during work. I had no issues with the sound as mentioned by a few others. Never had the pleasure of seeing BOC in the past. Thoroughly enjoyed this show. Astronomy & ETI have been longtime faves & so I couldn't resist this bluray w/both. The video on the bonus tracks is of lower quality than the main show but they tear up Joan Crawford & Astronomy. Very pleased, now I need to get a show w/Veteran of the Psychic Wars. Note: Disc loaded and played video fine thru my all region bluray player but would not play audio, this has happened w/one other disc. That one did play after reloading, did not take the time to check that this morning as I was working. Disc played fine in my Panasonic 4k player.

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!

This is a great live DVD/CD, I have both. This showcases what a great guitar player Allen Lanier is. The band at this Mk??line up(Buck,Eric,Allen,Miranda,Rondinelli) exhibits the fire of the late 70's era, when BOC came out, kicked in your face and said "good night,hope that hurt". The only songs I feel come up short are Burnin&Reaper only because Albert&Joe are not playing(what they laid down is the law), to me those 2 songs need to be played more subtle(drums) as on record instead of over played. The camera work is great, the shots are dead on for what you want to see(leads/solos) and the band is in top notch shape, depending on what surround system you have you may have to tweek the balances/mode but through a stereo it screams vengeance, it could be called "Get Off Your Knees And On Your Feet" but since it is recorded on the Solstice it is fitting to call it a Long Days Night. Hard core BOC fans and those who are just classic rock radio fans who hear Reaper/Burnin/Godzilla alike will love this.