Blue Öyster Cult - 2023 - 50th Anniversary Live. First Night

(111:00; Frontiers Music)

Although originally formed as Soft White Underbelly back in 1967, they didn’t change their name to Blue Öyster Cult until 1971, which I why I guess they decided to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary in September 2022 instead of back in 2017. They did this by undertaking three consecutive nights Sony Hall in NYC, with each show featuring the band playing in its entirety one of their first three albums (‘Blue Öyster Cult’, ‘Tyranny And Mutation’, and ‘Secret Treaties’), followed by a set of deep cuts and classics from their other albums. Frontiers Music will be releasing all three shows as double discs and Blu-ray, and this is the set from the first night, which sees them start by playing all of the debut in the correct running order.

The line-up for the nights was Eric Bloom (guitars, keyboards, vocals – strange how I always think of him as being the voice of the band but is actually only one of the singers, and didn’t actually join the band until 1969), founder member Donald “Buck Dharma ” Roeser (guitars, vocals), Richie Castellano (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Danny Miranda (bass, vocals) and Jules Radino (drums) while there was also a special guest there for all three nights, founder Albert Bouchard (drums, percussion, guitars, vocals). Although they were active on the recording front between 1972 and 1983 with eight studio albums, there were only two more in the Eighties, then two at the turn of the century before 2020’s ‘The Symbol Remains’. They may not have been releasing much new music, they have never really stopped touring, so it is no surprise at all that they are incredibly tight and know just what they are doing. But, there is no doubt that while Buck Dharma is as strong vocally and on guitar as he has always been (this being recorded not long before his 75th birthday), time has not been as kind to Eric who is some three years older. Whereas his vocals used to have real presence, they are now a shadow of their former state, being quite thin, but does it really matter?

If you want to hear Blue Öyster Cult at their absolute live peak, then grab 1975’s ‘On Your Feet or on Your Knees ‘ which contains classic after classic, but if you want to hear a band still having fun decades after their last big commercial success then this is for you. Any set which contains “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”, “Godzilla”, “Hot Rails To Hell”, “Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll” and “Before The Kiss, A Redcap” is always going to be a delight. Long may they continue.

Kev Rowland, January 2024

Links:
http://www.blueoystercult.com/
https://www.frontiers.it/