In September 2022, Blue Oyster Cult marked their half century by playing three consecutive nights at the Sony Hall in New York. Each of the three nights had the band playing one of their first three albums in totality plus a set of career-spanning songs.
Here we have the second night performance – Tyranny and Mutation it all its glory then thirteen song set of stuff the Oyster Boys have to play (guess which…..) and others which don’t often get a run out.
The band have had something of a late career surge in recent years starting with the superb Symbol Remains album from 2020 and these half-century celebrations.
Timeless classic rock as it should be by a band who have been there, done it and done it again.
The stadium days of the lasers, mirror balls and Godzilla heads may be long gone, however BOC don’t need that stuff and have enough presence to knock out the classics letting the music do the talking.
Tyranny and Mutation was, and remains, an album which does not disappoint. An album now fifty one years old still fresh, influential and relevant. That great mixture of cultured heaviness and trippy psych.
Bloom, Roser, Castellano, Radino and Miranda blaze through it effortlessly. Albert Bouchard joins the fun too – on guitar – and looks to be having a hoot.
Tyranny of course an album full of classics all the way through. The thumping The Red and the Black and OD’d On Life Itself, the powerful, frantic heaviness of Hot Rails to Hell and Seven Screaming Dizbusters take no prisoners.
Baby Ice Dog, Wings Wetted Down and Teen Archer bring in the trippy elements before Mistress of the Salmon Salt goes full trippy.
All so glorious. Here’s the performance of Hot Rails to Hell:
BOC put on the same flawless performance in to the second set of the mixture of the “must play” and the others including a couple from Symbol remains.
Some welcome surprises get a run out such as Perfect Water from the much-maligned Club Ninja album, Tenderloin and the Revenge of Vera Gemini.
The second night eventually closed out by perhaps the heaviest song Blue Oyster Cult have written – the relentless Cities on Flame from the debut album.
If you know your BOC, you don’t need me to tell you any of this as you’ve likely got a copy or at least familiar with the songs. If you don’t know your BOC – it’s time you did…..they don’t make ‘em like this any more.
An unmissable two CD and single DVD set available as are other formats.
>> BOC 50th ANNIVERSARY SECOND NIGHT ON AMAZON <<
And don’t forget the first night when they ripped through their self-titled debut album. Read the review here.
With the third night to come we have that to look forward to in due course. And that’ll be the unbeatable Secret Treaties album. Come on Frontiers – let’s have it sharpish…..!
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