Customer Reviews

Blue Oyster Cult - Live 1976

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Frankly, I'm surprised so many people have dissed this disc. I'm glad I bought it before I read the reviews -- the sound quality is poor, sure, and the video could be better too, but remember, this was recorded in 1976! Before MTV, before the digital revolution, back when you actually had to be a good musician to have a career playing music. This is BOC in all their Don Kirshner's Rock Concert glory -- Eric preening in a leather jumpsuit, Albert going absolutely nuts during one of the great heavy metal tunes of all time, "Cities on Flame." And Buck is simply one of rock music's great guitarists -- he moves from beautiful melody to dissonant noise in a heartbeat, without a single cliche in the entire show. Contrary to Amazon.com's reviewer above, Buck is very alive and well here ... you just have to be paying attention! Plus, if BOC is five years past its prime here, as McCoy says, then their prime would have been roughly a year before their first album came out! Get real -- this is good, honest rock and roll, performed with skill and love for complex, intelligent music. I've never liked the typical heavy metal band, and I hate prog rock, but somehow BOC rises above all that, all the while staying charmingly within that same context -- drum and bass solos and all. Sure, "Don't Fear the Reaper" is a little hurried here, but this was before the song had acquired its full anthem status. It could be compared to Nirvana hurrying through "Teen Spirit," before the song had taken on its real meaning. On the down side, the song choices could be better -- I'd like "Last Days of May," personally, and Eric's rock star stage persona can get tiresome, but the disc is not nearly as bad as some people have said. Obviously these people have never heard the poor sound quality of bootlegs, where the performance is more important than 16-bit digital sound. Frankly, I'm glad to have this disc, and I hope more people buy it, so distributors will have an incentive to put out more -- hopefully better recorded -- material. BOC deserves a better reputation than they have received of late, and it's no coincidence that they are one of the few bands of this era still going. They are a classic rock band and this is a classic performance.

I just purchased this dvd even though I read some bad reviews from others. As far as I'm concerned this DVD shows just the way the concerts were back in the day with the laser shows. Anyone who is a long time BOC fan or even new BOC fans would really enjoy this dvd. It is really a historical recording as you can no longer see the laser shows and it captures blue oyster cult just as the agents of fortune album came out with don't fear the reaper. The video and audio quality are fine. I almost didn't order it because of other reviews but am very glad that I did!!! Buy it and you won't be sorry if you're a real BOC fan!!!

Although I am a Blue Oyster Cult fan, I have to tell you that this DVD is as bad as it gets. The sound and audio quality are terrible. You should only buy this if you are a really big fan and get a really good price.

Sure, this product isn't great. The sound pretty much sucks, and the video quality is awful. But where else are you gonna get the chance to see the infamous 5 guitar jam or Eric's wrist laser? I never had the chance to see the original line up, being basicaly too young (I wasn't even ten years old when this was recorded), but now I have and it just makes me wish even harder that I had had the chance to see the original BOC. The drum solo got tedious and the sound fades in and out, the visuals are overdone -- but to see the wrist laser finally, and to hear Joey's bass solo and that 5 guitar jam... it was worth it. Is this for a die-hard fan? Yes, it is. But doesn't just being a BOC fan after all these years and turmoil qualify one as being a die hard?

I have to admit that I too am amazed that people criticise this DVD. You're either a fan of the group or you're not. If you are, you should love it. The quality might not be perfect, but I found the video and sound are certainly good enough to enjoy the concert. As for this supposedly showing BOC "past their prime" ... ridiculous. They were at their peak in 1976, which is what makes this disc all the more valuable to have.

Back in 1976 I attended this show. It was a great show that brought alot of BOC Fans truly to their knees. The sound problems were a direct result of insufficent power because of the Lasers and feedback created by the Lasers. This was never intended to be a concert film. At the Capital Center as a service and years before Diamondvision, they would video the Acts and put them on the screen for all to see close up.

Why do you think Buck is looking up all the time? He was suprised to see himself bigger than life on the screens.

Anyway it is a very faithful archive of a concert, problems and all. The Band blew away so many acts in the 70's. I saw them over 10 times and this was a landmark show.

First, Joe Bouchard did an unheard of thing by doing a virtuoso solo which was near unheard of until him. Reaper was just out 2-3 months and the band had been vacant from touring for 8 months; which for BOC is near unheard of due to their constant touring.

I loved this band, Buck showed me how to really attack the guitar and Eric Bloom was the attitude.

Yea the DVD has flaws but it still is fun to watch and look back. Again thanks needs to go to the person that remembered this performance and found the tape!

Buy it if you are a real FAN!

Who the Hell is Dave McCoy anyway? Just another stuck up music critic that doesn't like Heavy Metal music and shouldn't be writing a review on a BOC concert. That's right Dave, it's BOC not BLC, what a joke. If Blue Oyster Cult was past their prime (according to Dave)five years before this concert (1976)that would put them in their prime in 1971, hey Dave, the first Blue Oyster Cult record wasn't released until 1972, get a clue! What do you expect for a concert recorded in 1976 on what was probably a small budget? Of course it's not going to look or sound that great. And yes Dave, this DVD IS for die hard Blue Oyster Cult fans, unlike yourself.

Grainy picture, terrible sound, this DVD is only worth the buy if you were actually at the show. I was not unfortunately. BOC is a great band and the DVD does not represent this at all. Don't waste your money on this DVD.

Boycott this piece of crap. Never should have been released. If you don't have it, get Secret Treaties instead - endlessly rewarding. (but try to find vinyl, sound quality on the Columbia CD is dead.)

How could a BOC fan countence the release of this garbage? This is the worst rock video ever made. Fooloish and irrepentable. The psychadelic make-overs are laughable at best. There are no production values. Although BOC presents some of thier finer early work, this video manages to destroy them all. HOW DARE YOU!