SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – 50th ANNIVERSARY LIVE – SECOND NIGHT

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT
50th ANNIVERSARY LIVE – SECOND NIGHT
FRONTIERS MUSIC

Blue Öyster Cult is a brilliant band for many reasons, but one reason is their care and attention to their history and recordings. They have taken care of their music and continue to present it to fans in a very meaningful way. For example, this series of albums being released. 50th Anniversary Live – Second Night is the second in this exciting and thoughtful series.

In September 2022, Blue Öyster Cult performed a unique trilogy of shows at ​​ Sony Hall in New York City. Each show was dedicated to one of their first three albums.  On the first night, the band performed their debut album from beginning to end. The second night, they performed their second album, Tyranny And Mutation from beginning to the end. 50th Anniversary Live – Second Night captures the night perfectly.

When Tyranny And Mutation was originally released in 1973, the album didn’t do too well but it became very influential and a fan favourite. It also became a cult classic with bands like The Minutemen and Band Of Susans. Over the years Tyranny and Mutation has gained a lot of new fans and as Blue Öyster Cult got bigger, many fans went back to discover their earlier albums.

Blue Öyster Cult redefined hard rock in the early 1970s. They combined harder rock with prog and came up with an early version of punk. It is no surprise that future Clash producer, Sandy Pearlman, produced the early albums by Blue Öyster Cult. Tyranny And Mutation was and is a fascinating album and included the first track Patti Smith wrote with the band (the wonderful “Baby Ice Dog”). Again, this is not the average hard rock band or album.

The band does an excellent job of performing it live. All the wonderful attributes are still there, the strong melodies, the harmonies and the tight playing. It is not a note for note redo of the album, but rather bring the album to life in 2022 (when the concerts were held). As with the first release, 50th Anniversary Live – First Night, the band is in top form and attacks the songs with a great deal of energy and excitement. The same can be said about part two of the show. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Godzilla” come off extremely well, but Tyranny And Mutation is the real star and it comes off brilliantly live.

“Hot Rails to Hell” and “7 Screaming Diz Busters” come off particularly well. [Eric] Bloom is ruthless with “Hot Rails To Hell”. One just has to listen to his delivery of “the heat from below can burn your eyes out” to see that he has not lost any power or force. The playing is tight and the music throughout the entire concert is a driving force.

By the time the band gets to the hits, such as “Burnin’ For You” or “Godzilla”, they are at peak power. One can feel the energy from the recording. To have been present in the audience must have been breathtaking. The set (and double CD for that matter) is relentless and one can hear the joy in the band to be able to still perform these classic songs. It is a perfect set following the album from beginning to end.

50th Anniversary Live – Second Night is a great live album. It has all the trademarks of classic live recordings and is extremely well recorded and well produced. It doesn’t replace the original studio album, and to be honest, that was never the goal of releasing this album. The studio album, Tyranny And Mutation, has justifiably become recognized as the classic it is.  However, this live recording shows a band who is taking great pride in their history and early albums. Performing it live gives them an opportunity to visit with old friends, perform some songs that have never been performed live.

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