BOC in San Diego

[Joseph Brooks]

Uh oh.. Now I may be setting myself up for unpopularity amongst the BOC
crowd here but I have to answer this one honestly.. Ok, one paragraph at a
time...

                >y'know i woulda thought that a present-day BOC would be
something to cringe
                >about, like present-day Kansas or BTO or something, but the
devotion shown by
                >you and others here has suggested otherwise...

No, its not quite that bad yet. At one time I feared that it was heading
that way but last nights show gave me new hope to some extent. Of course,
even when all three bands mentioned were in their primes, BOC was not the
same sort of FM fodder that the other 2 were. Many people don't see this
because of the (to me) dreaded "Big 3". "Burnin' for You", "Don't Fear the
Reaper" and, worst of all, "Godzilla". These songs are not at all
representative of the best of what BOC has to offer but they are what most
people (casual fans) are familiar with. Unfortunately, they seem to feel
obligated to play these at every show.. I usually go pee and get a fresh
beer during Godzilla... The other 2 are not such bad songs, and even
Godzilla has its merits but there is so much other material I'd rather hear.

                >but PLEASE tell me there's some kinda room for improv in
there, longer
                >versions, etc. >>>they dont go through the exact same
motions every show,
                >right?

Hmm... they do seem to stick pretty close to a nightly setlist with some
variation. I don't think they often just pull an old song out of their hats.
But, unlike some other older bands I've seen, its not like just hearing the
songs on a loud stereo (Pink Floyd was a classic example of that on their
last tour..), they do jam them out some. Not as much as they did back in the
day but still... Again, I think they cater entirely too much to Joe BOC fan
who, if he didn't hear the "Big 3" would go home with a gripe. I think they
are wrong and that fans would appreciate hearing more of the older, less
played stuff. But the thing is, Buck is such a great guitarist that its
worth the rest just to hear him bust loose a few times.

And I know its beating a dead horse but IMO, they are still hindered by the
absence of a certain pair of brothers... one of which (Al Bouchard), along
with Sandy Pearlman, was a main creative force in the band.

I have to fess up here. I mostly go see them for nostalgic reasons.. my wife
and I had our first date at a BOC show.. been going since 1974.. But I
would've stopped going long ago if there wasn't still something there.. and
last night, they did have an intensity that has seemed to be missing for a
while.

                >i was given their 2nd/3rd lps years ago; think i'll have to
play 'em in the
                >car on the way to work this week...i mean, i'm more
familiar w/BOC than i
                >was/am with, say, foghat; just didnt figure them to endure
like this (at least
                >to those for whom they do)...

That's the stuff.. and if you can, get hold of "Imaginos" which, while not
exactly a true BOC album, is one of the best damn hard rock albums ever
made.. Really. If any 70's band deserves to still be around, it's them... I
will probably always have sort of a soft spot for them in my musical heart.
They are still, to me and many others apparently, the Amazing Blue Oyster
Cult!

JB
                -----Original Message-----
                From:   DASLUD at AOL.COM [mailto:DASLUD at AOL.COM]
                Sent:   Monday, March 01, 1999 11:11 AM
                To:     Multiple recipients of list BOC-L
                Subject:        Re: BOC in San Diego

                y'know i woulda thought that a present-day BOC would be
something to cringe
                about, like present-day Kansas or BTO or something, but the
devotion shown by
                you and others here has suggested otherwise...

                but PLEASE tell me there's some kinda room for improv in
there, longer
                versions, etc. >>>they dont go through the exact same
motions every show,
                right?

                i was given their 2nd/3rd lps years ago; think i'll have to
play 'em in the
                car on the way to work this week...i mean, i'm more familiar
w/BOC than i
                was/am with, say, foghat; just didnt figure them to endure
like this (at least
                to those for whom they do)...

                >>>not that hawkwind ever gave the impression that they'd
persist for
                decades...

                ja ne!
                >>>larry b