Blue Öyster Cult Extraterrestrial Live

Blue Öyster Cult Extraterrestrial Live

1982

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl and Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Dominance and Submission  2. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll  3. Dr. Music  4. The Red and the Black 5. Joan Crawford  6. Burnin' for You  7. Roadhouse Blues  8. Black Blade  9. Hot Rails to Hell  10. Godzilla  11. Veteran of the Psychic Wars  12. . E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) 13. (Don't Fear) The Reaper

The front cover of this is alright I guess...A Blue Oyster Monk... A couple dogs...Kinds cool,  but a little bland...But when you open that big, fat gatefold, you're greeted with this glorious sight...

Oh my God! I think this changed my life a little bit! O, the glory! O, the splendour!

I don't understand the album title, though...I think it might be a joke or pun or something I don't get...I know they have a song called "E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)" but that was an old song at this point...And if they wanted to name a live album after one of their old songs, there's several other titles on this album alone that would have worked better..."Cities on Flame Live" or something...Is it maybe a reference to the film "E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial" that was also released in 1982?



Ahhh, who cares...This is BOC's best live album...

(To be fair I haven't had the chance to check out 2002's "A Long Day's Night"...



So maybe that tops this...I wouldn't know...But if it does, please someone let me know, cos I'll buy 10 copies of it immediately!)

I love everything about "Extraterrestrial Live." I consider it to be one of my favorite live albums...Almost a perfect example of the form...Excellent song selection from an advantageous point in their discography...Energetic performances, that don't drag on too long...There's a few extended tracks, but they're such a blast that they fly right by, no 10 minute drum solos  or 5 minute audience participation bits....Just enough to let you know that there' is an audience there, but not enough to bore you out of your mind when you're listening to it alone in your bedroom...

Great moments include Eric's genuinely great mid-song storytelling during their cover of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" (featuring Robby Krieger from the freakin' Doors no less...)...I also have to go with Buck Dharma's guitar solo on "Veteran of the Psychic Wars." It's one of my go-to BOC tracks anyway, but man, Buck lays down the shred here...Technical and fun to listen to...They also include a scorching version of "Dominance and Submission" that whoops every ass ever...

 "Extraterrestrial Live" is so enjoyable for me, I seriously wish it was  a triple record... I know I should be saying something like, "It'd be better if all the songs were form a single show, or if Albert drummed on all of the tracks," and I think those are valid criticisms, but I can 100% tell you when I play this, I don't care about all that shit...I just want to listen to these guys play forever...

So let's check out "Dominance and Submission" by Blue Oyster Cult...