Search - Blue Oyster Cult :: On Your Feet Or on Your Knees

Get your motor running

Mark H. | Hanson, MA USA | 06/03/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Building on the momentum as headliners with three successively strong albums from the onset of their career, Blue Oyster Cult felt it was time to release a double live album as was the custom of many a hard rock band during the Seventies. `On Your Feet or on Your Knees' which its very ominous cover - the hearse, the gothic looking church - very evil and dangerous, was a way for BOC to show to their fans that the immense power of their live performances was not captured properly in the studio. Many of the best songs from the early years are feature on the live record including "Cities on Flame with Rock n' Roll", "Before the Kiss", "7 Screaming Diz-Busters", "The Red and the Black" and "ME 262" which all sound smoking hot on stage. My criticism of the record is that the `Secret Treaties' LP does not feature its best songs on `On Your Feet". No "Career of Evil", "Flaming Telepaths" or probably most importantly "Astronomy". The albums opener is an odd choice as well, "The Subhuman" which is a much more laid back song than say "The Red and the Black" which would seem like a natural. Also "Born to be Wild", though done well, could have been replaced by any of the aforementioned `Treaties' tunes. Some rave about this album as the best live record from the era but for me and maybe because I'm not a huge fan, I'm not overly impressed. Still worth it for live versions of some of the best from albums one and two...but without "Astronomy" or "Flaming Telepaths"...I'm not as impressed"

Epic, Powerhouse Rock and Roll

James Doran | 05/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OYFOOYK is one of the greatest heavy rock albums ever. If you like it raw and relentless, get this album now. But, as on their debut album, there is a song here that distinguishes BOC from the rest of the pack, and that is the soft, melodic Then Came the Last Days of May. On the debut, this tune has a haunting quality that is simply mesmerizing. Here, on OYF, Last Days contains what might be the most beautiful rock and roll guitar work ever recorded. You can't help but be taken away by Buck Dharma's deep, feeling solo. Own this CD for just this one song and it will be worth it. Of course, you'll love all of it. My only criticism of this truly titanic album is that it doesn't cover enough of BOC's great early songs. All-time greats like Stairway to the Stars, Transmaniacon MC, Screams, Teen Archer and Wings Wetted Down should have been covered. Much as I like I Ain' Got You and Born to be Wild, BOC simply had too much of a surfeit of great tunes to waste space covering other people's stuff."