With the release of 1981's
Fire of Unknown Origin, it appeared as though
Blue Öyster Cult was entering a new commercial and stylistic phase, as the album spawned a popular radio hit, "Burnin' for You." However, this would prove not to be the case, as the ensuing tour would be the last time -- save for a short-lived reunion a few years later -- that the classic
Bloom-
Dharma-
Lanier-
Al Bouchard-
Joe Bouchard BÖC lineup would tour together. The 2007 archival concert release,
Live in America, shows that the group was still quite a live force circa their 1981 tour, especially at a hometown stop in New York. Expectedly, quite a few then-recent numbers turn up in their set -- the aforementioned "Burnin' for You," as well as "Joan Crawford," and the title track. But still, several classics find their way into the set, including "Godzilla," "Hot Rails to Hell," their U.S. breakthrough, "Don't Fear the Reaper," and even a pair of covers (
Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" and
the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues"). Right behind the exceptional
Some Enchanted Evening,
Live in America is one of the better live
BÖC releases in circulation.
–
Greg Prato, Rovi