Blue Oyster Cult - Golden Age Of Leather (Live at The Capitol Center, 1978)

[@JohnHoulgate]

Who the hell else could take a story about aging bikers brawling in the middle of the desert and turn it into pure poetry? Who the hell else?

[@kellenrist3973]

+John Houlgate I'll tell you who couldn't. Any artist after 1982.

[@JohnHoulgate]

+Kellen Rist That deserves a fist-bump, dude!

[@kellenrist3973]

John Houlgate*Accepts the fist-bump*

[@FreedomZealot]

+John Houlgate Phil Lynott (d.1986) is the only songwriter whose name springs to mind. Thin Lizzy, Rush, and BOC were my three favorite bands as a teenager, and none of them did vapid party songs.

[@stevegarland1526]

So agree . . . .they can tell any story about anything

[@LeatherRebel75]

"Golden Age of Leather" is only one of many B.O.C. songs that just blow the mind. It's the kind of song you have to listen to multiple times to really digest everything.

[@NAFmunchausen]

gives me hope knowing I'm not alone in this.

[@Nakeprah]

the whole spectres album i think haha

[@RoeserFan1]

Listened to this tune thousands of times over the decades and it still blows me away.

[@neil1390]

The haunting closing riff , shows a true master of guitar,Buck Dharma is fantastic

[@gretzinabluehat]

Where do you begin with Buck Dharma? How did Hendrix get to Halen? How did America overlook Buck Dharma? How can you listen to him and not realise America had finally found their Mozart? Blue Oyster Cult, the one that got away....

[@northhawk4148]

gretzinabluehat I think their name bugged some people, the non thinking yard ape types..

[@stevenwilkinson1265]

Just seen BOC live a few nights ago in the UK & Buck is still blazing away at the age of 69. Had the crowd captivated & in awe of his craft and genius. Still lovely vocals as well. Legend.

[@RoeserFan1]

Gretz, i think this is the best comment about Buck and BOC I have ever seen. It sums up my feelings precisely.

[@jaketaz2848]

gretzinabluehat one day I realized that every single time I hear Buck Dharma solo I feel like it's too short, that's when I realized he's my favorite guitarist

[@phillynott2459]

How the hell did America "overlook" buck or BOC ? they had at least 3 big songs in America. Most bands funny when have 1 big hit

[@RoeserFan1]

Never seen this one till now. Holy crap. If you are not blown away by this song, you must be dead inside.

[@stevenwilkinson1265]

As far as I can tell this is part of the footage for "Some Other Enchanted Evening" in 1978 & was re-issued around 2007 with SEE as a 1 hour DVD ?? Also find great versions of ETI, Harvester of Eyes & Kick Out the Jams from that night ... they were on it ...

[@emilgueorvuiev904]

🎸

[@sunjester8254]

Every time I hear people talk about BOC's best albums they always go to the first three. Spectres has songs on it that rank with those albums best, and surpass many of them. Spectres is the perfect combination of prog, goth, heavy, melody, etc, but it failed commercially due to bad promotion and sad expectations by so called fans for it to sound like the first three.

[@stevenwilkinson1265]

Over 40 years Spectres would be my most played BOC album (many, many times) ... I'd probably say Secret Treaties & Fire of Unknown Origin are their greatest all round albums though ... the songs on Spectres are (mainly) sublime ...

[@decktechsandspecs]

I disagree, I think Spectres has a lot of good songs but some of the songs on the album end up feeling same-y. I love a lot of the songs but as a whole the album falls short of the albums that came before it.

[@sunjester8254]

@@decktechsandspecs I don't see how you can think that. Godzilla and Searching for Celine sound the same to you?

[@jamesparker1063]

@@decktechsandspecs disagree.....SPectres has some of BD's strongest lead work ever....."I love the night".....the outros on "Celine" and "Nosferatu"...the E-bow workout on "Celestial"....plus the dual-vocals of Buck and Eric here, on "Golden Age"....."RU Ready"/"Fireworks"/"Death Valley" are a bit weak weak, but no album can have it all...

[@WoodstocKenny]

Buck Dharma really makes that Les Paul sing. "The Golden Age of Leather" is one of my all time favorite BOC songs.

[@jamesparker1063]

At the end, he uses an "E-Bow", a little metal device that drives the strings via the pickups, to get "violin" type sounds....he used (uses) it on "Reaper", and the solo to "Searchin For Celine" ("Spectres")....

[@WoodstocKenny]

I can see the ebow in his right hand, what a great solo that is! The guitar playing on "Searchin' for Celine" is great too!

[@TheGreatAlan75]

I fucking love golden age and Searching for Celine!!! I think Spectres it's my favorite

[@Kohntarkosz]

@@jamesparker1063 Not on (Don't Fear) The Reaper. It hadn't been introduced yet at the time. I know it says that he used it on that song on Wikipedia, but it also says Steve Hackett used one on the Genesis song The Carpet Crawlers, which for sure is wrong. That's just plain old guitar feedback. But yes, that is a first gen E-bow he's using at the end of this clip.

[@dank6852]

@@jamesparker1063 Good eyes & ears, 1978 that has to be what a MkI? Also what strings are on that thing? 12's? Jeez....

[@bruceabbott4435]

Hey, guys and gals. Reading your comments. Buck is my guy. Attending his 50th wedding party. His lovely wife, Sandy, is also the best. Buck turned my lyrics into a masterpiece, and added a few of his own! He changed my life since first meeting him in college!

[@jamesparker1063]

hey Bruce! Ask Buck how he did that double-stop backing riff, on "Lonely Teardrops" ("Mirrors")....asking for a friend!! ;-).....

[@rjcarr66]

Your contribution to Blue Oyster Cult is much appreciated! Thank you! Ah, "Golden Age of Leather". The perfect pairing of music and lyric creating a masterpiece. Always love when it is in the set!

[@logansummers1551]

YOU'RE A FRAUD. You're not the real Abbott who know BOC.

[@bruceabbott4435]

@@logansummers1551 Hey Logan, you seem pretty sure of yourself. While you're entitled to your pointedly negative opinion of me, you have no basis to make that claim. I could send you a pic of my gold record from Columbia for "Golden Age," or Christmas cards from Buck and his wife, but why bother? We met in engineering school in 1965, started our first band with Al Bouchard, The Travesty, and have been close to this day. Meanwhile, please continuing believing anything you like, including that the Earth is flat, and let's throw in the Tooth Fairy for good measure. --Bruce

[@logansummers1551]

@@bruceabbott4435 Yeah, nothing like making stupid accusations about me believing the earth is flat to prove who you are. Really, if I believed that I would believe you're who you claim, you knucklehead.

[@sunjester8254]

Albert's drumming on this is both complex and melodic. I know most people don't think of melody when it comes to drums, but he had a way of making drumming melodic. Let's not forget Joe's amazing bass, sounding like a guitar solo at times.

[@sspaay]

Albert was on fire during this performance! Thanks for giving a nod to what the Bouchard brothers brought to this song.

[@sunjester8254]

​@@sspaay My favorite drummer and bassist, so it wasn't too hard for me to point out how great they are.

[@marklweb]

As great as Buck Dharma is on guitar and vocals on this song, what makes this version so special is the performance of the Bouchard brothers. Albert drives this song and Joey really develops a groove with him. I've seen BOC over 60 times in concert, and this is probably my favorite vid from them on youtube.

[@jamesshaffer206]

marklweb I agree Albert and Joe are something special. both bands should call themselves, Half coupe and Half Oyster. Joe n Albert are playing well too these days.

[@stevenwilkinson1265]

A good observation regarding the Bouchards. I've always thought this was a nightmare song for Buck to have to pull off live. Very intense vocals & story telling required + the usual tasty lead guitar licks ... he's on good form here but maybe it got dropped from live sets because of the extra difficulty for him ??

[@cultosaur262]

It is common in the 2018 Set-List, so check 'em out if you can! They even have added 'Screams' and 'Beautiful as a Foot' -- total ear candy...and Albert joins them now and again and sings, picks, and more -- just too great to see him! Blue Coupe does a great show too. Also, you can really see in this vid just how much Allen fills things out with his guitar...what an undersung hero. R.I.P. Allen Lanier!

[@pault151]

As long as you don't count the bassist's horribly off vocal harmonizing early on (guessing his monitor was off as later in the song he's not bad). Starts about 2:35. Still like many other of their collaboration songs, this one (w/ Bruce Abbott) shines telling the story.

[@jamesgang6206]

This is really an awesome version of this great BOC classic.. Damn .Buck Dharma's vocal is so good here. And those harmonic tones he does in the end . WOW!!!

[@sspaay]

I love the classic line up!

[@Trilaan]

One of the most haunting melodies ever performed by a guitar at the end there.

[@wbien6994]

Being a biker this was one of are theme songs. One concert they even had a Hog on stage.

[@user-nh6fh5mk9o]

Great band . I've seen them 5 times in the 70s

[@adr1ew]

You're one lucky duck

[@grgoldner]

RIP Allen Lanier.

[@glennstraw1672]

These guys never get enough recognition

[@wbien6994]

Their label screwed hem for years

[@Frostki]

That guitar outro ❤️

[@jamesalfano5740]

Love the E- Bow guitar on the ending. Great song Great Album Spectres, saw that tour, increfible show, when no one used lasers, BOC blanketed the audience witha laser shower, emanating from mirror balls, hung stategically throughout the Philly Spectrum!

[@jacobkaminski9486]

My very first concert I attended was this tour in 1978 at the Baltimore Civic Center .. It was a amazing show especially the light and laser show that BOC performed .. I will never forget it and I will honestly say that I've never ever seem a light and laser show like that again ,, and I have been to over a thousand of concerts in my life since 1978 ,,, I want to thank my late older brother who paid for my ticket and took his little brother to his very first concert ,, thank you Jeffrey ., I will always remember you and this night ,. RIP ,, til I see you again ,,,,, Blue Oyster Cult UFO Cheap Trick

[@anytimejammin-eva]

I was at this one! What a show! My brother and I were blown away and rockin. Nothing like concerts at the Capitol Centre!

[@sunjester8254]

I really love Albert. He's my favorite drummer and his song writing skills are what pushed the rest of the band to greatness. But damn, I wish he would stop fucking yelling on this song.

[@stevenwilkinson1265]

STINGING CINDERS !!!

[@cristiancabrera6627]

Estamos ante una de las mejores canciones de todos los tiempos y una de las mejores bandas también??

[@johnhall5129]

Such awesome memories! This album came out right when me and my GF got our first apartment together while still in high school. Screwing like bunny rabbits and listening to The Oyster Boys...among others...RUSH, lots and lots of RUSH, lol.

[@spacewurm]

The bass solo to end song was amazing!

[@electrawire9039]

Witness the BOC at their pinnacle. Nothing like ‘em now, in this day of flaccid plumage. They were one of the biggest draws to me & my ilk in those days, a rock and roll cultural event to us. Saw all their Cap Center shows of the late 70’s, including this one. Have rocked with Buck and Eric at many a club venue show since then, but these original band member concerts in the big arenas, at the peak of their powers, were absolutely spectacular. This video recording does not do justice to what it was actually like, but I am grateful that a visual record does exist.

[@bruceabbott4435]

My original lyrics were “In this day of faggot plummage.” Donald (Buck, to you), ever the gentleman of good taste, changed the word to “flaccid.” That’s how it happened back there in 1979!

[@davechatelle6505]

Seen BOC do this live 2016 at mystic lake casino free and it was great. Really liked golden age of leather from the first I heard it.

[@MARIO-uf1no]

Buck is so great and he rocks the white suit, too!!

[@cheryldillon5923]

Shredtastic!! My #1 fave BOC song!! Dig Bucks use of an Ebow at the end...Hell YEAH!!!

[@IncendiaDivinus]

Was there as a 15 year old- If memory serves right , they were opening for Sabbath and the local opening band for them was called 'Rail'..Then again as usual I was high as a kite 🙄😒🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘!!!!!!!

[@clintonsmith5163]

Every time I listen to this song I am reminded of a magazine article in Creem, or some such magazine, back in the late 70s or early 80s. In that article, one of the members of BOC commented that in Golden Age of Leather they were "trying to sound like Queen." The song certainly has a lot of changes and complexities, as well as some Queenlike vocals at the start.

[@bustermcnutt2452]

That riff!

[@mikestorm7506]

This version of this song is my new best friend.

[@lesliefoster56]

I get why they can keep playing these songs for so many decades. They must absolutely love playing this.

[@aschule5684]

This is my all time favorite BOC song👍🏼

[@petepanozzo6854]

Best performance I’ve ever watched by the band!

[@TheGreatAlan75]

This song is amazing! Especially the second half

[@alansbinnie1446]

Spectres was a great album, always seem to have been underrated.

[@kellenrist3973]

So, can anyone explain the dislike on such an amazing song? I can't comprehend it.

[@MrSkyblu1]

+Kellen Rist It's just one person out of many who disliked it. I don't get it either, but not everyone has great taste in music. Probably someone who thinks Zeppelin are the only band worth listening to. Or, most likely, people who think crap like Bieber is real music.

[@kellenrist3973]

MrSkyblu1 I hope you're right.

[@akrasia1969]

+Kellen Rist Cant's explain it !

[@chesterdesmond666]

+Kellen Rist I think he\she was standing on their head and thought it was a thumbs up.. Only way to explain.

[@stretchgilbert]

+Kellen Rist #Troll

[@riphopfer5816]

Jesus, they were so tight at this period of their career. It’s such a shame they began to fragment around this time.

[@KickflipGnasty]

What a jewel.

[@roystonmason9125]

masterpiece , this band was bad b4 everyone else

[@feduncan]

One of my most favorite BÖC Songs. Love it!

[@gidikaufman850]

Nothing like seeing all the five original members doing magic..

[@fnord23]

the OG band!!! BOC baybeeeeeeees!

[@louderthanlife]

One of my favorite BOC cuts. The verses have always reminded me of Paperback Writer.

[@billyz5088]

My all-time fav track from Spectres

[@adamnordstrom6602]

Going 2 See them 4 my 53 time In june in Peekskill ny cant wait

[@pitanguirj]

Very beauriful.

[@kealsta]

fkn FRANTIC! Thats why these guys were special. What a rev-up!

[@tannerquismundo1754]

“Golden Age of Leather” by Blue Öyster Cult Raise your can of beer on high And seal your fate forever Our best years have past us by The golden age of leather This was the night not long to come in the year of our Lord A.D. Where in a desert way-house, poised on the brink of eternity Four and ninety studded horsemen closed the knot of honor As only drunken soldiers can And passed from man to man, a wanton child to dead to care That each would find his pleasure as he might For this fantastic night was billed as nothing less than the end of An age A last crusade, a final outrage, in this day of flaccid plumage And there was worn no cloth but leather Made supple by years of stinging cinders And here were seen the scars of age For age had been the common call for one last night together Down colored the sky (the ritual feast) Some had died (they were buried with their bikes) Each grabbed a rag (from a man with a sack) Torn strips of color (the red and the black) I came here willingly I will go down valiantly We made a vow to give it all we had to give We made a vow to die as we had lived They flew the colors, they began to fight They flailed at each other like bugs at a light Bodies and bikes beyond repair Smell of oil and gas in the air Then the wind whipped the desert with a giant hand And the humans and the Harleys caught the shifting sand And the old ranger weathered the storm And he topped the rise by the middle of morn He saw rippled dunes, calm and surreal And a glint of a shaft of chromium steel Golden age

[@stackbarrelmike]

Killer tune!!!

[@RayRay-ot5xd]

WoW! That ending!!!

[@mckavity]

One of my favs

[@viewtx8233]

Pure Awesome

[@alanlloyd9986]

Best song on Spectres

[@BegoneJonah]

They were the BEST!

[@ericklein5927]

totalling awsome

[@petermeylink8360]

Blue Oyster Cult really rocks New York. Oh yeah brothsr.

[@418Abdul]

Toughest rock n roll song there's yet been, imhop

[@jaketaz2848]

Dang I never realized how complicated this song is

[@stevenwilkinson1265]

It's a nightmare for Buck live .. which might be why they didn't play it for a while .. he played it last summer for us ... it pushed him but sounded good still ...

[@RoeserFan1]

It's a magnum opus

[@billymack4243]

Yeah, _GUITAR♥️GOD'S_

[@bradstensland506]

@@stevenwilkinson1265 Nightmare, especially when they play it at that breakneck speed!!!

[@roryrowan3798]

How B.o c never made the rock and roll is mystifying

[@gurgisjones1120]

Bring on the guitars! I've always especially liked this song because it's more guitar-heavy than many other songs. There's a lot there if you listen closely. And check out that EBow stuff 5:17 on.

[@PastorinoOlivier]

BÖC is one of my favourite bands and certainly the most influencial on my work as a composer / musician. I would love your input on the first video of my first album. It got the attention of one of my heroes Joe Bouchard (ex bass player founding members of BÖC) who is following us on Soundcloud but returns from people who likes same music is always the best. If you have just 3 minutes to listen and a bit more to comment, that would mean the world to me. Keep rockin' : kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqbCoWStl8Z2l5o

[@debranelson1987]

Buck Dharma....true guitar God

[@antoniogiannotti2483]

GRANDI!!!

[@johnfalcone3414]

the master

[@derjeniche5409]

Best BoC song for me!

[@LeftyFunkenstein]

So good!

[@ericemery7281]

Pretty sure that this is the same tour I saw in McNichols Arena in Denver. Godzilla lazer show out of sight. Spectres in my top five of BOC vinyls. Golden Age allows crowd to participate right off the bat, something that to this day, I belt out at the numerous BOC shows I still attend. This band was and is somehow overlooked by rock and roll media, I dont get it. They don't let it get to them, though.

[@Ramiiam]

This was the brilliant sleeper from Specters. The song so meaningfully it invites us to ask: WTF is the meaning of this? Bought this album on 8 track in 1978.

[@beyondtheveilofdeath4195]

,,,that was music...

[@stevegarland1526]

Yes, it opens a bit 60's/Ivy League, but the beauty of it, yes?

[@bruceabbott4435]

You are a genius! I patterned the intro after the Cornell Glee Club. You win, Dude! I grew up in Ithaca, NY.

[@Kohntarkosz]

Nice early E-bow solo at the end.

[@bartvisscher2647]

Watching this Tuesday November 24 in the year of the plague

[@bolouxshetnfouk2741]

"A last crusade, a FiNaL oUtRaGe!!"

[@chrishutt66yt]

Why isn't this the theme to "Sons of Anarchy"?

[@elfman5176]

+chris hutt It sure should have been, Great song. Great band.

[@cuttlefisch]

Because it's by BOC, that's why. Had this been recorded by Journey, Foreigner or Boston it would have been the theme tune.

[@arthurravencroft9210]

@@cuttlefisch Is BOC blacklisted from the entertainment industry or something? Same thing happened with Godzilla even though it's a perfect theme song.

[@cuttlefisch]

@@arthurravencroft9210 Yes, pretty much.

[@arthurravencroft9210]

@@cuttlefisch Who did they piss off? The stereo typical answer would be jews but Eric Bloom was a small hat himself. Do they just need a band to cock block?

[@andyrudy8627]

The middle part always reminded me of good vibrations lol

[@cansinza]

Letra: Raise your can of beer on high And seal your fate forever Our best years have past us by The golden age of leather This was the night not long to come in the year of our Lord A.D. Where in a desert way-house, poised on the brink of eternity Four and ninety studded horsemen closed the knot of honor As only drunken soldiers can And passed from man to man, a wanton child to dead to care That each would find his pleasure as he might For this fantastic night was billed as nothing less than the end of An age A last crusade, a final outrage, in this day of flaccid plumage And there was worn no cloth but leather Made supple by years of stinging cinders And here were seen the scars of age For age had been the common call for one last night together Down colored the sky (the ritual feast) Some had died (they were buried with their bikes) Each grabbed a rag (from a man with a sack) Torn strips of color (the red and the black) We made a vow to give it all we had to give We made a vow to die as we had lived They flew the colors, they began to fight They flailed at each other like bugs at a light Bodies and bikes beyond repair Smell of oil and gas in the air Then the wind whipped the desert with a giant hand And the humans and the Harleys caught the shifting sand And the old ranger weathered the storm And he topped the rise by the middle of morn He saw rippled dunes, calm and surreal And a glint of a shaft of chromium steel Golden age.

[@quevicular]

Excellent song always like it. Played slightly too fast live

[@windowssteve]

The folks at the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame are a$$s. Check out the Rolling Stones magazine issue with the top 100 guitarist of all time. Again, passing on BOC and Buck is just plain stupid. Thanks for the share.

[@jamesgang6206]

The Fuckin Hall is a damn joke. What a shit sham it is. It took Deep Purple how long to get in. DEEP PURPLE FOR CHRIST SAKES!! They just got in what 3 years ago?? Shameful.. Grand Funk Railroad. 7 platnum albums in 7 years. Sold out Shea in 72 hours , a record no act ever topped. Their not in!!!!! Yet Fuckin Modonna is? WTF?? Yea. Sure BOC should absolutely in. I could go on,and on! It's disgusting..

[@chrishutt6650]

Ode to the true Original "Sons of Anarchy!" The ones who go to Stergis!

[@itisMe04]

Times albert shouted: 1:18 1:30 1:43

[@ward9306]

Buck used a ebow,how cool is that

[@Scotty.S588]

What ever happened to the origial video that was on here a couple of years ago ? Anyone bother to copy it ?Personally I liked the violent imagery,all in good fun..Thanks for Grand Casino,Eric,Buck and the Boy's.

[@bruceabbott4435]

He's traveling now, but I will try to text him for the answer. Best wishes.

[@robertcarli5803]

Tell me the middle breakdown doesn't remind one of the Beach Boys ?

[@aharon85]

Le gusta a mi hijo de 4 meses

[@scottdavis4335]

MR BUCK KICKS ASS!!!!!!!

[@jamesweldon9726]

Sound is kind of sucky. But what a performance!

[@Lawtalkingdog]

And there was worn no cloth but leather....

[@troytromwell]

the drummer's neck must be sore.

[@2728muzikmann]

oh man this is my favourite BOC song and someone is singing badly off key during one of the harmony spots. So good other than that. Frustrating. I think its Albert

[@stevenwilkinson1265]

Albert is screaming some back up vocals out for sure ..got to love him ...

[@bruceabbott4435]

Yeah, in our college band, we were auditioning for the Spencer Davis sound-alike. It was Albert! So, he became the soloist when we performed “Give Me Some Lovin’!”