SOE 25 - The Freakout

[popacrobat]

Are you that surprised?

i really should know better by now, but I figure the fact that we received a new song yesterday with the Lead Single™ coming in six days would be good enough for everybody. but nope.

i sort of now want to see Sept. 6 come and go with no single now for the reactions. I can wait until Sept. 8 if I have to.

 

[DeVaul]

You're welcome, Guy Oseary.

 

[super fly guy]

Yeah, I saw I&E twice in New York, and I was taken aback by how well the new material went over. A ton of people were screaming along to the Raised by Wolves chorus, for example. It made me think the Apple release gambit actually worked...

I was at the first Glasgow gig,Gloria bad and 40 all played that night. Epic! The new stuff went down a storm as well.

 

[CMIS]

I love talk about what a song is about because as a writer (humble brag) and a fan of any creative work you all know that 99% of the time what you think they were trying to do in a song is wrong.

First few listens I feel it's a happy song about the band performing on stage and just getting lose in their 2 hour performance. Blacking out into it.

But it could easily be about Bono's trip to the dentist. Or Adam drunk in 1988.

It sounds too happy to me to be about the world ending. But what do I know.

Also can anyone explain to me what the fuck Get On Your Boots is about? I think it's just about bad lyrics and terrible lead single that I still haven't gotten over. I tried to like that song so much and failed.

Blackout keeps getting better the more I listen. When Bono "moans" as I call it on songs, I'm in.

I saw early mention of an article saying the song was about the moment of a terror attack, started thinking of it in that vein and now seemingly can't stop. Anyway, it seems the consensus is that it's not, so I won't belabour that.
You're right. Lyrics, unless explicitly explained by their composers (and maybe even then, because they could be pulling stuff out of their asses), are always open to interpretation. I dont think any of us were saying that this or that is what the song is DEFINITELY about, but just saying what we thought it could be.
But I would disagree with it sounding too happy to be about the world ending (or a dark event). First, because it does not sound too happy to me. More high energy than happy for me, but there is a dark vein going through it.

Second, and apologies for the digression, I think it's totally possible to be happy sounding and be about a dark event. I would say juxtapositions like that are part of the artists' arsenal. I always use IGC as an example... the subject is pretty grim, but if you dont pay too much attention to the lyrics and just listen to the music, it sounds like a happy song. And with that, I feel the singer or narrator's darkly gay abandon, like there really is no point even emoting honestly about the sad state he or she is talking about.

EDIT: meant to say I read the article headline saying its about terrorism and interpreted it as being about the moment of an attack. Dont know what the article said, didnt click on it.

 

[CMIS]

Yeah, I saw I&E twice in New York, and I was taken aback by how well the new material went over. A ton of people were screaming along to the Raised by Wolves chorus, for example. It made me think the Apple release gambit actually worked...

Raised by Wolves is a monster live

 

[trainmaniac]

Blackout will be hell on earth to kick off a live show.

 

[The_acrobat]

Blackout will be hell on earth to kick off a live show.

For sure, a much better opener than Miracle, which was just kind of a dud.

 

[marshall faulk]

So I've tried to digest The Blackout over the last 24 hours and overall I think it's a solid tune. It's no all-time classic but it's not a throw-away pile either (Hello Boots, Unknown Caller...) It has enough muscle to not be adult contemporary schlock and enough noise to not be a straight classic rock tune. First impression, I like it and think it could be really fun live.

I think Blackout fits the bill for what what I think the band was trying to do - give the existing involved fans a solid taste of the album and build some incremental buzz for the "big" album launch. Next week they'll launch the album and add a radio/streaming single for the wayward U2 fans (those that attended the Nostalgia Tree Tour despite having not bought a U2 album since maybe 2004) and then maybe, maybe they grab some "millenials", soccer moms and whomever else with Best Thing radio play going into the album release in December.

Solid rollout to me. Sure beats dropping The Miracle of Dad Rock on everyone's iPhone (but admit I really liked SOI overall.)

I'm incrementally excited about SOE now.

 

[womanfish]

Ok, so having sit with The Blackout for over a day and about 25 listens...

I want to try and temper my initial new U2 euphoria, and be objective.
That said, I haven't tired of it, and I keep finding little bits that I find cool. I am in the minority' around here, in that I really like Volcano. I think this is in a similar vein of Volcano, but there is more depth to the Blackout. I would rate Volcano about a 7 and the Blackout a solid 8. That's about what I give Vertigo as well.
I think Vertigo is more simple and straight forward like Elevation, where the Blackout seems a bit more layered which I appreciate. The aforementioned songs both benefit from over a decade of great live performances, which kind of puts them in a different category of their own.

Overall I still think the chorus is the weakest part of the song. Although it IS catchy, as I keep finding myself humming it during the day.
The song sadly begs for more Edge (come on man!!). Although that intro is the shit.
But Adam destroys it, and the songs natural groove and ebb and flow (cool false ending) keeps me listening and liking it.

Still a fan of Bono's oooooh oh oh oh's at the end. I find it almost necessary to break up what would be another repeat of the full chorus.

Still the best lead off song since Vertigo in my book. And to be honest, I'd probably choose listening to it over BD and likely Discotheque.

Glad to see most here are somewhere between kinda like it and love it. Not a ton of hate.

 

[Bernie02]

Well, we already know the video for the single is going to be that actress walking around in a jacket pretending to be a big U2 fan...almost seems more like a tour promo then a video for a single....but then I realize that all of their new music is effectively just a commercial for the tours since nobody really cares about their recent LPs outside of the hardcore fan base.

It kind of says it all when some girls in their 20s next to me at an SOI show were singing along to none of the new stuff and then went crazy for "City of Blinding Lights"...it's a long gone era when U2 could write a masterpiece.

Good lord. Sour grapes much? Age with some dignity for pete's sake!

 

[aMansAman]

And to be honest, I'd probably choose listening to it over BD and likely Discotheque

Discothèque >>> Blackout

Blackout is not bad. But the chorus is repetitive and annoys me a bit.

 

[BVS]

Good lord. Sour grapes much? Age with some dignity for pete's sake!

anyone else delighted by this irony?

 

[redhill]

Ok, so having sit with The Blackout for over a day and about 25 listens...

I want to try and temper my initial new U2 euphoria, and be objective.
That said, I haven't tired of it, and I keep finding little bits that I find cool. I am in the minority' around here, in that I really like Volcano. I think this is in a similar vein of Volcano, but there is more depth to the Blackout. I would rate Volcano about a 7 and the Blackout a solid 8. That's about what I give Vertigo as well.
I think Vertigo is more simple and straight forward like Elevation, where the Blackout seems a bit more layered which I appreciate. The aforementioned songs both benefit from over a decade of great live performances, which kind of puts them in a different category of their own.

Overall I still think the chorus is the weakest part of the song. Although it IS catchy, as I keep finding myself humming it during the day.
The song sadly begs for more Edge (come on man!!). Although that intro is the shit.
But Adam destroys it, and the songs natural groove and ebb and flow (cool false ending) keeps me listening and liking it.

Still a fan of Bono's oooooh oh oh oh's at the end. I find it almost necessary to break up what would be another repeat of the full chorus.

Still the best lead off song since Vertigo in my book. And to be honest, I'd probably choose listening to it over BD and likely Discotheque.

Glad to see most here are somewhere between kinda like it and love it. Not a ton of hate.

You had me locked in until the bit about listening to it over BD and Discotheque ;]

Right now? Of course! Down the road....? Those are two extraordinary songs IMO.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Was it something I said?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

anyone else delighted by this irony?

Overjoyed

 

[CMIS]

anyone else delighted by this irony?

Enough to toast it

 

[redhill]

So do you like The Blackout or not?!

COMMENT "I'M ON BOARD" BELOW AND GET A CHANCE TO WIN A $100 CASH PRIZE!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I am on board

 

[womanfish]

Deleted

 

[BVS]

I'm on board

 

[BVS]

Woohoo I won [emoji119]

 

[womanfish]

You had me locked in until the bit about listening to it over BD and Discotheque ;]

Right now? Of course! Down the road....? Those are two extraordinary songs IMO.

Sorry, I should clarify that point.

I like BD a lot and I love Discotheque. You are correct, right now, I would prefer to listen to the Blackout over them.
But maybe not down the road.
And to be honest I probably should have left off Discotheque, that was a step too far. One of the best riffs in history.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Woohoo I won [emoji119]

Didn't

 

[TinKnight]

who gives a shirt what you nerds think, is LARRY on board?

 

[BVS]

Didn't

You didn't write it correctly, thems are the rules.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

You didn't write it correctly, thems are the rules.

Fuck

 

[womanfish]

So what do you guys think, did Civilization become The Blackout? I just thought with talks of earthquakes, meteors and democracy, that it could have fit the title civilization.

But I think that was the song that supposedly had the big drum break, so not sure it fits the bill in that respect.

 

[redhill]

Woohoo I won [emoji119]

Congratulations BVS! You have WON!

*Offer subject to terms and conditions. Occasionally I may, at my discretion, make changes to the Agreement. When I make material changes to the Agreement, I’ll provide you with barely readable notice as appropriate under the circumstances, e.g., by displaying such notice within a U2 forum online. In most cases, I will notify you after it's already too late, and any and all further posts after the winner has been notified will constitute your acceptance of the changes. Please, therefore, make sure you read any such notice carefully. If you do not wish to continue communications under the new version of the Agreement, you may terminate the Agreement at any time after it has already been significantly altered but before said prize has been awarded.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

all the talk about adam, and while i still want more the edge, there is a part in the song right after the so called middle 8 when Bono is singing "when the lights go out...", that made me smile cause its a sound i love to ear from him. distorced, raw, powerful.

and yes, best since vertigo.
and yes, dicotheque... one of the best riffs ever!

 

[BEAL]

I think in any given song that they start out on, Bono gives it 5 titles. One for the riff, the rhythm section, chorus, and whatever feeling he has that day

I would bet on this being the song with the drumroll he was talking about. It is pretty heavy for Larry