"Unknown Caller" a weak live track?

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Jeef690

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Maybe I have to be there in concert to fully appreciate this song live, but hearing only the audio of this song it sounds a bit uninspiring. The moments that make this track shine on the album fall flat live. The guitar is just so upfront, sharp, and hard-hitting on the studio track that it makes you want to sing for joy in the chorus. The live version doesn't give me that kind of inspiration. The solo, too, falls flat in my mind. I guess I'm used to hearing Edge do things a little differently live and its just not like that with UC.

On a positive note, I enjoy the softer way they end the song with a reprise of the chorus. That's great.

Anyone agree with me? I'd love to hear thought on this.
 
From what I've heard, I much prefer the live arrangement. The album version sounds slow, clunky, and endless. Live, it has a lot more energy and vitality to it.
 
From the bootlegs I've heard, this is quite possibly my favorite NLOTH song live. And that's saying something.
 
Actually, this track live was exactly how I envisioned it. The only way it would work was to have the entire stadium singing the chants. By putting the lyrics on the screen they ensured that it would sound as epic as I imagined.

It was fantastic in Barcelona. I can only imagine how this song will sound at the UK, Dublin and US shows.

I'm not sure the loudness of the crowd is coming through on most of the recordings.
 
I'm so glad to hear about the lyrics on the screen for the chorus. As much as I love the song, I have to admit that when singing along, I always screw up which line comes next. :reject:

I'm not so great with lyrics sometimes.
 
Ha!

There are some songs where I'm really surprised to learn I don't know it as well as I think I do. I do fine when I'm singing along to an album, but if I try to sing it on my own, I usually forget a good chunk of the lyrics.
 
corianderstem said:
Ha!

There are some songs where I'm really surprised to learn I don't know it as well as I think I do. I do fine when I'm singing along to an album, but if I try to sing it on my own, I usually forget a good chunk of the lyrics.
Click to expand...

ME TOO!!! I've covered 'One' I don't know how many times, you play it once and then it starts getting requested at every show... and this weekend I completely went blank on the "we get to share it" line.
 
BVS said:
ME TOO!!! I've covered 'One' I don't know how many times, you play it once and then it starts getting requested at every show... and this weekend I completely went blank on the "we get to share it" line.
Click to expand...

This is precisely why, tough though I may be on the band, I tend to avoid the "lolz bano is old and needs a telepomter" threads. Lyrics can be a real bitch.
 
ramblin rose said:
Actually, this track live was exactly how I envisioned it. The only way it would work was to have the entire stadium singing the chants. By putting the lyrics on the screen they ensured that it would sound as epic as I imagined.

It was fantastic in Barcelona. I can only imagine how this song will sound at the UK, Dublin and US shows.

I'm not sure the loudness of the crowd is coming through on most of the recordings.
Click to expand...

This record has been out for almost 5 months.
This is the biggest band in the world.
70K+ people there.
You'd think the band wouldn't have to resort to such flagrant cheerleading to engage the crowd in what is possibly the best song they've written in 15 years.
 
I just mean, that although I love the song and thought it could be epic live, unlike you, I didn't have much confidence that the other 69,999 people in the audience would know the chants well enough to make the song really come alive.

Having the lyrics on the screen solves that problem. Based on the conclusion that's been drawn, the stadium is not full of diehard fans.
 
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corianderstem said:
:hi5:

:hug:
Click to expand...

:hug:

LemonMelon said:
This is precisely why, tough though I may be on the band, I tend to avoid the "lolz bano is old and needs a telepomter" threads. Lyrics can be a real bitch.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think some may never understand this until they actually perform in front of people...

boorock74 said:
This record has been out for almost 5 months.
This is the biggest band in the world.
70K+ people there.
You'd think the band wouldn't have to resort to such flagrant cheerleading to engage the crowd in what is possibly the best song they've written in 15 years.
Click to expand...

Well it's not exactly a consistant repetitive chourus... be a little realistic.
 
ramblin rose said:
I just mean, that although I love the song and thought it could be epic live, unlike you, I didn't have much confidence that the other 69,999 people in the audience would know the chants well enough to make the song really come alive.

Having the lyrics on the screen solves that problem. Based on the conclusion that's been drawn, the stadium is not full of diehard fans.
Click to expand...

ok, but doesn't it seem a little disingenuous?
From the U2006com footage I've seen - it clearly looks like Bono is trying to conduct a reluctant or ignorant choir. This is THE BEST SONG ON NLOTH! I have no problem with the chant prompts. I love this band and I am seeing both Chicago shows.
I mean no offense to anyone - if the band didn't rely so much on the old hits, it might challenge the fans to embrace what is obviously the band's best record since POP. But they won't tough POP either......
 
I think it's brilliant live. Edge screwed up the solo the first night, but he really nailed it in Milan (haven't heard every recording of the tour). I'm glad they decided to play it.
 
boorock74 said:
ok, but doesn't it seem a little disingenuous?
From the U2006com footage I've seen - it clearly looks like Bono is trying to conduct a reluctant or ignorant choir. This is THE BEST SONG ON NLOTH! I have no problem with the chant prompts. I love this band and I am seeing both Chicago shows.
I mean no offense to anyone - if the band didn't rely so much on the old hits, it might challenge the fans to embrace what is obviously the band's best record since POP. But they won't tough POP either......
Click to expand...

Please tell me how this makes sense??!! So if they didn't play Pride or One the audience would somehow memorize Unknown Caller?:huh:
 
BVS said:
Please tell me how this makes sense??!! So if they didn't play Pride or One the audience would somehow memorize Unknown Caller?:huh:
Click to expand...

I'm not blaming the audience.
I guess I just have a problem with the setlist - and the overt cheerleading during UC. So far it just seems kinda desperate.
I understand that Pride is 25 years old, so everyone knows to repeat the "Oh oh oh oh's". I'm not even blaming the band for having the words on the jumbo - but I'll attest to this - I will eat my hat if UC ever makes an official DVD and they actually show the prompts.
 
I think it's a better live track than it is a studio track, just because of the nature of the song.

I'm a little surprised at how little they've changed it. They really just did one chorus again so Bono could reference his cause.
 
The way crowds are responding to NLOTH tracks shows how many more people are fully aware of these songs than the 3m copies WW suggests. UC especially, even before singing along with the lyrics, they still know the melody to sing with right from the very beginning.

Plus, the 3:33 choreography at Milan? Amazing:

YouTube - U2 Milano 07 07 2009 - Unknown Caller
 
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