The Blackout

[womanfish]

I’m not quite getting the complaints about the drums on this one. On my sound system, I wouldn’t want the drums to be any more prominent. The song sounds fantastic in both studio and live form.

It's not the prominence of the drums, but the mix of them. Some need to be MORE prominent, and some need to be less.

On the album version, it seems like Larry is playing the kick and one tom, the whole time.

In fact I find myself having to turn down the bass on my system because the kick is so loud and low.

What's missing is the nice sharp, crisp snap of the snare, and an actual cymbal crash that sounds like a cymbal.
On the album version, every crash after the first 30 seconds or so is almost inaudible. The whole mix itself is just very muffled and muddy IMO.

 

[rennowba]

This is gonna be so good live,cannot wait. Maybe they can open with it elevation tour style. Lights on then when the song goes for it at the end, the whole arena goes dark then when it kicks in, spotlights on. Such a good song and I think it could be a live staple along with elevation and vertigo

 

[Danny Boy]

What's wrong with crowd noise in a live video?

 

[DomCobb]

What's wrong with crowd noise in a live video?

I think people just feel like without the crowd noise it could easily pass for a studio recording, and one that make a perfectly good alternate to the album mix.

I think I prefer the live version, but maybe that's just because that's what I heard first. Haven't sat with the album version long enough.

 

[womanfish]

What's wrong with crowd noise in a live video?

I didn't mind it so much before, but now after getting the studio version, i would like to hear the live version more cleanly. Sort of the way you get a soundboard recording of large live shows, where the music is pretty clean but you get the cheers at the beginning and end.
Here it has that "close" small crowd noise all the way through over the song.
Kind of distracts from it.

 

[morph]

I prefer the live version personally. I like Larry’s cymbal bells in the “go easy on me” bits - reminds me of the “slippin away” section on Last Night on Earth - and without them on the studio version it’s feels like it’s missing something! I guess that’s the curse of releasing two versions; same problem Best Thing has.

(*Although, y’know, it’s not REALLY a problem. Anyone can just make their own mixtape edition if their preferred mix doesn’t make the LP cut, and I’m sure the band would encourage them too...)

 

[lazarus]

"I'm sure the band would encourage them to"? You mean the band that hasn't released an official live album since 1983, or 1988 if we're counting Rattle & Hum?

 

[morph]

Ha ha fair point!

I guess I’m just thinking of when they used to encourage live bootlegging and sharing among fans.

 

[DomCobb]

Anyone have any idea how to download that live version? The usual "youtube to mp3" sites don't seem to be working for it.

 

[womanfish]

Anyone have any idea how to download that live version? The usual "youtube to mp3" sites don't seem to be working for it.

You can grab it here if you'd like.

look for U2 - The Blackout -LIVE GOOD QUALITY

https://spectrio.egnyte.com/fl/xrJiHBBLtn

 

[RickFly]

I love it!

 

[hasin73]

Anyone have any idea how to download that live version? The usual "youtube to mp3" sites don't seem to be working for it.

listentoyoutube.com will serve your purpose.

 

[DomCobb]

Thanks guys!

 

[hasin73]

https://youtu.be/XOP9YbDOce4

 

[U2AlwaysForever]

New to this forum and probably already discussed in the 7 pages, but I love this song, the album version is better than the live IMO, I love the bridge how it seems to be ending and comes back in. Sounds like it could have been on Pop. If it weren't for the names in the lyrics it'd be my album fave. The Best Thing holds that title for now.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I had a thought... Assuming they do an intermission like on i/e

This opens the second set, with Bono dressed as a run down Mirror Ball Man, or even macphisto.

 

[deltau922]

Young girl I work with was flipping me shit for being old man U2 fan (that’s fair), then said she did hear one of their songs on Spotify that she really liked. It was this one. Said she liked his voice on it

 

[gweeps]

I wish Larry was louder in this song, especially at 3:54. That part is much more pronounced in the live version.

 

[aMansAman]

I had a thought... Assuming they do an intermission like on i/e

This opens the second set, with Bono dressed as a run down Mirror Ball Man, or even macphisto.

.. actually .. yes ...

 

[Achtung Ya'll]

Just dropping in to say this is far and away the best song on the record. It's amazing.

It's probably the only song on the record where I feel Bono's voice is used as an instrument and feels integrated with the song. A lot of other ones, and same for SOI, he doesn't quite feel like he fits on some of the songs.

 

[one4u2]

I love this song so much I could just cry all day.. It's epic ?


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[coolz481]

This will probably end up as my 2nd or 3rd favorite after Red Flag Day and (maybe) Love is Bigger. Having heard it so many times before the release of the rest of the album makes it hard to judge since the other tunes are more fresh at the moment. Will be killer live, that's for sure!

 

[macawaca]

Sorry if mentioned before but the names mentioned in Blackout aren’t just random because they rhyme!

http://www.skoletorget.no/abb/eng/blake/pdf/poem_chim.pdf

 

[kiwilad]

Sorry if mentioned before but the names mentioned in Blackout aren’t just random because they rhyme!

http://www.skoletorget.no/abb/eng/blake/pdf/poem_chim.pdf

Yeah it's been mentioned. Thing is, there are four names mentioned in that line and only two in the song. The main character in the poem is Tom Dacre, not mentioned in the song. And can't see any thematic crossover between the poem and the song.
Annnnnddddddd... it sounds fucking stupid anyway.

 

[YBORCITY]

This is becoming a 2nd or 3rd favorite song on the album.... Whatta great rocker!

 

[AtomicHorizon]

Hearing the live version affected my take on the studio version in a negative way at first. For example, I missed Larry's cymbals in the "go easy on me" parts and felt there was a lack of energy compared to the live version; however, I have come back around to the studio version and rate it very highly. To me, it is still growing and becoming better with each listen and that is a hallmark of the best U2 songs for me.

 

[riteshbhatt1]

Hearing the live version affected my take on the studio version in a negative way at first. For example, I missed Larry's cymbals in the "go easy on me" parts and felt there was a lack of energy compared to the live version; however, I have come back around to the studio version and rate it very highly. To me, it is still growing and becoming better with each listen and that is a hallmark of the best U2 songs for me.

I think i listened to the live version too many times and then the studio version seemed flat. But then listened to it with headphones or just blasted it on the speakers over the weekend and it's seriously a great rock song. And that breakdown is awesome. Can't wait to see them play this next year.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Great tune, one of the best on the album.

 

[CMIS]

This song is okay, Jay

 

[Daniel94]

This teaser curiously has a mix of The Blackout that is different than the studio version. The most prominent differences are in the drums but you may also notice the guitar in the intro has changed: