City Of Blinding Lights....Bad Mix or me?

[rjhbonovox]

Is it just me or does City Of Blinding Lights sound a real terrible mix. What I'm on about is that the song played thru my digital amplifer in Dolby Surround seems to be terribly mixed. A lot of the instruments seem to be coming out of the centre speaker instead of the left and right speakers, the vocal obviously tends to come out of the speaker but not the guitar, bass and drums. Now I know people are going to say that the songs are meant to be listened to thru 2 speakers but on this one song it seems all the instruments are coming out from the same speaker. Other songs are a great stereo mix but this is like it is in mono or something, totally ruins the song although its not that great a song, but I reckon bad production or mixing on this song has totally ruined it.

Go on tell me I'm being a tw#t cos I know you will!

 

[U2_Guy]

Is it just me or does City Of Blinding Lights sound a real terrible mix. What I'm on about is that the song played thru my digital amplifer in Dolby Surround seems to be terribly mixed. A lot of the instruments seem to be coming out of the centre speaker instead of the left and right speakers, the vocal obviously tends to come out of the speaker but not the guitar, bass and drums. Now I know people are going to say that the songs are meant to be listened to thru 2 speakers but on this one song it seems all the instruments are coming out from the same speaker. Other songs are a great stereo mix but this is like it is in mono or something, totally ruins the song although its not that great a song, but I reckon bad production or mixing on this song has totally ruined it.

Go on tell me I'm being a tw#t cos I know you will!

Once again, i have to agree...

 

[rjhbonovox]

Heheh thanks. I dont think Lilywhite has done that great a job on this album. I would have loved to hear what Chris Thomas final mixes sounded like a year ago but I don't think we ever will.

 

[U2_Guy]

Heheh thanks. I dont think Lilywhite has done that great a job on this album. I would have loved to hear what Chris Thomas final mixes sounded like a year ago but I don't think we ever will.

As long as U2 continues to pursue commercialism above art we won't hear Chris Thomas versions.

Ya know, they have to sell billions right...

 

[Aardvark747]

I like the mix...

 

[rjhbonovox]

Yep I never thought I would say that about U2 but it seems to be thats what has happened to them in the past 4 years.

 

[kakvox]

I like it as well.

 

[Aardvark747]

It will rock live

 

[rjhbonovox]

Oh well must be me then, but I know for a fact the majority of the other songs on the album blast out of all my speakers and not just the centre speaker, for example Vertigo The Edges guitar is in the left hand speaker for the most of the song except the solo and the last chorus, Miracle Drug has a spacious sound from all speakers, OOTS has a nice spacious sound from all the speakers, should I go on or are you getting bored? Hey maybe I have a faulty CD that just affects COBL?

 

[Dalton]

Is it just me or does City Of Blinding Lights sound a real terrible mix. What I'm on about is that the song played thru my digital amplifer in Dolby Surround seems to be terribly mixed. A lot of the instruments seem to be coming out of the centre speaker instead of the left and right speakers, the vocal obviously tends to come out of the speaker but not the guitar, bass and drums. Now I know people are going to say that the songs are meant to be listened to thru 2 speakers but on this one song it seems all the instruments are coming out from the same speaker. Other songs are a great stereo mix but this is like it is in mono or something, totally ruins the song although its not that great a song, but I reckon bad production or mixing on this song has totally ruined it.

Go on tell me I'm being a tw#t cos I know you will!

I like the mix. Its "innovative".....

 

[rjhbonovox]

hehehe oh that is my favourite word, but unfortunately mixing in mono is not innovative and neither is the album.

 

[Dalton]

neither is POP, buty you fight pretty hard for that one. Lets be honest you have no clue what you are talking about.

Its ok just to say that you don't like the album, you don't have to talk about things you don't know.

 

[riteshbhatt1]

Maybe that's the way they wanted it.
Though I've only heard streaming versions so it's tough to tell but that song has so much going on musically it's tough to tell through computer speakers. I always have to listen to their albums at least once through a good pair of headphones. LAPOE though does sound amazing even through my computer speakers.

 

[akhan01]

The Flood screwed up the production of this song. So sad considering it had the potential of being one of U2's all-time greats.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Yep its the best song on the album Love and peace or else but City Of blinding lights has a great intro and then kinda ruined by repeating of the line Oh you look so beautiful tonight.....and a bad mix.

 

[kakvox]

Yep its the best song on the album Love and peace or else but City Of blinding lights has a great intro and then kinda ruined by repeating of the line Oh you look so beautiful tonight.....and a bad mix.

Umm, my fav part of the song is the you look so beautiful tonight. To each, his own, iguess.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

As long as U2 continues to pursue commercialism above art we won't hear Chris Thomas versions.

Ya know, they have to sell billions right...

Ha! That's hilarious. You make it sound like Chris Thomas is Steve Albini or something. The guy has produced bands like the Pretenders and the Beatles--multi-million selling acts to be sure.
Great bands of course--but not exactly outside of the mainstream.

Regardind the poor production--I actually agree with you guys here. I don't however agree that the problem is specific to HTDAAB. Rattle and Hum has a persistent hiss over the music that to this day drives me batty. The worst culprit though is Pop. The album which should sound so magnificent when cranked actually sounds muddy as hell. It's probably intentional but it sounds like crap. My friend Darin is a sound engineer and he actually gets angry when I put U2's albums on the stereo. He loves the songs but thinks the production is awful. He'll only listen to bootlegs!!
So there you go.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Regardind the poor production--I actually agree with you guys here. I don't however agree that the problem is specific to HTDAAB. Rattle and Hum has a persistent hiss over the music that to this day drives me batty. The worst culprit though is Pop. The album which should sound so magnificent when cranked actually sounds muddy as hell. It's probably intentional but it sounds like crap. My friend Darin is a sound engineer and he actually gets angry when I put U2's albums on the stereo. He loves the songs but thinks the production is awful. He'll only listen to bootlegs!!
So there you go.

Some of Pop was a bit that way " Discotheque" maybe but doesn't detract from a classic album. It just bothers me about COBL, can't understand why it sounds like its in mono, a terrible mix, none of the other tracks are that way regardless of the standard of the music.

 

[quiv]

It's a great mix. The music alone is very moving.

U2_guy: If they were selling out to commercialism they could've done a better job than this. This song/mix does not equal what is proven as far as the current climate is concerned.

I'd argue the mix with you guys but it's not your expertise.

I feel for you that it does not excite you that they are doing what they always did (at their best).

They'll sell millions despite the musical climate. That's why this album sounds u2 without sounding 1987. Anyone who hears this cannot deny the warmth and soul. U2 fan or not.

If it's bullshit, I'm sold. I hear honesty in it. and as far as recording and mixing, it's impeccable without sounding overdone.

 

[quiv]

the intro guitar is on the right and the cymbals come in at the left.

the OHH-oh-OHHH's come out of the right.

It is very center mixed. Very UF. VERY PHIL SPECTOR WALL OF SOUND.

Sounds great from where I'm sitting.

Most of the lead vox is also mostly right

 

[mikal]

hehehe oh that is my favourite word, but unfortunately mixing in mono is not innovative and neither is the album.

for as much as you hate the album, you sure talk about it a lot.

 

[rjhbonovox]

for as much as you hate the album, you sure talk about it a lot.

Yeah I know, it might not be one of their best but it certainly provokes strong views.

 

[doctorwho]

I like the mix...

Don't be hiding in the reject box! I like the mix too! I'm not going to be hiding because of my views - nor will I hide because of some obvious Jick wannabes.

 

[Dr_Macphisto]

How long must everything they do be compared to their past efforts? Can't we just embrace this time as U2 fans?

 

[80sU2isBest]

I always thought the mix for "Where The Streets Have No Name" was plain awful, very muddy.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Don't be hiding in the reject box! I like the mix too! I'm not going to be hiding because of my views - nor will I hide because of some obvious Jick wannabes.

Thing is....Jick is quite amusing and does his schtick with a bit of wit...the humourless bores that have plagued this site recently are another thing altogether!

 

[80sU2isBest]

If ya'll want to know what a bad mix really is, take a listen to "In The Poppy Fields", the newest realease by Mike Peters' new incarnation of The Alarm.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Shifting gears....a fresh listen of All Because Of You cements its greatness