Customer Reviews

Living in Blue

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been following The Blackouts for about two years now, starting with their first album "Everyday is a Sunday Evening." That CD kept me humming and singing to myself, frequently while on public transportation. When I heard they had a new album out I wondered how they could top their first... but they did. This is one of the best rock albums I have EVER heard. Not just amongst their contemporaries but going back into the early days of rock and through the hay-days of punk and beyond. Many people say "The Blackouts sound like ARTIST X only different." But the TRUE key to the timelessness of their sound is that they DON'T sound like any one artist or band, but it is clear they know their roots and have been influenced by, dare I say, HUNDREDS of past and present rockers.

You'll hear that this album sounds like The Strokes or The White Stripes... but The Blackouts are everything those bands aren't and it shines through like a 1000-watt floodlight on "Living In Blue." If your collection is missing this album you may be missing one of the greatest ever. And it won't be a secret much longer...

From the 1st song, this album is new, different, and bound to be huge. I first heard them on the television show 'One Tree Hill' and enjoyed it everytime I play it. I tend to over play my new music, but I can't get enough of these guys. I was lucky enough to hear them live in Chicago and they rocked the house. They will be big, I am certain of this.

Buy it! You won't regret it. If you like the other bands mentioned in the other reviews, buy this disc.

Good stuff...I found out about these guys trhough "One Tree Hill" and I've been rocking this disc ever since. Sounds like the Strokes only a lot tougher.

The Blackouts "Living in Blue" is an excellent album from start to finish. There is not a bad song on this record, as a matter a fact all the songs are great. The Blackouts are definitely a diamond in the rough and a great find for anyone who buys "Living in Blue." I highly recommend "Living in Blue" to everyone, but escpecially to fans of The Strokes, Velvet Underground, The Liberteens, Von Bondies, and The White Stripes. This record is that good!

If I hear the S-word one more time in relation to the B-word I will find the person who said it and...well, i probably won't do anything. But keep this in mind. As labels pay big bucks to "break" such "talented" bands like the Strokes and the "Kings" of Leon overseas, one only needs to look to the nation's midsection (right above her belly button) to find what A&R people at major labels, after not signing these fine boys, will undoubtedly refer to as "the mistake of their lives."
The Blackouts.
Best live rock'n'roll band i've seen. Ever. Joe is the best guitarist i've seen. Ever. Pat is the best drinker i've seen. Ever. Steve's got the most soul i've seen in a white boy. Ever. And I think Mark, in addition to being an amazing drummer, has Bun E. Carlos totally licked at smoking cigarettes whilst playing drums. And the best part of this is that it all translates beautifully to recording. But you know, their demoes sounded pretty stellar, too. I honestly think they're just that good of a band. Hands down the best Rock'n'Roll (in it's truest form) offering since the Face's A NOD IS AS GOOD AS A WINK...TO A BLIND HORSE.

"Living in Blue" by the Blackouts (now named Living Blue) might have benefited from a more structured recording process, but overall this is tuneful enough garage rock with some wailing guitar solos in spots and true rock-and-roll spirit. Some of the songs sound like they were recorded at too rushed of a pace, such as the opener, "Something...I Can't Say," but the more controlled songs make this album worth hearing. "No Tomorrow" and "Let You Down" deservedly got serious airplay in Champaign, Il., where the Blackouts are from, while "Pink Fuzz Blues," a kind of maudlin, poppy-sounding song that still manages to rock, and "Where it Begins," probably the best tune on the CD due to its great drumming, synth in the background and driving rhythm, are great songs in their own right. Singer Stephen Ucherek, meanwhile, gives the album a little added flavor with his unique vocal style, which includes a British-sounding accent at times. "Test" is a unique song that features a baritone male voice voicing philosophical statements and questions to an innocent little girl, who replies in her most hopeful tone. (e.g., Are you living or are you dying? Answer: I am here, and I am trying.) That unique exchange leads to "Open Casket Access," another worthy song that closes out the CD. It won't change the world and there is muddled instrumentation at times, but "Living in Blue" is still a worthy album by a pretty good band.

very cool record. loud, trashy, twangy chords that sound like they were strangled out of the guitar's neck intermingle with pounding drums and killer bass. The Blackouts rock with an urgency that is clear and concise in it's delivery. they never sound like they are searching for an identity, they seem to have a strong musical backbone and it shows on the confidence in their swagger on this album. Link Wray's garage rock stomp updated on Husker Du's dime?

I started listening to this CD 3 weeks ago and it has not left my CD Player. Like the review title says Simply Awsome and a must buy for your CD collection.