OK. I'm promising myself that I'll finish reviewing all of U2's back catalogue (full albums, anyway) before their new album releases toward the end of November. That's less than three weeks away, and I have three albums to go. Time to haul donkey!
A lot of U2 fans are probably going to disagree with me on this one, but U2's early 80's material has actually been the toughest period of their history for me to fully immerse myself in. During this time, it seems that they were still finding themselves, trying to strike a balance between artfulness and straightforward preachiness, and between their post-punk rock style and more of a subdued, textured approach. This early era was also before lead singer Bono's vocals were in their prime in my opinion. There were times when his singing seemed like more of a strained yelp, as if he didn't know how to modulate the volume of his voice. However, there's no denying the fervor of Bono or his band, and the timeless quality of some of their earliest material. This "early" period can be seen as encompassing all of the albums between Boy and The Unforgettable Fire (though that album is really more of a transitional point that led the band into the more mature sound that was best realized on The Joshua Tree), but the best example of U2 crafting solid songs during this period is certainly to be found on War. Despite the dated, "totally 80's" sound of some of its songs that can seem a little silly by today's standards, the band's third album stands as an early accomplishment, a breakthrough for the band. I was only five years old when this thing came out, but something tells me that this was the kind of album that changed U2 from just being a young, buzz-worthy foreign band, and began to turn them into a mainstream favorite in America. Just an educated guess there.
War is also the place where the defining elements of U2's personality are best combined. While their second album October made no secret of the Christian faith that three of the band members shared, War seems to be the first place where the faith-informed perspective mingles with the "political protest" mentality that U2 has become famous for. It's like the rebirth of U2 - look at the original cover for Boy and then this one. Both feature pictures of a young boy. But this one looks angry, like he's got something to say about the state of the world, or maybe he's distressed about his own internal condition. These external and internal wars are the subject of this album, and they intertwine wonderfully throughout its modest 10-song playlist. Simply put, if you're looking for a good example of the band's work from before The Joshua Tree, then this is the album to get. It's still a solid listen 21 years after its release.
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall...
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die...
Now who wouldn't recognize this song within the first few seconds? Larry Mullen, Jr. immortalizes himself here like few drummers do, with a cold, militant, and ultimately unforgettable drum cadence that sets a driving tone for one of U2's most furiously passionate songs. The hi-hat-heavy beat (a trademark of Larry's early style) is joined by roughly strummed chords from The Edge's electric guitar, and he also uses a good deal of palm muting to get a scratchy effect. It's easy to get lost in this song's uber-catchy melody and not realize how harsh the musical attitude of it is. But it fits well with Bono's shocked revelations about the killing of innocent people and the terrible conditions that some of them live in throughout the world. A theme surfaces within these lyrics that Bono has revisited several times throughout his career - he sees what's going on and wants to numb himself to it because it's so shocking, but he realizes that he can't not do something. This song provides a splash of cold water to an audience that was probably hooked on a lot of superficial and silly pop music back in those days - and you know what, when Bono indicts us by saying "And it's true we are immune, when fact is fiction and TV reality", it's eerily prophetic. Some songs are just timelessly relevant - what's surprising is that Bono could do that, refer to "the victory Jesus won", and still rack up a classic hit song despite all the toes he was stepping on here. Oh, and did I mention the electric violin? Yeah, a lot of people forget about that part, but it's awesome, and probably one of the more unexpected uses of a string instrument in a rock song. Yellowcard has nothing on this one.
Seconds
In an apartment on Time Square
You can assemble them anywhere
Held to ransom, hell to pay
A revolution everyday...
A lesser-known acoustic number is sandwiched in between two giants here - the pacing is similar to "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and the drums are just about as raw and lively, but the instrumentation is scaled back a bit, bringing the acoustic guitar and Adam Clayton's catchy bass line to the forefront. Bono and The Edge engage in some sweet melodies on the song's simple chorus of "Fall... rise and fall...", but once again, the sweetness is a stark contrast to the message of the song, which confronts us with the reality of the arms race and how several countries can easily "push the button and pull the plug" and basically destroy the world ten times over. Definitely a scary reality during the Cold War era. Even more chilling is the brief pause in the middle of the song, where children can be heard singing a song about growing up to be an Airborne Ranger. Man, that's just creepy.
New Year's Day
And so we're told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage...
Man, these guys don't waste much time giving us a memorable hook. Opening immediately and urgently with another strong bass line and a memorable piano melody, this fast-paced song has some of the best interplay between instruments that U2 has ever pulled off, with several verses leading effortlessly into a soaring chorus that simply repeats "I will be with you again", and a few guitar breaks where The Edge gets to strut his stuff with a searing solo and some of the echoing delay type of stuff that has since made him famous. The song seems to be about promises - and what better time to make promises than the start of a new year? But as the song goes on, we're never sure who this "you" is that Bono is pledging himself to. All we know is that in the end, "Nothing changes on New Year's Day". Despite the promises that were made, we don't follow through with our resolutions - how true that is! I'm not sure how the crowd gathered "under a blood red sky" figures into this, but that line definitely provided a cool title for one of U2's live EP's around that time. This song runs for over five minutes, so I can assure you that if you only know it from the radio or from The Best of 1980-1990, you've had a verse robbed from you.
Like a Song...
But I won't let others live in hell
As we divide against each other
And we fight amongst ourselves...
Continuing at a fast and furious pace, the solid, steady pounding of a single drum leads into a song where Larry gets to do his fair share of banging on things - the drums have a deeper quality to them, as if he's hitting them with toms, but every so often, the snap! of a snare drum breaks the rhythm, and eventually he returns to his quick-wrested hi-hat tapping. Man, I just love listening to that guy work his magic. The lyrics here are some of Bono's peachiest, and his yelping can get a little out of control here, which is probably the only thing that keeps the song from ranking among U2's most beloved classics, but it's still an extremely strong selection, talking about conflict, which could be viewed on a personal or a global level, and pleading for us to be honest and diplomatic with one another instead of returning fire against those who have wounded us. "Angry words won't stop the fight, two wrongs won't make it right", he tells us. Cliché sentiments perhaps, but in this case, entirely true. The passion is believable, and the instrumental breakdown which fades out the song is a lot of fun, so basically, the album's four for four at this point.
Drowning Man
And I understand these winds and tides
This change of times won't drag you away...
The electric violin returns here to add more of a solemn mood to a softer song - this overlooked ballad is actually one of U2's more interesting early efforts. It's got a rhythm to it that sounds like a simple 4/4 at first, but if you follow the bass line, you'll realize that it keeps returning to its original chord early - it's actually 6/4 or 12/8 or something like that. This gives the song a circular, confused sort of feeling, and Bono's lyrics seem to be almost randomly placed within this rhythm at first. The song is actually one of the more comforting numbers on the album, promising a person who is completely overwhelmed that "I'll cross the sky for your love". A reference to flying like eagles and running but not growing weary seems to indicate that Isaiah 40 was part of the inspiration for this song - U2 was known to occasionally quote Scripture in a non-ironic fashion in those days.
The Refugee
In the evening, she is waiting
Waiting for her man to come
And take her by her hand
And take her to this promise land...
The back half of the album opens with what I consider to be one of those cheesy, "totally 80's" moments - the way the guys bellow out "Whoa, whoa-oa!" takes a bit of getting used to. Definitely a bit of a new wave feel to this one - though didn't that style start as an offshoot of punk or something? I can never get my facts straight when it comes to the history of some of these genres. This song is basically about an immigrant, a woman from a war-torn country who is looking to make a new start in America. Clearly it isn't the rosy lifestyle and streets paved with gold that she might have heard about - Bono hints that she has to go to extremes to make ends meet, which may or may not include selling herself as a prostitue. Depends on how you read into the song. Either way, it's a catchy number once you get over the "whoa"s, but it's not one of the album's stronger offerings.
Two Hearts Beat as One
Say I'm a fool, you say I'm nothing
But if I'm a fool for you, oh, that's something...
Because of this song's structural similarity to "Like a Song...", I admittedly overlooked it at first, since on a musical level, it doesn't excite me as much as that other one. It's got the default U2 sound of the time down pat, with its fast beat, layered vocals, and a few shouts from Bono just to stir up more tension. But this song became interesting to me once I actually stopped to listen more carefully. From the title, most folks are likely to assume that this is a love song about two people who share a lot of intimacy with one another... but in reality, the intimacy being talked about isn't love, it's something very frightening instead. Simply put, the "two hearts" are good Bono and evil Bono. The spirit and the flesh, if you like. They reside within the same body, and are continually at war, causing Bono to be continually torn between right and wrong. Anyone who's ever struggled with an addiction or habitual sin will likely relate to the words "I can't stop the dance, maybe this is my last chance". Sometimes some of Bono's most interesting protests are the ones he makes against himself, because in doing so, he reminds us that he's not some sort of a hero or rock god. He's just another guy struggling to behave himself.
Red Light
It's your own late show as you jump to the street below
But where can you go to leave yourself behind
Alone in the spotlight of this, your own tragedy...
Maybe I got the "prostitute" notion that I mentioned earlier from the title of this song, and the fact that some cheesy female vocals lead it off. I guess the "da da da"s are supposed to sounding tempting or seductive or something, but I'm glad when they end and the more traditional U2 instrumentation kicks in. This song is basically U2's version of a stylish night on the town - nothing of too much substance here, but there is an overall feel of danger, magnified by the blaring horns that break through in the middle of a song. Strange instrumentation for U2, but it sets an interesting mood when juxtaposed with the chorus, where Bono croons "I'll give you my love" over and over again.
Surrender
She tried to be a good girl and a good wife
Raise a good family, lead a good life
It's not good enough
She got herself up on the 48th floor
Gotta find out, find out what she's living for...
This mellower, more drawn-out song kind of hints at the overall mood of The Unforgettable Fire, the album that followed this one. The Edge's electric guitar is more restrained here and the beat is relaxed, once again allowing Larry to guide the song's groove with his rubbery bass playing. The chorus melodies are as smooth here as they were in "Seconds", and if you listen to the lyrics, this is one of those songs that seems to hint at other U2 songs. When Bono sings, "The city's afire, a passionate flame", it's hard not to recall "Where the Streets Have No Name". The song is, once again, the story of a young girl trying to make ends meet, and it's easy to wonder if this is the same girl who was described in "The Refugee". Once again, there's this vague notion that her work takes place on the streets, and that the conditions in which she lives are not favorable. This is interesting when juxtaposed with some of Bono's personal reflections, as if an encounter with this woman somehow made him evaluate his own life in a way that isn't quite clear - "If I wanna live, I gotta die to myself someday". The song stretches out for over five minutes and it's the second longest track on War, just barely edged out by "New Year's Day".
40
I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He lift me up out of the pit
Out of the mire and clay...
And now for the album's shortest track, a simple meditation on Psalm 40 accompanied by more of Larry's classic, energetic drumming and a wonderfully picked bass line from Adam. The themes of the album dovetail in this boldly faith-based number, which finds Bono singing of waiting patiently for the Lord and being rescued from peril. Whether that peril is political or personal, the rescue is just as urgently needed, and the song culminates in another simple chorus of "How long to sing this song?", which effectively echoes a line from "Sunday Bloody Sunday" - "How long must we sing this song?" It's a fitting, if frustratingly short, coda for the album, and kind of an unofficial U2 classic, especially in Christian circles where people tend to prefer things straightforward and simple. (My first exposure to this song was actually at a dc Talk concert where the group worked it into a medley of worship songs.)
And there you have War, in its short but sweet glory. It's an album that can be enjoyed purely for its fresh musical attack that, aside from two missteps, still sounds convincing despite the passage of time. And it can be enjoyed on a deeper level for the challenge that the lyrics present to the listener's worldview. It's one of U2's boldest albums, and despite my misgivings about the musical era that it came from, it remains one of my all-time favorites by the band.
ALBUM WORTH:
Sunday Bloody Sunday $2
Seconds $1.50
New Year's Day $2
Like a Song... $1.50
Drowning Man $1.50
The Refugee $.50
Two Hearts Beat as One $1
Red Light $.50
Surrender $1
40 $1.50
TOTAL: $13
Band Members:
Bono: Lead vocals, guitar
The Edge: Guitars, piano, lap steel, vocals
Adam Clayton: Bass
Larry Mullen, Jr.: Drums, percussion
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