U2 never fails to put together great album. Sure, there have been some less popular ones, but their musical repertoire continues to be more and more amazing as the years progress.
Twenty five years ago, future U2 drummer Larry Mullen placed an ad on the high school notice board. His ad was an attempt to start a band. The attempt paid off. Today Mullen, Paul Hewson (Bono), Dave Evans (the Edge), and Adam Clayton make up what can only be called an amazing band…U2. Hailing from Ireland, the band first made a splash with their 1980 debut Boy and the single ”I Will Follow”.
Eleven albums would follow beginning with 1981’s October and finishing up most recently with 2001’s All That I Can’t Leave Behind. Fans continue to religiously follow U2 thanks in part to their continued touring. U2’s third album was 1983’s War. The band managed to shed at least part of their punk persona for the recording of what would become a stepping stone to much deserved stardom.
Even in 1983, U2 focused many of their musical efforts on political causes. For example the first track ”Sunday Bloody Sunday” spoke pointedly about a 1974 massacre when British police decided to open fire on peaceful protesters. The song is sad and mournful. Yet, with Bono’s punk attitude (the ‘tude that won him the gig with U2 initially) the track comes across as angry. This is a truly classic, amazing track from U2. I think the entire meaning of the song is summarized perfectly in two lines:
Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
Another of U2’s political songs is ”New Year’s Day”. Like the aforementioned track, this continues to be a classic. Again, U2 pronounces their hatred of an inept and unfair government. The tone of this track is relatively serious and depressing. Listeners get the feeling that U2 at least believes that they have something important and intelligent to say. I tend to agree.
”Two Hearts Beat As One” is yet another classic track from U2. It’s lyrics aren’t quite as heavy handed as some of the others, yet the band’s talent and focus shine through. In fact, the track is reflective of what was to come on later mega-success The Joshua Tree. This is a wonderful track and remains one of the best on War.
As the final album in what I will call the band’s ‘early days,’ War is very close to being a masterpiece. The band shows the beginnings of the worldwide success that they would later become. The members also spread their wings, using different instruments to convey their messages. ”Seconds” is a nearly acoustic track featuring great drum work from Mullen. ”Like a Song” is passionate and driven relying much on Bono’s quirky vocals and strange intonation. ”Red Light” proves to be a great track, in part thanks to trumpet work and Edge’s masterful guitar. This song sounds little like the rest of the album…it sounds more like a New Wave track than anything else. I’m not complaining, diversity is good. Finally, I’d like to speak briefly to the hope in ”40”. Bono’s voice is rich and full, while the Edge’s guitar work is perfectly understated. Instead of ending this album dwelling on problems, the band chooses to end with contentment and hope. Brilliant.
As a whole, this is a complete album. I thoroughly enjoy listening to War from song one through song ten. It’s a lasting picture of who U2 was in 1983. Since I can’t give EVERY U2 album 5/5 stars I will give this one just 4/5. It echoes of unfulfilled talent and anger. There’s not a darned thing wrong with speaking about politics in music, but sometimes a band needs to let go and have fun. U2 is a great band with a sound that’s widely appealing. Expect to see U2 making music well into this millennium even after they’ve been inducted into the rock & roll hall of fame. I highly recommend this album to all music lovers. It’s a lovely peek into the psyche of early U2.
Track Listing:
1. Sunday, Bloody Sunday [A]
2. Seconds [A-]
3. New Year's Day [A]
4. Like a Song [B+]
5. Drowning Man [B+]
6. The Refugee [A-]
7. Two Hearts Beat as One [A-]
8. Red Light [A]
9. Surrender [B+]
10. 40 [A]
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