War (album)
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| War | ||
 |
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| Studio album by U2 | ||
| Released | February 28, 1983 | |
| Recorded | 1982, Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 43:38 | |
| Label | Island Records | |
| Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| U2 chronology | ||
| October (1981) |
War (1983) |
Under a Blood Red Sky (1983) |
War is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1983. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, it was the band's first overtly political album and is often considered their first truly extraordinary one.
Contents |
[edit] History
The album opens with "Sunday Bloody Sunday", an ardent protest song and already a significant departure from the themes of innocence and spirituality displayed on the group's first two albums. In many live shows, such as the performance recorded for their Live Under a Blood Red Sky video, Bono stated that "this is not a rebel song". In interviews, he's stated that it's a positive protest song about things we can't forget but should. Originally written about the 1972 Bloody Sunday incident in which 28 Irish protesters were shot and killed in Derry, Northern Ireland by the British Parachute Regiment, the song has been applied to other conflicts in the years since, most notably during the performance at a Denver, Colorado show in 1987. This version was eventually included in the film Rattle and Hum. Before the song, Bono referred to the previous day's bombing in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland and directed angry and controversial comments towards Irish-born Americans "talking to me about the resistance; the revolution back home... FUCK THE REVOLUTION!"
The song introduces the album with a startling, military-esque drum beat by Larry Mullen, Jr., a fuming solo by The Edge that segues into staccato bursts reminiscent of machine gun fire, and pointed lyrical couplets like: "And today the millions cry / We eat and drink while tomorrow they die."
Other songs concern topics such as nuclear proliferation and prostitution. Moreover, The Edge makes his debut as a lead vocalist on "Seconds".
The mood grows progressively more bleak as the album continues—despite some balance provided by songs such as "Two Hearts Beat As One", a simple love song (though often associated with the conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland), and "New Year's Day" (about the 1981 supression of Solidarity in Poland), which works as both a political song and a love song—until climaxing with the coda of "Surrender" and finally ending with hushed hymn ""40"".
Arguably, the sound is much harsher than that of the band's other albums with the possible exception of Achtung Baby. A major reason for this is that Edge uses far less delay and echo than in previous and subsequent works.
This album became U2's first #1 album in the UK, supplanting Michael Jackson's Thriller off the top of the charts.
On "40", which takes its name from fortieth Psalm from the Bible, the Edge plays bass and Adam Clayton plays guitar. In subsequent live performances (most often as the closing song), they do as well.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 221 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by U2.
- "Sunday Bloody Sunday" – 4:40
- "Seconds" – 3:10
- "New Year's Day" – 5:35
- "Like a Song..." – 4:46
- "Drowning Man" – 4:14
- "The Refugee" – 3:40 produced by Bill Whelan
- "Two Hearts Beat As One" – 4:03
- "Red Light" – 3:46
- "Surrender" – 5:34
- "40" – 2:35
"New Year's Day" and "Two Hearts Beat As One" were released as singles internationally. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "40" were also released as singles in Germany.
In 1993, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab remastered the album and released it as a special gold CD. This edition has slightly different running times: most notably, "Seconds" runs 3:22, adding 11.5 seconds in the break section (beginning at approx. 2:03), while "Like A Song..." runs 5:00, extending the playout section (beginning at approx. 4:45).
Later in 1983, the band released Under a Blood Red Sky (named after a lyric in "New Year's Day"), a live document of this album's associated War Tour.
[edit] Personnel
- Bono – lead vocals, guitar
- The Edge – guitars, piano, lap steel, backup vocals, lead vocal on "Seconds," bass guitar on "40"
- Adam Clayton – bass, lead guitar on "40"
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums
[edit] Additional personnel
- Kenny Fradley – trumpet
- Steve Wickham – electric violin on "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Drowning Man"
- Cheryl Poirier, Adriana Kaegi, Taryn Hagey, Jessica Felton – backing vocals on "Red Light" and "Surrender"
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Billboard Pop Albums | 12 |
| 1983 | The Billboard 200 | 70/75 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "New Year's Day" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 2 |
| 1983 | "Sunday Bloody Sunday" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 7 |
| 1983 | "Two Hearts Beat As One" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 12 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| BPI – UK | Gold | April 5, 1983 |
| RIAA – USA | Gold | July 15, 1983 |
| RIAA – USA | Platinum | February 25, 1985 |
| RIAA – USA | 3X Platinum | June 12, 1985 |
| BPI – UK | Platinum | August 29, 1985 |
| RIAA – USA | 4X Platinum | September 11, 1985 |
| CRIA – Canada | Gold | December 3, 1987 |
| CRIA – Canada | Platinum | December 3, 1987 |
| CRIA – Canada | Double Platinum | December 3, 1987 |
| CRIA – Canada | 3X Platinum | December 3, 1987 |
| BPI – UK | Double Platinum | March 1, 1992 |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Discography entry at U2 Wanderer - Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more.
- Album lyrics - Searchable album lyrics.
- U2 tours overview at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com - Includes setlists for every date on the War Tour and most of the setlists for the pre-tour.
- Quotes and information - Detailed background on each song.
- U2MoL - Contains fan interpretations and interview excerpts for each song.
