Project 1001: War by U2
MTV aired the concert film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky in the fall of 1983. A high school friend of mine was trying to talk to a girl from a rival school and she invited a bunch of us over to watch the concert. I, of course, had heard lots of U2 up to this point, but I wasn’t really a fan. But after seeing them perform live in this concert film, I instantly fell in love with the band. I was mesmerized by the charisma of Bono who seemed to have the big Colorado crowd eating from the palm of his hand. The Edge’s unique almost spooky guitar sound fascinated me. It was quite a contrast to guitar work of the heavy metal heroes who most interested me at the time. Red Rocks Amphitheater, the magical, mysterious, and legendary setting of the concert, only added to the mystique of the show. The boys from Dublin had hooked me fully and I have been ever since.
Songs from this album featured prominently in the film like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day” and are some of U2’s best-known standards. But my favorite is “40”. It is elegant and understand, yet a strong statement of faith. I love the mood it sets and it’s a perfect way to close a concert with the crowd singing the refrain "How long to sing this song?" as the band exits one by one.
But there is no weak song here. All of them are excellent to great to all-time classic. My rating:
From Rolling Stone’s four-star review:
“U2 may not be great intellectuals, and War may sound more profound than it really is. But the songs here stand up against anything on the Clash’s London Calling in terms of sheer impact, and the fact that U2 can sweep the listener up in the same sort of enthusiastic romanticism that fuels the band’s grand gestures is an impressive feat. For once, not having all the answers seems a bonus.”1
Robert Christgau in The Village Voice:
“In other respects, however, their hot album is rock and roll indeed. The Edge becomes a tuneful guitarist by the simple expedient of not soloing, and if Bono has too many Gregorian moments his conviction still carries the music. Anyway, I'll take his militant if pacifist Christianity ("The real battle has begun/To claim the victory Jesus won") over most of the secular humanism and Jah love rockers are going in for these days.”2
From a retro review in 2008 from Pitchfork:
“The U2 we've known ever since had arrived on War, and even today it sounds vital. As much as cynical critics and listeners often swipe at U2 for their earnestness, it's still refreshing to hear a band that cares so much, wants to be heard by so many, and isn't afraid to show it.”3
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Sarah Norman wrote:
“U2’s third album saw the Dublin four-piece articulate their impassioned views on politics and the human condition. With a sound tending more toward garage than high=gloss production, War remains one of U2’s most sonically raw sets…And enduring record.”4
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
Prime Playlist: 213. War by U2
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For details about this project, read this: Project 1001 Albums
Charts
• Peak on Billboard 200 album chart: #125
• Singles on Billboard Hot 100 chart: “New Year’s Day”, #536
• RIAA certification: 4x Platinum | September 11, 19957
Released on February 28, 1983. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: “Baby Come To Me” by Patti Austin and James Ingram8
• Number one album: Thriller by Michael Jackson9
• Number one movie: Tootsie by Sydney Pollack10
• Most watched TV programs: 60 Minutes, Dallas, M*A*S*H, Magnum PI, Dynasty11
• NYT bestseller, fiction: Space by James A. Michener12
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: Megatrends by John Naisbitt13
Some other albums released that month
• Powerlight by Earth, Wind & Fire
• Porcupine by Echo & The Bunnymen
• Somewhere in Afrika by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
• Kilroy Was Here by Styx
• Subterranean Jungle by Ramones
• Metal Health by Quiet Riot
• The Key by Joan Armatrading
• Frontiers by Journey
• Confusion Is Sex by Sonic Youth
• Kihnspiracy by The Greg Kihn Band
• Quick Step and Side Kick/Side Kicks by Thompson Twins
• Strong Stuff by Hank Williams, Jr.14
Sport
• Feb 8 35th NHL All-Star Game, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale: Campbell Conference beats Wales Conference, 9-3; MVP: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers, C who set NHL all star record of 4 goals in one period.
• Feb 13 33rd NBA All-Star Game, The Forum, Inglewood, CA: East beats West, 132-123; MVP: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers, F.
• Feb 20 25th Daytona 500: 3rd win in the event for Cale Yarborough; first time an in-car camera goes into victory lane before a national CBS Sports audience.15
• Feb 27 Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland set indoor mile record of 3:49.78.
Notable Births
• Feb 23 Aziz Ansari, Indian-American comedian and actor (Parks and Recreation, Master of None), born in Columbia, South Carolina.
• Feb 23 Emily Blunt, English-American actress (The Girl on the Train, The Quiet Place), born in London.
• Feb 27 Kate Mara, American actress (House of Cards, 24), born in Bedford, New York.16
Historical Events
• Feb 24 A special commission of the U.S. Congress releases a report that condemns the practice of Japanese internment during World War II.
• Feb 24 Dow Jones closes above 1100 mark for 1st time.
• Feb 24 Dow Jones closes above 1100 mark for 1st time
• Feb 28 Final TV episode of "M*A*S*H", a 2-hour special titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen", airs (CBS); record 125 million watch in the US.17
Notable Deaths
• Feb 22 Adrian Boult, British conductor (BBC Symphony Orchestra, 1930-50; London Philharmonic, 1950-59), dies at 93.
• Feb 25 Tennessee Williams, American playwright (A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), dies at 71.
• Mar 3 Hergé, Belgian comic book creator (The Adventures of Tintin), dies at 75.18
Norman, Sarah, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Fifth printing, ed. by Robert Dimmery p. 514.
Ibid
My fave is Seconds. Since it was released.