War

Really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday.

Not really usual to release a masterpiece with your third record. Even more uncommon is producing after that another four masterpieces in a row, each of them better than the last one. That's how you become an iconic band for the ages I guess

Oh dear am I developing a soft spot for U2🤢

i remember listening to this on broken headphones, plugged into my walkman, in the garage, when i was 16, trying to cut weight for a high school wrestling meet weigh-in the next morning. it’s amazing how particular music instantly bonds to memories like that.

There was a time when believing THIS was the best U2 album was a hill I wanted to die on. This was before I knew the band members had names like Bono or The Edge. Before I realized that U2 was a thinly disguised Christian Rock band. And maybe the fact that this one seems to lean more towards the political scope of things made all the difference. But the truth is, I didn't bother to pay much attention to the lyrics back when this album wowed me (although I did enjoy the song about prostitution, this band is always better when they're not trying to save the world). What I was drawn to really - and still am - were Larry Mullen Jr's drums. Those still stand out, even more than whatever The Edge is trying to do. No matter what Bono wants to sing about, it's Mullen and The Edge who remind us that this is a rock band. There isn't one skippable song here. So yeah, I still ride hard for this album. It still reminds me of just being able to put on an album and listen to it completely without thinking about the personalities of the band members who wrote and recorded the songs. Mostly it reminds me that sometimes we're better off not knowing everything about our heroes. That I didn't always believe Bono was a jackass (I didn't mind him going all MacPhisto during the Zoo TV tour, it was when he discovered SnapChat filters during a concert in 2018 that seemed a little too creepy to me). It's interesting that what finally made U2 jump the shark was giving every iTunes customer a free copy of their new album (people forget, it's not like you had to have the album, it was just there in your iTunes library available to download for free if you really wanted it). Maybe U2 just hung around too long as Bono continued to think he had all of the answers and believed he was the chosen one. But damn if this album doesn't still slap. It's my second favorite U2 album behind Achtung Baby.

it's okay, gets boring quickly

This album was U2 at its creative best, taking on important social messages and driving a creative original sound. The first three songs are as good an opening threesome as on any album on the 1001. The originality on this album was repackaged ad nauseam in their albums that followed. They made a shit-whack of money from this album but that amount is trivial compared to the amounts they made from their subsequent unoriginal albums. Bono now hangs out with the world's elites at Davos. Did I forget to mention that I was impressed? This album is so good that it makes it a glaring testament to how far they have fallen.

Torn between 4 and 5 on this one, only because a few tracks don't live up to the lofty heights of tracks like "New Year's Day" and "Two Hearts Beat as One". Maybe that's unfair? Bono's voice is at its insistent, pleading peak, and the instrumentals have a level of craft and production that make them timeless despite losing a bit of their punk edge. They've evolved a lot since then, and they had to, but I kind of miss this version of the band.

Not feeling it.

80s U2 is the good U2. End of discussion.

U2 were at their peak at this time, with Edge’s scratchy guitar upfront, which reminds me a bit of Andy Gill of Gang of 4 at times. Even a song like “2 Hearts”, which I remember as a smooth radio hit, sounds “Edgy”. “New Years Day” is my favorite U2 song with its haunting piano and rhythm guitar throughout. Many of the supporting songs, like “Seconds” or “The Refugee” are strong, with decent hooks and instrumentation. “40” points us in the direction of the adult stadium rock around the corner.

Like REM, I don’t really have a problem with what U2 was, it’s what they became that doesn’t work for me. This is a good rock record.

Still holds its power. Three all-time, first rank cuts – "Bloody Sunday," "New Years' Day," "Two Hearts" – in three distinct registers (rousing martial anthem; contemplative mid-paced rocker; ebullient pop love song), plus the psalmically prayerful (maybe one means prayerfully psalmic) spiritual "40," which is one of a kind, and sacralized one's attachment to this record and this band at the time and remains quite capable of moving. Anyone who saw them close a concert with this in the '80s, sending the audience out into the night singing in unison will know its power. All the other cuts are distinct and additive, most notably "Drowning Man," and "Surrender." A potential knock it that it's a record best heard in cold, grey seasons. One is tempted to ask when U2 got cynical toward us? Or is that one got cynical toward U2 first. One is content to be secret and exult with this today, recalling the purest affinities of one's musical youth. One never gets one's earliest loves, no, not when they were this passionate and authentic and near magically come to life.

U2 is my favorite band! I know the lyrics to every song.

At the time of War’s release, U2 were still being placed under the post-punk banner. That was fitting for albums like Boy, but with War, the band was already reaching for something grander. U2 were becoming a protest band, maybe even a spiritual band, and with that maturity and growing acclaim came a bolder sound. Despite being unhappy with the reception from October, the band stood by their punk influences, but U2 aren’t known today for their restraint. That journey began with this album, which sees them experimenting with all kinds of new ideas. Whether it be the background vocalists present on songs like Surrender or Red Light, or a violin carrying the rhythm on Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2 simply wanted more. Bono’s lyrics were also getting better, trading out feelings of youthful vigor in favor of more worldly visions, which suited his impassioned singing style even better than it did for tales of boyhood. The first half is stacked with fan favorites and live staples, with New Year’s Day being the album highlight, a sign of what the band would be capable of in following albums. Even with their turn toward anthems, Side A ends with Drowning Man, a song that still feels unique in the band’s catalog, and one of my favorite vocal performances from Bono ever. That said, Side B is why I keep returning to the album year after year. Surrender and Two Hearts Beat as One are some of their most underrated material, ending with “40”, a somber finale that went on to close out their live shows for years and years. If there’s a misstep, it’s maybe The Refugee, which feels a little unfinished in comparison to some of the other tracks on here. Even that’s easy to forgive thanks to Larry Mullen’s thundering drumming. U2 is a fun band to track because you can really see their progression from album to album, and this was where that trend really first showed itself. A personal favorite, and a must listen.

I’d only heard Bloody Sunday before but I this album was great. I was initially going to give it a 4 as I didn’t like Bono’s vocals on a few tracks but it grew on me as I gave it a few more listens. I really enjoyed the drum and guitar sounds and I’m exited to hear more U2 on this list.

U2 War A month or so ago I officially declared that - had displaced The Joshua Tree as my favorite U2 album. It appears its reign was destined to be short. My college roommate listened to U2’s War album a lot so I felt like I knew what to expect. Today when I listened I was blown away at the youthful exuberance, the incredible talent and the strong Irish influences! Bono’s passion! That drummer mesmerizes me! Has Two Hearts always been this fucking perfect?! Could there be a more perfect way to end the album than the gorgeous 40? Yeah I remembered the hits but I guess I had become an apathetic listener. This album brought those songs back to life in a way that i had not expected. War is really special and today’s listen makes me love U2 all over again. My indisputable favorite!

Raw and powerful. This was U2 before Bono got a little too preachy and full of himself. This is an important chapter in the soundtrack of my life.

Michael and Richard were mates at my high school in the mid 80s who were big on U2. We used to hang around in the music rooms at lunch time a bit. They raved constantly about U2, wouldn't talk about anything else, got VERY excited about paying far too much money for a dodgy live bootleg LP from Scratches in Newtown (I later became friends with the store owner. He confessed he did not remember the particular bootleg, but was pretty sure that it was shit). But, for all their endless enthusiasm, I didn't get it. U2 just didn't move me. Too earnest, too preachy (but unclear exactly what they were preaching about - was Bono pushing his highly controversial "war is bad" message?), too bombastic, trying too hard. When the Joshua Tree came out, I could see what they were trying to achieve, but I still find that they tend towards being a large relatively blank canvass for the listener to project their own ideas onto, but I'm never really sure what they are going on about, especially on these earlier records. Sid Smith, writing for the BBC, said "Whilst there’s no denying the youthful energy and industrial quantities of testosterone on display, it’s something of a mixed rattlebag that highlights the pros and cons of the band. After a while all that breathless beseeching, fiery indignation and BIG guitar heroics grows a tad wearisome; a bit like being shouted at by someone who means well but doesn’t know when to turn the volume down." Well, I couldn't have said it better myself. I kind of like the confidence of this little band going all out like they are the most important band in the world, years before they achieved that goal. But the widescreen ambition doesn't resonate for me. It was a couple more albums before they produced anything I really liked. And U2's greatest weakness is particularly evident on this album; U2's rhythm section cannot swing. They can, arguably, rock when they try. But they cannot roll. 'Nuff said. 2.5 stars, rounding up.

Album of a generation? Certainly in the conversation... This was the album that put U2 on the map in the mainstream culture. I probably listened to it 1000 times. At one point or another, I bought it on probably every single format except 8-track tape and open reel . This is the album where the power hinted at in their earlier work all fell into place. The Edge is arguably the most innovative and influential guitar stylist since Jimi Hendrix and this is the album where his sound blossomed. Bono's passionate protester persona (about what, we're not sure, but it doesn't really matter, just keep waving that white - blank? - flag and we can project our own causes onto it) is in full effect and the bass and drums hold it all together in a very simple and powerful way. Being 12 when this album came out, it probably took me 6 months to hear about it. I don't even remember how I learned about it, but I was so into this album that me and my friend camped outside the Hartford Civic Center all night to buy tickets for the follow-up album's tour even though it hadn't come out yet. I went with my friend and her little sister and her little sister's friend and about 30 years later my wife and I realized that she was my friend's little sister's friend!

I’m not a big U2 fan, but this was good, bloody good!

Under a blood red sky A crowd has gathered in black and white Arms entwined, the chosen few The newspapers says Say it's true And we can break through Though torn in two We can be one I will begin again Good album. Not one skippable track, and you could put it on repeat for a week and not ever get tired of New Years Day. 5/5

5 stars. When they were a great band.

This was my favorite U2 record throughout my angstier years, and while time, maturation, and perspective have led to its ranking being bumped down one peg, it'll always hold a special place in my (still quite angsty) heart.

Outstanding rock

1st listen (I think), though I’ve heard several tracks from this many a time. Most Irish-ish sounding album from U2 I’ve heard, especially in “Sunday Bloody Sunday” & “Drowning Man”. While Joshua Tree is probably #1 for me, Bono’s vocals in this album might be unparalleled (among U2 albums I mean, don’t get excited) Also loved the “How long to sing this song?” callback to “Sunday Bloody Sunday” in the final track. HL: “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “New Year’s Day”, “Like a Song…”, “The Refugee”, “40”

What if U2 before they became insufferable? Turns out it's pretty fuckin' good!

War Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year’s Day are clearly great tracks, Larry Mullen’s drumming and the Irish Folk acoustic guitar and fiddles of Sunday Bloody Sunday underscore the sadness of the theme of the song, while New Year’s Day is a very evocative and atmospheric pre mega fame U2 song. Whether it’s due to being far less familiar with the rest of tracks or whether they just aren’t as good, nothing particularly stood out or was particularly memorable, apart from the closing Surrender and ‘40’, the former escaping the shackles of the scratchy rather generic post punk on the rest of the album with a nice bit of melody and muscularity and the latter foreshadowing some of their later arms aloft crow pleasing stadium songs. Ultimately I think this lands as a solid 3, Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year’s Day are great tracks, Surrender and ‘40’ are very good and the rest, while in no means bad, just don’t stick long in the memory in comparison. Perhaps indicative of them looking to leave their more angular post punk behind and find the pop rock bearings that would take them to mega-stardom. 🪖🪖🪖 Playlist submission: New Year’s Day

This album has Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day which are excellent songs. The other songs on the album are fine, but mostly forgettable. As a result, I'd listen to those songs separately from the album for the most part.

Turns out I own this, although barely know it. The last post-punk one before they merged with Eno/UNESCO, with a sound somewhere between Echo And The Bunnymen and The Psychedelic Furs. The live "Under A Blood Red Sky" captures this era well if you're interested. New Years Day is great, much of the rest could be anyone of that period

I’ve always thought U2 was an overly self serious band who people who don’t really like music say is their favourite band. This album didn’t do anything to disabuse me of that opinion, but I can’t say I hated it. I haven’t totally closed my mind to the possibility that I might like one of U2s albums but it’s not this one. 2.3

Bono is a pretentious turd but this album is incredible. Lyrically thoughtful, musically tight, emotionally engaging, very well produced.

Banger album

U2 just makes solid music, man.

Given my general apathy towards U2, including the opening track, I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed this one overall.

Annoyingly I really liked U2 today

Didn't know U2 was nice like this. First track "Sunday Bloody Sunday" sounds like "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga lol. I liked this.

This was one of the clutch of first CDs I ever listened to back in my early teens. Sticky Fingers - avert your eyes, Simon - August by Eric Clapton, maybe some 80’s Tina Turner, and a forgotten few others were in this bunch of exciting shiny discs heard on my dad’s big headphones. I was disappointed when I listened to this, as I only recognised the two big hits, and didn’t think the rest rocked. Three and a half decades on: this rocks. Listening to New Year’s Day brought a mini-epiphany: the guitar-hero blah-blah about The Edge has a kernel of choppy, post-punk, precision-strike truth to it. Second micro-revelation: Adam Clayton’s baselines do a lot of the heavy-lifting on the tunes. Some middling tunes could’ve been dropped for a leaner record, but I chomped through this without break.

U2 at their first peak, in this case post-punk, new wave.

Before they became parodies of themselves they were a decent band

Pretty good, but it's no Joshua Tree. So I guess I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

I was dreading when the eventual U2 album would show up. I have NEVER liked the band. Luckily for me, it has one of the only mainstream songs I can stomach from them... Sunday Bloody Sunday is a jam. Blew through that one on the first track. So what about the rest of the album? Listening to all these U2 tracks that I've never heard before, I've finally figured it out. It's Bono. It's always been Bono. He's what I've hated about U2 all this time. The band is amazing. And they're amazing on almost every track. I had one song where my brain said, "they need a double whip right here" and a millisecond after the thought, Bam, there it was. They know what they're doing from a musical composition standpoint. Where they lose me is Bono. Can't stand the guys voice. I came into this album expecting to rank it a 1 or maybe a 2 just for SBS alone, but the music itself is tight, and I think it deserves a 3. Would probably be a 4 with nearly any other singer. Anyway, SBS will make the playlist, obviously.

I had the misfortune of growing up around late 90s and 00s U2. This tiff was actually okay.

2 hearts beat as one, New years day and like a song... Really Catchy songs. rest were also pretty good. Never Really Listened to this type of music but has sparked an interest in genre.

Listening to the album is one sitting is probably a mistake. All the songs start to sound the same after a while. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Years Eve" are great, but the rest of the album does nothing to distinguish itself from those two, awesome songs.

2.6 A few good tunes. Looking at U2 as a whole I thought of Dave Chappelles bit “How can you care about anything when you know every goddamn thing?” Maybe if U2 did a few less protest/cause songs they wouldn't seem so preachy to me. The Edge gets his fair share of credit in the guitar world and deservingly so.

U2 just doesn't do it for me. There were actually some pretty good songs on this album which made it tolerable.

Liked this more than I thought I would but they're still just a big singles band for me.

Started strong and became pretty fast the level of a free iTunes album

Poorly timed, messily composed and badly sung. Which is a shame because the messages in the songs are really poignant. I really don't understand why people like U2...

Fine. Hasn't changed my opinion of U2. A little 'thin' on production, some catchy-ish songs, but mostly water off the ducks back. Neither here nor there. Not amazing, not awful. Fine. 2/5

U2 are boring

Kult

Never really took the time to listen to any U2 albums even though I’ve always quite liked a few of their bigger hits. So I wasn’t sure what to expect with this album. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find myself enjoying the album as much as I did. I think I found something listenable in every song on the album which is quite rare. This really is a great album. I still think later U2 isn’t great but maybe there’s something more I should start exploring in the early albums after this.

The culmination of U2s trajectory toward anthemic rock, War is the albums where U2's ridiculousness fades into the background, overwhelmed by terrific songwriting, assured performance, and lyrics by Bono that have not yet tipped over into pedantry. They would go on to hit an even higher note with "Achtung Baby", but this is the high point of early U2.

My husband's favorite band, and I think my introduction to U2 when I was in jr high. I remember sitting on the wall near the student store on lunch talking to friends about music and someone mentioned how much they loved U2 but my reggae and ska-loving mind turned it into UB40 and I agreed, then we realized we were talking about two different groups.

This is such a solidly good album. I haven’t listened to the whole thing in a while. It was nice to re-listen and see how well it still stands up so much later.

Solid album end to end. Back when this was released Iwas much more into the metal scene. I didnt add a copy of this into my collection until years later but remember hearing Sunday Bloody Sunday on MTV, I hit up some friends for a full listen and liked it way back when. This is the first time in many years I have listened to this release from begining to end, and it still holds up. Excellent socially charged groove, good stuff.

How did I miss U2 at Red Rocks? Oh right, I was 3. This album would be a five even if it had just one song. That’s how Incredible “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is.

Fucking great album. 5 stars alone for Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day alone.

U2 before they sold out to become a stadium band. Some absolute classics on here.

Fühlt sich irgendwie falsch an, hier die 5 zu zücken, weil die Platte nach den ersten 4 Ober-Bangern schon etwas abfällt (hilft natürlich auch nicht, dass 2 davon zu den besten Songs aller Zeiten gehören). Aber irgendwie machen auch die anderen Songs viel Spaß und schon damals zeigte sich der Experimentierwille der Band und es ist spannend, die Band in diesem Post-Punk-Setting zu hören, was sie später ja ziemlich abgelegt haben. Sehr gute Platte, schöner Revisit.

Das ist doch einfach ein Album mit Klasse. Abwechslungsreich ohne zu drüber oder zu viel zu wollen. Kurzweilig, aber nicht langweilig. Guten Gewissens 5 Sterne. Letztlich aber doch zu weit von meinem Geschmack weg, sodass ich es wohl nicht mehr allzu häufig hören werde.

Great!

Awesome, full of Clash influences but also looking ahead to their anthemic sound of the future

Pretty solid. Always loved new teas day and Sunday Bloody Sunday. Also love the mix with the staccato guitars and electric violin throughout.

In 1983 I likely burned out my cassette of War. I listened to it all the time and never tired of it, finding new songs to love each play. This was my introduction to the band, and I was hooked from the first notes. It is still my favorite album of theirs, and that's saying quite a bit given the run they went on after this. I was very excited to see this come up today. I knew there'd be a few U2 albums on the list, but I wasn't certain if War would be one of them. What a very pleasant surprise. I wanted to give this a listen with fresh ears, at least as much as is possible with a record I've played hundreds and hundreds of times. I still feel there isn't a bad song on the album, and I still feel that Larry Mullen Jr. is the star of the show, even though everyone gets more than their share of moments. While everyone will talk about Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day (as well they should), songs like Seconds, Like A Song..., Drowning Man, Two Hearts Beat As One, and 40 still blow me away. I will be humming and singing songs from this all of the rest of the day.

Listened to before, lots of times.

One of the best ever

a classic

Very appropriate album title for Election Day. I’ve only heard a few of these songs before and enjoyed this. Bono’s voice does get tiring for me sometimes but the band sounds great and I have to imagine that it wowed people at the time of its release. Not my personal favorite band but I have to respect this for its execution and go 5.

I complained in my review of Achtung Baby that U2 were missing a certain spark... The music was generally a bit flat, and I much prefer when they're giving it everything. War is that. This album goes hard and really doesn't let up. The Edge is kind of at his best here (and in some ways his least "edgy"), Larry Mullen Jr. Kills it throughout the album, Adam Clayton holds everything together and Bono is the most passionate and intense he has ever been. This is the sound that U2 is best as - 80s U2. This and Joshua Tree are classic albums for a reason, and whilst I have a personal soft spot for Vertigo, I think objectively speaking this is a better album.

I'll always have a soft spot for Joshua Tree because it's the first album that I listened to on repeat over and over and over on my little yellow Sony boombox, but I'm pretty sure this is U2's best album. The raw energy that comes through in this record is so palpable. Bono is so intense and the band sounds so much more mature and purposeful than they do in their first couple of recordings. This is the sound of a band that has something important to say and is still hungry for an audience. Listening to it after all these years is still fun. There might be a weak track or two, but I don't see the point of naming them. This album is solid, SBS is an epic opener and 40 is an epic closer. If I could choose to be one of these dudes for one week in the 80s, it would definitely be Adam.

For part of my freshman and sophomore year of high school, I rode to school with a guy who was a year older. This was one of a handful of albums he played on repeat (at ear-splitting volume). It speaks to the quality of the songs that I still like them. Obviously "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" are classics, but I'd forgotten how great "Like a Song..." is. There's a lot to like on this, and I'll take it over anything they've released since, oh, 1991.

Standard bearer.

Really good

I’ve never sat down and listened to U2 and I’m not entirely sure why because that was excellent

Stunning!

Classic!!!

Records

Bom pra kct

Actually very good. Huh. I was expecting Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day to be the only standout tracks here but this rocked Take it with a grain of salt, my taste isn't very "cool", I LOVE the Police and early Coldplay. But as far as very polished and atmospheric post-punk? This is wonderful. I get it, I really do. Shame U2 became as lame as they did, this is really something excellent.

Great early U2. Another band that came out of the gate fully formed.

U2 - War 5 STARS This is a harder album than the previous two and includes one of my favorite songs of theirs "New Years Day". This is when they were young and raw and their first three albums will always be my favorites. Undeniably good.

Très cool, des tubes connus (new year's day, sunday bloody sunday) et d'autres que j'ai découvert, c'est varié, les percussions sont au top, vraiment sympa

J'aime U2 de Boy à Zooropa. Ensuite j'ai perdu foi.

Tellement une agréable surprise! Je suis tombé sous le charme de la guitare de Edge et de la voix puissante de Bono, à ma grande surprise. J'avais un a priori négatif, j'aime pas la persona politique de Bono. Il y a quelque chose de vraiment fort dans les textes, avec des emprunts fréquents à la littérature de la Bible et les messages d'amour universel. Ça me fait penser à Dylan, apparemment ils se sont même plutôt liés d'amitié dans les 80s (j'ai lu hier avec grand intérêt une entrevue accordée à Dylan par Bono en 1985). Le son est résolument 80s mais avec quelque chose qui traverse les époques (je m'attendais pas au côté New Wave/Rock d'un The Cure ou Tears for Fears). J'avais écouté le Vertigo Tour en version IMAX au secondaire en voyage à Boston et ça m'avait endormi. Je trouvais ça trop léché / épate-galerie, mais en vieillissant les goûts changenr faut croire.

Still sounds ground- breaking even after hearing Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day a million times. Several album tracks I didn’t know, all of high quality foretelling of U2 glories to come.

This is my favorite U2 album.

War marked the closing of one door and the opening of another. Having wandered through doubt, rumination and realization U2 transformed from boys to men as they navigated through real world happenings and how it changes mindsets and worldviews of the people around them. The transformation extended to the music, as the band formally gathered the tools necessary to craft together what would soon become their signature sound, even if that meant taking detours down a new wave/dance vibe that wound up becoming a one-off or something to be explored with more maturity somewhere down the line. War, with the bookend of a rallying cry and a solemn hymn, is the beginning of U2 as the world will soon know them, for better and for worse. This is a better time, no matter how harrowing the topics and circumstances. Wipe the tears from your eyes, wipe the tears away.

Love this classic U2 album!!

Brilliant and timeless

Enjoyed it.

After making a name, U2 makes a point with War. This is their most confrontational album. A slap in the face of the audience, and a kick in the butt of the band that propelled it further. Plus, it sounds amazing.

Best Song Sunday Bloody Sunday

Rock, Pop. Tight, complex, driven. Almost perfect.

5/5

Such great raw energy! Great stuff.

I grew up too late to really appreciate the growth of U2, but the legacy they’ve left behind is incredible. War is a masterpiece

In my life and in general this album was a game changer-everything was different after this, their 3rd album - not a note out of place from start to finish, a fantastic journey that begins fiery and rebellious but ends with the soothing and reassuring 40. For me I will follow & New yrs Day are old favorites I lovelovelove this album!