Reviews (page 11 of 12)
No matter what, I just can’t get into this band. It just seems to be a decent Edge riff milked for 4 minutes with Bono whining on the mic. That for an entire album.
Dios, parce que bono grita cuando canta. Comparto con la opinion de que u2 es una de las bandas mas sobrevaloradas de la historia. No tienen nada innovador, incluso ni tratan letras desde diferente perspectiva, haceb las cosas bien. A pesar de esto no es un mal disco, me parecio otro de esos que son un 6/10 mas que solido. No quiere decir que sea aburrido sino que tiene algunso highligta y otros lowlights
3.75
Des bonnes tounes de rocks, l’album concept est ressenti tout le long, mais j’aime pas tant leur son
Good album, although not their best but good enough
Fine
I hadn’t listened to this whole album since its release. U2 were way better then than now. And 2 stellar tracks in New Years Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday
Despite Bonio's best efforts over the last 30+ years, I still have a (surprising) soft spot for some of the early U2 stuff. He's still a monumental twit though.
Iconic artwork. Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day are great. Two Hearts Beat as One is pretty good. The rest is alright, bit dated now. I'm trying not get too bogged down with Bono's ego.
It was a pretty ok album. Best song: Sunday Bloody Sunday
Is very ok. Gets boring
saaaai
saaiii
U2 are a band with a sound and a legacy that should end with me loving them but I just can't. When I listen to them I hear the roots of all the worst bits of contemporary indie rock. I get their deal on a fundamental level and it just pisses me off. Sorry to Scott (Aukerman) and Scott (, Adam), but when it comes to what I want to listen to I still haven't found what I'm looking for in U2's music.
I guess I am the oddball Gen Xer who just does not like the music of U2. Never have, never will. Bleh.
Another crappy U2 album. Was it as bad as the last one? No, but it's like saying the shit from today doesn't stink as much as the one from last week. Bono still sucks, and this music is still the definition of mediocre slop. Why am I forced to continue hearing U2 forever?
Shouty, echoey, U2 have never been a band that I could listen to. This is probably a good example of something I find jarring
I think I am born in another time period … Babyboomer and not Millenials…this rhytms and music are not for me. 😦 The lyrics are quite good, but I haven‘t saved any song.
Favourite songs: - sunday bloody sunday - new year’s day - drowning man
Pop-rock will rarely be appreciated here, even if it rises above most of the uninspiring decade of 80s music. This album was too repetitive, had poor vocals, and wasn't particularly well written imo. To not seem like too much of a hater, I liked the intro to New Year's Day,
I listened to it. I don't remember much of what I listened to it besides there was Bono and there was guitar. So, I guess its surprisingly forgettable for a group of this reputation?
Not a U2 fan but this album is not horrible
Nothing grabbed my attention in this album. Just noise for the most part. I don’t think U2 is for me
I think I hate U2?
Meh. 2 greats
I don't mind this album. I think it has a decent enough pace to it. It just doesn't really work for me. And I'm already really not huge U2 fan to start with. It's decent, but it really just doesn't stand out, and I just don't feel like it's very memorable. It's just not for me. Fav Track: Sunday Bloody Sunday
Ikke for meg nei. Koste meg svært lite med dette.
Hmmm. This is going to be an interesting ride. On the one hand, I find Bono to be an insufferable cockwomble, but on the other the early works of U2 are held in high regard. At the time, I was definitely not a fan. Didn’t really enjoy U2 until the Unforgettable Fire/Joshua Tree combo. So…..with that said. It’s all a bit meh for me. I don’t see the greatness others see. Like a cake where all the ingredients are things I like, but it tastes wrong when you eat it. Hard to pin down what it is. 2 for me
Was never a fan, still aren't
I think Sunday Bloody Sunday is my favourite U2 track, I just love the drumming that dominates it. This is present elsewhere on the album without the same effect. New Years Day is another great track, but there is little great beyond those two. Worse than that ‘The Refugee’ is just shocking
I really don't get U2. I will say that I like Sunday Bloody Sunday, but I am completely meh about everything else. It's just ok. 2/5
emphasis on the 2
it was better than I expected, but still feels like a boomer Coldplay
"Like a song" stands out. But politics and lyrics reverse of dylan
Meh. its standart american rock-in-roll. Too homogenous: no variation in guitar rythm, no voice/vocal changes, the drumer is not having fun, nothing. Its a wall of same-sounding noise from start to finish.
++: Two Hearts Beat as One, Red Light +: New Years Day, The Refugee, Surrender, 40 +-: Seconds -: Sunday Bloody Sunday, Like a Song..., Drowning Man 4,5/10
If an album has songs I know the lyrics to and I’m not even compelled to sing along… that’s not a great sign.
Aside from Sunday and New year the album let's itself down as the quality of music lessens after these big tunes. A successful album in its day but not one I'd seek out today
was alright i guess..
Pleasently surprised at times, but overall a very mixed bag, a standout from their early post-punk years, but U2 have always been a playlist band instead of an album band for me, War was unfortunately not good enough to change that for me, also the mixing is abysmal at times, with drum sounds flat enough to pull me entirely out of the song. 1) Like A Song 2) New Years Day 3) Sunday Bloody Sunday Least Favourite: Surrender
I don't know what U2 did to ever be discussed as a great band. I understand Irish people getting behind them to an extent, but they are not good and somehow they are regarded as an all time great. If I never heard another U2 song in my life nothing in my life would change for the worse. Of course they have a couple catchy songs that everyone knows but musicianship, talent and just being a good band overall lacks, while somehow constantly being praised. I know the reason but can't believe enough people continue to push the propaganda of them being a great band. Anyway average album that everyone else will say is great because you have to, but I am here to tell you you dont have to. You can tell the world they suck one person at a time and start your own reviolution
U2 is boring
I cannot do U2
It was fine, I don’t really enjoy U2 but I can appreciate their talent
U2 is so incredibly boring. I saw them live at a festival and it was the same as this album. Starts out ok, yeah, I know this one. Followed quickly by why? I don't want to listen to this anymore.
Dated and basic rock. Bono's voice isn't one I enjoy, the drumming sounds horribly recorded (hollow and sharp at the same time), and the guitar is just not exciting or that catchy.
Three U2 albums down, one more to go... I can't stand Bono's voice at all. The band underneath him are usually unremarkably mediocre as well, making U2 music completely irredeemable, irritating awfulness. Granted, this album is at least a little better than the others I've had, with better songs and a slightly- SLIGHTLY- less irritating Bono. But, unfortunately, that doesn't make him tolerable. So it's good in comparison to the absolute piles of shit that are Achtung Baby and All That You Can't Leave Behind, but not good enough to overcome my anti-U2 bias. Sorry, not sorry. This album is ranked #3 of 16 for 1983. Other 1983 albums rated by me: Soul Mining(8/16)-1 Back to Mystery City(15/16)-2
I just don't care for U2.
CSI ass music
nah u2 is echt mid de gitaar is distasteful en hij heeft geen mooie stem
Further reinforces my belief that U2 are a great singles band without a genuinely great album (perhaps I’ll change that when I re-listen to Joshua Tree). The big singles on this are amazing. Top-tier songs. But so much of this album is dull and lifeless, and sounds like so much else at the time. Moments of unmatched inspiration surrounded by uninspired album tracks.
Not my cup of tea really
Was pretty bored
U2 is one of the top five most overrated bands of all time. Bono's voice is lightweight - he's almost trying to belt (without success) - and lacks a richness that his singing style requires to be impressive. The Edge (fucktarded nickname aside) is a perfectly serviceable guitarist, but not great. Another one-trick pony, Edge's echoes fit the lyrical themes and overall esthetic of the band perfectly, but again, fail to impress. Especially on this album, U2's strength are their lyrics and themes. Unfortunately, Dolores O'Riordan did the neither-punk-nor-traditional-rock version of those themes so much better, that U2 should be forgotten.
This is some Pro Bono work! YEA YEA YEA YEA HELLO HELLO!
Me hitting play: https://share.google/eM6stnldNKMJJ7Mng Me resisting the urge to turn it off and listen to more John Zorn: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/02/21/arts/20rewindpix/merlin_168924228_4e15ef97-9294-4d0b-a5c0-4396a71d033b-superJumbo.jpg
Not sure if this should be humanity's final statement on "war," but definitely a good U2 album. Bono's vocals: hungry...and his melodies: not square like they are today. The Edge's guitar: jagged...and his background vocals: angelic. They're still a band here, not an institution. Now listen, I'm a FAN...I saw them live circa 2018, and a few of their songs are personal all-timers, but their LPs often fatigue me. I listened to War the whole way through and didn't want to turn it off once. Then, I pressed play a second time and got about four tracks in before I switched to Bully - Deluxe, lol.
Sorry Amy but this is not my jam </3
This band honestly just does nothing for me. Sorry about it.
I’ll be honest — I really don’t like U2, and that probably clouds my judgment here. While listening to War I didn’t feel much. It’s got that early-U2 post-punk energy with bigger, anthemic choruses starting to show up, but overall it just didn’t connect with me. The album is passionate and has some strong moments, especially with the political edge and Bono’s intensity, but the sound and the whole “we are saving the world” vibe that U2 became known for is already present and it irritates me. Maybe I’ll give it another proper try someday when I’m in a different mood, but right now it just reinforced why I’m not a fan of the band. It’s not terrible, but it’s far from something I’d reach for again.
H: maybe I just don’t care of this style of rock but I don’t know why this album is in here. All the songs sound the same and it’s kinda boring. 2/10 H fav song: N/A Z: Bono’s energy is the standout here. A passionate take on war and its impact 7.4/10 Z fav song: New Years Day Z for fans of: the peace core and Bloody Sundays
2.3/5 I've never been a big fan of U2 and I've never understood the hype but they have some good songs but nothing that's ever blown my socks off.
Iconic cover, lacklustre album for the most part
Bono’s voice has never been for me. Some cool parts of songs here and there though.
This was fine. I am just not a U2 fan. I'm not sure that I see the hype.
Good Diner music.
I liked this a lot less than Achtun bsby
I actually really like u2 but this isn’t my favourite album. Only one really stand out song for me.
Underwhelmed. Unstirred.
It was okay. I found it droned on a bit.
Not my kind of music
i’m still not over them putting that album on my phone so i WILL be deducting points
I've never understood the draw of U2 and for that reason this was a first time listen for me. Whilst I appreciate that they speak to a good many people musically and politically, this one won't be re-appearing on my listening list again.
Ютуб ебаный чета там за войну поет, а не хочет Боно в Донецк съездить?
kinda just fine
Woof
The huts are obviously good but my god does the back half of this album suck! Also the remastered version version sounds like ass it’s like someone cranked a clarify slider all the way up but really it sounds like the whole band is playing in different rooms
I thought I’d have more nostalgia for this because my parents would play it all the time during long car rides, but this goes so against my tastes these days I just find it relentlessly boring
It's boring, like everything U2 released. There are a few things I don't mind listening from them, but I never willingly listen to this band. It really is nothing that great about them. I give this a 2 because Sunday Bloody Sunday is a good song.
U2 just not for me, 2.
I really fuckin hate U2
2,4/5
I want to preface this to say that I listened to this while sick so that could have impacted my listening experience. I really did not care for this one. I didn’t even hate it, I just feel truly indifferent about it. I felt nothing while listening to this album, and honestly, I think that’s worse than hating it
Not my type of music but it's not Bad at all.
Aggressively mid and forgettable, which is not to say it is bad. I don't know if I could tell you one bad thing it does, but also I couldn't tell you one good thing it does. IDK maybe I just don't love U2. 2.5/5
Music critics will call Syd Barrett outsider music but then call this good. Jesus, what a slog to get through.
its ok, i dont remember one song though
No lo volvería a escuchar, pero tengo que admitir que tiene buenas canciones.
2+ Stars (6/15)
didn't really feel much of anything when listening to this, the instruments were nice i guess.
😐
just not interesting to me. I like the hits but the rest is not it
Not my thing
pas fou a part bloody sunday jcrois
I warmed up to this album as it played, but I still can't really embrace U2's sound.
Sunday Bloody Sunday is pretty good, and then it goes quickly downhill from there. I really hope The Refugee is the low point. A dreadful song. Turns out it was the low point. All in all, a pretty naff album really
Outside of the 2 well known singles, haven't really been missing anything else on here. Exceptions being '40' and maaaaybe 2 Hearts.
Tried twice. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a great track, but I just don't like the rest of the album.
Nope
Synes ikke Bono e no fét
E bare ikke for mæ
Hørt på solsenga på Granka. Herregud så forferdelig å høre på? Ikke en eneste redeeming låt på hele plata.
Et par hits og en drøss plagsomme og kjedelige låter. Visste faktisk ikke at Bono er så irriterende å høre på i lengden.
Some songs are better than others; just never really “jived” with Bono’s vocal stylings.
Some ok if overplayed songs on here, some somewhat decent stuff, and a lot of annoying Bono.
Quite an underwhelming offering from these guys
I’m disappointed that there is two more U2 albums on the list. I’d rank U2 higher than country. With either of them playing, I’m just waiting for it to be over.
War jetzt nicht das beste müsste ich nicht nochmal hören
Current pretentiousness and epic douchebaggery make it almost impossible to listen to their early stuff anymore
Good for the time, personally liked their early stuff better
First time listen There's a breathiness to everything Bono sings that makes him really exhausting to listen to for a full length album. The first few tracks are good and then by the end I'm just tired of hearing the guy. It's better than their later stuff at least. Favorite Tracks: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day Least Favorite: Red Light, "40" 2.5/5
I'm too much of a millennial to ever find U2 cool. The singles are fine, I guess. This band will just never do it for me.
If I HAVE to listen to a U2 album, this one isn't the worst
Something about them just rubs me the wrong way. This would be a 1 if it didn't come out in '83 and have a clear impact on music.
I swear I'm not a U2 hater, I just happened to think Achtung Baby was fine and I enjoyed this album less. I don't really like the sound of post-punk in general and knowing that this band would go on to make The Joshua Tree four years later wasn't going to change that. Highlights: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day
sa momenty i jest cala reszta
i love the irish but was not a fan of this. started off strong then i got bored
Its alright. Never been a big U2 fan, and this wasn't it for me. The messaging does come through strong though!
I thought this was going to be one of those moments where you find out exactly why a massive band are actually so massive, because they did their best work before you were paying attention... But no. This was extremely average. There was one good song (great, actually) and the rest instantly forgotten. I concede that I pre-judged this album but in a boost to my ego, I was absolutely right to
This was so up and down. Good song....crap.....decent song.....rinse, repeat. I also hate Bono's voice for some reason.
I remember listening to this back in the day, it was a massive hit and it seemed to be played everywhere.
This is my favorite U2 album because it contains the only U2 song I like, Sunday Bloody Sunday. It all went downhill after that. The whole idea of Bono annoys me, the overwrought voice, the simplistic politics, and his self appointment as international ambassador of global peace.
A couple of half decent songs but ultimately I find this band tedious. There are some interesting stories and messages contained in the lyrics but unfortunately they are delivered by an absolute tadger.
Tied for best U2 album with Joshua Tree. I actually was digging the beginning of The Refugee, but then it morphs into a normal U2 song. I looked and it's the least listened-to song on the album. I also googled it and it's considered the worst song on the album by U2 fans. I guess that says a lot to me about U2 fans... 2/5
I know this album is good but I just can't stand U2.
u2 was a plane
Its aight. The singer seems to think that singing as if you're standing on a cliff dearly holding on to the life of your young child makes it more emotional. However as he uses the same tone for almost the entire album, it loses it power and makes it sound kind of goofy. It feels kind of self-important and meaningless. Yes war and atrocities are bad, but do you have anything actually meaningful to add to the conversation? If you like christian-light rock with a kinda social message this is the record for you. For everyone else: move on. 5/10
What an anti climax! Sunday bloody Sunday is such a banger, and new years is day is great too. And the rest of it is just forgettable trash, honestly couldn't wait for it to be over. I'm no U2 hater, I think Bono has a phenomenal voice and the edge is sick guitarist but this was just 2 food songs and a load of filler, hard pass.
pretty good
Bono is an acquired taste, some people never acquire it. I’m in the later group. While their music is ok it baffles me how they got so big,
3/10 I feel like there are moments on this album where I can see why people enjoy U2. Some of the instrumental writing is pretty decent in places, and they do create some really nice vibes here and there. But too often it just feels very underdeveloped and frequently doesn’t really go anywhere or deliver any payoff when they’ve built quite a good opening to something. What I can’t ever gel with, though, is Bono’s vocal. He sounds like he’s trying so hard to be a cool rock god of a singer, but it just comes off as inauthentic to me and overdone in the most 'theatre kid' way possible. Another thing that grated through this album was the mixing. It was all over the shop. There were times when the bass was way too loud, times when the vocal got lost in the mix, times where the whole thing got cluttered and muddy, and it was all so inconsistent, which made it feel quite disconnected from track to track. Adam Clayton’s bass lines were almost exclusively the most boring, uninspiring, "play the root notes please, Adam” choices, which really didn’t help with momentum in a lot of the songs either. It made me laugh when I actually noted a more interesting bass line in the closing track and then found out that The Edge did the bass on that track. If they’d have spent more time developing variations and paying off the build ups of the songs, this might have done something more for me, even if I would have needed to struggle past Bono, but unfortunately each track felt a bit too one paced and compositionally thin for me to give this any higher marks. Sunday Bloody Sunday - It starts off with a fairly interesting beat that shifts into something less interesting when the guitars come in. And then Bono comes in. I just don’t like his vocal style at all, it sounds so performative. It hasn't really added much of interest and the beat is just too repetitive. They try to inject a bit of rhythmic variety from the other instruments, but it’s all a bit thin. And the violin that comes in sounds so scratchy and horrible. Oh and the guitar solo is shit. Not a good start. Seconds - If this bass line persists through the whole song, I’m going to be so annoyed, it’s very boring and too prominent in the mix. It does change a tiny bit, but not enough. I don’t think the central chord structure and riffs are too bad, even if they’re a bit bland, but they do nothing to develop them at all. There’s some nice moments in the drums, but all in all it's just uninteresting and underdeveloped. New Year’s Day - The mix is way better for this track straight away. This is a pretty good composition in the verses. It drives along nicely and has a good atmosphere to it. Still not keen on the vocals, they sound so faux-sincere, but I’ll let them ride when the rest is decent. The work has been solid up to the point where they hit the chorus, but where is the payoff? It’s such a limp chorus! Then the instrumental section is too long. Like A Song - It’s an atmospherically interesting start that moves along with decent pace. This isn’t bad actually. There’s a nice bit of movement across the different instrumental parts. Bono’s vocal line wanders around a bit too much, but it comes together at the right points. Still not into the delivery, but otherwise, it’s not a bad vocal melody. This is probably my favourite so far, but this uninteresting instrumental bit at the end isn't helping it. It was ok, but I’m not desperate to hear it again. Drowning Man - Oooh, Bono isn’t overdoing his vocals at the beginning here. Oh, but he makes up for it. Yuck. Again, it feels like they’ve come up with a half decent idea, not developed it far enough and then put Bono’s try hard vocals over the top. It all feels like it’s building to something that never arrives. All of the development is just adding to the one section that just repeats and they don’t build it into anything, which is super frustrating. The Refugee - I feel a theme coming on. Some half-decent ideas that are underdeveloped and don’t really go anywhere. There’s quite a nice feel to moments of this, but the mixing is so weird. The big drumming section in the middle just swamps everything. Adam Clayton must be the most bored man in music, playing a one bar bass line for the entire song again. It all just feels like their main way to develop an idea is to just pile more instruments on top to thicken the sound, rather than actually write with forward momentum. Two Hearts Beat As One - The instrumentation in the verse isn't bad, even if it’s a little too one paced. I’ll stop talking about how much I dislike Bono’s vocal now, so just take it as a given. The chorus here is crap though. It’s way too staccato, which doesn’t work well laid under the more legato lead vocal. And by the time we get to the end, i’m just tired of it. Red Light - The band puts together a more sparse arrangement here that has quite a nice atmospheric vibe to it, but then Bono just wails all over the top of it in a completely disconnected way. And then what the fuck is that trumpet bit? It just tails off into more repetitive, uninspiring nonsense. Big old meh. Surrender - I’m just starting to get bored of this now. Again, there are some not too bad moments in here, but the bass is crap and too loud, it just cuts straight through everything and makes it hard to concentrate on anything else. It’s ok, I guess, it’s just really uninspired songwriting and doesn’t interest me in the slightest. And good god, it’s too long. “40” - Apparently The Edge played the bass on this one. It’s better than the bass elsewhere, so maybe they should have got rid of Adam Clayton? “How long, how long, how long” will this album go on for? Too long, too long, too long, Bono. Too long. It’s actually a fairly pleasant song, but I’m just tired now and struggling to get to the end. Bono, my tyres are gone.
Honestly, I don’t have a lot to say except I was excited when this album popped up next but disappointed when I listened to it. It wasn’t bad or anything, it just felt underwhelming. And I like U2. Or thought I did. I’ve listened to most of the albums at least twice up to this point but I don’t want to re-listen to this. Meh. Standout: “40” 01-15-2026
u2 doesn’t do it for me, new year’s day is a fantastic song tho so rounding up
Jokainen biisi kuulostaa samalta. Kai näillä oma kuulijakuntansa on. Minusta se on tuollaista kiekumista. hyvää tuotantoa kuitenkin.
Not as much of a fan as I am of their other works (Joshua Tree). Bono's voice doesn't hold up but maybe that's because I just listened to Elton John. Also some odd vibes as if they don't know themselves as a band 🤷
Catchy centrist political anthems right here. Bro you’re Irish and imperialists are occupying your country. How are you going to “both sides” this? Boring politics, mostly boring 80’s rock.
back to whiny men music again, i guess. why is sunday bloody sunday so popular? usually i can understand why one song has more streams than the rest of the album but not this one Would I listen again? No Deserves to be on this list? No 2.2
not my favorite. it was just boring and not my style
Very loud.
just the hits for me
Although I can appreciate the concept behind this album, none of the songs really stands out for me. All of them pretty much sound the same and maybe that is what a group is looking for when they produce a concept album, but I thought the album lost out since there was no particular song that stood out.
Dull, warbling, self serious pap.
Repetative overall, couple of good songs
really not my forte, maybe I’m still mad about them forcing that album onto my iphone in like 2010
boring songwriting boring playing
One of these songs at a time is fine but all of them in a row really started to hurt my ears. Not for me.
Had this back in the day when people were persuaded they were good. We’ve since learnt the error of our way
Liked the opening track. The whole album kind of blurred together for me. Wouldn’t listen to again
Couple of good songs, mist were meh.
I've soften my hatred towards U2 at this point in my life. There's a lot of cool sounds here but it just doesn't quench my rock n roll thirst. Its just plain jane 80's nu wave alt. Which this list has way too much.
Surprisingly insipid even at this early stage of their downward spiral. New Year's Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday may both be worthy classics but the versions here are much inferior to the commanding live takes on Under A Blood Red Sky.
Not a U2 guy, I can see why people like this though
U2 hab ich noch nie richtig verstanden. Klar hier ist mit Sunday Bloody Sunday ein recht guter Song dabei und die haben auch sonst ein paar Hits geschrieben, aber warum diese Band so sehr verehrt wird versteh ich einfach nicht. Das Album langweilt mich sehr schnell, das klingt alles so flach.
Not my cup of tea
As U2 albums go, this is probably the best that it gets. Unfortunately, that's a low bar for me. Well produced, and sometimes capable of a really nice texture, but that's about the only thing they have going for them to my ear. Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day are standout tracks.
I always thought U2 was boring
The best U2 has to offer, but still U2
Meh. First U2 album I've listened to in full, safe to say I'm not a fan. 5/10 Favourite track: New Year's Day
I just absolutely cannot connect with this band. I don't have any explicit reason why. When I was younger they were kind of in there later stages where 'The Edge' was doing infinitely looping tinkle-riffs that would often be used for software conference plenaries or product launches. Steve Jobs forcing everyone to have a copy of 'Songs Of Innocence". I'm not looking for ammunition to be a hater, I'm doing the opposite when I go through this list. I try to listen with ears focused just on what is intrinsically there and none of the other context and I just don't like this. There are times when it almost seems like it's approaching The Cure but in an off-putting way. I've already had to listen to Joshua Tree or some other album on this list. I hope this is the last one for the love of all that is good.
Sunday bloody Sunday is decent. Overall a little boring and all the songs sound the same to me.
Gear: Penon FAN 3s Artwork: 😠🧒🔲 Production (2008 Remaster): 🧼📻👍 Music: 💣📉💥 Rating: 🪖🪖/5
Maybe if Bono didn't sound like he sounds...
1 great song rest are very below average
Still not a fan of U2. They’re just ok
Pompous and dull as ditchwater
Bono is fine. The Edge is fine. The drummer is fine. 2/5.
Boring
just so bleak.
I thought the hits on this album were decent (Sunday, New Year's), but the rest were forgettable to downright bad. I must say, The Refugee was impressively bad, the worst song I've heard in a while. I busted out laughing when Bono starting doing his "Uh, HUAHs". I actually relistened to this song after I finished the album to see if it was as bad as my initial impression, and it was even more hilariously awful the second time. 1.5/5.
ehhh just very mediocre
Dece, Boy is their best imo. Sunday a fun song
musically it's slightly more engaging than U2's other albums but that's precious little consolation for putting up with Bono's caterwauling. still, i crown thee best U2 album (which is a bit like being the most complex and challenging dish on a cracker barrel menu)
Never been a fan of U2. There is something about their music that leaves me cold, i'm not sure if it's Bono's vocals or the production, but it also seems sparse and empty to me. Bono is always echoey and that rarely works for me. Overall this album is passable musically, perhaps the lyrics carry more weight than I realise, don't know, don't realy care. If it isn't interesting musically then the lyrics pass me by. Top Track = Like a Song..
Mid at best
It's alright. Production seems a bit flat - I think I remember at the time maybe only hearing the songs I know on Under A Blood Red Sky where they sound MUCH better. That sounds like an exciting band, whereas this doesn't much to me. I prefer Sunday Bloody Sunday without a violin. It's not changed my general ambivalence towards U2.
Dude being guys music, least enjoyable kind. Ended up being okay background music, but ultimately not enjoyable.
Bono is so fucking annoying. Here’s an idea, if you want to make an activist album and get people to listen to your message, maybe you should make your music bearable to listen to. I think I’d rather go to war than listen to this one again.
U2’s *War* delivers raw energy and urgency, even if I’m not the biggest fan. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” stands out with its sharp political edge and fantastic drumming. While some tracks don’t fully grab me, the album shows flashes of greatness and a powerful rhythm section worth hearing.
Not necessarily my taste. Ending number 40 was kinda okay. 4/10
Better than other U2 project but still not great as an album. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a hit, no doubt about it, and I found the album more coherent and lsitenable. But there is still a lot of filler song on there, and the ambition of the band sonically is not there. I am not mad at this inclusion, but is it a must listen gorgeous thing, no. It's not reinventing anything, it's just nice enough.
It’s nice that U2 put together an album which includes statements of anti-war and other social issues. The two singles from the album (‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and ‘New Year’s Day’) are the best tracks. However I never have been a huge fan of U2, so the remainder of the album is totally forgettable.
Idk U2 kinda sucks
Still don’t get u2
Typical Bono-slop. Pretentious but not horrible
The best song on this album is Sunday Bloody Sunday.
Honestly... not that memorable
Solid album nothing crazy 4.1/10
I've realized after listening to War that U2 - at least, this generation of U2 - are a new-wave band masquerading as a rock band. I hear little difference between this and The Police, Talking Heads, The Cure etc. I've heard my fair share of New Year's Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday via Classic Rock Radio to fool me into thinking they were big boys of rock, but among this collection, I heard them differently. Anyway what I'm trying to say here is that I'm not at all a fan of new wave, and by extension, neither am I a fan of this album.
Wouldn’t listen again.
Bland. I can see why folks like it, but this isn't for me. Soft rock, with a teenage level politics undercurrent. Love songs seem to be rather prominent.
New Year’s Day is one of my favourite U2 songs. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a classic. The rest was… fine I guess. The lyrics to The Refugee made me cringe - so patronizing.
This album is more interesting than it is good. It feels like you're listening to U2 at a real turning point in their career. Do they take the leap and chase their pop aspirations... or do they stay a moody post-punk 80s alternative band? Obviously they chose the former... and I think it was a good call. I don't think they would have received the respect they craved as an alternative band.. especially with Bonos cheesy, peace and love lyrics that sound like ad slogans. I will say that I like the vibe of this album over other U2 albums we've reviewed. I like that it's a little shaggy, a little punky, a little strange (for U2). You can feel that 80s punk/alternative influence on this, the Smiths or echo and bunnymen etc, especially on the deeper cuts. Also there's some 80s coldwar nihilism sprinkled throughout this thing which i dig. I much prefer that to the optimistic peace and love bullshit of the later material. It's nice to hear a stressed out and anxious bono for once. I can relate to that more. The 2 big hits do sound like the U2 that is to come but with a little more grit which i do like. I'm a fan of Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day... they are solid tracks. I'm also intrigued by Like a Song... which doesn't sound like U2... it's very moody 80s alternative rock. It's neat. The rest of the deep cuts are mid to bad. I did not like The Refugee or the closer. The lyrics, his use of annoying cliches, definitely bring this thing down. Again, i found this album more interesting to think about than to listen to... which is not really a compliment. I guess it's a 2.5, but i'll round down.
Little bit of a train wreck from the start. Not good. The mixing and sound is pretty bad. A few tracks are just meh. 2 stars
have a good day! thanks, u 2 XD not mine. not for me.
It's just absolutely fucking nothing, close to rating this a 1 just because of how nothing it is for me Fav song: Sunday Bloody Sunday I guess
Basic rock, ich schlaf ein 4/10
Some great songs but too many average songs for me to really get into it.
When I was 4, we had a barn cat that one day started making these horrible moaning sounds. I panicked, thinking she was dying. Turns out, she was giving birth to five kittens. To this day the sound she made is all I can think of when I hear Bono’s voice. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is amazing in spite of him. No thanks to the rest.
Like Bono thinks he's in a war as he just shouts continuously. Lazy song writing.
What am I missing?
Familiar with Bloody Sunday, but its so repetitive and boring. The album only gets more boring from there on. U2 is really not for me. Bono is a less inspiring and less inspired Bowie.
Left me wanting more. Starts off with Sunday Bloody Sunday which is awesome. Rest of the album disappointed
First two songs were good, very emotional and I enjoyed that. But it got quite boring and flat, I forgot that something was playing in the background and it didn’t impact me in any way.
One good song! That's more than normal for U2!
Not as awful as some albums we've had on here, but nothing to suggest they should have lingered in the public consciousness for as long as they have.
Sunday Bloody Sunday slaps. The rest of this sounds like a whiny pile of shit.
U2 is gewoon niet mijn ding. Geen slechte liedjes, maar ik kan er niet van genieten.
Not my cup of tea
4/10 Top 3 tracks: 1. Sunday Bloody Sunday 2. 40 3. Two Hearts Beat As One
Not much of a big U2 fan but this is a good introduction to their work and not all of their later crap. Disgruntled Irish people hating the British is fire.
There are things I really like about this album but not enough to get a 3 but I can't validate giving it a 1 either. The whole album just sounds off to me with the singing and other parts
a probao sam stvarno, ali mi se ne dopada. džošua čri zapravo bolji
Good message. No hook though
Not a U2 Fan
I didn't hate the songs as much as i expected. There were some solid ones in the, even though i generally don't like U2. I was going to give it 3/5, but the 2008 mix/remaster is genuinely horrible. The drums are muddy and barely audible. I might've liked it a lot more on CD
This is admitted a lot better than Achtung Baby which was not good at all. Not too bad at the start but then just stops being interesting. U2 aren’t very good are they? Still have the one everyone holds up the highest somewhere on the list maybe that will fare better.
U2 cannot escape Bono. This earlier stuff is obviously influential, and I very much like the protesting nature of it. But I really dislike U2.
It’s ok. They’re so overhyped though the fans love it, but I think most hate it because of what they became.
Opening track starts the album strong. For me, it felt downhill from there. Didn’t think it would include as much hollering as it did. Too many eight note high hats.
no thank you
Sunday Bloody Sunday is an epic track and the only playback here. Bono the social activist is on the move! This is the stuff that gives U2 a histrionic reputation—heavy-handed in lyrical theme (War!) and musicality (screechy vocals ... and screechy guitar) and album cover (split-lipped child).
U get 2.
Not good, not bad. It is fine.
I am not in to U2, but was slightly intrigued by an earlier album that supposedly is more post-punk than it's later bland rock music. I guess it was better, but man the production and the sound of this band is just too much for me.
There are some great songs, but the lead singer's voice gets so annoying over the course of the album. The two good songs are not worth the rest.
Same as the last U2 album we had, the singles are good anthems but are smothered by the less good filler tracks. Probably why they were such a stadium band ignoring the obscure stuff.
Just can’t get into U2. Overproduced arena rock.
Some alright songs but overall boring 5/10
Skip. Maybe later
More whining from Bono
Aggressively okay
Dont like u2, first song was okay
Bonio is very shouty on this one.
I liked Sunday, Bloody Sunday, but every other song slid right off me. It sounded too samey across the album.
Sunday Bloody Sundays is all I can write home about. Feel like the sound hasn't aged that well. Wouldn't go back
Gonna be honest, I didn’t get much out of this album. Lyrically, it feels very repetitive. Bono shouting doesn’t really do it for me. I like the idea of what U2 is about, but I just didn’t feel it through the album. Never been a big U2 fan and I think that’s going to continue.
I can't stand U2 to be honest - it's not that it's bad, I just find it so tedious. I hear the lyrics are good, shame I can hardly understand them.
Vanilla.
Aside from the two known hits this album is just ok, mostly missable. It's not bad per se, it's just not really for me. Plus, the more I know about Bono the less I like the band in general. This album feels like a Christian Rock band going political. Throw some random shrill horn on top (see "Red Light" at 1:55) and call it a day. I will not "Surrender." 2.35 for coming out in 1983 and not being totally cheesy though.
Approve the message but not a fan of this band
Tråkiga
Skränigt
Starts off with Sunday Bloody Sunday which I've always loved. And then it just goes downhill. Seconds, The Refugee, and Two Hearts Beat As One were mildly interesting, the rest were just boring. Best song: Sunday Bloody Sunday
It's aight. Not really my thing.
whatever
1.5 this is angry dad music
Hmm I don't know. Liked the first song. The rest reminded me a lot of The Cure. Very brittish. I didn't really listen tho, was kinda unfocused. I've never really listened to U2, but their later stuff is a bit more "pop pop" right?
U dont know how broing it was 2 listent to you. U2
On paper, I should like this album, but I don't. I've never really listed to the band except for that one time when their album just came with my neat new iPod touch, but somehow there is still this deeply rooted aversion to anything U2. 2.5/5
Not a fan really. Couldn’t get into any of the songs :/
Ok. Not one of their best if I am honest. Pretty average
Not for me
Sunday Bloody Sunday is my favorite U2 song. Actually, it’s really the only U2 song that I actually like. All the rest are at best ok, and that pretty much sums up this album. I guess New Year’s Day is probably fairly good. The remainder of this album is filler at best.
I've never really been into U2 and to be honest War did little to change my opinion on them. It's fine
I understand why I’ve only heard one of these songs before. It’s fine.
U2 just fails to capture my attention, maybe its how classic their sound has become after all these years and how many immitators there have been but i find few songs that make me intrigued
It's just not my type of music.
Don’t really like u2, not that I think there a bad band just so into themselves and overrated musicians
Teknisestihän tää on ihan ok mut U2 on vaan tylsä bändi. 2/5
Ganska meh, inte så intressant
The best part of this album is when Spotify shuffled from it to tears for fears.
не зашло
I’ve always found U2 to be such a weird band. Bono always gives off the energy of someone who thinks he’s a god. He’s certainly done well for himself, but I’ve generally found U2 to be one of those bands that releases a handful of bangers and then a boatload of boredom. This album is exactly in line with that expectation too. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a great song, and I understand how it thematically sets the context of the album being about The Troubles, but that doesn’t stop the rest of the tracks being fairly dull. Overall, it’s an ok album, but it certainly didn’t make me change my mind about U2.
War was released the year that I was born and "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" were perpetually on MTV and corporate radio. Post-punk informed by Irish politics, but with enough pop sheen to become the background music of a generation. U2 sounds like late career The Clash flirting with dub reggae and slashing, angular guitar or Gang of Four without the Marxist critique and art school situationism. New Year's Day sounds more like the Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen, all bleakly romantic "blood red skies" and "beginning again." All the other songs tend to blend together it the crash of stadium rock produced percussion, and lacerating guitars, buried bass and Bono's voice. Drowning Man is quieter, chiming guitars and strings, Bono voice goes swoops between raspy belting and falsetto. The Refugee all frenetic tribal drumming and staccato vocals, Red Light is a trumpet and Kid Creole's backing vocalists the Coconuts. Surrender is surprisingly good and catchy. 40 a light melody with haunting harmonies is the shortest song on the entire album.
yawn
It's not my style. I recognized a few songs. Now really bad, but not for me. U2 sounds too dreary for me.
More "general rock". A few familiar songs probably heard a lot on the radio. Dont hate it, but not a fan.
Not a fan of U2. I would probably give 3 stars if this wasn’t the 3rd U2 album I had to listen to on this list. I never thought I listen to 1, and while I was surprised that I didn’t hate the band, I don’t need to hear this much U2. Fix the list.
I don’t know why I hate U2 so much. Idk if it’s the way it’s recorded or the musical tone or vocal tone but this album pisses me off!! No thank you!! (Bloody Sunday is a good song tho)
Two solid tracks and fillers.
Most overrated band ever. I like Sunday Bloody Sunday though.
Not memorable, not that bad either.
Underwhelming
Not good.
I wish I could give this 1 star but parts of it are ok. The guitar on Sunday Bloody Sunday is pretty cool. The guitar overall is alright. Bono is insufferable. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Best Song: Sunday Bloody Sunday. A nice, simple song with a catchy, singalong chorus. This is where U2 belongs. The drums are really the star here. Worst Song: The Refugee. Bono cannot pull off the punk energy t hat this song demands. Overall: Apart from the opening track, woefully boring. The definition of safe rock. Music for malls.
Two strong singles but everything else sounded “same-y.”
The drums stand out, not quite the dynamics of the Pixies, but have power nonetheless. The rest is preachy and hardly vital. Not for me. Is it for anyone? I really can’t tell. ‘Drowning Man,' perhaps, but even this I most likely won't have on rotation.
geprobeerd... maar helaas het heeft niet geholpen... sorry voor de fans maar dit is echt een plaat van dertien in een dozijn... jaren tachtig gezwollen muziek en teksten... dezelfde saaie stem altijd van de republiek Bono... pfff
Too punk for me, borderline metal it is. But I'm sure I'll vibe w their more toned down songs when I'm in da mood for it.
It's not my taste and I would like more sounds
Some good stuff at first, but peters out into the bland, average U2 fodder.
#401. U2 is one of the two most overrated popular bands that I don't understand the most [along with Bon Jovi]. Why is it that people seem to like this? And then, separate from their mediocre hair salon music, they're all insufferable twats too. What is it that I'm not seeing here, surely I'm just missing something that everyone else sees. 2/5: dumb
No staying power. Feels dated
It was ok, I’m not a massive fan of U2 trying to be political
Two good songs.
Never been a U2 fan. I can count on a hand the number of songs of theirs I like. Figured I'd give this album a try and it's not bad. Just not my cup of tea.
A little bit generic and boring.
*Achselzuck*
I just don't like U2, you know? I can appreciate the album for what it is, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. I'm sure I'll hear a bunch of these songs again, and I'm sure I'll tell whoever put it on that I don't like U2, but will I actually care? Probably not. That's why I'll give this album a 2.
Felt like the album started off really strong and then faded off towards the end. The sound was more of the same and by the end of it, I wasn’t even sure what song I was on. 2/5
Det er godt nok intetsigende haha, selv Sunday, Bloody Sunday ville jeg ikke rigtig kalde en banger. Var ellers klar til at blive modbevist fordi de har fået så meget hate i populærkulturen men oh well. Nogle gange er et omdømme vel fortjent
didn't like the first u2 album i listened to so im not very excited to listen to this one just like the other u2 album i listened to, it went in one ear and out the other
This was fine. If talent could be boring.
2/5
I do not like U2, but this isn't a bad album.
Ok
"I don't go to awards shows anymore. I'm not saying I'm better than anybody else, but you'll be sitting there at the Grammys, and U2 will beat you. And you say to yourself, 'Wait a minute. I can play that kind of music, too. I played La Crosse, Wisconsin growing up, I know how to do that, you dig? But you will not do 'Housequake.'" - Prince. “They have the worst rhythm section in big rock. That is the most plodding, corny rhythm section ever to fill a stadium. If you look at some of those records, they’re mediocre Brian Eno records with a bad band in the way. They need a producer like Eno or Daniel Lanois to kind of prop up this cabaret singer and his one-trick pony" - Henry Rollins
2.5 ok
The singles are okay in that anthemic-could-mean-anything kind of way, but you can see why they eventually got Eno involved to add some texture to their sound. There's only so much this band can achieve with the basic elements that they have at their disposal here, and it gets rather repetitive eventually.