War

U2 was never not cool. I became too cool for U2. I was wrong. This album is great and this band rules.

My father loved U2 so I am familiar with most of their work. I believe I have this one on vinyl have have probably listened to it once. I am looking forward to this. I didn't mind it, but not in love with it.

Out of the gate one of the best 3 openers of all time. Punk tinge, frantic early 80s rock. Stayed outside of the tropes of the Era that are passe. For me, their later work has always tinged my opinions of the band. Damn, these early albums can really do it though.

U2 came out when I was too busy with my kids to pay attention. I feel like I missed something.

I'm not a U" fan - but this album is really good.

Several strong songs but a lot of average ones too.

❤️ This is the album where U2 figured out how to be who they are! “40” is still a great closing song, perfect in concert too!

Strong opening with Sunday Bloody Sunday: a marching beat that could send someone to war or unite people in protest. Overall an album of clear sound and vision, driving drums & bass. Some songs are less attention-grabbing but it's generally quite a satisfying album for this U2 dabbler.

4.4 stars rounded down. Full of bangers and the closest U2 ever got to punk. Dark and angry but ends on the light and Psalm "40." "Red Light" and "Surrender" are forgettable. Almost every track is worth while.

I can tell this is an objectively good album, but it’s just not my taste. I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn’t go out of my way to do so.

War has become a bit of an outlier when you look at U2's grander discography, but it's one of their strongest sounds. It's raw and gritty, intense and aggressive but still intimate, and it's very earnest. I guess that's a quality that U2's music has always had. It also has a level of authenticity that was somewhat lost in the band's latter work. The U2 that we know today has evolved significantly and while they're still the rightful icons that they are (what can I say, I have a soft spot for the group), it's nice to go back to this sound. You end up missing it after some time. Save for a few middling tracks after New Year's Day, this is a solid record. Standouts are Seconds, New Year's Day, The Refugee and 40.

Sunday Bloody Sunday is the star of the show by far

Good songs although I don't listen to it now, it was good when it first came out

A much more listenable version of U2 than what they became in the last 25 years or so.

It's very U2

While Boy and October are fan darlings, It is with "War" when the world started to understand U2's musical proposition. This album has a couple of bangers from early U2. In fact, "New Year's Day" is my favorite U2 song to date. As an album, it has ups and downs. It seems that there's some filler by mid-album, but it rises again with the last 2 songs. Sonically speaking, it was still a soft post-punk, still melancholic, but not too outrageous. I kind of like it.

Starts off super strong with Sunday Bloody Sunday. I wouldn't say any of the other songs reach that height but it's still good music. U2 has been around forever and this was definitely one of the records that helped put them on the map.

Not their best but close

U2 started really hitting their stride on this one. Solid effort!

Solid album with songs from my teen years into my 20s. So nostalgic. At least four great songs from my perspective, a few that are really good and none that are bad.

I was not expecting to enjoy this but ita a great album

Surprisingly melodic and good

Mye skarptromme, tydelig preget av sin tid. Poesi i pen og litt bråkete innpakking.

U2 is one of the most influential and iconic bands of all time, so when I saw we had this album I was excited. In my opinion, there are better albums but it’s likely because I didn’t know many of these songs. Still a great album, many hits.

Saw U2 live in concert several times in the early 80's and they still are one of my favorite all-time live bands that I've seen. Great early album all around.

Good and very 80s

Perhaps I treated U2 harshly.

Very good

Solid album!

Excellent album, with outstanding themes and political references. Also, some parts are not as good, it loses force at the end.

Glorious album. My gateway into U2's journey. Signature drums, guitar, bass and voice. A sound is formed with greater clarity and purpose. Although not yet up there with the Crown's jewels, it's definitely a must listen.

Good. Might listen again.

I've never given U2 a chance before this album but I can see why they've had so much commercial success. A real timeless rock sound. Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day and Like a Song were my favorites but the back half is just as good.

This was my gateway to U2 and I love it

Ok

A pivotal album in my music life.

U2 was prolific in the 80s, releasing 6 albums. While "The Joshua Tree" is probably the album that put U2 on the mainstream map in 1987, "War" (1983) has more of a less produced, alt-rock/new wave vibe. "War" produced a couple big hits and is generally a decent album. Sure, it's easy to dunk on U2 but sometimes you have to give the devil his due.

Great travel music

Can't beat early U2. Some great hits and the rest of the album is pretty darn good.

I had never listened to War by U2 before today, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Compared to some of the band’s more popular albums, this one felt different—less about big, polished hits and more focused on raw, powerful songs with real meaning. Favourite Song: Sunday Bloody Sunday – an intense, anthemic track that perfectly captures the album’s emotional and political core. Least Favourite: Honestly, I enjoyed every track—nothing felt out of place or skippable. Album Artwork: A striking and iconic cover that sets the tone for the album’s serious, urgent message. War proves that U2’s strength lies not just in stadium-ready singles, but in their ability to craft music that speaks to something deeper.

U2 is band people seems to love or hate, not a lot of in between. The album begins with social unrest and civil war and ends with beauty, love, and peace. This tour had the Red Rocks video that sparked a life long obsession with the venue for a lot of kids across the U.S., myself included.

Turns out they are pretty good

An album I know almost ever song on and I one don't think I have listened to more than a couple times over 30 years ago.

Some classics, but bonos sincere yelping can grate in this much later context

Iconic start.

Sunday Bloody Sunday - classic song, not much can be said other than it is great Seconds - this song has a nice beat. Very simple in its lyrics, but portrays the message effectively. The rhythm of the singer is a little off in some parts. Very disappointed by the bridge, when you go down you’re supposed to come back louder, otherwise it pointless, and it sounds flat. It becomes less flat in the outro, which it was more like this for the rest of the song. New Year’s Day - definitely the best song in the album so far if not in the album. This one is not flat. Out of the two classics in this album this one beats Sunday Bloody Sunday. I like how at points in the song it feels like he is struggling to say the words. Like a Song… i like the drums at the beginning but the rest of the song is kinda flat. I’m not sure what it is because it has all the pieces of a hard rock song, but it just isn’t hard. Drowning Man - very flat if the rest of the album is like this then I am giving it a 3 The Refugee - this really turns things around. This song is very fun, and it has emotion. The opposite of flat. Two Hearts Beat As One - now they have found their winning streak because I am not bored anymore. This song rocks. Red Light - this one continues the winning streak. This one is a hard or fast, but it is still engaging, and very much not flat. Surrender - this one is very rock opera-ish where the jams are powerful, but slower and drawn out. This song is a party man. 40 - this was is slower and laid back, but it is still very good. This has some nice emotion to it, and it is a nice way to close the album. Overall, they have great songs, and other than when they are too flat they are pretty good. This is a low 4 stars

LP

This was really good!

I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to get into U2 it’s just really hard for me to love but I still think it’s well made - 7/10

Classic album with some classic songs, very good music production etc. The problem is I just never seem to want to listen to U2, I've listen to all there albums multiple times just as a passion music lover not for the desire to hear it. I have Irish blood too!! Oh well.. I me it's a 3.5.

Not a U2 fan. This was better then I expected. I'm not going to re-listen but I'm glad I listened to it.

Never been a big U2 fan and when I saw this album came out in 1983 I was worried. But it rocks. Really enjoyable album.

3.6 - Enjoyed this, think I was surprised that it was better than I expected

I'd give it 4 for Sunday Bloody Sunday alone. That said I think I started too generously with Peter Frampton, and now my scale is a bit fucked. This is Suzie btw, I'm not sure what I've done with my name...

I liked it more than I thought I would.

Some years ago, I likely wouldn’t have wanted to listen to this. Now, I actually enjoyed this record a lot. Has some very nice melodies and catchy tunes that aren’t overbearing. Maybe I’m a bit of a U2 fan now.

Alltaf gott að fá smá U2. Þetta er hrikalega smooth plata og jafnvel hjálpar henni að eini hittarinn er upphafslagið sem er svo hrikalega gott og setur tóninn. Jafnvel vanmetin plata ef hægt er að segja það um U2. U2 er samt minnar kynslóðar Eagles þannig ef ég væri pönkari myndi ég hata þá :) en ég er bara ekki hater. <3

Ekki besta plata U2, en fjári skemmtileg samt. New Years Day finnst mér eitt af þeirra allra bestu lögum, þar sem skörðóttur gítarleikur Edge nýtur sín vel. Sunday bloody Sunday stendur alltaf fyrir sínu, en er orðið pínu slitið af ofspilun. Hins vegar eru þarna minna spilaðar perlur eins og Seconds, um kjarnorkuvá X-kynslóðarinnar og hið gullfallega "40". Ótrúlega flott albúmm kóver setur svo punktinn yfir i-ið. Stórfyrirtækið U2 er svo fyrirbæri út af fyrir sig. Búnir að halda út fjórir saman í 48 ár, frá því þeir voru 15 ára,, sem hlýtur að gera Adam, Larry og Edge heimsmeistara í umburðarlyndi og þolinmæði.

Older U2 is best U2

U2's third album sees them take a more political stance against the musical backdrop of a strong rhythm section and a more aggressive approach by the Edge on guitar. These songs have an urgency to them and take a lot from their new wave predecessors (listen to The Refugee for a good example). There are some really beautiful moments that hint at their development to come that hit its apex with 'The Joshua Tree.' The closing track is exquisitely vocally layered and brings the themes of the album into focus with a meditation on Psalm 40.

Bono at his snarling, passionate best in an album which pulsates with idealism and calls for peace. An urgent album which showcases the band’s talents.

I mean, look. It’s U2. They’re four very talented musicians. Two of them have silly names. They were cool at their peak and now are a Vegas legacy act. I tried to listen to this while forgetting that and taking this at face value. I think I did ok with that. There’s a lot to like here. Some real creativity and artistry. A little bit of weirdness. Really well defined sound, something they’ve always been known for. Overall I enjoyed this. It’s a reminder that U2 actually did produce some great music at one point, and it makes me want to listen to “The Joshua Tree” again for the first time in a long, long time. Fun fact: I managed to squeeze it in on the same day Green Day’s “Saviors” released so that’s an accomplishment. Standout tracks: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year’s Day, Drowning Man, The Refugee

This album starts off so strong and ends like on a fizzle. But it’s a great album.

An excellent album from a time before their inflated sense of self-importance ruined their later works.

I've often said U2 is a greatest hits band for me, but after listening to this album for the first time in forever, I think its just that I prefer angry U2.

Primer día de nuevo hábito de Freshhhquitos.

4.5

Я долго не мог уловить эмоцию, которую несёт этот альбом. Что-то меня сбивало с толку, возможно отсутствие какого-то явного музыкального сгущения красок. Понятное дело, что если Боно с Эджем решили назвать альбом "Война", то он будет про войну и, наверняка, конкретнее, против неё. Тревожно слегка, может даже тяжело. Оно не успокаивает тебя, не пытается говорить, что война скоро закончится. Оно ставит тебя перед фактом. Это отличается от той же песни Peace on Earth, которая нам попадалась.

In the name of love One

I had this on tape when it first came out. I haven't listened to it in YEARS. I'd forgotten just how great this album is. Vocals, guitar, bass and drums, great song writing and tight production. This could be played live in a small club or a stadium and be brilliant in either as it's pretty unadorned. I wouldn't be embarrassed to listen to this in public. Would I want it preloaded on an iPod though?

Second favorite U2 album. Incredible lyrics, storytelling, melodies. 4/5!

Like most artist....I like the early stuff way more than the later albums. This is a good album.

THumbs UP

not bad. rawer than expected.

Drowning Man is good.

Good listen, solid rock. Not a 5* though but close.

Voilà enfin un son qui me correspond un peu plus ! Cet album me semble parfaitement intemporel.

Bloody Sunday slaps. How long? Slaps forever. Seconds? Slaps New Year’s Day slaps. Like a Song sounds like a song. Can’t win them all. Red Light slaps. I’ve got the boogie. Love love love love love. TRUMPET! Staccato! Notes are accented and separated. My old neighbor Billy would love this shit. I think. Everything is intense with him. Dude can read a book and recite it word for word back. Had that savant ‘tism. I hope he’s doing well. Fuck yeah Billy! Red Light’s for you! Surrender is ok but I’m ready to end the album. I’m hopped up on Mountain Dew and Bono boy is winding down. “40” is a good smokin song. BUT WHAT SONG ISNT AMIRITE? Slow vibes. One step up from sad boy lofi. Dad rock ballad. Solid album.

I enjoyed the high energy and forward momentum the songs had, awesome utilization for drums and repetitive guitar for that forward energy feeling.

Surprised at how enjoyable this is so far. Some of the non hits definitely blend together, but it makes the really good songs stand out above the rest. Highlights: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year’s Day, Two Hearts Beat as One

Some really cool songs especially the first which C likes. Pretty cool

This is a great one. Sunday Bloody Sunday is an all-time rock classic. Still, I think this isn't even the greatest U2 album.

This is an awesome album. Listening to it, you can hear the roots of U2. Although it’s their third album I feel like this is the beginning for me, the next 5-7 albums (depending on my mood) take this formula and build on it and the eventuate into one of the biggest bands is history. I know that U2 is almost Christian rock and that Bono can be a bit of a dick, but this is an awesome album and delivers some great social messages and a very politically unsettling time. Love it!

Ó gamla góða U2 sem var síkvartandi yfir yfirvöldum og hálfvitum.

My favorite song was, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”. I like U2, so it wasn’t a horrible listening experience.

Old one

Been a long time since I listened to the whole thing. Still just as good

Decent album, this was the first time I heard it in it's entirety.

It is wild to think how well this combines political messages and rock.

It’s a good album again how much I hate Bono. Honestly it’s well put together and only like two songs aren’t worth listening.

Un album curieusement excellent contrairement à celui que Bono et ses joyeux singes ont enregistré sur la Tour Eiffel pendant que je faisais visiter Paris à Louis Bodin.

Je vais mettre 4 mais le coeur n'y est pas vraiment, l'album est porté par Sunday Bloody Sunday. Plus que quelques semaines de souffrance dans ce générateur de malheur et toujours pas de trace de Linkin Park

It’s no Joshua tree, but still a great album

Fijn album met een paar klassiekers erop. Het valt in eerste instantie niet eens op dat het vroege 80s is, totdat halverwege een nummer opduikt dat niet had misstaan op een willekeurige 80s Britse zeikplaat. Maar het is bijna een dissonant, want verder staan er goede U2 liedjes op, en we horen nog niet het zoetsappige overgeproduceerde geluid van de latere albums. Ik denk dat dit samen met de Joshua Tree de hoogtijdagen van U2 weergeeft.

I wouldn't say I'm a U2 fan, but I like some of their songs. This album had some good ones, Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Eve particularly.

3.65

I can see why others like it, but it's not me cup of tea

3.5 stars. It’s good, but Bono’s singing is best in smaller doses for me. Good guitarist, but record feels a little over-produced. Standouts are the bookends.

I like this sound of U2. Better than their later stuff.

40 and Sunday Bloody Sunday 👍

Sunday is great the rest is pretty good

Как ни странно, в целом мне понравилось. Без каких-то откровений, но с удовольствием послушала весь альбом

лучше боба дилана

Bono is annoying, but U2 is generally pretty good. Not my favorite album of theirs, but it starts strong and is cohesive throughout. It starts to drag as it goes on but ends strongly with “40.” The singles are the best songs on here. It’s a 3.5/5 but I’m rounding up.

Classic...not the best front to back but has a lot of amazing songs. 4.5/5

Good U2 Album. Has Bloody Sunday on it

Love U2, this was a great album Top Songs: Sunday Bloody Sunday, Like a Song…

Meglepően jó, a coldplaz legalább annzira másolta őket mint a rádiófejeket KEKW

There's a hell of a lot of youthful energy on this album. A lot of post-punk/post-new wave elements in the instrumentation which I enjoy. Probably my favourite guitar and bass playing of the U2 albums I've heard. It feels like they were still experimenting a lot, and some of it is really interesting (The Refugee, Red Light), but not all of it hits. I like a lot of it though. I didn't think there were any really weak tracks, but some don't feel fully realised. Overall a pretty strong album.

u2 is just going to be like, baseline standard 3 stars automatically. p sure I like this album though, but it's been like. 15 years since i last listened to it yeah! it's u2! u2 is always going to be a 2-4 star. never gonna be awful, never going to be the best thing I've ever heard

I went in with low expectations but this was pretty enjoyable. I knew a lot of the first half already and it didn't overstay its welcome.

Epic

A really good album. I enjoyed the Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day the most.

Aldrig förstått varför de "heter" Bono och the Edge. Det är så töntigt. Opassande ett rockband. #1 klassiker. Mycket bra! #2 ej hört förut. Bra! #3 klassiker. Bra! #4 ej hört. Svagare, men inte dåligt. Mer intetsägande. #5 ej hört. Bra #6 ej hört. Svagare. #7 ej hört. Sådär. #8 ej hört, sådär. #9 ej hört, men riktigt bra! Kul! #10 ej hört, fin. Bra. Överlag mycket hög kvalitet. En del riktigt bra låtar. Några sådär. Tycker nog skivan förtjänar en fyra, även om jag nog inte kommer återkomma till den så mycket.

Kvalitetsskiva

I was ready to be done with U2 after I got joshua tree but I had totally forgotten about this album. While I think the quality steadily declines after new years day, that song and sunday bloody sunday are both really good. The rest kinda just blurs together into the usual U2 sounds for me. Still better than their new stuff at least.

Yeah I’ll give this one another listen in the future.

Eerste nummer blijft een krachtig nummer! Rest van het album ook gewoon echt goed, aantal opgeslagen. Muzikaal goed, echt wel eigen sound wat ik nice vind. Toch 4 sterren want hoewel ik het erg nice vind, geen wow factor. Would buy!

ja eerste nummer meteen geweldig natuurkijk. Dus dacht al meteen van oeh zou dit m’n eerste album met 5 sterren worden. De rest van de nummers kende ik niet, maar waren wel allemaal echt goed ook! Dus denk dat ik het album een 4,5 geef!!

U2 I like them better than most of those post punk bands. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a great song and New years Day is good too. Liked the droney bgvs in 40. Rest of album was ok. 3.5

I hadn't heard "40" before, but I really liked it. A nice surprise on this album.

Fantastic album. The last of phase one of U2. You can hear some of the transition from post punk in some of the songs. Listen to the less popular songs a few times and you will enjoy this album to the full

Really solid album. 4/5

I need to listen and digest some more, but I enjoyed what I heard, especially the first three tracks.

War is the worst thing in the world. This album isn't too bad though.

Nice and varied album

Suprised in a good way

This is OG U2. It sounded fresh in 2004 when I listened to it in 2003 as a kid. It still sounds fresh in 2023.

Oh my gosh I like (some) U2.

flat, easy to get lost while working and listening. Does have an amped up undertone.

The blinking cover art on Apple Music is terrifying -- but the music is good.

Impressions: It was an okay punk-new wave album at the beginning but as it progressed, I have grown fond of it. Favorite Tracks: Drowning Man, The Refugee, Red Light, Surrender Rating: 4/5

Boomer rock

U2 during their great years.

I liked the trumpet in Red Light.

Enjoyed it. After years of not really giving U2 a chance because everyone in my high school loved them and I fell they were overplayed… this is a pretty good album. Unique music for 1983 when the album dropped. Some great songs, some medium songs but none that felt mailed in. Great bass, guitar and drums. And Bono was Bono. 4.5⭐️s.

4. Thought I didn't like U2, but really enjoyed listening to this album!

8/10 Great album. Amazing opener, obviously, stays consistently good throughout. Solid U2 album, something to remember when you're listening to that God awful iTunes album that they made a while back.

Classical and good

Still holds up musically with superior drums, guitar and piano. Massively creative and lyrically meaningful even today. Some of their best.

okay but anyone hear that straw moving through plastic McDonald’s cupcover sound? In Sunday Bloody Sunday? Somewhere around 1:31-1:41. And from then on a few more times actually. You really discover new things with this 1001 albums list. Who knew U2 loved McDonald’s cups so much.

8/10 If you asked me if I liked u2 before this, I would have told you “mostly no”, but c”mon, this album slaps. It’s atmospheric and rocking, things that don’t so often go together outside of shoegaze. Bono, though, annoying lyrically, shout-sings with passion, and The Edge, though in no ways flashy, has quite a distinctive right hand. This album is a bit punky new wave, which is really perhaps their sweet spot. But haven’t listened to a lot of them before.

Tror ikke jeg har hørt den her før, men de numre jeg kender fra den er klart nogen af mine yndlings U2 numre, og det lød ret råt på en ret fed måde. Tror den her plade fik mig til at forstå lidt mere hvorfor nogen mennesker gider være kæmpe U2 fans.

Surprisingly sincere. Red Light, Surrender, and "40" are new standouts.

Solid entry into the U2 vault. There’s a reason they’ve been around as long as they have.

Classic album, rate U2 and this take me back to their best

Love Sunday Bloody Sunday. A heavy record for sure.

‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ is a great fucking song!

I've always bought into the "U2 bad because Bono annoying" hype, but actually this album is class. Maybe it's my Irish bias but this album is varied, informative and passionate at heart. Will definitely be putting more U2 on in the future as a result

U2 before they were fucked

Forget whatever you think of U2 now in the 2020s and recall them here with youthful fire and fury and cracking early 1980s indie-rock. Side 2 is surprisingly pop and lighter with a soulful and affectionate vibe. I love that it replaced Thriller at No.1 in the UK! Not as universal as Jacko, but still a gem of an album.

The two singles slap, especially New Year's Day, but the second half of the album dips in quality. Nevertheless, it's ordinary U2 sound, can't go wrong with that.

Good rock album with a great first half. The second half teeters off on the upbeat instrumental energy.

What amazes me the most about this album is how mature it sounds for such a young band. Iconic tracks kick off the album but it fades a bit on the back half.

A month ago, I hadn’t listened to a single U2 album in full. Now I’ve heard three of their albums in the span of a month, which makes me think that they may be a bit too over-exposed on this list However, if there was one U2 album you had to hear before you died, I think it should be this one Favourite tracks: Sunday Bloody Sunday, Seconds, New Year’s Day, The Refugee, Surrender

Now with Coconuts!

Never listened to this besides the hits. Has some interesting tracks, but not sure it's for me.

I'm pretty sure this is the first U2 album I owned. I think I was a sophomore in high school. I had heard some of their songs before and liked them, and this album amped up my fandom. I enjoyed a lot of their albums and music for several years to follow, saw them in concert my senior year in high school when they were touring to promote The Unforgettable Fire, and liked them into my college years. My musical tastes and interests diverted away from them for a while, and for a long time, I barely listened to them. Hearing this album again after so many years brings me back and reminds me how much I do like their music. Also reminds me how much I admire and love the Edge's guitar playing. I find his style to be very much his own: it's signature to him, innovative, and always draws me in. One of my favorite rock guitarists.

Cool, toen U2 nog enige urgentie bevatte! Twijfel tussen 3 of 4 sterren...

Eigenlijk 3,5 ster, maar een paar erg mooie nummers geven de doorslag.

Not bad I liked it the best and the lyrics are pretty good not bad 👌

It's a good album, bookended by two massive singles. It's hard to make a strong argument against it, honestly. The biggest complaint I have is that it's just a lot of what you expect from U2 and very little that stands out aside from those two singles. It's good... but it's not great. And it's definitely not their best. Still worth 4 stars, though.

Great album, I like Edge’s raw guitar sound here

i kinda get it now😅

Good album. A lot of hits in there.

Var decent

Enjoyed this - felt like I heard a different side to U2 with some of the deeper cut tracks here.

Flera klassiska låtar. Når inte riktigt ända fram.

the only thing i know about U2 is that their album was preloaded on the first iphone or something like that. this was pretty good though!

It’s hard to imagine now but there was a time when U2 was a supercool hipster alternative band.

World's biggest christian rock band smash another one out of the park.

Separating this U2 from the U2 we know of today... This U2 was a breath of fresh air and like catching lightning in a bottle. They came out swinging with their sonic assault and their political lyrics (things that people weren't really talking about during the Reagan/Thatcher era). This album -- along with Boy -- gave them a reputation among the alternative/new wave crowd of the 80s. So much so that they were spoken of in hushed tones. Great album with alternative rock standards.

U2 is a really great band! I have heard some of these songs before and I just love the genre.

U2 are a polarizing group, but when I listen to something like "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" or "New Year's Day" all the usual criticisms seem to melt away. This is a lean, tight record with a big sound.

Lovely. Far preferable to later work.

nice 4*

Zu Beginn klingt alles genau wie „Bloody Sunday“, was jetzt nicht die schlimmste Sache der Welt ist. Dann kommt „Drowning Man“ und die Sache wird interessant. Schwache 4, die sich aber bestimmt festigt beim wiederholten Hören. In den 5er Bereich kommt’s auf keinen Fall.

In U2's discography, War is the band at a crossroads. This album captures the raw energy from their early "punk" days right as they were transforming into the arena-rock behemoths they came to be. Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day are classics, but tracks like Two Hearts Beat as One or Like A Song... shouldn't be ignored either. There are a few songs on War that I don't really care for. Yet another album I wish I could give 4.5 stars to. It's a great album, it just doesn't quite hit the heights of their follow-ups.

I think U2 are overrated. But this is a pretty good album.

My favorite U2 album is the one that follows this one, The Unforgettable Fire, but this one is very good as well. A bit more raw and rough around the edges, but clear that this was a band to be reckoned with. 4 stars.

Average, bit bland

I first listened to War in the early 90s as I tried to catch up on albums from U2 prior to The Joshua Tree. War is a good album. I gave all of the tracks 3 stars or more, individually. I have some all-time favorite tracks from U2 on this album including "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "40". "New Year's Day", "Seconds" and "Two Hearts Beat as One" are favorites from this album. War feels a little uneven in its energy. U2 often draws me in with engaging lyrics, and sounds that draw me in, but the uneven War as a whole gets 4 stars.

enjoyable - i’ll definitely listen again

OG Inhaler.

Essential album

U2s first two albums were good but WAR is the one that really did it for them and made the known world-wide! Standouts: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Years Day, 40, Two Hearts Beat as One, Seconds. 4/5

Rating:8/10 Best songs: Sunday bloody sunday

Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: I love this record, very consistent and solid tracks. It’s insane how their lyrics aren’t the first thing you notice Favourite song: Track 3 - New Year’s Day

Iconic drumbeat intro to start off what is probably Bono's best. Great tracks throughout if you can cope with the 'whoooaaaa's and effects pedal spam.

sonzao, varios hits, album consistente

ну......................................

Yeah theres some really cool tracks on this album 4/5

A solid U2 album that I've only heard in its entirety a handful of times. Lead by Sunday Bloody Sunday (*not* a rebel's song, btw) and New Year's Day, I also enjoyed the track called Surrender. I'm sure U2 will come up a half dozen more times over the course of my 1001 Albums project.

As noted in my prior U2 reviews - while the songs topics/lyrics are great and the band is phenomenal, I can't stand Bono and his voice...how long, how long must we listen to him sing...

There are some definite weak spots on the album, but the protest songs you've already heard are massive. Some of the deeper cuts are legit, too. Best track: Sunday Bloody Sunday

Great end to the wonderful Lillywhite trilogy.

I like this more than most U2 albums. I find it a difficult listen as it brings back memories of over pious Christian Youth camps that turned me into the irreligious person I am today. Trying to look at it objectively, this is a band that found it's sound before it became formulaic

Solid album. New Year's Day is a classic. Surrender is an underrated gem. I do think the live versions of Sunday Bloody Sunday and Forty are better than the studio versions. Still, a young vibrant and somewhat naive U2 are better than the latter day smug posers they became in the 2000s.

'twas really good

I feel like this is the album U2 came into their own as the U2 everyone knows now. I couldn't stand these guys when I was younger, but I've grown to really like them a lot.

An iconic album, but I’m not really into U2

This is the U2 I initially liked. I have the EP "Under A Blood Red Sky" I really liked them back when they weren't being shoved down my throat.

A good album with powerful themes. The two singles, Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day, really stand out and do some heavy lifting for the rest of the album. Even ignoring those it's a solid album from start to finish.

still almost a post-punk band at this point but you can see how they could become the saviours of the world

This album marks the start of a pretty damn good three-album run for one of the most popular bands in the world, and it may be their best. I think U2 would go on to have stronger songs than any individual track on War, but as a cohesive album, nothing really comes close.

Good and fun and catchy post punk. It's nice to remember that once-upon-a-time U2 could actually bring some energy.

Great collection of songs with classic U2 sound!

Great album. I’ve become a fan of U2 in the last year or so. I’m happy this project is giving me a reason to go through their discography.

First half was very promising and perhaps the best I’ve heard from U2. The second half of the album didn’t hold up to that standard and this ended up being about par for the course for the good U2 albums. 7/10

Rock de U2. Dos megahits. Un 4.

Entertaining album that is more unique and less polished than their later pop-rock albums

Awesome album.

Not their best, but a good album.

Enjoyment: 6 Replayability: 5 Cohesion: 7 Flow/Pacing: 5 Artistic Merit: 6 Weighted Average: 5.8 Review: U2 nails the Rock sound as it evolves in the 1980s with this album. You can hear the frustration of their lyrics reflected in the timbre of their guitars. That being said, there's still some dull stretches where the music all blends together. Liked Song(s): Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? Yes

Much like their other albums: very top heavy

esse é o mais aclamado do u2? acho que isso quer dizer muita coisa sobre a banda DITO ISSO é um álbum dos anos 80 né, sem tirar nem por sinceramente? fui com expectativas mto baixas então nem achei ruim no final das contas extremamente aceitável pra 1983

expectativas baixíssimas. mas foi melhor que o outro deles que passou por aqui. ainda meia boca e mediano, mas fazer o que

I don’t love U2 at all but I like this album *so* much more than The Joshua Tree that it’s getting an artistically higher rating to reflect how annoyed I feel by that album

Kinda crazy how U2 decides to frontload every album with singles. I get a little lost by the time "Two Hearts Beat As One" rolls around on this one, it's just not a great album experience for me. But the good stuff is great!

You know when you just try to listen to early U2 in a vacuum and ignoring their reputation and legacy and then you realize that they’ve actually been a post punk / new wave band the whole time and have just spent the last 40 years obfuscating this image via self important power ballads and I don’t mean this as an insult actually I really like U2 but let’s not pretend they don’t take themselves a bit too seriously

New Year’s Day still slaps

Ok

Kult.. hørte på litt som bakgrunnsmusikk så bør lytte igjen med mer fokus!

U2 just aren’t for me I don’t think. Sunday Bloody Sunday is good thematically ofc so I guess it’s a must listen for that reason?? Idk losing the will to live with this a bit, hopefully tomorrows album brings me back 🥲

eerlijk was best oké voor een u2 album

This is a decent new wave/post-punk album, all right but slightly underwhelming (a description that fits nearly everything I’ve heard from U2 before). ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ is of course a classic protest song, and definitely one of the best tracks here, along with ‘New Year’s Day’ and ‘Two Hearts Beat as One’, but even those I merely liked rather than loved. ‘Like a Song….’ was good for being a bit more lively and up-tempo, and I enjoyed the percussion and guitar work on ‘The Refugee’, but a lot of other songs didn’t make much of an impression on me.

Es mucho mas potente de lo que esperaba de U2. Está guapete.

뭐라 쓰지

This is probably at least a 4 star album, objectively, but that's not the world we live in.

I don’t like U2 at all, but like they were influential I guess so I will give them 3 stars. Also no one should be named Bono.

Well this is definitely preferable to later era U2. Still didn't grab me in any major way, but it's alright.

British general Rock'n'Roll

I don't care for Bono and especially don't like U2's later stuff. This was solid, but I don't think I can bring myself to give it a higher rating than 3

This was all a bit "whatever", much like how I have always tended to view U2 generally. Nothing much wrong with the songs here, which in the main are perfectly functional and have a propulsive, driving energy to them, but I couldn't really recall a hook, riff or other feature that got under my skin at any point. "Drowning Man" was a notable low point with those horrible wailing vocals. I struggle to understand the fervour for this band.

1983, man U2 have really been U2'ing for that long huh? I liked this one more than their later stuff, which has become the example of mainstream radio rock fluff. I like the pronounced Irish-ness of this, the politics in Sunday, New Year's Day, Refugee. Irish people aren't angry enough any more after the troubles have ended. It's rawer, less produced. Bono still sounds the same, he's actually kept his voice remarkably intact over more than 40 years. Maybe it's the blue glasses. Anyway, I like these newcomers from Dublin. I wonder if one day they'll put an album on everyone's phones without asking.

Seems like generic 80s album nothing stood out to me.

I’m not sure I can completely detach U2 from what they’ve become these days but there’s no denying that they were a great band in their heyday which probably started somewhere around _War_ and the brilliant tracks _New Year’s Day_ and _Sunday, Bloody Sunday_ (the kids are running round, you've got to mow the lawn, wash the car). I think the rest of the album suffers in its wake although I really liked _Surrender_ towards the end too. It’s not the U2 album I would typically reach for but maybe once in a while I would.

Mullet era Bono. Have not listened to this since the 80s. Decent set of tunes. I always leaned more into The Alarm. 68 GUNS!

Might try it again sometime. I didn't dislike this record but I couldn't connect with it either.

Seriously? Two u2 albums in a row? Although, 1982 U2 is a hell of a lot more interesting than 2000 U2.

it a good album but im just not in the vibing. fav track: sunday bloody sunday

I've been a bit of a U2 hater at times but I have to give props: Bloody Sunday is perhaps their best song and a real strong start to this album. But after that it just kinda faded into the background. But... a bit in a good way? IDK it was just a bit of a better album then most of their other stuff. I didn't want to fall asleep to it is what I think I'm trying to say. 5/10

I'm not much of a U2 fan at all, but "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is easily one of the better songs they've ever put out. That driving, militaristic drum beat right at the opening hooks you instantly and gives the track an incredible sense of urgency. "New Year's Day" is another solid highlight on here with that iconic, brooding bassline, but honestly, a lot of the deeper cuts on the tracklist start to lose me. The whole album has this very raw, aggressive post-punk edge compared to the polished stadium rock they got famous for later, which I can appreciate.

A good first half with an okay second.

I like some songs on this album a great deal!!!! Please do not kill me U2 fans!!!!!!!! Might just require more listens for me to lock in to most of the B side. But I still like the album overall.

Seems one of their less inspired efforts, kind of diminishing returns after Sunday Bloody Sunday

A couple great. Mostly good. Not one I'll revisit

A great album by a pretentious band before they become pretentious. 3

That whole meme that everyone hates U2 (and I should too) is engrained in my mind, so the first few songs were a pleasant surprise. Sort of reminded me of The Cure a little bit, but with less "charm" I guess. I got pretty bored fairly quickly though. The 'variety' wasn't doing it for me; if you're going to make all your instrumentation sounds similar, you're going to need a lot of diversity in melody and song structure to make up for it... Which this barely did. 'The Refugee' is a good example of the album stretching out a bit. Found myself nodding my head to a lot of the songs, but feeling them blend in quite a bit. Sort of muzak. But I don't 'hate U2' anymore...

Not a big U2 guy but Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day are bangers. Imagine if U2 was your favourite band.

Unremarkable.

Guys! Please! DON‘T give me your love! I absolutely do not want it! Even though you might’ve been trying to rip off early The Cure here (which I appreciate) this is clearly going nowhere. Let’s end this before it begins

Good songs + meh songs

The lyrics stood the test of time, the music not so much.

Eh

listened to a few songs and they were pretty good

Bit preachy and samey

it's aight

U2 es una banda que rescato 1 o 2 temas por disco. Este no es la excepción.

*Distinct 1980s U2 sounds with New Wave influences

No comment (i.e. I have thoughts about U2 but don't want to get into them here)

i thought it was alright, the songs were kind of all in a similar sound which is fine but i want something more diverse, these reviews are gonna become way shorter so yeah

war what is it good for

A bit grandiose and bloated, like every other U2 album. Still, they got big for a reason and the music isn't bad. It's just... Bono.

not my favorite U2 album but it feels very "of U2", I think this is where their sound really changes to become heavier which I really like.

Good one.

U2 still sounds kind of weird to me. Don't ask me why, something about their sonic pallet just doesn't resonate with me. I did end up enjoying this album on the balance though, I'm going to go 3.5/5

Ok not great

- Some classics, but a bit forgettable otherwise

Im all over the place on this one. On the positive side, this has some obvious merit. There are some great rock tunes in here, the politics of it stand up, it avoids 80's production cliches and the rhythm section stands out especially. On the negative side, it felt quite thin at times. Whilst Bono and The Edge are great songwriters. I dont think they are world class as the front end of the horse. I also have a generally negative opinion of them from a pretentiousness perspective which isnt the worst thing they could be, but its not endearing. I did this 2 times, on headphones, whilst travelling around so cannot be accused of not giving it a chance, but i found it pleasant at times but grating more regularly

I am aware of the historical importance, and yes Sunday and new Day are good, but this doesn’t negate the fact that I don’t like Bono as a singer and U2 is only an okay rock band. It’s fairly similar to each other and not a huge range. Legacy and historically importance bumps you up a little, but not to the point of saving an otherwise not great record.

fun, good. 3.5

i didn’t even finish listening to it lol

Pretty good. Come back to listen more

Some usual favorites but U2 doesn't quite hit for me anymore like they used to. Appreciate their focus on social issues, etc.

I recognized a few songs in the beginning. Overall, it was fairly meh.

Sunday bloody sunday and new years day are awesome. But this also has some mid tracks.

An album that has Bloody Sunday and New Year's day is surprisingly dull. Maybe those two songs just set the bar too high but I was very underwhelmed with the rest of the album.

Ojalá pudiera volver a escucharlo como que si fuera la primera vez, pero es bueno pero no excepcional

a true neutral for me

De base, j'aime pas U2. Mais faut leur accorder, ils avaient quelques bangers dans la poche arrière à leurs débuts.

Mejor que el anterior que escuché. Pero sigo sin enamorarme de nada. Nota: 3.0

Not a U2 fan but this wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Favourite tracks: Sunday Bloody Sunday & The Refugee. Probably not one to revisit. 3/5

There's some very good songs on here, and the first half of the album is very good. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a 9/10 track for me. That being said, I feel like the back half falls a little flat. Solid, 3/5

lowk kinda boring

Full disclosure, I groaned when I saw this come up. I've never really liked U2 despite never really listening to them or disliking them for any real legitimate reason. Just whatever I got from cultural osmosis was an impression of them being annoying. That said, I've definitely heard the songs Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day before, and those are good songs. Didn't really know U2 were a post-punk band (albeit a much poppier/commercial version of the genre). This album is definitely better than I was expecting though. I was expecting more of a commercial pop sound, and while that's still here a bit, the post-punk does shine through. What I don't like though is how most of the time Bono is constantly at 110%, belting everything out. Not that it's necessarily a problem in this specific song, but The Refugee is a pretty terrible song (along with Red Light. That opening was weird and the sax was entirely unneeded). But songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday and Drowning Man are Bono with zero restraint. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But yeah, better than I was expecting, but whether I'm merely just whelmed, or my preconceived notions are getting in the way, I'm not particularly feeling this either. Probably not a band I'd go back to outside of this list.

Sunday bloody sunday is great, everything else a bit meh

Has some really good songs on here (SBS) but kinda bleh for one of the biggest bands around. 3/5

Not bad, but Bono just doesn't really do it for me. I really like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" though.

banger ngl 7.3/10 i love bonos voice

pretty good, lowk not as good as I expected but it was better than I expected

Standaard u2. Beter dan verwacht, niet mijn genre

Whenever I’ve listened to u2 I’ve always thought it’s really much better than I expected. But then when I finish I can’t remember any of it and have no urge to listen to it again. This seems like a good u2 album. But still don’t want to listen to it again.

U2 are a strange band. Overrated by the masses. Severely underrated by most internet-dwelling music nerds. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

start strong, gets boring

Well, it was better than Achtung Baby, which I gave a 2/5. The themes would probably mean more and hit harder if I was Irish, but I am not. I legitimately enjoyed ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and ‘New Years Day’, those were good songs. This album had a harder edge to the music, which I liked as well, but not enough to elevate it past a solid 3/5. It was good, but not great, and I’m not a fan of Bono’s voice.

I've heard all of these but I did not relisten to it because I just really don't enjoy listening to the me too band.

Better than some of their other records.

tentei gostar mais, infelizmente, a versão do sambô é infinitamente melhor

Would rate 3.5 if I could. Liked it more than most of the albums I rated 3 stars, didnt like it enough to give it 4 stars.