War

3/6

es bueno

Not as rocking as they think it is?

The opening track, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, is one of my favourite U2 songs, and is indicative of the first part of the album in terms of its sound - the military style drumming on this by Larry Mullen Jr works probably at its best. “New Year’s Day” is also a standout track, and another one of my favourites. Both “Seconds” and “Like a Song…” are solid inclusions, both of which working really well. Then, as is often the way with U2, the wheels come off around the halfway mark. “Drowning Man” is dirge, and the less said about “The Refugee” the better. “Two Hearts Beat As One” is the weakest of the singles from this album, and feels a bit out of place with the sound of the first half. The same can be said of “Red Light” and “Surrender” - I don’t mind these tracks, though they’re nowhere near as strong as the first half of the album, and maybe would’ve been better suited to The Unforgettable Fire. The backing vocals just don’t work for me - The Coconuts (of Kid Creole fame) and U2 just aren’t a partnership that works. “40” as a final track is just pointless - you can’t half tell it was done at the literal last minute. This is probably a 3.5* album for me, all things considered, but it’s not as strong as The Joshua Tree (which I rounded up).

Niet benoemen waardig, leuke basis maar niks cathies of speciaals. Eerste nummer nog t beste

Strong start, weak ending. As in, side B is definitely less intense, less focused. But pretty good overall.

Obligatory 3-star rating because I'm Irish and Sunday Bloody Sunday is on here

Sunday Bloody Sunday is an anthem, otherwise not much to look forward to. I also, like most owners of apple products, have a bit of a grudge against U2 for how they violated us with that one album back in the day. 2.75.

Trying to look past how much I hate this band just personally. I think instrumentally they’re phenomenal at times but it also just runs that level of why is this so grandiose and theatrical for music that doesn’t fit that vibe. Also did my speakers explode or is the mix on this album horrific? It’s so thin. Whatever, I can’t get into U2 it’ll never happen sorry Mr the edge.

U2っていうバンドがあること自体は結構聞いたことあって、でもこのアルバムではじめてU2を聴いた。 初期のアルバムであることも相まって全体的にストレートで熱量のあってこれがロックだという感じで、歌詞の意味を理解できかつロックにもっと深い人はハマるんだろうなと思った。 自分は正直あまり良さがわからなくて、部分的なもの(ビートとか終わり方とか)が良いと思った曲はあったけど曲を通して、アルバムを通してめっちゃいいなって感じることは少なかった。 いずれブッ刺さることを期待して、今は一旦評価としては普通にします 最後の曲は良かったかもー

Eh, some of it was nice but a lot of it was just generic rock. I don't understand how U2 got as big as they are.

It was pretty alright. The polished faux funk of it all made it fade into the background.

Having prior only listened to Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, and finding those albums boring, I didn’t have high hopes. I was pleasantly surprised by the first few tracks, and really enjoying the album. As it went, it started to feel more and more dull. Ending with the Dullest of them all in “40”. Some listen it was

Not a bad album but i prefer the previous 2 being Boy and October. Some great tracks here though.

I listened to this as a kid. U2 was everywhere and with good reason. Their chemistry and sound worked for the era. It doesn't do anything for me now though.

This wasn’t my vibe, but I can appreciate the craftsman’s ship and the willingness to stand behind their message!

i always thought early U2 were less cringe, but turns out they're still cringe just in a different way

My 3rd U2 album and still no sign of the Beatles… weird. Started with Sunday Bloody Sunday which I really enjoyed. I think I enjoyed this more than the last two but still not really connecting with me

Auch ganz cool aber nich ganz so mein Jam.

nice enough

(6.8) While there were some interesting aspects of this record, it didn’t blow me away.

Good

Sure! There's a couple of hits, but it's a pretty average album overall

First listen

it's alright, not a fan of the mixing

Damn, I quite liked it. Three excellent singles in New Year’s Day, Two Hearts and Sunday Bloody Sunday. A few clangers, as expected and Bono is on the absolute cusp of being terminally annoying but there are a few surprises (40 and Surrender) that keep it interesting. For the second or third time on this journey, I will say once again that Larry Mullen REALLY loves that hi-hat.

Give me U2's greatest hits and I'm happy. A U2 album makes me unhappy. They are massively overrated.

As most of U2's output, this is mediocre. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a decent song. The rest are mid.

I’ve listened to enough u2, I don’t need to listen to more

I always expect U2 to suck and I'm always surprised that they don't. Gave me good 90's vibes even tho this one was early 80's?! Sick album art. Slightly lost interest for the main bulk of it tho. Favourite Tracks: - Sunday Bloody Sunday - 40

Alright, this is the good shit. Love some deep and heavy pop surrounded by a narrative on war and violence.

Before the overblown ego of gifting everyone a free album , that nobody wanted or could delete, was a bombastic stadium rock band Before that was a U2 at its creative best, taking on important social messages and driving a creative original sound. Bombastic, but with a small b .

cool

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a great song!

I liked this a lot more than Achtung Baby. I am still not a huge U2 fan but Sunday Bloody Sunday is up there with New Year's Day as their best single.

I really like the Edge, I really dislike Bono. This was inconsistent but pretty good

there are some amazing songs on here, but also some real stinkers

After a while all that breathless beseeching, fiery indignation and BIG guitar heroics grows a tad wearisome; a bit like being shouted at by someone who means well but doesn’t know when to turn the volume down -- Sid Smith, BBC

Pretty decent rock album. What really impresses me is how well it still holds up today. I don't know if it's the production quality or the musical composition, but this album sounds very modern. My favorite track was "Red Light". My least favorite was "The Refugee". It's too punk-y and is the only track that sounds dated.

U2 har alltid känts som att stort band som jag aldrig riktigt satt mig in i utöver hitsen. Det här albumet var stabilt men uppmuntrade inte direkt till att ändra det.

Antar det inte hade blivit nåt U2 som vi känner till dem utan det här albumet, men det når inte hela vägen fram för mig tyvärr.

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

Some songs would slap as tracks to the right movie, and I wouldn’t hate it at a party. Otherwise, it was just fine.

You know, I think I’ve never actually heard this record its entirety before. It’s definitely U2, but several of the songs have a less polished sound than what I remember from their later albums, which I thought was good. Everyone knows “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “New Years Day,” and “Two Hearts Beat as One” because of constant airplay, and I was tempted to skip them on this listen. “Sunday,” at least, was a powerful song when it first appeared, and still is, with the drumming and fiddle beating a rhythm behind “I’ll wipe the tears away.” For the rest of it, I was surprised when “Seconds” came on just now because I’ve always liked that song and honestly had no idea it was U2! The other tracks were definitely U2.

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

Its a great background album and the lyrics (from what i heard) seem to make it a great protest album and there are some nice horns but im gonna be real i never loved u2 4/7

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

Sunday Bloody Sunday: 8/10 Seconds: 6/10 New Year's Day: 9/10 Like A Song…: 5/10 Drowning Man: 6/10 The Refugee: 6/10 Two Hearts Beat As One: 4/10 Red Light: 9/10 Surrender: 7/10 "40": 8/10

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

I think that this album is good, but not great. There's nothing that truly stands out to me, and while the album feels very timeless, there was nothing that really gripped me. I wish I had nostalgia points, but sadly, this turned out to be quite an okay experience.

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

surprisingly much better than i expected, he turned that stupid pedal off on his guitar, sounded more like duran duran than u2

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.

I didn't care much for this album when it was released. Worked in a record store and maybe it was overplayed or my tastes were different. Listening to it now I see I was wrong. It's a very good album.

Strong album with an even stronger message. Unfortunately, Steve Lillywhite's sparse production hampers the experience tremendously. Even the 2008 remastered edition feels like Larry Mullen is in another room because the percussion is so muddy.

So far on this journey, this is coming off as possibly my favorite U2 record, at -very tolerable- and also -easily replayed-. Bono's voice doesn't seem to annoy me here, in fact the U2 sound doesn't really feel like it exists here yet. I appreciate that. It's still not something I'm gonna be playing frequently in the future, but it's been a very agreeable experience regardless. Nice album art, with the implied hands behind the child's head, dramatic but produced, I think it works really well representing the overall sound. 3.15/5

mid

Ikke dårlig, men ikke for meg.

Bloody Sunday is good!

Its alright not amazing tho

👍🤷

alright

75

I don’t want to blame anything in this album’s comment

A few iconic songs I've heard plenty and some new ones I enjoyed. Not that interesting of an album. U2 has some much better ones for sure

Непонятно. Сначала я такая бляяя ю2, потом мне вдруг понравилась первая песня. Но потом весь альбом странное ощущение, вот вроде все очень красиво, но ниче не цепляет

Nice, might look into this band more later

First time listen. I only knew the hits here ("Sunday Bloody Sunday," "New Year's Day" "Two Hearts Beat As One") and I like them okay. "Like A Song" is good as well. Interesting to hear them sound vaguely punk-ish on "The Refugee," not a sound I normally associate them with.

This was fine. The Edge finally played with strength. I still dislike U2 very much

I'm pretty glad that the current top voted review of War simply quotes Alan Partridge's misunderstanding of Sunday Bloody Sunday. It's funny because the Alan character wouldn't remember a British military massacre in Northern Ireland twenty-five years earlier, unlike us, the viewers. Well, certainly you and I, we went to the Bloody Sunday tribunal with school, didn't we? I did anyway. Hard to forget Bloody Sunday where we're from anyway. One feels a little sympathy for Alan though: Bono's lyrics, as on The Joshua Tree, which we've discussed, tend to be idealist rather than concrete. The images in Sunday Bloody Sunday are more deliberate and more intelligible than those others and one can piece them together if you have a bit of sense. Still his specific call to action is difficult to discern: peace? togetherness? pacificism? I'm not entirely sure what would have been an adequate call to action fifteen years into the Troubles. These unclear ideals could be a demerit, but I suppose they may also work to the songs advantage. When Bono sings that "we could be as one," he is invoking a love song cliché that doubles for community solidarity. It is a dirty trick of Christian rock to sing of the relationship between the singer and Christ in the terms of a romantic relationship. Bono pulls off something similar here and if it manages to stir feeling in the heart of man, without directly naming Derry, the Parachute Regiment, or the IRA, maybe that is for the better. Bono wasn't afraid to make his position clear, even if not directly in the song: he would preface it in concert by stating it was not a 'rebel song'; at a show in San Francisco, he harangued a fan waving a banner with the letters SF on it, because he thought they were supporters of Sinn Fein. It's a mistake as foolish and honest to character as Alan Partridge's. I think Sunday Bloody Sunday stands as a better comment on the North by a Southern artist than Dolores O'Riordan's Zombie, another song that is frequently removed from its context. Zombie, written about the later Warrington Bombing, in which the IRA murdered two young boys, has a more hectoring quality, somewhat aloof and dismissive, as O'Riordan distances herself from the situation: "it's not me, it's not my family," she sings, with little understanding that there were those of us whose family it was or our neighbours or our community. Bono, with greater understanding and less distain, recognises that the conflict elicits a battle call that many people rejected. Maybe more should have rejected it, but it wasn't so straightforward a decision. Bono may be a limp pacificist, but he knows it ain't easy to go limp when the situation tries to harden you. Unlike O'Riordan, Bono was affected by the conflict in the North: he lost a childhood friend during the 1974 Dublin bombings by the UVF; the traumatised brother of the dead boy became a heroin addict. We can become too limp in the face of the violence. The band does a respectable job, then, in putting this song of peace to a military beat. In concert, again, Bono would raise a white flag of surrender and wave it like an army standard. A simplistic image maybe, but not without its potency. I know that I am affected by Sunday Bloody Sunday when I hear it. And others are affected too, even if they don't know exactly what it's about. It may be silly that Alan Partridge read the song as being about "the frustrations of a Sunday," the things you have to do even though it's your day off, but he's not entirely wrong: it is a song of contradictions, a song about doing something when you don't want to do anything, about rousing us and energising us to the state of sublime peace. The hopeless O'Riordan sings that "your violence causes silence," while Bono sings "how long must we sing this song?" For her, silence is death, for him it is peace. Death is unavoidable, peace must be won. She singles out "your" violence and separates her family. He includes us all: we can be one, we must sing the song. This bizarre universalisation of a very specific day in Derry makes the song almost useless as a Troubles document, but it makes it useful as an anthem. Emotional to some. Invigorating to others. Almost certainly sanctimonious to many. But never sneering. There is no sense that you might feel unwelcome by the song or the album. And the album continues on like that for the next five or six songs, opening up political situations into abstract expressions of togetherness and love that I don't pretend to fully understand. Held together by Mullen's bombastic drums and the most energetic guitar-playing of the Edge's career, it ploughs ahead enjoyably. It drops off towards the end, but I don't mind too much. 3 The striking thing about War, when you work your way back to it from the ‘big’ U2 albums as most of us do, is the sense of evenness in the band. Larry and Adam actually have something like a musical identity on this record. The production - which has none of the sweetness of Eno and Lanois - is part of it; I love the snap of that dry snare throughout. But those two are actually trying things as well; odd fills, melodic twists and turns and even some dissonant moments in the bass. The Edge’s guitar lines are less domineering (and irritating) than they would become. Bono’s lyrics lack a cutting edge (as they always would) but the naked pursuit of a theme is enough to lend the first half of the album a sense of darkness that makes it compelling even if it all evaporates in the second half. I don’t think any of U2’s best songs are on War but it is a better album than most that came after it. I like the cover. 2/5

ballads. for a cause. the fight!

Generally good. Having grown up knowing this band as the iPhone album guys, it's cool to hear where U2 was at first. They were a post punk band that were really good live. Sunday Bloody Sunday is effective and so are some other tunes though as an album, I don't come away with plenty to discuss. I'm so tired and it's late and this album exists. "He's not Bono" (7/10, 3/5 on this scale)

This album is very grandiose in the world that it presents and for a lot of the songs on the LP it adds a lot and makes the quieter moments stand out in a positive way. The slower part in Sunday bloody Sunday is a very good example of this. I do not really know how often I will go back to this record but I exceeded the expectations I had for it. Fav tracks: Sunday bloody sunday, Like a song..., and "40"

Definitiv besser als s letzte

War? More like... Bore. Gottem.

I wasn't familiar with U2 outside some of their radio hits and the controversy surrounding the free album on iTunes more than a decade ago. That said this turned out to be the tip of the iceberg of controversies surrounding the lead singer Bono. Nonetheless, I went in open-minded and found a pretty enjoyable record albeit too on the nose about its political messages. It didn't really click but the guitars tunes were good and it sounded really well put-together. I liked "New Year's Day" and "Surrender".

someone needs to explain to me why U2 had such a chokehold on pop culture because I do not get it from this album. 3 stars.

There's something unsettling about this album for me. At first I thought it was something with the percussion, but I think it's more the way the percussion interacts with the rest of the music. It's alright, but I would never choose to listen to this over other music.

Its not every day I listen to a U2 album, in fact it's not happened outside this project in 25 years and that was ironically Achtung Baby. This was much better than I remembered since it was played to me in the 1980's as Dad liked them. Away from the singles, 'Surrender' was a belter, the rest was not offensive to the ears either.

Ikke så ille, men blir fort bakgrunnsmusikk.

Kan skjønne at det va ganske friskt på starten av 80-tallet. Ikke ille i det hele tatt, bare ganske forglemmelig. Syns heller ikke hitsa fra denne e så sterk.

Inoffensive, MoR, fine

My favourite u2 album, much more like the clash and other post punk bands. This album from u2 is far less produced and much more at home in bars than arenas

War U2 My April Fools day prank is that I have to listen to a U2 album. Thank gosh it’s short right… 1. Lowkey I like this song. “There’s many lost but tell me who has won” 2. Lowkey this guy is like actually slaying I’m not going to lie. I am enjoying this song a lot. 3. Pretty good. 4. Pretty slay. 5. Was okay not bad not too great though. 6. Meh 7. I don’t really like the chorus the rest was good though might relisten. 8. Meh feels stalkerish 9. I like this. I thought he was saying Savannah at first though lol. 10. Okay but bad

Nothing really to complain about. 3.4/5

Bon, ensemble plutôt pas mal. Franchement l'album est assez agréable à l'écoute, plutôt dansant et avec des hits vraiment reconnaissables de la pate et de l'esprit de U2 de l'époque comme avec "Sunday Bloody Sunday" ou "New Year's Day". De plus, le côté plus prise de position et engagement politique est assez bien amené pour quelque chose qui s'incorpore bien à l'energie, entre autre, qui n'est ni trop forcé, ni trop laissé de côté. Néanmoins, je pense que le plus gros point faible de l'album réside dans sa répétitivité. Franchement j'ai trouvé l'album très très lourd dans les moments de creux, précisément parce que le projet passe son temps à rester dans sa zone de confort. Excepté la présence sur certains morceaux du violon électronique, l'entièreté de l'album se compose fe strums de guitares rapides en fond et la voix de Bono qui part dans les aigus. C'est vraiment dommage parce que pour le coups certains morceaux m'ont paru strictement identiques. By the way, l'album art est plutôt sympa, en reprenant le garçon de "Angels", on a comme une continuité et un joli clin d'œil, c'est plutôt bien joué.

This falls into my 'when u2 were ok' collection of albums before they'd listened and copied Big Country's sound. It's OK. The two singles stand out from the rest of it.

I didn't dislike this. There were quite a few really good tracks, but I think it's always a slight downfall when there are ever so slightly more 'meh' songs than songs I really enjoyed. That being said, in all, it was an enjoyable album to listen to. I've been given some not-so-great albums to listen to, so this one was a nice, refreshing change. There are one or two tracks I would put on my playlist, but other than that, I think it is an alright album. The vocals and instrumentation are really good and work well together. Favourites: Sunday Bloody Sunday Seconds The Refugee New Year's Day

U2 le groupe qui a les meilleurs singles du monde mais qui ne peut pas faire un album entier de cette qualité.

What an album of incredible highs and very middling everything else. If you're not big on U2, this one won't change your mind. The big singles here are probably enough for most listeners.

U2 have always been a band i couldn't get into. Depending on my mood I can listen to them but never have been a favourite of mines. This album is not great imo.

Pretty great and passion filled,

I’m not a huge fan of U2, listened to the album a few times and wasn’t too impressed. It was just an ’alright’ rock.

From the go Mullens drumming is insane, for the best song SBS to be instantly recognisable from the drums is almost unheard of (hello Phil Collins). I enjoyed this is 2026 more than I imagined I would, and despite New Years Day being the other obvious highlight, the rest of the album holds it's own pretty well. What is more obvious to me than ever is how important the band is to the whole - they worked when it wasn't just about Bono (who became insufferable). There's a freshness here that became overbearing in self-righteousness on albums like Joshua Tree.

I think I reach saturation with U2 music quicker than some other classic acts. I liked the start of this album a good amount, then I sort of got tired of the U2 approach to music (it's also possible this is just front-loaded with the best stuff). I think I'd be a bigger fan of a U2 EP than a full album. This was a good album, but I felt like I reached my limit with it quickly.

Meh

I saw U2 and was like "goddamn it, not U2..." But this was alright, actually. I guess my experience with U2 is when they were already super huge and shitty.

Definitely not the pop U2. The album was ok, but I just don't think I'm that big of a fan of U2.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this musically, but I'm just not super into it.

memories

Decent. Nice hits.

not for me but better than last

probably the best of what U2 has got, this rock album actually had some level of interest and like tasteful instrumental and choral stuff wow

The whole sound of this album comes off as quite safe, but with worldly elements. Which, for the political elements that they were touching on, was a good call, but it almost feels like there is something missing from this. Like, if they tried to experiment more, it could be something incredible. But I'm not sure if Bono could ever create something of that wonder. Alas, there is a band that fills that niche for me, and it is the glorious Police.

It was a very good album I will likely listen to it again. But o didn’t feel an immediate desire to listen to it again

U306 at this point. Shout out Sunday Bloody Sunday, ma dan heb je het ook wel een beetje gehoort.

nothing special

Decent! Didn’t realize Brian Eno has producer credits on like six U2 records. Not much my thing though and even now I still have difficulty taking Bono remotely seriously and his melodramatic vacillating voice doesn’t help that.

After a couple songs I thought to myself "have I been wrong about U2" ? Then I listened to the rest of the album and turns out that nope, I was spot on. I don't mind their hits, but outside that they aren't for me.

Are all of U2's albums in this book?? The sound is more post-punk, but the songs seem also more unpolished. Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day carry this album HARD. 6/10

Better than I remembered, it's probably been 30 years since I have listened. I will need to listen to their initial run, up to and including a fitting finale with Rattle & Hum. Achtung Baby was quite a departure, and I don't mind the sound, but man there was a soul in this music.

Light 3,5

When Bono belted out “How long? How long must we sing this song?” I could already see my project partner formulating his hateful little joke. This album has some great tracks, but I don’t want to overrate it. It’s fine.

not the biggest U2 guy, great dark vibe tho, again cant say this is bad but defo not for me

U2's third album has a decent clutch of songs, but it's lacking the experimental spirit that animated and elevated their first two records.

Post Punk takes on the world - patchy but some very high peaks. Favourite tracks: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day, 40

I'm not a fan of U2 but this album wasn't as bad as I thought. There's a couple hits on there that I don't mind

For some reason, 80s music feels like it wasn't trying to offend anyone, which makes it kind of boring. I think a lot of 90s rock was trying to revolt against this kind of music. I think I am too. Sunday Bloody Sunday was my Dad's ringtone for a while. I think it sets the tone well, but everything after that falls short.

Not my thing but the first and third song are bangers and wouldn't feel right rating anything with those 2 songs less

Sunday Bloody Sunday just reminds me of my old band playing it New Years Day is great. THe rest of it is ok but thats about it I can appreciate the album but later U2 was always my fav (Achtung Baby etc)

It started out strong and I actually thought this could be the U2 album that wins me over. But like Joshua Tree, it started to all kind of sound the same after a few songs. Fav track: Sunday Bloody Sunday

First half of the album is very good, featuring my favourite U2 song as the starting track. Second half is bland and forgettable. The fact I grew up on U2 is doing a lot of heavy lifting with this record, but when they make a good songs it's undeniable. Highlights are Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day.

Buenísimo

First song best song. Otherwise fine.

Very carefully produced pop, but did little for me then, and even less now. Leaves me ice cold. Maybe because I can't separate the complete pillock that Bono turned out to be, maybe because this brand of pop rock just doesn't turn my crank. I have good friends whose taste I respect who dearly love this iteration of U2, but it's just not for me.

Second U2 album this week. Enjoyed the bangers on Joshua Tree, but that was it. Let’s see what this brings… Ashamed to say I wasn’t too familiar with the opener but a great start. Appear to prefer their earlier stuff. Bit more raw, rough and hard hitting. Got quite a feel of The Smiths, but luckily not enough to make me hate it 😅 Quite a dip at Drowning Man and getting dangerously close to Morrisey… Similar to Joshua Tree, interest was piqued at the start and then just dropped off as the albums gone on. Yeh, seemed to become more pretentious, less skilful and also I really don’t think Bono can sing well. Even on recording with multiple takes 😬 (3.5)

Ooh, stadium rock - before they hit the stadiums? We had a U2 "early big hits" compilation at our house but I don't know this album. I look at Wikipedia, not least so I can see what genre to put in my personal spreadsheet: the album page calls it "post-punk"?!? Let's give it a listen. Sunday Bloody Sunday, big tick. Then something unmemorable. (I go back next day and listen closely - it's got production values, but IMNSHO embarrassingly shallow/trite content.) Then New Year's Day - one of my very favourite U2 songs :-) Then "Like a Song...", I hadn't heard before, okay this could be called post-punk (and it's not totally bad - a 'good' voice with shitty lyrics oh well :-) Some other songs I listen to while I'm cooking, could hardly be bothered to play again. But I do, the next day - my body is keeping time - the musical pieces are passable but the lyrics let the music down? "40", I'm interested enough first time through to check the lyrics, but wow, mystic opacity, no thanks. In summary, it's two great songs, and some others that chug along. It's Not Bad, 6/10.

It wasnt terrible.

2.75

Probably a 2.5 but I’ll round it up for the few strong songs.

Some good tracks. Not as strong as The Joshua Tree.

Not bad, not great. Certainly not enough to convert me to U2.

Only really ever heard the singles by U2. This was pretty good and certainly better than I expected. Could be worth another listen or two.

So my third from U2 and by far the weakest so far. The first three tracks were great but it gradually went downhill after that. In particular I absolutely hated Surrender. Did absolutely nothing for me and I was debating knocking a star off for it lol. Top Track - New Year’s Day

6/10

honestamente me aburrió un poco

singles carry it tbh

Definitely one of the better suggestions on this project hehe, loved the initial intro, classic rock elements that I really liked :)

Every U2 song is exactly the same. At the end I had to make sure my phone wasn’t on repeat

Samey and Bono comes off pretentious

3.5 Algumas músicas merecem um 4 mas tem outras não tão boas

This is fine. The two hit songs are good ones. The rest just doesn't shine through for me. But I'd revisit.

So Bono’s always been like that huh? Only highlights are Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year’s Day and they’re damn good songs. The rest is exhausting.

Seems like U2 figuring out who they are. Some good early work if a bit inconsistent

quite relevant as of today; nice i enjoyed it ✌️; 3.5

Best Track - "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

- This is a very uneven album - high highs and low lows - I like the fiddle - why did they lose that?

I don’t like how pretentious they have become but they sure do have some bangers.

2 great tracks, you'll know them. 2 good tracks. The rest are filler.

Nothing really stood out.Have this on vinyl so got a nice listen! I liked the vocals the the song Bloody sunday was a vibe. 3.65/5

I think I would like this record more if I heard it for the first time.

It was alright, I probably won't bother again

Liked this more than I expected, being a U2 disliker previously. Reminded me of the waterboys, mainly in a Celtic influence I enjoyed, it has a great sense of atmosphere and is enjoyably dark. Not a fan of Bono’s voice particularly but overall not bad

What is it good for?

Everyone likes to shit on U2 but that’s just because Bono is a twat, I think everything they done from inception to 1992 was great. This album sits in the middle of their output during that period, classics like Bloody Sunday and New Year’s Day carry some of the less dynamic songs but overall it’s a really solid album especially for its time, I imagine it would have sounded pretty great against a back drop of New Romantic pop. 3.4

Hi dad. 6/10

Had high hopes as enjoyed their last. Had hits but not as good i as anticipated

I'm just not a U2 fan. Oddly, some of the songs on this album seem very influenced by Fleetwood Mac. This may just be because I've been listening to so much Fleetwood Mac lately. Lots of singles, as usual with these guys.

I used to love U2. This was their breakthrough album however 3 great epic songs don’t make a great album…. The songs from this album sound better on “Under A Red Sky”

This isn't too bad for a U2 album. Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day are maybe the 2 songs of theirs that I actually like. It's not going to be a go-to for me, but this was a decent playthrough. 3/5

I think U2 has much better albums than this one, but it's not bad.

It's fine. Not a huge U2 fan but not a hater either

I feel like there's a pretty stark divide here. There are the hits, essentially the ones you've heard all your life, and then there are all the others, songs that kinda sound like the hits but are a big goulash of similarity. It's all good and fine but I couldn't tell you what really happens in these other songs. I don't know if that's my fault or that guy Bono (and The Edgeeeee). I'll keep my ears open for more U2 to try and impress me

More obviously post-punk than their later stuff. Some Celtic influences too? I recognise New Years Day as sampled in later dance track! Also some glam rock elements in here too. Interesting use of harmonics in Drowning Man Two Hearts Beat As One has great energy! Surrender has some of that 'shimmery' sound that became U2 signature. Best track - New Years Day, Two Hearts Beat As One 3 stars - better than I expected but still not quite my thing

Wanted to / felt like I should like this a lot more than I did. Took me 3 days to get through it - Sunday Bloody Sunday is great, as is New Years Day and "40", but the rest is just kind of there

Okay album

not really a U2 guy but i like sunday bloody sunday

It's fine, just not a huge U2 fan

didn't really like the first half of it but towards the end it grew on me. a good album i would say but kind of boring. and i think that maybe u2 is just not really my thing. loved drowning man and the refugee. and also surrender

Fine.

War captures U2 at a raw, politically charged moment, but its impact is a bit uneven. The album opens with the iconic “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” a track whose reputation is undeniable, yet the shrill mix and Bono’s piercing vocal delivery make it more admirable than enjoyable to me. That sonic sharpness carries into parts of the record—there’s a lack of warmth that sometimes distracts from the songwriting. Still, highlights emerge as the album progresses: “New Year’s Day” finally finds a balance between urgency and melody, “Like a Song” brings welcome energy, and deeper cuts such as “Drowning Man” and especially “Surrender” showcase strong instrumentation, emotive lyrics, and some of the album’s best guitar work and vocal performances. While tracks like “The Refugee,” “Two Hearts Beat As One,” and “Red Light” don’t fully stand out, the closing “40” provides a beautiful epilogue that suits the album’s mood perfectly. Overall, War is an important and sometimes powerful listen, even if its sonic choices and vocal style keep it from being consistently enjoyable to me.

Big singles are good, the rest is just OK.

Classic album by a classic band.

OK.... U2, general background music

There is a thin line between ubiquitous and generic. War is skating right along it.

Really like some of the songs but also some weaker songs

Bloody hell, i like the instrumental parts, the vocal performances aren't bad either, it's good

Passionate anger and political protest on side one, but I forgot how exhausted it gets on side two. Decent though.

It's good in the background and some songs are better than others. Ultimately, it's fine.

I mean its U2, and there are som bangers in there, but not the best album there is

Gets a 3 rather than a 2 because of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'.

Decent album, I expected little due to the fact that there the average late 80s 90s band but I found them pretty interesting, my favorite song was Sunday Bloody Sunday

I've been curious to hear some of U2's earlier work after seeing Achtung Baby described as their "most transformative album" when it was generated early on in the list. Achtung Baby wasn't bad, it just wasn't exciting to me either, but seeing that their earlier albums were generally described as harsher, post-punk albums did excite me. Well, the earliest album of their on the list has finally been generated and, it's fine. The first few tracks I've heard countless times on the radio growing up and they honestly do nothing for me at this point; they just sound like generic U2 tracks. It does start to get interesting through the middle of the album with Drowning Man, the Refugee, and Two Hearts Beat as One. Maybe it's because I've never heard these songs, so they're still a bit new and fresh to me? They definitely do have a bit of a harsher sound (in a good way) to them than what I normally expect from U2. Unfortunately, the last couple tracks lose their edge (pun intended) and return to the somewhat generic U2 sound that really does nothing for me. Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot more than Achtung Baby and All the You Can't Leave Behind, but I still don't think I've been convinced to be a U2 fan.

Alright album, some good songs. But the strange phenomenon of U2 is that they do good songs, but are a crap band. Songs always sound better as covers.

I don't love U2 as much as many. Some good songs here, but nothing blows me away.

The first half of this album is epic. It become boring on the second half.

U2 is one of the bands I've listened to the most w/o ever realizing what is their appeal. Their music is not bad, but it's mediocre at best.

Ненапряжная альтернатива. Таких много. Хотя в U2 есть что-то особенное.

its alright

Yeah, sure. Wasn't feeling it in the middle bit it picked back up. Don't think I'll choose to listen to this in its entirety again, but not mad that I've heard it, and won't be mad when it shuffles onto the playlist. Songs added to playlist: - Sunday Bloody Sunday - New Year's Day - Red Light - Surrender

It was good sounded like dad music I liked it okay

Songs like this aren't my cup of tea, did not finish

A really pleasant surprise. Always had a negative preconception of U2. Mainly because of the whole album they put on everyone’s phones. However, I think this is a really good record. The whole point of this 1001 albums was for situations like this. Did not expect to add 4 new songs to my liked, excluding ‘New Years Day’, as I already was aware of that banger. I like all the new wave sounds involved in this. Dare I say in parts Bono sounds like Robert Smith from the cure, not sure how he’d react to that one though. I think Bonos voice is enjoyable and compliments the band. The lyrics are also compelling, obviously showing their political stances through some of there songs, and perhaps giving there songs more meaning has pushed there lyrics to a more complex place. ‘New Years Day’ has so much depth it is literally a masterpiece of a song. Everything from the lyrics, vocals, guitars, drums, bass. That’s guitar solo is so 80’s I love it. You’ve got to do something right to knock MJ’s ‘Thriller’ off the top spot. Favourite tracks are: ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, ‘New Years Day’, ‘ Like A Song…’, ‘Drowning Man’, ‘Two Hearts Beat As One’, and ‘Seconds’.

Man, I LOVED the first two songs but after all the music kind of just coalesced into an 80s rock miasma. No distinct sound or mood coming out of it. I applaud U2 for using this album as a way to cover political topics close to their hearts (and the idea of U2, or any big band, doing the same thing today is unthinkable), but I just don’t think the musicality matches the message.

Favorite Track: Sunday Bloody Sunday

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" are timeless - the rest of the album sounds fairly average.

See on ikka etem kui U2 hilisem album, "Achtung, Baby!", mida kuulasin varem. Siin oskab Bono laulda vähemalt. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" on täitsa asjalik ning teised lood ei kriibi kõrva ka. Eriti meeldib mulle see "40" harmoonia ja vaib. Selline 3/5.

Album Review 044 War by U2 (1983) Rating 3/5 I’ve never been a fan of U2 and despite War being recognised as one of their best albums, it hasn’t done anything to change my opinion. There are a couple of very good tracks on the album (notably New Year’s Day), but I found that most fell into the area of not great, not awful. Saying that, I listened to this while running on a cold, wet, windy and generally miserable winter afternoon and it suited the conditions perfectly.

Nostalgia for me. Back in the day, as a wee teen I really liked this album, especially 'Drowning Man'. Pity Bono is such a knob. Thought he was a good un back then but sadly, he's shown his true colours over the years. I went off them after 'Auchtung Baby'.

Some great songs and some average. 3 feels harsh...4 feels generous. But do I want to listen again? No...

I knew SBS and NYD already, and they seem like the only memorable songs. Bono's wailing can get a little tiresome. Still, 2 great songs.

Nothing really stood out to me, and I prob wouldn’t listen again

Decent! I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to listen to of it but liked it.

5/10

Not bad but not the best U2 album. Had more energy than older songs.

Classic

The hits are the best songs on this album

Some good songs but others are not as easy on the ears to listen to

My U2 experience started at Joshua Tree and ended with Lemon so War was almost entirely new to me, what a treat.

U2 isn’t one of my favourite bands, though I can enjoy them in small doses. This album gets off to a strong start with my favourite U2 track, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”. Those drums really drive the song. Beyond that, “New Year’s Day” is a solid track, but the rest of the album doesn’t do much for me. Overall, it feels a little too radio-friendly and a bit too soft. For me, U2 might be better appreciated as a best-of band rather than through full albums.

A warning shot, a strong effort that’s an announcement to stay tuned for the greater things to come…

calkiem spoko

Why am I getting all the U2 albums on this generator right now

Good listen, but not my favourite U2 album on this list.

Starts with a bang the kinda tapers down as it continues

First 2 songs ok then falls off a cliff

'Sunday, Bloody Sunday' has a really underrated groove. Unsurprisingly, War is a fairly mirthless record, even against the rest of U2's catalogue. The most interesting thing to do when listening to U2 deep cuts is thinking about Clayton and Mullen and the band's structures. It's a bit unfair to accuse a band of having a schtick on their third album but rest assured that you know what you're getting. It says "sardines" on the tin -- it's gonna be fishy. Anyway, U2 are what they are. Grandiose, for better or worse, socially-conscious and sometimes confessional. There are soundscapes, soaring vocals and the background confusion that they think of themselves as punk-influenced. It's effective and not unpleasant; it's probably even important. Between Boy and Rattle and Hum (1980-1988 -- six albums), you could probably cheat and listen to a greatest hits. There are some worthy deep cuts (listening to 'Like A Song...' right now and I hear foreshadowing of some of Alexisonfire's sound) but you'll live without them. The hardest thing about U2 is that they don't deserve either the title of "greatest band in the world" or the backlash hate (which is mostly a reaction to the aforementioned hype). They're good, sometimes great. You should probably listen to War because it doesn't sound like 1983, really, and this crazy project is the only way you'd know that other than having lived it.

Well punch me in the face and call me Geoffrey, a U2 album I don’t mostly dislike. Actually the first few songs are pretty good, but it tails off as it goes on. I think that’s partially a victim of generally I just dislike Nobo’s vocal style, and nothing is going to change that. Soz, not soz.

haven’t listened fully, but I feel like this is what people think of when you mention classic, 80s rock. honestly so far it’s pretty good, just not legendary