U2 at their most political (War - U2)

Member Name: duskmaiden

Product:	War - U2
Date:	26/11/03 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sunday bloody Sunday , U2 at their moost political

Disadvantages: some weak tracks, Not everyone's taste

These last few years have been difficult and dark days to live through due to the events of September 11 2001, Al Queda (Sp), the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and more recently the car bombs going off in Istanbul. There were monts in the past few years due to the efforts of Bush, Blair and Hussein that World War 3 would ensue and destroy this planet. It is a terrifying thing to think about. I am sitting hear writing this review listening to U2?s third studio album War released in 1983. This album deals with War whether it be booms in Northern Ireland or the much more serious advent of nuclear missiles and the casualties of war. We may be fighting Iraq and Afghanistan rather than Russia and Iran now but how relevant is this album to us here in 2003.

The band

I am not going to insult your intelligence by going to much into the band. I assume everyone knows who U2 are and who does what in the band. They are one of my favourite bands of all time. I think the reasons for this is their unique way of changing and adapting their music style so they are always fresh and interesting. I am not too keen on their Pop album but everything else they have done are classics to me. In Bono we have a showman, an entertainer, a poet and an orator. The Edge is probably my favourite guitarist. I get shivers down my back with some of his guitar riffs and Larry Mullen Junior is pretty nice looking!! I originally bought it second hand on vinyl from good old Barnstorm records in Dumfries. When I saw it on offer in HMV for 5.99 I decided to replace my trusty vinyl copy.

War is from the period when U2 were not a massive stadium act as they are now but were still very interested in political activism The other background detail to remember is that all of the group apparent form Adam Clayton were heavily Christian and the songs such as 40 and the lyrics in Sunday Bloody Sunday such as ?the Victory Jesus won? are very spiritual.

The cover.




I do not tend to dwell on the cover of an album but I feel this one needs to be commented on. The cover depicts a close up of an anguished looking boy. This is the boy on the Boy front cover but whilst on Boy his is a picture of childhood innocence here he is older and pained with the knowledge of evil namely war

The songs

1 Sunday Bloody Sunday

This song is still very much part of the U2 live set as it is relevant to us now as it when it was written. Sunday Bloody Sunday refers to the tragic events that happened on January 30 1972 when 14 men were killed in Northern Ireland. It could also relate to a massacre that happened on January 22 1905 where many innocent people were killed in Russia. It could relate to a number of events including the recent car bombs in Istanbul. The lyrics are emotional and shocking but yet poignant. The message is how long we must sign this song. When will we stop killing each other There is a hopeful note in the chorus ?Tonight we can be one?. The mood of the song musically is very menacing and regimented. Mullen?s drums give the song a military feel to it. A great song that is ultra relevant now. 10/10

2 Seconds

Seconds is sung by the Edge . It starts off with another pounding drum beat. This time the subject of the sing is nuclear war. The source of the threat may be different now. ?East to west? implies the threat of Communist Russia and the Cold War but there is still that threat to our planet by other powers. The other thing that dates the song is the reference to the GDR (East Germany. However there is a very fragile beauty about this song perhaps like the mushroom clouds of the first atomic bombs themselves. There is a chilling interlude that sounds like children chanting military chants. It reminds me of the Hitler youth for some reason A bit dated but still a powerful song lyrcallyhey 7/10

3 New Years Day

Another song that has endured and
is s
till
a part of U2?s set. This is perhaps one of the few songs about New Year rather than Christmas but I understand it is actually about Polish solidarity. A simpler song musically but it does have rather striking vocals from Bono. The song seems quite a hopeful one with some beautiful and insightful lyrics A?gold is the reason for the wars we wage? is such a true one. That and oil. 8/10

4 Like a song

Another pounding drumbeat starts this song with a strong guitar riff. The song?s vocal can be quite angry at times making referents to revolution. This has some great guitar work but it is not the most memorable of the songs on the album 5/10

5 Drowning Man

This is a very gentle pretty love song. The guitars are restrained as is the drum beat. It is a welcome relief from some of the more political songs. Bono?s vocal are softer and clearer. It has some pretty string arrangements on it and it seems to be at odds with most of the album. It actually has a very traditional Irish feel to it.
A very beautiful if slightly unmemorable track 7/10

6 The Refugee
Back to the political songs now. Refugees and Asylum Seekers have made headlines in the Tory papers and seem to be a scapegoat for all of society?s problems. This song is a narrative about a refugee girl form any oppressed state Kosovo, Congo, China Iraq, Afghanistan take your pick , who is sailing off to a new life. In the song it is America but it could be any country at any time this century or last form the refugees from Nazi occupied countries to Kurds fleeing persecution now. The continues the theme of the futility of war with the lyrics ?Her Papa go to war He gonna fight But he just don't know what for Papa go to war
The music is again military like with pounding drums and chants. A very thought provoking song 8/10

7 Two Hearts Beat as One

A very upbeat song. It is less overtly political but I am sure there are
some messa
ges in it due
to the opening lyric. I don?t know what side I am on. The song could be taken as a love song, a couple coming together due to the title of the song. The drumbeat does sort of reminds me of a heartbeat. It has some good guitar work and quite a distinct baseline. However again a less memorable song 6/10

8 Red Light

This song opens with a female vocal chanting. The theme here is unrequited love and rejection most likely after a break up. ?I give you my love until you walk away? There are signs of Bono?s falsetto developing here and quite a funky trumpet. Another track that I might call a filler. 6/10


9 Surrender

We are back to the conflict theme here. Surrender is a very bold, strung statement either in a relationship or in a war. However the surrender is less military here. This is another personal favourite on the album. Edge?s guitars are particularly good and the lyrics are great. I take the surrender here to be a suicide. The song also describes the futility and fruitarian of life and perhaps war

Sadie said she couldn't work out What it was all about And so she let go
She tried to be a good girl and a good wife Raise a good family Lead a good life It's not good enough She got herself up on the 48th floor Gotta find out
Find out what she's living for

As I siand perhaps one of my favourites on the album 9/10


10 40

This song is inspired by Psalm 40 and the first verse of the song is the first verse of the psalm. The song is a gentle quiet end to the album with touches of hope. It repeats the line ?How Long to Sing This Song? A nice way to end the album 8/10



How long to sing this Song? Probably forever. Some of the lyrics of the songs in this album maybe a bit dated and refer specifically to 80s politics and conflicts but the ideas and themes are unfortunately ever present. This album is a less sickly
version of Imag
ine. We still have wars, nu
clear weapons and people innocently trapped in conflicts such as refugees. Nothing is going to ever change. This album may not be U2?s greatest albums. That award goes to the Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. It does have some weaker unmemorable tracks such as Like a Song and Red Light. It may also be a bit political or some people. However I would buy this album if you are a fan of U2 because it is their most political and idealist album before they became massive stadiums rockers and masters of kitsch and irony.

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