War is crap.

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Why thank you for that enlightening post, shaun. Your clear reasoning and well thought out argument is quite incredible. :p

I think War and October are my two least favorite U2 albums, because as others have said, they sound dated and stuck in a certain time, whereas most other albums have a kind of timeless quality to them. And with the exception of 40, the b-side to War is quite possibly the weakest of any U2 album.

Do I think the album is crap? No. But it is my 2nd least played U2 album (October being the first).
 
"War" is the album that introduced me to U2 - so it holds a special place in my heart.

However, it has not aged well, IMO.

First, there's Bono's horrific vocals. "War" easily is Bono sounding his worst as he sounds flat and strains to hit notes. The transition he made from "War" to UF is incredible, but not unexpected. One can already hear his vocals improving on "Under a Blood Red Sky". I'm just amazed how anyone in the band let him get away sounding that poorly - it wouldn't have happened post-1984.

"War" has some great ideas and some classic songs - there's no denying it. But it really seems that U2 covered most of the sounds on "War" on their earlier albums, especially the superior "Boy". "War" fine-tunes those sounds, but it doesn't really expand upon them. U2 are just better at producing them by "War". Again, it wasn't until UF that U2 really started to mature as a band, IMO.

So while some great songs are there, it isn't my favorite U2 album by far - definitely in the middle of the pack. It won me over in late '83 as a great album, but not enough to make me a fanatic. It wasn't until UF that I truly became a "die-hard" fan and started wanting U2 music.
 
I can and will listen to that album start to finish and love every track on there, but I haven't listened to it in a long long time!
 
War is my favorite U2 album I don't care who disagrees with me.

Aged well, pfft! They were 23 when they wrote it/composed it.

War and Atomic Bomb have got more spins in my CD player than any others this year.

"New Year's Day" got nearly the same reaction as "Streets" did at the Vertigo gig I went to.

*Throws smoke bomb to avoid interference mob*
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War is crap

Drowning Man is crap

U2 is crap

everything is crap

you are crap

seriously... an album with Like A Song can't be crap
 
War is better than Boy and October IMO.

But... at least in my list, Out of Control and Electric Co. (and Gloria) are better than anything on War.
 
I luve War it ties with Boy for my fav album and about the shocking video clips........ It's early 80's form what i understand all that stuff was "cool"
 
anitram said:
In what world is War worse than October?
Click to expand...
Mine. :reject:


War is pretty close to the bottom (if not on the bottom) of my favourite album list, but that doesn't mean I think it's crap. It's just one of those albums I tend to forget about most of the time.

That being said, my list is very flexible, and War will probably go up a few places next time I listen to it.
 
CRAP? um, no. War is fantastic. sure, the videos sucked, but all videos from the early 80s sucked....video makers in general didn't have the technology or the insight to make great catchy videos back then
 
War is dated, but in a good way. New Years Day, and its video, introduced me to U2, and it brings me back every time I hear it.

War put them on the map, and has to be regarded among the greats for that reason.

The Refugee kicks ass EOH EOOOH:drool:
 
War is anything but crap! Ok its not in the League of Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby but its not crap attall!:|
 
The production is cheesy (yes, especially "New Year's Day") and sometimes the songs are too, but thats also true of Unforgettable Fire.

Nothing bad can be said of the first few songs. The rest is great depending on mood, but I dont listen to it that often. In their best half of albums at least. Well maybe not, but on another level from the past two.

Also: best album cover ever. or one of them.
 
War is not only a great album and probably the album that made people sit up and recognise what a great band u2 were, it also translated as a truly great live album. Even some of the perceived weaker tracks on the album still have that destinctive u2 feel .
When I hear this album comapred to Zooropa, Pop and AYCLB I can only think of the good old days of the 80s when u2 were at the peak of their powers and how they kind of lost their way in the 90s trying to create a different sound in the name of evolving as a band.
 
to say war is crap is way off base...new years day, sbs and 40...any album with these three songs on it isnt crap! however, the rest of the album is mediocre-at very best
 
doctorwho said:


"War" has some great ideas and some classic songs - there's no denying it. But it really seems that U2 covered most of the sounds on "War" on their earlier albums, especially the superior "Boy". "War" fine-tunes those sounds, but it doesn't really expand upon them. U2 are just better at producing them by "War". Again, it wasn't until UF that U2 really started to mature as a band, IMO.
Click to expand...

This is where I have to disagree with you.

Did the previous albums have songs that sounded like Red Light? Drowning Man? The Refugee? The jump from October to War was a much smaller jump than from War to UF, but it was a jump nonetheless. The band definitely expanded their sound... and Larry's drumming was more military. They used backup/effect stuff they hadn't used before (backup singers, the recorded thing on Seconds, horns, ect.) Also, War showed a change thematically. U2 wasn't really considered a political band before War.

War is somewhere in the middle on my favourite albums list. I prefer it to Boy and October, or at least I used to...now it's hard to say :huh: But it has possibly the best five consecutive opening songs ever. The A-side is solid. The B-side is not nearly as good (I find Two Hearts and Surrender to be overrated, though I do enjoy them), but it's not bad. I like The Refugee a lot and I don't know what everyone's problem with Red Light is. It's not a great song but it's not terrible.

The second half of War (paticularly Red Light and Surrender) sounds very 80's to me. I don't know why, but I'd say they haven't aged too well. Seems TOO 80's. Songs like SBS, NYD, and 40, however, are classics and therefore timeless.
 
"War" is indeed a great album, I wouldnt call it another u2 masterpiece, as it does have a couple God awful songs on it (red light and refugee). But it is a very strong album.

-"Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Years Day" are classics.
-"Two Hearts" has always been a song I liked. I heard it at Outback Steakhouse last week, so the album can't be that outdated.
-Hidden Gems: "Drowning Man" is amazing, I think it's brilliant and wonder why it doesnt get talked about much. "Like a Song" is great and has some of Larry's best work.
-Other good songs: "Seconds" and "Surrender" are both very solid.
-Perfect closer: "40" is awesome.

Sure, Bono's lyrics got a lot better later on, but they are still very good here.

"It's in the things I do and say,
and if I want to live, got to die to myself someday."

one of my fav. u2 lines.

Overall, I like BOY better, but it's still a great album. Definetly better than October.
 
War isnt crap. I wouldnt use that word for any album by U2.
War has 2 brilliant songs on it - NYD and SBS!!!!!! I think 40 and Drowing Man are quite good as well. But the rest???? Hmm....not really crap, but nothing great either. In general War isnt definately my least favourite album. Its near the bottom of my list but its not at the bottom.
 
2Hearts said:

Even though War is my fav album, I'm not highly pissed by this thread. It's actually refreshing to see someone dissing an album other than ATYCLB or HTDAAB. :wink:
Click to expand...

Lol...one gets used to threads like that, don't we. And hey, there're several other albums left to diss :|

Imo, War is a great album (for tunes like New Year's Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday and 40 of course) and definitely a lot better than October :yes:!! Larry's drumming on War is so powerful, it's simply fantastic :rockon:.

I'm also quite fond of the videoclips, they fit the mood of the songs...what's so shocking about them? I think they're lightyears better than most other band's videoclips of that time.
 
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