You may think I'm crazy, but...

[Popmartijn]

... War is my least favourite U2 album!

I cannot deny it anymore and I do not wish to hide this feeling. Of all the albums U2 have released in 23 years, War is at the bottom of my list. Yes, it has quite a good first side (it was released in the vinyl area and so can be reviewed as such), but the drop off in quality on the second side is the biggest I've seen on any U2 album. The Refugee and Red Light are horrible songs (only the intro is acceptable). Two Hearts Beat As One and Surrender do nothing to me, not saying that they are terrible (they aren't), but they are unremarkable. It is up to "40" to rescue this side.
And then there are Bono's vocals. On this record he's trying to hard. As a consequence his vocals sound forced and that's not a pleasant sound. Listen to Drowning Man (one of my favourite U2 tracks, not everything's bad on War), listen to the difference between his 'quiet' voice and his 'squeaking' (sp?) voice ('Hold on!').

It may have been their breakthrough album with SBS and NYD, but in retrospect it doesn't hold up to later work, or even the earlier albums Boy and October. Fortunately, U2 have always had that hunger to grow, so they took a big step forwards the following year with The Unforgettable Fire (my favourite '80s U2 album).

These threads about early U2 made me relisten all those early albums (again). I heard many great songs again, but unfortunately did the War album remind me also of some of their early mistakes...



Marty

*edited to correct a smiley*

 

[martha]

I'm with you on this one Marty. (Not surprising.) I don't like War all that much myself, except Two Hearts has been my absolute, no exceptions favorite U2 song since it came out, replacing Gloria, which went to #2. Like a Song is great, but most of the rest of the album I skip over. No, even the "hits" don't do much for me.

 

[AcrobatMan]

my least fav U2 album is zooropa.

if you see my U2 ranking you would know i have ranked zooropa songs at 11,25,49,57,75,79,96,112,113 and 122nd rank.. These are out of 131 songs I've listened.

 

[Popmartijn]

Gee, martha, puh-leeeze! Be a bit more original, will ya!

Agreeing with me...

OTOH, you now know what I've written about THBAO


C ya!

Marty

 

[U2girl02]

I love War

 

[Strato Edge]

War is an awesome record.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

War is fucking amazing.



October is a different story.

 

[MrBrau1]

War has "Refugee" on it, U2's worst recorded moment ever!

 

[wavesofregret]

I love War, except Refugee. POP is my least favorite. I don't like any of it, really, not enough to put it on and listen to it, and several of the songs are actually rather terrible. I know that's a bad thing to say here but since we're confessing....

 

[MrBrau1]

Pop has "Gone" on it, U2's best recorded moment ever!

 

[The_acrobat]

War has "Refugee" on it, U2's worst recorded moment ever!

I love War for 8 reasons:

1. Sunday bloody sunday
2. Seconds
3. New Years Day
4. Like a song
5. Drowning Man
6. Two hearts beat as one
7. Surrender
8. 40

I think "Red Light" is kinda of an average song, nothing too great. But I DESPISE "refugee". I only listen to it for a laugh, or to make fun of it with my U2 friends.

And how did a discussion about War turn into a POP bashing thread? Next, here comes the ATYCLB bashers. Then the people who think everything since JT is crap will add their opinions to all the 90s albums. Nobody in this thread asked what you think of POP. This thread is to discuss opinions on the War album. You wanna bitch about POP, go dig up one of the billion anti-Pop threads.

 

[Salome]

well, keeping that in mind
I'd like to say that War definately isn't my least fave U2 album

 

[martha]

OTOH

On
The
Other
Hand.

See, I can figure out those letters all by myself.

 

[Saracene]

Marty, I'm with you on WAR. I still like NYD and those lovely haunting piano bits, and though I never listen to it I'll never say I dislike SBS if only because of the awesome fiery R&H live performance. Oh, and 40 is a quite decent closer. But overall the album and Bono's shrill banshee vocals don't do anything for me.

 

[david]

I like UABRS better than WAR.

 

[tiny dancer]

War is what made me a U2 fan back in the 80's!

 

[U2girl02]

Originally posted by David
I like UABRS better than WAR.

UABRS is the only U2 album/EP I don't have, but I want it sooo bad. There's some awesome stuff on it

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

I like War a lot, it's probably in my top 5 U2 albums, October is my least favorite. I even like Refugee and Red Light . but hey, to each their own.

 

[STING2]

WAR is the second U2 album I bought, the first one being Under A Blood Red Sky. WAR is a classic album! Without this album, U2 would not even be a band today. This is the Album that prevented U2 from being dropped or not signed again by Island records. While the band had one album after WAR still left in the contract, if the third album had not been a success, Island records would of pulled the plug completely on funding the band. Without this album, the band would only be remembered by small number of people as this hot live act, that was never able to get enough exposure and were eventually dropped from their lable. Interference.com would not exist. Other than just being a Classic U2 album, it is also the album that saved U2s career. WAR is my 5th favorite U2 album. Here is how I rank U2s albums:

Achtung Baby
Joshua Tree
Unforgetable Fire
ATYCLB
WAR
POP
BOY
Rattle And Hum
ZOOROPA
October

 

[beegee]

war rocks.

 

[Popmartijn]

Sting,

I know that War probably saved U2's carreer (and the accompanying tour was also the first U2 tour that made money). So in 1983 it was an important album for U2. But in retrospect I think it isn't a good album. And you can also argue that The Unforgettable Fire, Boy, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby were very important albums for the band (which they were).

I don't want to start any direct comparisons here in this thread. This is about War! (although that doesn't mean we have to fight)
And indeed, to each his or her own...

C ya!

Marty

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I agree with you. Too much of the album is average for me. That said, the first three songs, two hearts, and 40 are classcs.

 

[U2Kitten]

War is what made me a U2 fan back in the 80's!

Me too!

I think it's held up very well compared to other things of its day. Synchronicity by the Police are probably 1983 at its best. It has SBS and NYD, which are still played regularly on anything from classic rock to new rock stations - I've heard it! Seconds, Two Hearts, Like a Song, Drowning Man, 40- that's more than enough to carry it and say it's stood the test of time. So what if it has a couple of weak songs on it, most albums do. War is in my top 5 along with JT, AB, UF and ATYCLB.

 

[Salome]

you say that "Surrender" does nothing to you and still you say that I "may" think you're crazy??

 

[Seabird]

I LOVE WAR!! It's in my top 3! I know everyone has their own taste but War is great to me.

 

[Bono's shades]

I love War. I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's my third-favorite U2 album, after The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.

 

[filledeperle]

War is OK. I'm not sure how to rank it, but its got some good songs on it (New Year's, Drowning Man, 40), and also some of U2's worst like Refugee. I think having those back-ups singers on the album is what ruined it. I can hardly listen to the album straight through with them singing.

Perle

 

[Seabird]

I didn't like the backup singers either but I still love the album. I forgot to add Surrender to my list, it's a good song.

 

[STING2]

Popmartijn,

" And you can also argue that The Unforgettable Fire, Boy, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby were very important albums for the band (which they were)."

Thats very true, but none of the above albums were crucial to the literal survival of the band. Boy is a great album, but the band were signed to Island records for a four album deal long before they recorded it (6 months). The album did not get them their record deal, nor did it really break them anywhere. The band got most of its fans because of its live shows.

The Unforgettable Fire helped U2 reach a new level of popularity, from Gold Records to Platinum, from a few Arena's and mainly theaters shows to all Arena shows, from popularity in a handfull of countries around the world to album releases and some level of popularity in every market on the planet. Despite critics at the time, it was indeed a better album than War. But it was not crucial to the survival of the band as WAR was.

The Joshua Tree made U2 the biggest music artist in every nook and cranny of the planet. More popular than non-music items such as Coke, Pepsi, Guinness, Peanut Butter etc. It is also perhaps the greatest album in the history of music.

Much of the same can be said about Achtung Baby as Joshua Tree.

Dr. Who once asked if anyone thought U2 was at risk of being dropped by the lable after POP. My thoughts were "not even close" as it was one of the 20 biggest selling albums worldwide in 1997.

But after the October album and tour, the band were in danger of being essentially axed by the lable. The band often talk about these days as working to put food in their mouths. Studio time was expensive for the amount of funds they have. 40 was recorded in Wind Mill Lane with the door locked and the next band outside banging on the door.

 

[martha]

You know, it's ok not to like a U2 album, even if that album was an important one. Statistics and a history lesson, while interesting, don't usually influence personal taste.