War vs UF

[U2girl]

OK, let's not talk about JT vs AB or 90s vs 00s for a change...I'm curious to hear what Interference thinks on these two underrated pre-JT albums.

Both were important albums, one that started to show the talent of U2 and had the political/spiritual/emotional themes into one for the first time and the other that started the long-time relationship with Eno/Lanois and the keyboards expansion of their sound. Both have U2 classics like SBS and NYD or Pride, both have Bono growing as a writer and a singer. One with the aggressive guitar in front, other with more spacious, atmospheric sound.

Which do you vote for?

 

[U2Man]

UF

 

[Zoots]

It would probably have to be UF by a tad but I still would like to do a song by song 5 point evaluation or something and average it out to see which comes out on top!

 

[Canadiens1131]

UF.

 

[laol]

UF for me as well!

 

[U2DMfan]

I think TUF has more brilliance.
That said, 'War' is totally awesome in it's own right.
Even The Refugee!

 

[LMP]

Well, UF has Bad, War does not.

UF wins.

 

[Zoots]

Well, UF has Bad, War does not.

UF wins.

But War has NYD.

 

[Chizip]

UF by a longshot

 

[LMP]

But War has NYD.

true

but UF's title track, zomg

 

[Bonos_Lemon]

War was my third album, UF was my second to last. I vote for War simply because its songs are what made me crazy about U2.

 

[Zoots]

true

but UF's title track, zomg

But War has Like A Song

 

[JCOSTER]

I love UF for its physchedlic sounds, especially when your listening through your ipod drifting off to sleep....

 

[J_NP]

Tough one , specially recently I have really discovered more of War Live , Seconds sounds so fuckin awesome , there is also Surrender ...... anyway

The point is , focus on Edge for example , while in War , his playin is more raw , agressive , in UF his guitar shines , but in other way , save from Pride his guitar playing is very different , much more sonic .....

In the end of the day , with Showndowns , picking 4 of each

Pride , UF , Bad , and Homecoming

against

Sunday , NYD , Like a Song , Two Hearts beats One

UF comes out victorius , but EXTREMELY beaten

 

[Screwtape2]

It would probably have to be UF by a tad but I still would like to do a song by song 5 point evaluation or something and average it out to see which comes out on top!

You can't judge an album by ranking each song and adding it up. That goes against the very definition of an album. The songs are only part of it. You have to look at the moods, the atmosphere, the themes, the message, the flow and so on. Every song independently might not be great but they can be essential to creating the location and feeling of the album. Don't short-change the band. You are really missing something if you only listen to the songs and not look at the other elements of the album. It's a direspect to a band that makes great cinematic and passionate albums
That said, the answer is The Unforgettable Fire. For all the reasons you don't judge an album simply on the song rankings. TUF is subtle. It doesn't sound forced. The album takes you somewhere. In TUF the antagonist and protagonist are the agression and restraint in Bono's vocals and the music. The conflict is the want to let out what is inside. Because of that setup, the album couldn't be as bombastic as War or as many classic songs. Perhaps that makes the album a more nobler effort and a more complete and fulfilled one. TUF takes the listener into a place of contemplation where the fury of War becomes an introspection of more whispers then screams. Bono's vocals are the most beautiful of his career. The anger of War won't lose it's power but the music will. TUF is timeless. The Unforgettable Fire is the better album and the one that will stand the test of time.

 

[CTU2fan]

Well I'll buck the trend...WAR

I like UF a lot, it's not as though War totally out-does UF...but IMO UF's production is a bit weak. Listen to Boy, October, and War, to a large extent the album versions of tracks can compare with the live ones...the tracks on UF & JT, by contrast, are so much better when played live. UF is a great album, no doubt...but as a fan who particularly enjoys live U2 I didn't much care for the "atmosphere" you have with the studio UF tracks.

Also, does anyone notice how B's vocals on UF come through a bit thin? Listen to Bad for example...you know how the song builds up to the "let it go, not fade away, wide awake, not sleeping" parts. Bono almost seems to be holding back there; compare that to how his voice just explodes on any of the 80's live versions of the song.

 

[tpsglick2424]

War!

 

[Zoots]

You can't judge an album by ranking each song and adding it up. That goes against the very definition of an album. The songs are only part of it. You have to look at the moods, the atmosphere, the themes, the message, the flow and so on. Every song independently might not be great but they can be essential to creating the location and feeling of the album.

Okay, that is true! There's no point in doing a 5 point evaluation on something like UF. It's better suited for the Bomb probably.

 

[ponkine]

This is one of the hardest ever!

UF has Bad ... War has Sunday Bloody Sunday
UF has Pride ... Was has New Year's Day
War has "40" ... UF has MLK
Was has Surrender ... UF has A Sort Of Homecoming

I really don't know, sometimes I love War more, and sometimes I love UF more

 

[BANZAI]

Definitely The Unforgettable Fire! It's the MOST atmospheric album U2 has ever made.

 

[Screwtape2]

Okay, that is true! There's no point in doing a 5 point evaluation on something like UF. It's better suited for the Bomb probably.

There is no sense in doing a 5 point evaluation on any album. Part of the problem with Bomb is that it is simply a collection of songs and doesn't have a collective mood or feeling or whatever.
To me the two worst ways you judge an album are:
1. Judging it based simply on the songs
2. If it was great live that that somehow detracts from the album

 

[Salome]

Unforgettable Fire is my favourite U2 album

 

[Aygo]

I take UF...
I love every U2 album, but War is on the bottom places of my ranking, because there are too many songs that don't belong to my favourite ones, or maybe others didn't call me the attention others did. But it's a very good rocking album, with a great message and very cohesive.

UF - even though having Elvis Presley And America that I'm far from praising it - is a new flame at that point and have many strong songs, different but that work as a whole.

 

[Aygo]

Okay, that is true! There's no point in doing a 5 point evaluation on something like UF. It's better suited for the Bomb probably.

Zootlesque, acording to the new "rules" on the forum, this kind of sentences and opinions are forbidden here and must be punished.

 

[LMP]

Definitely The Unforgettable Fire! It's the MOST atmospheric album U2 has ever made.

Normally I'd agree, but I think the Passengers album has more of an atmospheric feel to it.

 

[xaviMF22]

UF

 

[xaviMF22]

Normally I'd agree, but I think the Passengers album has more of an atmospheric feel to it.

but I don't think passenger counts as aU2 album....

 

[LMP]

but I don't think passenger counts as aU2 album....

That's the problem, it's a half/half thing.

Half consider it an album, and half don't.



but out of the confirmed U2 releases, UF most definitely wins.

Promenade

 

[pattip2000]

This is one of the hardest ever!

UF has Bad ... War has Sunday Bloody Sunday
UF has Pride ... Was has New Year's Day
War has "40" ... UF has MLK
Was has Surrender ... UF has A Sort Of Homecoming

I really don't know, sometimes I love War more, and sometimes I love UF more

but you forgot TUF has Wire so it wins (IMO)

 

[namkcuR]

That's the problem, it's a half/half thing.

Half consider it an album, and half don't.



but out of the confirmed U2 releases, UF most definitely wins.

Promenade

What about Zooropa? Zooropa is a very atmospheric record.