War is the third studio album by U2. It is the first LP by U2 which they take an explicit political statement. Of this album are New year's Day, Two Hearts Beat As One and released as a single Sunday Bloody Sunday . 40 is also released as a single but only in Germany.
Content[]
History[Edit][]
After the rather trippy and negative retrieved October, were looking for U2 and producer Steve Lillywhite to a louder sound. Also the spiritual texts of the previous album replaced by protest texts, it is for the first time U2 an explicit, political date. By the strongly present drumming of Larry Mullen Jr., mainly on Sunday Bloody Sunday and the album Like a Song Gets a strong (anti) military character. It is also the first album in which The Edge backing vocals done.
The shooting of War ran out, leaving many numbers were taken at night. At seven o'clock in the morning, however, they were not yet ready, allowing Bono to sing songs sat in, while another band in the hallway was waiting. Also mixing could not happen later, so that the recordings took place at the same time and mix songs. Steve Lillywhite told later that New year's Day in ten minutes was mixed. This had, however, not affect the sales figures: War debuted at the first place of the English albumcharts and reached double-platinum in 1992.
On the cover is the same boy as on the cover of Boy, Peter Rowan. The cover is less controversial than Boy, because Rowan is older and less exposed in image than their debut album. The title originally had a pink color, but was later replaced by blood red. In Japan became a more comic-like version of the controversial photo released.
Themes[Edit][]
The theme of War is war. The opening track, Sunday Bloody Sunday, is a protest song that at a stroke does away with all the spiritual and innocent image of the previous albums. Under a Blood Red Sky while Bono says that the song is not "rebel song", but a positive protest song. The song deals with the State of affairs of the "Bloody Sunday" in 1972, in which 13 Irish citizens were murdered by British paratroopers in Derrycity, an escalation of "the troubles" in Ireland, where the Catholic and Protestant population face each other. The band itself is half Catholic and half Protestant. Where no Sunday Bloody Sunday "rebel song" was Like a Song , is that all the more (Too right to be wrong/In this rebel song). It is an indictment of the society (And if you can't help yourself/Well take a look around you/When others need your time/You say it's time to go ... it's your time), but is mostly about the passive and hypocritical protesters from the 80 's, who expressed in the clothing choice and pins. Bono should have nothing of this "armchair socialism" (And in leather, lace and chains we stake our claim/Revolution once again/No I won't, I won't wear it on my sleeve./I can see through this expression and you know I don't believe; And we love to wear a badge, a uniform/And we love to fly a flag/But I won't let others live in hell and Angry words won't stop the fight/Two wrongs won't make it right.) Ironically, it would be the same song now can be used against the "meaningless expressions" among otherLive 8 's and other pro-Africa institutions, for which Bono now bet.
Bono began New year's Day to write a love song out of it, but in the meantime also got a political charge and refers to the solidarity movement of Lech Walesa in Poland. Most political rule (And so we are told this is the golden age/And gold is the reason for the wars we wage), however, is removed in the later Best ofcompilations, and is on the radio to hear even more very rarely in the full album version with the above sentence.
Music critics praised that the texts gave no solution to world problems, but they only raise that Bono. Well it seems that Bono wore his political views and from his own character on a bit messy downstairs he indignation at, see the passages A new heart is what I need./Oh, God make it bleed in Like a Song and I don't know which side I'm on./I don't know my right from my left or right from wrong./They say I'm a fool, they say I'm nothing from Two Hearts Beat as One.
Other songs are about nuclear weapons (Seconds) or about prostitution (Red Light). The closing track of the album, titled "40", is in terms of text based on the biblical psalm of David, 40.
Tracklist[Edit][]
- Sunday Bloody Sunday -4: 40
- Seconds -3: 10
- New year's Day -5: 35
- Like A Song -4: 46
- Drowning Man -4: 14
- The Refugee -3: 40
- Two Hearts Beat As One -4: 03
- Red Light -3: 46
- Surrender -5: 34
- 40 -2: 35
New year's Day, Two Hearts Beat As One and Sunday Bloody Sunday are released as a single. 40 is released as a single in Germany.
Occupation[Edit][]
- Bono - vocals, guitar
- The Edge – guitar, piano, lap steel guitar, vocals
- Adam Clayton - bass guitar
- Larry Mullen Jr. - drums
In Exchange the number 40 The Edge and Adam Clayton of instrument
Extra: