Retro Spins: U2 - War

Heading into my third U2 album of the era, I'm at least back in some form of familiar territory with a handful of songs from 1983's War.

While previous albums, Boy, and October focused on themes of adolescence and spirituality, War would see the band step into the world of politics and expressing their views on the state of the world. It would also be their third consecutive album produced by Steve Lillywhite, and also their third album to feature young Peter Rowan on the cover. The previous being the EP, Three, and their debut, Boy. He'd also be featured on later albums, such as The Best of 1980–1990, as well as on several singles.

Upon its release, War became so popular in the UK that it knocked Michael Jackson's Thriller from the number one spot. However, it would only reach number twelve in the USA but became their first gold record in the states.

FUN FACT: The original cassette release contains the full album from start to finish on both sides. No rewinding necessary!

In anticipation of its release in February 1983, the band embarked on the Pre-War Tour in December 1982, using the shows to test the new material with fans. Upon its official release, the full tour kicked off, running until November, and encompassing 110 gigs across Europe, the USA, and Japan. As their popularity continued to grow, the band found themselves moving from clubs, to halls, and then arenas, with crowds expanding more and more with each new venue. U2 had arrived.

A little more hyped up, based on all of the above, I happily fired up War, which kicked off with the thunderous drums of Sunday Bloody Sunday. While I've never been a massive fan of the song, I must admit, it resonated this time around. U2 seemed to come across as a new band. More mature and seasoned.

The Coconuts, of Kid Creole And The Coconuts, providing backing vocals on a few tracks really helps to add a layer of depth to songs. In fact, in the case of Red Light, they're really the reason I actually like the song.

Though I only expected to come away from this listening session with the two hits I knew of, the aforementioned Sunday, and New Year's Day, I did manage to find some additional tracks which also appealed. These included Like A Song..., The Refugee, Red Light, and 40. As a whole, this was a pretty solid listening experience, and it reinvigorates me to get into their next album, 1984's The Unforgettable Fire.

Since its release, War has been praised by critics, and as time has passed, it seems to have only become more and more important to the zeitgeist of 80's music. It's been featured multiple times in various "Best of" lists, multiple time alone by Rolling Stone, who frequently include it in whatever iteration of curated tally they're taking. Despite my personal opinion on the band in the 80's, it was certainly an amazing time to be alive, and watch things like this occur in real time. Long live the 80's! The greatest music era of all time!

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