Track Listing

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2, Bono
2. Seconds
3. New Year's Day
4. Like a Song...
5. Drowning Man
6. The Refugee
7. Two Hearts Beat as One
8. Red Light
9. Surrender
10. "40"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11413 in Music
• Released on: 1990-06-15
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
RE-MASTERED VERSION (1CD): standard jewel case w/ 24pg. book

Amazon.com essential recording
The final album of U2's early period, before the group broadened its sonic palette and lyrical vision, War is a brilliantly conflicted album, sounding martial and majestic while its very purpose is to tear down false idols propped up by politics. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "40" take the subject of Ireland's troubles head-on, while it's the subtext of "New Year's Day," which is about a sundered love relationship symbolic of a greater division. "Torn in two, we can be one," Bono pleads, as Edge's guitar scratches and snarls behind him. Songs such as "Two Hearts Beat as One" and the delicate "Drowning Man" take a back seat here, but they help make War a compelling and well-rounded album. --Daniel Durchholz

Amazon.com
U2 weren't always over-the-top multimedia showmen. Early on, as on this third album, they were an impassioned young rock band from Ireland, a country trapped in an endless civil war--a war whose terrors find their way into nearly every song on the record and into Bono's tormented howl, even as military rhythms find their way into Larry Mullen Jr.'s rattling drumbeats. War doesn't quite capture U2's live fire, but its arty production does augment the songs with some extraordinary touches: the stately piano that offsets the Edge's stuttering, keening guitar on "New Year's Day," the electric violin that darkens "Sunday Bloody Sunday," the disco-fied thump behind the jittering riff of "Two Hearts Beat as One." --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews

One of U2's best
This is one of U2's best albums. Almost every song is great and 3 were hit singles, including Sunday, Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day and Two Hearts. New Year's Day has become a radio staple classic and is still fresh 20-something years later. I bought this cd for the remastering and I wasn't disappointed, the remastering is excellent. This is my 5th favorite U2 cd in the following order.

1 Achtung Baby
2 All That You Can't Leave Behind
3 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
4 Pop
5 War

Sorry folks but I'm not a huge fan of the Joshua Tree although that would come in 6th. For those of you that have never listened to War, you are in for a pleasant surprise. It was one of their most MOR(Middle of the Road) albums and it features their trademark anti-war protest lyrics. Very accessible, original music. One of the classic cd's of the 80's New Wave movement and a huge influence on other bands at the time.

Part 1 of early U2
When it comes to a band like U2, it's always hard to say which period is "classic U2". Well I feel the War album was the last of the raw, new wave, earthy, rock sound that is very melodic and completed with the Edge's unique guitar style. You can really hear Adam and Larry contributing for sure. It has a much different sound than Boy and October, but it also stands in it's own catagory. New Years Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Surrender are my favorites but then again I love the whole album....This is a cd to complete your U2 collection for sure!

Still the Best
Without a doubt this is one of the best albums of the Irish band U2.
The sound is greater than ever.

It's like getting back to basics of rock and roll and still sounds new.

The artwork it's fantastic.

Seat on your favorite place, grab a good drink, enjoy the artwork and listen to one of the best albums of all time.

Cheers from Mexico City.