War by U2: The Raw, Passionate Masterpiece That Elevated Irish Rock

The Random Drop: By 1983, the post-punk movement was often defined by its cool, cynical detachment, but U2 responded by releasing an earnest, overtly political behemoth that completely defied expectations. War traded the atmospheric spirituality of their earlier work for a harsh, militant mix of jagged guitars, impassioned vocals, and stadium-ready anthems. This week, the Random Album Generator gives us the commercial breakthrough of the legendary Irish rockers—a 10-track journey through conflict, faith, and undeniable sonic power.

Inside This Episode:

First Half Reaction: We’re splitting this 10-track post-punk gauntlet down the middle. If you're listening with us, hit pause after track five, "Drowning Man." Jeremy and Jon react to the iconic, marching drum groove of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and the driving bassline of "New Year's Day," and discuss how the band managed to turn heavy sociopolitical themes into massive, radio-friendly hits.

5 Fast Facts: We uncover the unexpected stairwell recording session that gave Larry Mullen Jr.'s drums their massive natural reverb, the chance bus stop encounter that led to a legendary electric violin solo, and the real identity of the intense young boy staring out from the album cover.

Second Half & Final Thoughts: We hit play on the back half of the record and dive into the deeper cuts like the funk-tinged "Two Hearts Beat as One" and the stunning, psalm-inspired closer "40." Does the back half maintain the fierce momentum of the A-side, or does the intensity fade before the needle lifts?

The Verdict & Standout Tracks: Before putting the vinyl back on the shelf to close out this Polyphonic Press review, Jeremy and Jon lock in their 3 essential tracks. Is this the absolute pinnacle of 80s politically charged rock?

Join the Polyphonic Press Community: Love collecting classic vinyl and want to talk about? Reach out and let us know!

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:03

This is Polyphonic Press. The podcast where two music fans pick a classic album completely at random.

SPEAKER_05 0:20

Hey, welcome to Polyphonic Press. I'm Jeremy Boyd.

SPEAKER_04 0:23

And I'm John Van Dyke.

SPEAKER_05 0:25

And uh let's not waste any time. We've got the patented random album generator right in front of us here. Uh so let's hit the button and see what album we're gonna be listening to this week. And the album we're gonna be listening to is U2 War.

SPEAKER_04 0:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 0:41

I think this is one of their first albums. But uh here's a description of the album. It says War, released in 1983, is the album that transformed U2 from a promising post-punk band into one of the biggest rock acts in the world. Driven by urgent rhythms, chiming guitars, and Bono's impassioned vocals, the band's third album channels the political unrest and social tensions of the early 1980s into music that is both confrontational and deeply human. The title reflects the group's view on that conflict, whether military, political, or personal, had become the defining theme of the era. Anchored by the iconic singles Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day, war balances its fierce political commentary with moments of hope, faith, and emotional vulnerability. Tracks like Two Hearts, Speed As One, Surrender, and the closing anthem 40 reveal a band capable of pairing stadium-sized energy with spiritual reflection. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album's raw, muscular sound captures U2 at the hunger at their hungriest, emphasizing Larry Mullen Jr.'s thunderous drumming, The Edge's distinctive guitar work, and Bono's growing confidence as both a songwriter and activist. Both a powerful statement and the exhilarating rock record, War remains one of U2's defining achievements. Its themes of peace, justice, and resilience continue to resonate decades after its release, marking the moment the band found its voice and announced itself as a global force in rock music. So this was released on the 28th of February, 1983, and the genre is post-punk and uh released on Island Records and produced by Steve Lillie White. There are 10 tracks on the album, side one and side two, five and five. So uh if you're listening along, which we do encourage you to do, side one ends with the song Drowning Man. So if you want to pause after that song to listen to the halfway discussion. Alright, here we go. Here is the first song on the album, Sunday Bloody Sunday. So here we go.

SPEAKER_04 2:49

All right, we're going to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_05 4:25

I um I'm actually really liking this so far. I I I liked I I never really got into their early stuff, and it's cool to hear them as like like young and hungry. Um and yeah, so far, I mean it's it's just you can tell hear the uh the the passion in in what they're doing.

SPEAKER_04 4:47

Yeah, exactly. Like uh I've always loved Sunday, Bloody Sunday. I always thought that was like a great song. And yeah, this being so early in their career, you can sort of hear that youthful energy to them.

SPEAKER_05 4:59

Yeah, absolutely. I mean they're they're um you know it's funny is we're used to hearing them as or like I think when we were sort of coming of age, U2 was one of those bands that I didn't really pay too much attention to. So it was it was sort of like I was seeing U2 as they were as like 40 to 45 year olds, and you know, nothing wrong with the music necessarily that they were w making at the time, but it wasn't their best stuff, and I don't and um and so I didn't really pay too much attention to them. And so but yeah, here it's it's um I like the rawness of it. I like the uh I mean and it's still like the Edge is still a very unique guitar player, even here. I mean, he he didn't get into all the effects and everything that he would later, like in on um uh The Joshua Tree, which is also a a good album. So what I think that that was their our first episode was The Joshua Tree. But uh but you know, yeah, you can still hear that he's doing different stuff that even like punk or post punk guitar players weren't doing at this time. And he's just doing something that's totally unique to him.

SPEAKER_04 6:24

Yeah, he's got this uh way of using his guitar as like a a textural soundscape sort of thing, like uh rather than like you know being a shredder or something like that, which was very popular at this point. Um he was he just completely went in a completely different direction.

SPEAKER_05 6:44

Yeah. Yeah, no, he and um and I never really put it together, but like Johnny Marr and the Edge are very they're not they don't sound like each other, but they kind of have the same approach to the guitar.

SPEAKER_04 7:00

Johnny Marr's again, he he's he approaches it, well, you know, he's a Rick and Bacher player, so he he he he likes to use the texture of the guitar as opposed to like you know, hard strumming or something like that. He he likes to do a little bit more like a a finger picking sort of he likes to let the thing ring out whereas I guess the edge he he sort of does that too, but he'll do like a hard strumming, but it's it's more again, sort of like a a textural thing.

SPEAKER_05 7:33

Yeah, that's what I mean, is like their approach is not necessarily to uh create guitar tone like guitar lines, like typical guitar like blues elixir or anything like that. They're they're creating these textures and these uh atmospheres. And um and like I said, the edge, like this is recorded pretty raw, more raw than I'm used to hearing U2. But there's that there's still that that approach, and um I always liked the way that um they all played together. And it's it's cool that the U2 is a band that they never changed their lineup. They is still the the original members are still playing together. They're they're they never changed or anything like that. And uh it's pretty remarkable that I think they're one of the only bands that have done that for that long.

SPEAKER_04 8:30

Yeah, I other than Sloan, I can't think of other ones particularly that that haven't had some sort of change up, uh lineup change.

SPEAKER_05 8:38

Yeah, and you know, U2 has got like 10 or 12 years on Sloane. Um But I I I really do think, and I as far as I know, um yeah, all the tracks are written by U2, which means that they split the money evenly. Um you know, Bono might come in with a song and some chords and they but they all contribute their parts to it, so they all get a r songwriting credit to it. And you know, as I was I was um watching uh Instagram reel on it was somebody talking about they he didn't say what the band was, but uh it was um it was a big band from the eighties. He didn't reveal their name, but it was some big band from the eighties, and the lead singer had uh basically just uh taken all the credit for writing the songs, like just you know, and maybe this the singer came up with all the ideas for the songs, but it meant that the singer got more royalties than the rest of the band. The band would probably get royalties from the sales of the album because they played on it and any revenue that they got from touring, but from the actual songwriting, it all only went to the lead singer. So that that creates a a big division within the band. And so whether like consciously or not, the rest of the band is gonna look at the lead singer as that guy, as uh well, why are you you're getting paid more than me, but we all contributed to the song, and it just creates this tension, this unnecessary tension. And I I think I really do think I mean I think you too is the proof that if everybody feels like they're being uh compensated fairly and they're contributing equally, then uh everybody's happy.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

I mean, I guess different things work for different bands, but what seems to usually work for most bands and and how they keep it together, especially if you're gonna be one lineup for as long as you are, yeah, being pretty democratic about it is the best way to go.

SPEAKER_05 11:06

Yeah, and and that way, you know, every nobody has to think about all the personal stuff. And I mean, obviously there's gonna be disagreements and maybe there's even big fights, but nobody is gonna feel like they're they're not equal. Um, you know, nobody's gonna feel like there's there's uh because you know, every band fights, every band has their issues. Um, it's just humans. I mean, you've got coworkers that you have issues with or whatever it is. It's just when humans get together, there's conflict. Um it's unavoid uh unavoidable. But if the conflict is not f because somebody feels lower than anybody else in the band, then it's then then you can just resolve whatever the issue of the day is rather than holding on to some sort of resentment.

SPEAKER_04 11:59

Yeah, especially if it's like an older resentment that's been lying dormant for a while, and it might be completely unin uh you know unrelated to the new argument, but it comes up and it just adds to it.

SPEAKER_05 12:14

And so I admire them for kind of and I I'm I'm surprised that more bands don't take that approach. Um it doesn't seem to be the typical way of that bands do things. It usually seems to be like you know, you've got you know Keith Richards and and Mick Jagger writing all the Rolling Stones songs, you got Lennon and McCartney, um John Fog that that was a big reason that Credence Clearwater Revival broke up is p John Fogarty was taking uh like writing all the songs and no you know that was a big thing. There's a whole we'll talk about that when we do the Credence record, but um but yeah, it just it seems to be the that this approach of of uh everybody sharing equal credit, um, like giving credit to the band, uh and then you know splitting everything twenty-five, twenty-five, twenty-five, twenty-five. Um you know, seems to be I mean the results speak for itself. They've been together for almost fifty years at this point. So um Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

Yeah, I think they they formed in like what 1977 or something like that.

SPEAKER_05 13:33

Something like that. Yeah, they were in high school in in Dublin. Um at least, you know, uh the Edge and Bono, that's when they got together. I don't know about the other two guys, uh Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen. Um so yeah, so they're they that it from what I I don't know exactly, but I from what I observe that seems to be the way to keep bands together. And and I think it has to be worth keeping together. Like they're they are a good band. Um they're not always my go-to to listen to, but like this, like their early stuff, like yeah, you're right. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a is a really good song with a unique drum pattern. I I always loved the drums in that because it's just kind of chaotic, but it's still keeping the beat. Um I I love the way that the drums are are like it's a very creative drum pattern. Um and uh I think that probably one of my favorite songs of theirs.

SPEAKER_04 14:37

Yeah, I think it's up there for me too.

SPEAKER_05 14:40

Yeah. And I liked uh like a song. I like that the it was almost like a fast punk song, really. Um I really, I really like that. I mean they're a great like they play together, and this is only their third album, and you can t tell that they're really um they're really locked in with each other. Um and they sort of they they know their parts and they they I don't know how they approach this if this was recorded live or just like with overdubs, but either way, I mean I think it they sort of know how to play off of each other. Um and uh and you know, it like I said, is it is a little bit raw, but um they kind of know what they're doing. Um and you know, it might be a little rough around the edges, but they kind of they pretty much have have it figured out.

SPEAKER_04 15:35

Yeah, I mean if this is rough around the edges, it's pretty good. So it's you know, it's not sometimes I like things that are a little rough around the edges. Um but it just adds that humanity to it. Yeah, this album is so far it seems to be, you know, it's their I don't know if it's their peak popularity, but I think it might be their their peak energy-wise, maybe, or I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 16:01

Yeah, for sure. I mean I think Joshua Tree was at their peak in terms of popularity, but this is the album that broke through. Yeah, this is the one that broke through, yeah. I I think n Sunday, Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day, I think those were big videos on MP MTV's early days. Um uh yeah, so yeah, as you're right. I mean, as far as energy, um, this really uh this is this is definitely them at their most uh most youthful and most most energetic. Um and it's cool to hear. It's cool to hear where they came from. Um but I did manage to find some uh interesting facts about the album. So the New Year's Day bass line was an accidental visage ripoff. Uh Adam Clayton stumbled upon what would become one of the most recognizable bass lines in rock history entirely by mistake. He was actually actually just trying to figure out how to play the chords to Visage's uh 1980 synthpop hit Fade to Gray. The resulting accidental progression gave New Year's Day its driving distinctive rhythm. That's cool, that's interesting. I mean, that happens to me. Some that has happened to me where I'll be trying to figure something out, but I'll kind of mm play the wrong chord or something, and it's like, oh, that actually works, and it's kind of go down that road.

SPEAKER_04 18:19

Sort of try to do something, wind up creating something else.

SPEAKER_05 18:24

Yeah. No, it's cool when that happens. Yeah, and it's a it is a good bass line, that's for sure. Um and number two is Sunday Bloody Sunday began as a domestic argument. Um while widely celebrated as one of the greatest political protest songs ever written, its genesis was surprisingly personal. The Edge originally wrote the aggressive guitar riff and early lyrics out of frustration and self-doubt following a bitter argument with his girlfriend. Uh, furthermore, the song's haunting electric violin part was also a fluke. It was recorded in half a day after The Edge had chan had a chance encounter with violinist Steve Wickham at a local bus stop. You never know when where inspiration is gonna come from. That's cool. That's yeah, that's interesting. Uh this is funny, is uh number three is uh Swedish girls stood in as the band's stunt doubles. Um the music video for New Year's Day was shot in Sweden, but during the dead of winter, the temperatures were so unforgivingly brutal that the band couldn't manage the horseback riding sequences. Instead of braving the cold, the production crew recruited four local Swedish girls, bundled them up as body doubles, and had them ride the horses through the snow in the band's place.

SPEAKER_04 19:43

Okay. A little bit used more used to the uh temperatures then, I guess.

SPEAKER_05 19:49

I guess so. Like these these Irish boys don't know what they're doing. Let's show them how it's done here in Sweden. Oi, it's bloody cold. Uh that's funny. I didn't know that. That's really funny. Yeah. And uh number four is uh Kid Creel's backup singers made a surprise cameo. The album's generally harsh post punk sound got its surprising injection of electric flare thanks to a happy studio accident. The Coconuts, uh the backup singers for the American musical group musical group Kid Creel and the Coconuts happened to be on tour in Dublin while U2 was recording at Windmill Lane Studios. Producer Steve Lillywhite invited them in and they ended up providing the backing vocals for Surrender and Red Light. That's cool. There I I did there was another story like that about a famous singer that was just hanging around a studio and she ended up singing backing vocals on one of the tri it was I think it was was it was it the Pet Shop Boys maybe? I don't know. I sing uh it could be. Anyway, that that's pretty cool. And uh and then number five, uh their angriest punk song was only ever played live once. Uh Bono wrote the aggressive track like a song, specifically as a middle finger to critics who claimed the band was too earnest, worthy, and not punk enough for their er for the early 80s scene. Despite it being a ferocious track that perfectly encapula encapulates encapsulates the ban the album's harsh tone, U2 has played it live exactly one time in their entire career. The Chariot Hall in Dundee, Scotland, on February 26, 1983. Huh. I wonder why they don't play it. It's two punks. That wouldn't stop me. The critics are right. It's two punks, they're not punk enough. I don't know. But anyway, those are some uh interesting facts about the album. But uh I guess we'll get back into the second side, and it starts with the refugee. So here we go. Ending the album with 40. Yeah, I mean I really enjoyed this album. I think uh there really wasn't a uh low point for me. Um it was uh you know it was cool to hear them as uh as a as a band. I mean they're usually layered with all these effects, which is a cool sound, but it's it's it's cool to hear them as a um as a functioning you know unit as as a a band playing together. It was uh yeah, I I I really enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_04 23:53

Yeah, it's a good album. Um I heard a little bit of the layering going on, but I think it was more studio um stuff going on than than the edge with a pedal board or anything like that, really. Um there might have been a little bit of that, but uh yeah, he he he would take his I mean he would I think I've said this before, but he uses his pedal board like a s a digital synthesizer, a modular synthesizer. Um and but but uses his guitar as an output as instead of a keyboard.

SPEAKER_05 24:25

Yeah, no, exactly. And and uh you know, as we said before, and I think it's worth repeating here, uh that um a lot of a lot of people I I see this online as a lot of people kind of put down the edge as not a um as a not a good guitar player or something, like not a worthy guitar player, but um I you know his his approach is really unique and like you said, he's I don't think it's any less legitimate.

SPEAKER_04 24:54

Like if you can create a sound on a guitar and it sounds good, I don't see how that's less legitimate than somebody who's like I don't know, uh a shredder or a whiz. Honestly, there's a lot of shredders out there that obviously took a lot of time uh and effort to learn how to do that, and I can't listen to them.

SPEAKER_05 25:19

No, because it's uh there you know, it it's well like what what are you trying to do? You like you're trying to make music that communicates with people and and moves people and and that people like. And so as long as it sounds good and people like it, like who cares how difficult it is to play? And you're right, I mean, there's no although all those shredders, I mean, they're they're technically very good, but uh but yeah, it's just it's just um it just becomes like a a show-off and it's there's not not much feeling behind it. Whereas, you know, yes, he uses a lot of effects, but he's creating really unique sounds, and um and it's not by accident. I mean he works hard at uh creating those sounds, and just because the the actual guitar line is you know simple to play, maybe it's two notes, but it's two notes through this really weird effect, and it sounds cool.

SPEAKER_04 26:24

Also, he does have actually a really good uh technique in his uh right hand on on his uh strumming hand, and and and sometimes developing that is harder because it doesn't come naturally to a lot of people.

SPEAKER_05 26:37

Yeah, he's a really good rhythm, like he's his timing is really good. And um and I did I there there was actually another video that I saw fairly recently, um, and it was how he got some of a lot of his sounds, like a lot of it is with like a delay pedal that he would do, and and uh how he got some of his tone was you know how on some picks there will be one s one side will have like it'll be um uh it'll have a texture that'll make it easier to grip and to to hold. Well he will actually play with that side, and so it's kind of scraping the strings and it's really subtle, but he's just using that side of the pick to strum. Um, and uh yeah, it's just it's just yeah, he was just probably you know screwing around one day and picked up the wrong side of the pick and said and uh anybody else would have just oh, you know, that's not the proper way to hold it. You gotta you know hold it the other way. But he was like, Oh, that's so that sounds cool. I'm gonna do that from now on. Um you know, so it's it's things like that that I think he's an innovative player. Uh I think Larry Mullen is a really unique drummer. Like I said, like Sunday, Bloody Sunday, that's a really interesting drum pattern that's not just a straight beat. Um, Adam Clayton is a great bass player. I mean, I've heard some of his lines over the years, and I've always respected him. And you know, Bono, I mean, yeah, he can be annoying sometimes, but he's a he's a pretty good singer and a pretty good lyricist, too. So I think I like I do respect you two as a band and as as musicians. And you know, just because uh not everything they do is appealing to me, I I have a pretty big good amount of respect for what they do.

SPEAKER_04 28:38

Yeah, me too. And and as far as Bono being annoying, I mean he's he he believes in a lot of things and he honestly does try. I know sometimes you feel like like he's obviously like this rich rock star and stuff like that, but he does actually care about these issues that he g that he talks about. So and and you kinda need people like that. And a lot of people will drag people like that just because they are uh in a high place, but you need people in high places to be able to see, you know, from the perspective of someone who's not in such a high place. I mean it's it's important in in in in general. I mean that's how things get done. I mean you can't have everybody who's standing in the ivory tower w to want to actually oppress us or something like that. It's it just doesn't it'll never work.

SPEAKER_05 29:39

Exactly. Exactly. And he and he, you know, he's yeah, he's trying. He's he's trying, he's at least trying, and he's doing something, you know, and uh yeah, you're exactly right. Um you know, people said the same same thing about John Lennon, um, and uh, you know, p pick pick any any famous person that you know that that has taken a stand on something to help regular people, regular folks, and people call them a hypocrite for being wealthy. And it's like, okay, but what are you doing with your wealth? You're just or or your fame, or you're not you're these people they're they're using their their power for something good, and maybe maybe it's self-motivated, but who cares? At least something good is being done. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 30:34

I I kind of feel that way too. I mean and sometimes I honestly believe it's not just self-motivating, it's it's stuff that they honestly care about. Um sometimes it's self-motivating, but a lot of times it's not. I mean, just just because you perceive it that way doesn't mean it actually is that way. No, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 30:55

Um yeah, no, it's yeah, it's it's ridiculous. But uh, you know, getting back to the album, uh what uh what would be your three uh highlights on the album?

SPEAKER_04 31:07

I thought I had them or at least for the first half of the the album. The second half, like threw a lot of other ones in in the mix though, but I think Sunday, Bloody Sunday is always gonna be one of my top favorites. New Year's Day is a really good song too. I don't know if I'm gonna put that in my top because like I said, you said like a song was a really good song. And uh that's just the first half of the album. Um I really like the ones they did with the coconuts, uh Red Light and and Surrender. Those were really good songs. They were really interesting. Two Hearts Beat as One. That was really it's it's really hard. The refugee was really good too. I just it's it is hard. Um but Sunday, Bloody Sunday is for sure. I guess I'm gonna go with New Year's Day just because I don't know, it's another great song, and it was another pick uh hit off the album. And then I think I'm going to pick The Refugee. That was kind of fun. It was like uh another punk song that they added. I like that.

SPEAKER_05 32:08

Yeah, I mean those Yeah, those are good choices. Those are good choices. I think mine would probably be Yeah, I think I would go with Sunday Bloody Sunday. I mean, I've always liked that song. Um I think probably Two Hearts Beat as one. Um I like the energy in that one. And then I think you're right. I think I like uh Surrender. I think yeah, the the backing vocals in that was cool, and I like the edge was doing some really funky guitar work in that. Uh that was uh and it had a really cool, like like sp spacey, like kind of spooky groove. Um so I like that. Yeah, I think those would be my picks. Uh Sunday, Bloody Sunday, Two Hearts Beat as One and Surrender. So I guess that brings us to the question would you listen to the album again?

SPEAKER_04 32:57

Yeah, and I think this is a really good album. I think it's my favorite of theirs so far.

SPEAKER_05 33:02

Yeah, I would too. Um yeah, it's it's it's really well done. I think it's um really interesting, and uh yeah, I would definitely listen to this again. I mean, I there really isn't there really wasn't a song that I didn't like here.

SPEAKER_04 33:17

Um and I thought Seconds was a little weak, but it was it was only because it came right after Sunday, bloody Sunday. So um it just I don't know, maybe it's a placing issue, but it just didn't have much of a chance standing up to that, and then New Year's Day came right after that or anything like that. It might just be a perception thing, but there was so much strong stuff on the album I can't really drag it.

SPEAKER_05 33:42

So yeah, no, it it might be the weakest spot on the album, but it's still not a bad song.

SPEAKER_04 33:48

Yeah, really.

SPEAKER_05 33:49

So, yeah, so I guess we'll uh end the episode there. Uh, thank you so much for listening if you made it this far. Uh, we would love to hear from you. If you want to uh drop us a line, go to our website, polyphonicpress.com, and go to the contact page. And uh you we might want uh we might um read your mail on the air on one of these episodes. And uh if you want to help us out and hang out with us, uh go to our Patreon, go to patreon.com slash polyphonic press. And uh lots of cool stuff there. You can pick an album for us to review, uh, get these episodes the day before they go live, and uh get a shout-out during these episodes. And uh if this is your first time listening, be sure to follow the show, leave a rating and review, because it helps uh new listeners find us. And I think that just about does it. I'm Jeremy Boyd, I'm John Van Dyke. Take it easy.