U2: War

U2's third album War was my favorite record of 1983. I had heard songs from their previous records, but "New Year's Day" really sold me on the band. Besides, they looked so much cooler posing in the snow than they did goofing around on the Dublin docks for the "Gloria" video. What really impressed me most, however, was The Edge's guitar sound. I had grown up listening to classic rock (it wasn't called that then), but as the '80's kicked in, I started getting exposed to newer sounds. U2 proved that bands didn't need to include ridiculous guitar solos to be relevant. Remember, this wasn't too long after pompous albums such as Frampton Comes Alive were multi-million sellers. As I got older, I started to like U2's 'weirder' albums like October and The Unforgettable Fire the most, but when revisiting War, I'm reminded how relevant this record still is. Sure, the Cold War is over and the situation in Northern Ireland has certainly simmered, but the world is still a fucked up place, so there is always room for a kick ass post-punk record, which makes you think. War finds Bono being political but not overly preachy as he sometimes can be. His passionate vocals still give me goosebumps on  "New Year's Day," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and "Two Hearts Beat As One." The Edge adds to the mix with a staggering combination of effects pedal wizardry and simple, yet potent power chords, while Larry Mullen, Jr.'s militaristic drum sound adds to the icy atmosphere of this record. When listening to War again, I'm reminded how great the non-singles are, like the heavy hitting "Like A Song," or  the all-too-brief down tempo pieces "Drowning Man" and "40," which ended Sides 1 and 2 in the pre-CD days. U2 seemed to get a little silly and too much limousine rock post-Joshua Tree, though I do love Achtung Baby (at least I think I do, it's been awhile!), but their early records still remain post-punk treasures. Speaking of, I always thought it was a shame that "Treasure," the 'edgy' "New Year's Day" B-Side wasn't included on War.