(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . IVH: U2 / Live "Under A Blood Red Sky" [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-08-10 Tonight’s selections from U2’s 1983 live mini-album; Live “Under a Blood Red Sky”. In the early 1980s, U2 had earned critical respect and a swelling fanbase but, despite a UK #1 album, were far from superstardom. After debuting with Boy (1980), an album of strident post-punk, then following with a brief yet still promising hiccup (1981's October), in 1983 they released the more direct and overtly political War. Now tackling big themes and universal concerns with dramatic gestures and chest-beating choruses, U2 weren't yet an arena band but they carried themselves like one. What's more, they actually sounded better the bigger and brasher and bolder their music got. It's no surprise then that, in the U.S., this would-be Important Rock Group's profile and reputation became, like many other important rock groups, amplified via live performances-- the group's eye-opening 1985 Live Aid set, and the earlier mini concert album, Under a Blood Red Sky. One of the younger bands on Live Aid's Boomer-heavy bill, U2 spent more than half of their alloted time performing "Bad", the standout track from their then-recent The Unforgettable Fire. While most of the bands onstage in London and Philly that weekend remained aloof and distant from the enormous crowds, Bono waded into the photo pit to embrace and slow dance with a member of the audience-- a rare moment of real human connection at what was meant to be a showcase of global unity. Only Queen and their monumental performance of "We Are the Champions" came off better that weekend. — Pitchfork Sunday Bloody Sunday Releasing their debut Boy in 1980, U2 differentiated themselves from their influences, with a soaring collection of autobiographical songs dealing with the loss of innocence and specifically, the loss Bono’s mother, who passed away in 1974. Though emotionally resonant on songs like “I Will Follow” and “Out of Control”, lyrically Boy wasn’t all there yet—mainly due to Bono taking cues from Iggy Pop, who would improvise lyrics while performing. Still, Boy was an auspicious start to what would be a behemoth of a career, with the press already rapturous about the quartet. Their follow-up, October, briefly let the air out of their bubble. While it had its moments, it was marred by stolen lyrics sheets and music just weeks before recording. Because of this, October felt unfinished. In 1983, their third record, War, was the statement U2 was trying to make, and it boosted them to a #1 spot on the British charts and a steady top 20 position on the US charts throughout the year. Beginning an infatuation with the American landscape, evident on later releases like The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum, U2 looked to their Denver tour stop to record and videotape a concert at Red Rocks, an especially scenic venue placed in a rock structure just outside of Denver. The tour hit a snag as it was pouring rain before the show—so much so that cancellation was a possibility. In fact, openers The Alarm and Divinyls didn’t even play. Having too much money put into the production, U2 pressed on even though only a little over half of the sold-out crowd showed up. What followed was a rousing performance—typical of U2—one that Rolling Stone ended up placing in its Top 50 Moments in Rock History. — Consequence Gloria Having found commercial success in the States at last with the release of the War album and embarking on a US tour to back the record, U2 quickly built a reputation among concert goers as one of the best live acts in the business. With punk never really taking a foot hold in America (that would take another ten years, it seems) and old guard bands giving way to a new wave pop bands, new wave synth bands, new wave rock bands, and simply a new wave in general that made anything and everything seem possible, if not exactly commercially viable, U2 emerged as a leader of a small group of bands such as Big Country and The Alarm which played guitars with a new kind of sound and in a somewhat new kind of way. The common denominator of all these bands was that they were idealistic, came from somewhere in the British Isles, and were earnest to a fault while wearing a perfectly straight face. Serious young men wearing their hearts on their sleeves forming serious young bands and taking their message to the world, they would soon find fans that were like-minded and as passionate about this new music as they were. With metal being too decadent for many, punk being too violent, and arena rock with it's emerging power ballad/hair metal bands simply being too boring, U2 and a small handful of contemporaries would unintentionally (or some would say not so unintentionally) change the rules of what an arena rock band was and could be. And 'Under A Blood Red Sky Live" is the very sound of the musical tide changing. Recorded on a rainy, fog draped night at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, this is the album that would launch a seemingly endless flow of "at Red Rocks" albums by everyone from Dave Matthews to John Tesh wishing to recapture the magic U2 found on the night they performed there amidst several thousand young and enthusiastic fans. With the band inspired by the rain, cold, fog, and brightly lit torches of the natural outdoor theater and the crowd equally inspired by the thunderous and purpose driven music coming from the stage, this recording captures U2 at the height of their young career and would indeed shut the door on the first chapter of the band before seeing several more open and close in the years to come. — Sputnik Music 11 O'Clock Tick Tock The record itself opens with crowd noise, highlighting the bond between U2 and their fans and emphasizing the role of the audience in the group's ascendency. They were a true populist band, unafraid to make strong, direct connections with listeners at a time when many of their post-punk peers shied from such gestures. The band's strident performances here are all interspersed with recognitions of the crowd, the act of performance, and the value of entertainment, and most-- from "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and its "this is not a rebel song" intro to "I Will Follow" to rugged, lesser-known tracks "Gloria" and "The Electric Co."-- became arguably the definitive reads of these songs. (This reissue, like the original U.S. release of the LP, features the truncated version of "The Electric Co.", without the snippet of "Send in the Clowns" that appeared on some international editions.) The closing sing-along of War's "40" ends the record where it begins-- in the voices and cheers of the audience, a converted mass that, over the rest of the decade, carried the sound of the group back to their homes, places of work, schools. — Pitchfork I Will Follow Renowned producer Jimmy Iovine worked the eight tracks on Under A Blood Red Sky. Perfectly adept at capturing the intensity and church-like atmosphere of U2 shows, Iovine blended the crisp instrumentations with the euphoric sounds of the raving audiences. Like on most U2 releases, The Edge stands out with his shimmering, minimalist guitar inspired by the wizardry of Pink Floyd and Television. On “I Will Follow”, U2’s first Boy single, and Under The Blood Red Sky selection, the Edge proves he’s the foundation of the band with his driving riffs, filling space with highly textured atmospherics. Given the extent to which the War tracks stand out compared to their earlier material, it’s no surprise that “New Year’s Day” is one of the most memorable offerings off the EP. Also, in an album full of anthemic, fist-pumping rally cries, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” still hits the heaviest, with Bono giving the song the emotional gravitas it deserves. War closer “40” ends Under A Blood Red Sky, with [Adam] Clayton’s rolling bassline and Bono’s pastoral vocals, ending on a fitting note with a crowd sing-along. — Consequence 40 . WHO’S TALKING TO WHO? All repeats LAST WEEK'S POLL: WHICH TIME MACHINE WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE? DeLorean (Back to the Future) 15% Hot Tub (Hot Tub Time Machine) 5% Map (Time Bandits) 15% Phone Booth (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure) 10% Tardis (Doctor Who) 50% π 5% [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/10/2185359/-IVH-U2-Live-Under-A-Blood-Red-Sky Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/