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.
Under a Blood Red Sky, released at the tail end of 1983, was a little less spontaneous and truthful. With its striking, scarlet-drenched cover, a shoutout to Colorado's Red Rocks on opener "Gloria", and the concurrent VHS release Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky (now bundled nicely as a DVD with some versions of this release), the LP was packaged to emphasize the natural beauty of the amphitheater's mountain setting. In truth, however, only two songs from Under were recorded at Red Rocks ("Gloria" and "Party Girl")-- most were taken from a show in Germany, while one performance was recorded in Boston.
Yet when the group performed at Red Rocks on a rainy June night, with lit torches above a panoramic skyline, the venue provided an ideal backdrop for U2's literally flag-waving music, with everything-- earth, wind, fire-- in place to maximize and heighten the drama of the moment and the songs. Red Rocks, too, began a love affair with America that carried through the rest of the decade, as the group's music began to match the spacious, seemingly limitless scope of the American countryside and they effectively explored American myths and touchstones on The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree before carrying the approach a step too far on the bloated, pastiche-y Rattle and Hum.
And, hell, it worked. MTV played the hell out of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and other videos from the performance, and the audio and video documents cemented U2's reputation as a commanding live band. Rather than release a full concert-- which could have resulted in a cumbersome and unnecessary record, particularly for a group with only three albums to date-- U2 wisely cherrypicked their best songs, created an out-of-order tracklisting built to maximize the LP's impact rather than accurately present a their live experience, added a solid B-side ("Party Girl") to enhance the worth of the release to longtime fans, and let the package take on its own myth.
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.
Eventually, the drive and work to be the biggest band in the world became a seriously uncool pursuit in many circles-- one could argue Nirvana punctured this sort of excess and spotlight-craving as surely as they did hair metal or indie dance. These days, many distrust guitar bands who don't reflect their own personal values, who they don't believe merely walk, talk, think, and act like them. Somehow, a group is more genuine if they're more, well, regular, or plain, even less accomplished or incurious about a wider world-- groups are often unwilling to show flashes of ability, or they'd rather preach to a choir than attempt to unify the masses, or they're happy being a big fish in a small pond. It's a weird attitude. (Good thing Americans don't ask for the same from their national politicians-- oh, wait...) But anyone interested in retracing U2's meteoric rise-- in relocating what made them an 80s touchstone at a time when their flirtations with earnestness came across more as combativeness rather than self-righteousness-- would do well to start here.
