Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 50 Greatest Live Albums of All Time, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album or view the full album index here.
U2 | Under a Blood Red Sky
Label (1983)
Selected by Andy Healy
Before U2 were a stadium-filling supergroup, they were a band brimming with energy and ambition. This is perfectly captured in their 1983 live album Under a Blood Red Sky. Trimmed from their 17-song set list down to a final 8, the set can feel a little lopsided with songs initially in the latter half of the set opening the album. Whilst this can feel a little jarring as “Gloria” doesn’t really feel like a set opener, it does manage to capture the excitement of the band in full attack.
The energy of tracks like “I Will Follow” and “The Electric Co.” have both band and Bono racing to keep up with each other, while the bombastic “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and the expansive ‘New Year’s Day’ perfectly capture a band on the brink of superstardom. The only misstep on the album is the inclusion of “Party Girl,” which fails to really impress.
Closing the set out with “40” gives a glimpse into the epicness that U2 would carry into their future works and lets you witness the spark that will send them into the stratosphere.
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