Under a Blood Red Sky
Under a Blood Red Sky | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
Live album by U2 | ||||
Released | 21 November 1983 | |||
Recorded | 6 May 1983 – 20 August 1983 | |||
Venue |
| |||
Genre | Rock, post-punk | |||
Length | 35:29 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Producer | Jimmy Iovine | |||
U2 chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Under a Blood Red Sky | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Chicago Tribune | |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[3] |
Pitchfork | 9.0/10[4] |
Rolling Stone | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The Village Voice | A−[7] |
Under a Blood Red Sky is a live album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released on 21 November 1983.[8] Along with its companion concert film, U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky, the release helped establish U2's reputation globally as a live act.
History
The album consists of live recordings from three shows on the band's War Tour, from Colorado and Boston in the US and from Germany.
An accompanying concert video entitled U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky was released the following year. The film was recorded entirely at the outdoor Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 1983, while two songs from that show are included on the album.
The title is taken from the lyrics of the song "New Year's Day", originally released on U2's War album.
The album was re-released on 29 September 2008 as a remastered CD with a DVD of the Red Rocks concert.[9]
Track listing
All tracks written by U2, with lyrics by Bono.
Side one | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Recording location/date | Length |
1. | "Gloria" | Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 1983 | 4:32 |
2. | "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" | Boston, Massachusetts on 6 May 1983 | 4:34 |
3. | "I Will Follow" | Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983 | 3:36 |
4. | "Party Girl" | Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 1983 | 2:52 |
Side two | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Recording location/date | Length |
1. | "Sunday Bloody Sunday" | Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983 | 4:55 |
2. | "The Electric Co." | Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983 | 5:18 |
3. | "New Year's Day" | Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983 | 4:29 |
4. | "40" | Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983 | 3:36 |
Notes
During the performance of "The Electric Co.", Bono included a 27-second snippet of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". When Under a Blood Red Sky was released, U2 failed to get permission and pay the appropriate licensing and royalty fees to include that piece of Sondheim's tune on the album. When Sondheim objected, U2 agreed to pay a $50,000 (US) penalty for the unauthorized use and to press all future releases with a new version that did not include the snippet.
Essentially, there are now two versions of the vinyl album: the original with the full "The Electric Co." running 5:18 and the edited version which runs 4:51. However, the various CDs pressed around the world all vary in the versions of the song that are included.
- The trifold digipack CD pressed in the U.S. correctly lists "The Electric Co." at 4:51 and contains the edited version of the song.
- Later U.S. CD pressings in the standard jewel box format incorrectly list "The Electric Co." at 5:18, but have the edited version of the song.
- Some, and perhaps all, European pressings of the CD correctly list "The Electric Co." at 5:18 and have the unedited version of the song (the same is likely true of other worldwide CD pressings).
- An Australian pressing of the CD lists the track at 4:57, but the song actually runs the full 5:18.
- The remastered editions all contain the edited version of the song.
Personnel
- Bono – lead vocals
- The Edge – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, bass guitar on "40"
- Adam Clayton – bass guitar, guitar on "40"
- Larry Mullen, Jr. – drums
Charts and certifications
Country | Peak position | Certification | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
Canada | 2× Platinum[10] | 200,000+[10] | |
France | Platinum | 300,000+ | |
Germany | Platinum[11] | 500,000+ | |
United Kingdom | 2[12] | 3× Platinum | 900,000+ |
United States | 28[13] | 3× Platinum[14] | 3,000,000+[14] |
See also
References
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Under a Blood Red Sky – U2". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ↑ Kot, Greg (6 September 1992). "You, Too, Can Hear The Best Of U2". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ↑ Wyman, Bill (29 November 1991). "U2's Discography". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ↑ Plagenhoef, Scott (29 September 2008). "U2: Under a Blood Red Sky". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ↑ Connelly, Christopher (19 January 1984). "U2: Under A Blood Red Sky". Rolling Stone (413). Archived from the original on 1 April 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ↑ Considine, J. D.; Brackett, Nathan (2004). "U2". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 833–34. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (21 February 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- ↑ "U2 > Discography > Albums > Under a Blood Red Sky". U2.com. Live Nation Entertainment. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ↑ "LIVE AT RED ROCKS AND UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY". U2.com. Live Nation. 2008-08-11. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
- 1 2 "CRIA Certification Results: U2". Canadian Recording Industry Association. 1988-05-17. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
- ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (U2; 'Under%a%Blood%Red%Sky')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ↑ "under a blood red sky | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2017-06-25.
- ↑ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
- 1 2 "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
Notes
External links
- Under a Blood Red Sky at U2 Wanderer, with comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more
- Lyrics