Universal Vinyl

About this product

This is the vinyl edition of what is considered to be one of the seminal live albums, not just by U2, but by any rock band, full stop. It's a short sharp eight-track combination of punches and contains the definitive versions of 'Gloria' and 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'. Recorded live at concerts in the US and Germany, Under A Blood Red Sky captures U2's legendary energetic and impassioned stage performances, with songs taken from their first three albums.

Under A Blood Red Sky established U2's reputation as a major live act and is U2 at their most raw, urgent and hard-hitting. It cannibalises their first three albums but strips the songs of studio textures to spit them back out in leaner and tougher form. This is particularly true of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' - Bono announcing "this is not a rebel song" - which emerges as a song re-defined.

The sound quality of Under A Blood Red Sky is exceptional, with the roar of the audience introducing and ending the music. In between are lessons in what a live rock performance could and should be about, Bono's intro's and banter, Edge's squalling guitar, the strident backbeat of Larry and Adam.

Under A Blood Red Sky showcases a rock group to believe in, a juggernaut of sound and swagger: If you want to understand exactly what makes U2 special, this is a pretty good place to start.