U2

Live: Under a Blood Red Sky (Universal/Island)

U2’s Under a Blood Red Sky captures the Irish renegades in all their early glory, though few realize that the 1983 live EP was actually culled from three separate recordings in West Germany (“I Will Follow,” “The Electric Co.”), Boston, (“11 O’Clock Tick Tock”), and Denver (“Gloria”). The eight-song sampler, reissued with impeccable remastering overseen by the Edge, seems somewhat inconsequential – especially Dublin-dub misfire “Party Girl” – in contrast to dramatic video of the full set from Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre, issued here for the first time on DVD. Starting with the metallic shutter of “Out of Control” and “Twilight” off 1980 debut, Boy, through the closing plea of “40,” U2 delivers a career-defining statement of post-punk defiance. And when Bono hoists a white flag of unity for “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” he does so like a soldier at Iwo Jima.

***.5

This article appears in December 19 • 2008.

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