October (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| October | ||
 |
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| Studio album by U2 | ||
| Released | October 16, 1981 | |
| Recorded | Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, July-August 1981 | |
| Genre | Post-punk Rock |
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| Length | 41:08 | |
| Label | Island Records | |
| Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| U2 chronology | ||
| Boy (1980) |
October (1981) |
War (1983) |
October is the second album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1981. October is considered by some to be U2's weakest album; many critics find its lyrics heavy-handed and the band's performances bland.
Contents |
[edit] History
Quite boldly, the record placed an emphasis on religion and spirituality, particularly in the songs "Gloria" (featuring a Latin chorus of "Gloria, in te domine"), "With A Shout (Jerusalem)", and "Tomorrow". About the album, Bono declared in 2005: "Can you imagine your second album- the difficult second album- it's about God?"[1].
The album's recording was complicated when the briefcase containing Bono's lyrics was stolen by fans after a show. The band already booked studio time and thus had to continue recording in spite of this, even improvising lyrics on some songs. The briefcase was eventually recovered on October 2004, and Bono greeted its return as "an act of grace"[2].
The songs mainly refine U2's formula of riff-rockers with songs such as "Gloria" and "Rejoice", but the band also expanded its musical palette in a few ways. In particular, guitarist The Edge incorporates piano in songs such as "I Fall Down" and "October". "Tomorrow", a lament to Bono's mother, who died when he was young, features Uilleann pipes. "I Threw A Brick Through A Window" was one of the band's first songs to highlight drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. while Gloria highlights bassist Adam Clayton as it features three styles of playing in one song (using a pick for the most part, playing with fingers during the slide guitar by The Edge then a "slap & pop" solo towards the end)
Its sales indicate that October is the least popular of U2's studio albums, and it is frequently at the bottom of many U2 fans' lists and polls. Only one of the songs from October, the title song, was featured in the band's Best of 1980-1990 collection, as a hidden track at the end of the album, although both it and "Gloria" were staples of the band's live set throughout the eighties. On the other hand, October was ranked as #41 on CCM Magazine's 2001 list of the greatest Christian music albums of all time, one of only two U2 albums to make the list.
"Influences, primarily Joy Division, Invisible Girls. A great example of how you can write a song and not know what you're writing about. A song called 'Tomorrow' is a detailed account of my mother's funeral. But I had no idea when I was writing it." – Bono (Jann Wenner, "Bono on the Records," pg. 60, Rolling Stone, November 3, 2005.
October was the start of U2's vision of the music video as an integral part of the bands creative work, as it was released during a time that MTV was first becoming as popular as radio. The video for "Gloria" was directed by Meiert Avis and shot in the Canal Basin in Dublin.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by U2 (lyrics by Bono).
- "Gloria" – 4:14
- "I Fall Down" – 3:39
- "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" – 4:54
- "Rejoice" – 3:37
- "Fire" – 3:51
- "Tomorrow" – 4:39
- "October" – 2:21
- "With a Shout (Jerusalem)" – 4:02
- "Stranger in a Strange Land" – 3:56
- "Scarlet" – 2:53
- "Is That All?" – 2:59
"Fire" and "Gloria" were released as singles. "Is That All?" borrows the riff from "Cry", an older song the band previously used as an introduction to "The Electric Co." live.
[edit] Personnel
- Bono – lead vocals
- The Edge – guitar, piano, vocals
- Adam Clayton – bass
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums
[edit] See also
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Billboard Pop Albums | 104 |
| 1981 | The Billboard 200 | 107 |
| 1981 | UK Albums Chart | 11 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| BPI – UK | Gold | August 29, 1985 |
| BPI – UK | Platinum | March 1, 1992 |
| RIAA – U.S. | Gold | May 23, 1994 |
| RIAA – U.S. | Platinum | September 11, 1995 |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.u2station.com/news/archives/2005/03/transcript_u2s.php
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3945519.stm
[edit] External links
- Discography entry at U2 Wanderer – Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more.
- Album lyrics – Searchable album lyrics.
- U2 tours overview at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com – Includes setlists for every date on the October Tour.
- Quotes and information – Detailed background on each song.
- U2MoL – Contains fan interpretations and interview excerpts for each song.
