U2 -- October

7/10

I was always told that U2's second album, October, was their worst. Unfocused, rushed, Bono lost the lyrics and had to make stuff up at the mic, etc., etc., etc. Imagine my surprise then, when I finally picked up the album and found that I...kind of liked it? My enjoyment of October was actually immediate. As soon as Larry Mullen's tom toms, the Edge's searching, chiming guitar, and Bono's vocalizing faded up, my ears were caught. Then Adam Clayton's driving bassline came in to take the song to another level, up until the mystical chorus where the song GOT EVEN BETTER. Clayton played a lovely pattern, Edge played spaced out notes, and Bono intoned worshipfully in Latin. Latin. And then the bridge came...and Adam Clayton started slapping his bass? No way! These guys could barely even play their instruments on their first album! And then Edge played those cutting final bridge chords and the band exploded with one last, victorious chorus. It's was a stunning opener. It is a stunning opener. It should have been on their The Best of 1980--1990 compilation. Turns out that compilation only has one track from October...and it's hidden at the end. It's like even the band themselves were initially embarrassed by this album.
I feel like in hindsight, U2's own appreciation for their work on October has grown. The album hasn't suddenly been remembered as some misunderstood classic in recent years, though, which is fair. October is not a great album. However, it's just as good as their debut, if not a bit better. The songs feel more musically complex, and the playing from all band members sounds more refined and sophisticated. Like the debut album, October does eventually wear out its welcome, but there are so many wonderful moments here. The band really introduce more facets to their sound, many of which will come to play out on a grander scale later. For one, the more mystical, spacier aspect of their sound, but also, the more mystical, religious, Christian-slanted lyrics. While Bono never again sang lyrics that are THIS pious, October really sets the stage for Bono to explore many, many facets of his faith across the next 30 years of the band's life. All of that stuff starts with October.
And again, for fans, October is well worth listening to. The songs breathe so much better here than on the band's debut--there might not be as much immediacy and punk energy, but it's an even trade. October's also got the most "Irish" feel of any of the albums in the catalogue of this Irish band, particularly with the Uileann pipes and bodhrán in "Tomorrow." The general vibe of the album overall just feels a bit more Irish, as well, again, a unique feature of October that makes it worth seeking out, along with the album's more prominent declarations of faith. There's even a gorgeous, incredibly wistful piano ballad here in the title track, the only song to have made the previously mentioned compilation. "October" conjures a sense of autumn and an ephemeral, waning Earth so well, it certainly earns its place among the band's most staggering works. And for a casual fan... 

You actually might want to check this out. Sure, it's still a little embryonic as far as the band's trademark sound goes, the lyrics are a little more straightforward than Bono's more metaphorical and poetic later work, and it does start to run together in its second half...but it still sticks out, maybe not like a sore thumb, but instead one tattooed with a cross.
Of course, to fan's delight, and non-fan's chagrin, the band's earnestness has always stood out.

P.S.: October was released the year I was born--a good year for music!


1981 Island
1. Gloria 4:14
2. I Fall Down 3:39
3. I Threw a Brick Through a Window 4:54
4. Rejoice 3:37
5. Fire 3:51
6. Tomorrow 4:39
7. October 2:21
8. With a Shout (Jerusalem) 4:02
9. Stranger in a Strange Land 3:56
10. Scarlet 2:53
11. Is That All? 2:59