OCTOBER (U2, 1981)
Artist: U2 (C+)
Recording Dates: Jul – Aug ‘81
Release Dates: Octubre 12, 1981. IRL
Record Label Island
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Rating: 7
Era: New Wave (1976-???)
Subgenre: New Wave (1976-1990)
Best Song: Rejoice or Tomorrow.
Trackliost: 1) Gloria; 2) I Fall Down; 3) I Threw A Brick Through A Window; 4) Rejoice; 5) Fire; 6) Tomorrow; 7) October; 8) With A Shout (Jerusalem); 9) Stranger In A Strange Land; 10) Scarlet; 11) Is That All?
It's curious that after U2 seemed poised to conquer the world with the tremendous fury of their debut album, Boy, that almost punk attitude vanished overnight. Suddenly, with this second release, the band took a 180-degree turn towards a Christian-themed album, trying to convince the world that Jesus IS salvation. That is to say, it's not exactly a "Christian" album; it's not so much about forcing religion on you, although listening to it might feel like going to church, but rather that it's imbued with a much deeper spirituality, and the band was convinced they should share the kind of fervor they had encountered around that time in a religious group called "Shalom Fellowship".
So… I just had a major revelation about Christianity (only Clayton doesn't seem to have gotten too involved), but I'm a budding rockstar. History has proven beyond a doubt that being a rockstar goes hand in hand with sinful behavior, like satanic pacts, black masses, orgies and bacchanals, drug buffets, and all that… How do I keep up with my idea of being a rockstar and a good Christian at the same time? Well, eliminate the anger and self-destruction, and use rock to deliver a message of love, spirituality, salvation, and all that. It doesn't matter what you do in your private life! Become a trillionaire but rant against capitalism!!! Preach! Well, you're following my irony, right? Hahaha.
The truth is, Bono's lyric notebook was stolen just as he was about to go into the studio to record this second album. They had already written most of October during the Boy tour, but all the lyrics were lost in Portland. Bono had to improvise, writing most of it on the way to the studio or even in front of the microphone. Therefore, it seems to me, the problem isn't so much that this is a Christian or religious-themed album—Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, and Kansas have already done that with much better results—but rather that it seems to have been a pretext for throwing anything and everything into the lyrics, because they didn't want to waste 50 pounds an hour of studio time. Some lyrics don't match the music; they even seem contradictory, and the Christian community itself complains that the lyrics are shallow— "Rejoice!!! " shouted countless times, for example, or clichés like "Only in you". “I’m complete”. In other songs, the message is very bland, confusing; you’re left wondering what Bono really meant, lost in his religious fervor. The thing is, you can’t get away with changing your stance so radically. Of course, the Christian community isn’t going to take him seriously if he himself can’t direct or ground the message… and the rock community … err … well, you can’t expect them to listen to a Christian album after you presented a pseudo-punk stance on your debut and immediately convert to your faith, ecstatic over the light they didn’t see until they heard U2’s “October.” NO! Consider yourself lucky if they don’t think you’re ridiculous, a poser, a neo-messianic, and so on. Anyway, it’s the enormous risk that Bono and U2 took, and they still haven’t shaken off this stigma, but in reality, since then they’ve never stopped filtering a certain preachy level into their songs, with varying degrees of success. Nor can they be blamed; raising their voices is far more than many politicians have done in their useless… lives.
The important thing is the music. And in that respect, there's something to say. In a way, it's a continuation of Boy. I've already mentioned that basically all the subsequent albums revisit some of that debut sound. The album was rushed, and there was more tension in the studio due to the same issue with the lyrics, and suddenly that tension is noticeable, which isn't necessarily a good thing, as in the middle of "I Threw A Brick...". The good news is that The Edge continues to experiment with his pedalboard, loading more and more effects, more delay and more echo, so that suddenly a chord sounds like a gigantic symphonic movement. I think he's the one who grows the most; he still sounds bombastic when crafting riffs and is responsible for the textures and atmospheres of the songs. He also ventures into playing piano on some tracks. The production also helps. This time Lillywhite is more meticulous, the sounds are more separated and defined, and the rhythm section sounds powerful (for example, on "Rejoice"), considerably more powerful than on Boy. This sometimes makes the songs sound magnificent and opulent, even though the melodies deteriorate considerably and are actually quite forgettable. After listening to the entire album, it's almost impossible to hum more than two or three songs. One could say this is also due to the loss of lyrics, but that's a flaw they already displayed on their debut.
The album opens with “Gloria”, which has nothing to do with the Morrison & Co. song. The track has a false start, with a complex mid-tempo drum beat and arpeggiated guitar that slowly enter. We're barely settling into the melody when Larry Mullen Jr. unleashes a cymbal crash and Bono shouts “2, 3, 4!!!!! ” (does that sound familiar?) to kick things off with a fast rhythm and a much more complex riff. The chorus, in contrast, is calmer and more contemplative, in Latin, taken from “Gloria in Excelsis Deo”. The song has good tempo changes, it's powerful, and the band skillfully lowers the intensity to avoid overwhelming it, and from those dips, they build tension to lead up to another explosion. Adam Clayton looks phenomenal from the start, playing with a pick for half the song, then fingertips before and during the slide guitar solo, starting at 1:45, and finally, delivering a great slap solo at 2:50. A good start, regardless of whether you agree with the lyrics or not, the song is very good.
Next up is “I Fall Down”, with a very cute piano intro, one of The Edge’s new tricks. The song is built around a very pleasant acoustic guitar, the ever-efficient fingerpicking bass, and a dynamic drum track full of cymbal crashes. The production is noticeable here, with Bono’s own layered backing vocals and some ethereal synthesizers. As they approach the :45 mark, tension builds for an explosion, and just when it seems a colossal chorus is about to erupt, it remains only a glimpse. The explosion finally arrives at 1:25 with the real chorus, which isn’t enormous either, but just adequate. Everyone has a decent role, the song is simply good, and they finish it just before the constant repetitions of “I fall down" from the chorus, don't get on our nerves.
“I Threw A Brick Through A Window” starts strong, with its tribal or ancient-sounding percussion, The Edge’s bombastic arrangements featuring a complex and sharp riff, and a dark bass line. The song unfolds slowly, almost stalking, before Bono builds the tension for the bridge of “He’s my “Brother …”, and after a few drum rolls they start again, holding back the explosion, slowly building tension. Clayton steals the show once more, leading his bandmates with effective riffs without much fanfare. Unfortunately, at 2:25 the song turns into an unnecessary jam. Drum rolls here, an attempted solo (2 or 3 notes) by The Edge. Bono preaches with “No one in blinder than he who will not see" and just when it seems they're finally going to make the song explode, nothing. They continue as before, only louder. Only Clayton manages to build the intensity for a few seconds. Then more drum rolls, and that's it. We're left like that, naively waiting for someone to blow the song away while Larry turns his entire drum kit, filled with echo, upside down to finish.
Fortunately, with “Rejoice”, things recover and kick off with a bang right from the start. A sharp riff, full of fuzz and delay, while the rhythm section is at full throttle. Bono also starts with an incendiary riff. The Edge inserts dirty guitar riffs between the verses, while the song builds with each passing moment. The drumming is monumental. The backing vocals seem to lower the intensity slightly, without letting the energy drop. After them, the song is suspended for a moment by the drums alone, then the guitar screams and the main riff returns. Around the 2-minute mark, Larry launches into a huge drum roll while The Edge works his magic. The song seems to speed up and slow down simultaneously. Finally, at 2:45, comes the volcanic explosion we've been waiting for since the previous track, leading into an incredible, powerful coda, full of textures, with Bono shouting the song's title at the top of his lungs, which contrasts sharply with the intention of bringing joy to the audience. More than delighted, one is left speechless by the power. But hey, we can even forgive him lines like “I can't change the world, but I can change the world in me". Magnificent, U2 at their best.
“Fire”, which has nothing to do with Hendrix, is another average track. The melody is very bland and forgettable. Mullen Jr. stands out by introducing different tempos and filling the song with his drumming. But The Edge unleashes a formidable array of resources with his pedalboard, to the point that his guitar crackles like an empty sardine can. Honestly, it could have easily been an instrumental. It's a delight to witness The Edge working his magic with the six strings and his little box of tricks. He's no Hendrix, he doesn't do "real magic", but he's a technician, an illusionist who truly impresses with his mastery of the guitar and pedals, which is also a great achievement. And that's one of the greatest proofs. Bono, shut up!!!
Then there's "Tomorrow", with a rich bagpipe intro (The Edge?). The song is much more atmospheric, with Bono singing almost a cappella at the beginning, then a very soft acoustic guitar joins the Irish instrumentation. At 2:40, an electric guitar makes an appearance, and soon after, a great, fingerpicked bass line and almost apocalyptic drums appear. Well, another crescendo! The point is, it works, and from that almost intimate beginning to the coda with the double bagpipe solo and wah- wah guitar, the track is majestic and breathtaking, resulting in one of the best on the album.
“October” is a song played almost entirely on piano, practically instrumental. Very intimate, minimalist, a style almost unrecognizable for U2, but one that provides a welcome respite on an album with many crescendos. The Edge's piano playing is delicate and well-crafted, warm and introspective. The lyrics consist of just a few lines, and the entire song barely exceeds two minutes. But frankly, I prefer this kind of atmosphere, which conveys feeling with minimal instrumentation and without excessive lyrics. Direct and effective. I think this track more effectively expresses everything Bono tries, in vain, to say throughout the rest of the album, lacking the right words.
Unfortunately, from this point on, the album takes a considerable nosedive. “With A Shout (Jerusalem)” begins with an incredibly fast and bizarre drumming. The Edge tries hard to salvage the song, but the truth is, everything sounds disjointed and out of place: the guitar in one beat, the bass in another, and Bono delivering weak melodies and shouting “Jerusalem!!!” at the limit of his vocal range, but without any idea or direction. It sounds like each member recorded a song separately and then stubbornly tried to force them together into a single track. The lyrics are best ignored… I only like a few of the bass arrangements, but otherwise, it's a complete mess of almost four minutes.
“Stranger In A Strange Land” continues in the same vein. Plenty of energy but few ideas and little organization. The song features a fast, blistering guitar and cymbal riff, followed by a dark bass riff, which is as far as it goes, but from there the verses are utterly forgettable. They eventually return to that intro , but frankly, it feels out of place and more like a religious reading session with the band improvising in the background and Bono screaming as if he were at the Wailing Wall itself.
“Scarlet” is a slight improvement. The intro fades in with a gently humming guitar and a drumming style u2-classic landmark. The atmosphere is more dreamy and ethereal, reinforced by the lovely little piano. The drums sound almost martial and are left standing alone at times. Just when it seems we're going to be left with just the thumps, Bono launches back with his “Rejoice”, the song's only word, laden with echo. It's nothing spectacular, but it's warm and has more meaning and purpose than the previous two.
The album closes with “Is That All?", another idealess song, overflowing with energy but lacking direction. Bono repeats the title ad nauseam. The guitar has some good arrangements, but they don't make the song work. The drums maintain an excessively fast pace and then suddenly fall silent, which becomes exhausting. A weak ending, not because of a lack of vigor and power, but because the song lacks resources and ultimately reveals that many of the songs are repetitive and use the exact same trick: a couple of words repeated endlessly, a frenetic drumbeat with abrupt tempo changes, little melody, and The Edge, who can't carry the song on his own despite his considerable effort.
Overall, it's not a bad album. I think they made the mistake of radicalizing their stance, and that's why they weren't taken seriously enough. Ultimately, I try not to focus too much on the lyrics and not consider them too heavily in my rating (unless it's a positive thing). That's not the case here, and I'm not deducting points from the album or the band for it, but it's worth noting that Bono always tries his best to get you to pay attention to his lyrics, and it's impossible to completely ignore them. It's an ambitious album, but somewhat unfocused and perhaps disorganized due to the lyrical issues, but that's no excuse. I think there's a general consensus that the album isn't bad, but nobody puts it above Boy or War from this early U2 period. I think the fact that there really isn't a classic says a lot.
But it's worthwhile out of curiosity. And maybe I'll even tell you about Sunday mass!
By Corvan
Feb/9/2011
