Related Directory Categories
Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
October (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| October | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Studio album by U2 | |||||
| Released | 16 October 1981 | ||||
| Recorded | Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, July–August 1981 | ||||
| Genre | Post-punk, rock | ||||
| Length | 41:08 | ||||
| Label | Island | ||||
| Producer | Steve Lillywhite | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| U2 chronology | |||||
|
|||||
| Singles from October | |||||
October is the second album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1981. October is considered by many to be U2's weakest album; many critics and fans find its lyrics heavy-handed and the band's performances bland.
Contents |
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. Bono said of the recording process of October, "I remember the pressure it was made under, I remember writing lyrics on the microphone, and at £50 an hour that's quite a pressure. Lillywhite was pacing up and down the studio...he coped really well. And the ironic thing about October is that there's a sort of peace about the album, even though it was recorded under that pressure. A lot of people found October hard to accept at first, I mean, I used the word 'rejoice' precisely because I knew people have a mental block against it. It's a powerful word, it's lovely to say. It's implying more than 'get up and dance, baby.' I think October goes into areas that most rock 'n' roll bands ignore. When I listen to the album, something like 'Tomorrow,' it actually moves me."[2] The briefcase was eventually recovered in October 2004, and Bono greeted its return as "an act of grace"[3].
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)
Album 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" (which, despite mostly poor album reviews, became somewhat of a hit) 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, the other being The Joshua Tree.
"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, 3 November 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.
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. Bono said of the song, "That's the point I'm trying to make - is that all? I can sing you a song to make you happy, I can sing you a song to make you angry - but is that all? I think music can be more than that, it can be more than the sum of its parts."[4]
| Country | Peak position | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 11 | Platinum [5] | 300,000+ |
| United States | 107 | Platinum | 1,000,000+ |
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Billboard Pop Albums | 104 |
| 1981 | The Billboard 200 | 107 |
| 1981 | UK Albums Chart | 11 |
- Bono – lead vocals
- The Edge – guitar, piano, vocals
- Adam Clayton – bass
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums
- ^ http://www.u2station.com/news/archives/2005/03/transcript_u2s.php
- ^ U2 at the RDS. U2 Magazine, No. 2 (February 1, 1982). Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3945519.stm
- ^ Bono in San Antonio. U2 Magazine No. 3 (May 1, 1982). Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ^ BPI
- October at U2 Wanderer, with comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more
- Lyrics
- Quotes and detailed background on each song
- Fan interpretations and interview excerpts for each song