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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
October stripped bare, 27 April 2004
Having followed the band with a passion since 1981, it still irks me that October was and still is to some extent continually slated by reviewers,music mags, authors and even some fans of the band. Recorded during a turbulent period for the band(Bono had his lyrics stolen in the US,pressure was being applied by the Shalom group that Bono, Edge and Larry were part of to disband and concentrate on more Christian based activities thus causing moral dilemas for the three and problems with Adam too,together with other disruptive issues)the emotional uncertainty of these issues seeps through beautifully in the songs and in particular Bono's lyrics. Sure, given the chance to revisit, the band would have tackled a few songs differently(eg Tommorrow was superbly re-recorded by Bono and Adam for the Common Ground compilation)but overall what you get is U2 at their most vunerable with their backs firmly up against wall and in many respects this is when they are at their most powerful. Tracks such as Gloria, I fall down, Rejoice, Tomorrow, October and Stranger in a strange land are really great tracks. At the age of 15 in 1981, the album was never off my turntable(it was pre CD's folks!) and the ease in which I could relate to the lyrics and 'feel' of the songs still stays with me 23 years on. If you've never delved into their back catalogue, I can assure you that you too will rejoice in the wonderfully uplifting and passionate sounds of October.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Little mentioned, but one of their best, 9 Jul 2003
I bought this mainly because it was cheap and I've recently been getting into U2's 80's stuff, so my expectations for this early effort were not huge. However, I was hugely impressed. It hasn't dated nearly as badly as some of the singles from the so-called, "Best of '80 to 90" (which, I'm pretty sure doesn't feature any of these tracks) and would go as far as saying that this is better than the more acclaimed and well-known 'Joshua Tree'.My personal favourites here are the majestic 'Gloria', and the melancholic 'Tomorrow' and 'October'. The latter introduced by the Edge's solitary piano, and culminating with Bono's uncharacteristically down-beat vocals. Bono's lyrics are probably less political than usual for an 80's U2 album, tending to focus more inwardly, as on 'Gloria' an interesting insight into what seems a rare thing in his line of work, a meaningful faith. The Edge probably at his best guitar-wise as well on this album, in both the single 'Fire' and the aptly-named final flourish 'is that all?' My conclusions? If you're a fan of U2's more guitar-based stuff, then you'd do very well to invest in a copy of this, an overlooked classic.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
October is U2 at their melancholy best., 21 Feb 2001
By A Customer
Most artists start off energetically and tend to slow down later on. This is quite the opposite --- these are four young men in 1981 with real gravitas penning songs any 40 year old would be proud of. October is a particularly beautiful month and this album conveys all the doleful colours it posesses. It is hard to imagine how such young people could show the depth of emotion around such issues as loneliness, lost love, distance etc. However, the songs on this album are timeless classics of yearning and separation which makes you wonder exactly what anguish engendered them. Perhaps it was the story of growing up in an ex-colonial situation and speaks of marginalisation and bitterness, the experience of an out of town estate perhaps, but four people on the outside looking in. The tunes themselves are often plaintive, folkie efforts, fading in and fading out, with no strident statement making, simply impressionistic and sad, leading into sharply defined rock songs with the brilliant black guitar sound of the Edge beneath Bono's wailing vocal. I personally hope that the band members found some happiness later on......but this work speaks of decay and defeat and is a haunting epitaph for an unhappy period in Ireland's history. October is a work of prescient brilliance with sad songs which will last forever in time....listen to this album and see how the genius of U2 started out and wonder how it was connected with later work by the band.
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