Customer Reviews

October

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A darker, more audacious effort than Boy, and comparatively less reaching than what War would go for, this is one of the better U2 albums in their catalog, the sound of which is now vastly improved thanks to a superior remastering effort. I distinctly remember this album being part of what seemed a powerful and rich triumverate, with Echo & The Bunnymen's "Heaven Up Here" and Psychedelic Furs' incredible "Talk Talk Talk". These 3 albums, it seemed at the time, were at the forefront of something distinct and special, steering punk away from the generic, emotionally direct path it had been on since its inception. It was now okay to be consciously creating "art". There was a piercing, post-punk sound around, The Jam was growing way beyond their borders, the sonic explorations of groups like Ski Patrol, Killing Joke, Adverts, Au Pairs, and the entire Batcave-pre-goth era (Sisters of Mercy, Sex Gang Children, Virgin Prunes which were somehow connected to U2) - that sort of thing - a new sound and October was an effort to lead it, quite typical of the confidence of this band, even with only one album under their belt. Played alongside Heaven Up Here and Talk Talk Talk, this makes perfect sense. Played alongside War and Joshua Tree, it is just as powerful.

The guitar exploration on tracks such as "I Threw A Brick", "Fire" (an amazing single at the time), and "Rejoice" showed a newfound aggressiveness that is completely at odds with what I have read about the recording of the album. These are not songs that find you (as on War) but ones you have to seek out, which may account for the reputation of it as difficult. I don't know how you can make this kind of reach-for-the-sky music in just your second LP, but the reach and grace of stuff like "Tomorrow" and "A Celebration" are the mark of a band with something special to say. I remember playing the second side of this LP over and over at the time, and still think it holds up gracefully.

The extra tracks here are well worth the extra price tag. A couple of dynamic live performances, the crucial single "A Celebration" (a precursor to War both lyrically and sonically), and "Trash Trampoline" in its pre-U2-Incorporated state. I can do without the Common Ground remix but I'm thinking big picture: it's great to see an album and single that were so important at the time get the overdue respect.

As a longtime U2 fan, having started to listen to them as far back as 1983, I realize this review will put me at odds with many U2 fans. To be honest, I have never been an especially big fan of the first three albums. While I like them, I merely find them interesting. Let me explain philosophically that I really don't care for mythologizing Rock bands or Musicians. For example, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Zeppelin have become so mythologized, it has become almost impossible for many to fairly assess the merit of their music, in each case, however great it might be overall, each has been `hit and miss' with their catalogue. U2 suffers from the same kind of mythologizing at this point. To not be intellectually honest, and admit that any band or artist has their strength and weaknesses, is actually a disservice to that band from their fan base.

U2 faced the challenge that many bands face when following up their debut, the difficult 2nd album, the sophomore slump. Neil McCormick correctly points out the following set of problems in his essay, an album of music fragments, half finished songs, inarticulate lyrics in some cases with an overt Religious theme. Live jams and experimental noddeling could be U2's asset, but it could also be a liability as well. The best songs, the ones that sounded the most focused, we're the ones they had already performed live, such as "I Fall Down" and "Fire". That isn't to say there's not some inspiring moments here, "Gloria", in what one would assume is praise to a woman is actually a celebration of faith. In spite of the fact that the drum pattern on "I Threw a brick" feels a little self conscious, a nod to the rhythm's of some other UK new wave bands of the time, "Brick" is fairly interesting.

"Tomorrow" is one of the more stunning tracks with its use of the Oillean Pipes, and the track precludes the ambient textures the band would use with Eno. The Piano piece, "October" is another stunning track to come out of such a young band. The album becomes spotty with the remaining tracks, "Shout, Stranger, Scarlet," and "Is That All?" These tracks illustrate the problem I noted in my previous review with parts of "Boy", a lack of song craft with songs that are left feeling like nothing more than blueprints, and this doesn't always make compelling listening.

Now onto disc two which is the real treat for any completist, personally I have had a longtime fascination with U2's B-sides. The live tracks from "October" solve some of the problems with the studio tracks, they are more focused. This is also true to a degree with the BBC Session tracks as well. The three B sides are rather interesting. "A Celebration" is an excellent song, and a pointer to what the band would do with the "War" album. "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" became a standard of their live sets during this early part of their career. While not a great song, the use of the keyboards hints at the ambient textures they would go into later. "J. Swallow" is an interesting experiment. The live tracks from The Boston Paradise Theatre are great. I can't say the live track of "I Will Follow" from Hattem seems all that essential, and the alternative recording of "Tomorrow" from the Common Ground album is merely interesting and not vital.

The sound of these remasters is an improvement from prior CD editions and welcomed. Credit really has to be given for the wonderful packaging, Neil McCormick's essay is a slight improvement over Paul Morley's essay (Boy), The Edge's comments are also interesting, lyrics and rare photos are included. This reissue is an ideal model for how CD reissues should be handled in the future, should be of note to other compilation producers, although some fans will beg to differ about what might have been overlooked.

October seems to be the album that gets the mildly positive reviews of U2's 80s albums. Critics loved U2 after "Boy" and on initial release thought this was a good album and compared it favorably to "Boy" but then as the decade went on, this one seemed to get slagged more and more. Not entirely fair. There are some telltale signs that this album wasn't all it could have been. The band doesn't seem all that happy with it 27 years on, the cover with brown print and tracklisting on the front looked haphazard, and, of course, "Sophomore slump". I think the music on this album is better than people remember. If you can remember what it might be like to hear U2 on college radio in the early 80s, or you were there for those small-club shows early on, you probably have a great appreciation for their progress through the 80s.

I jumped on board in 1987 with "The Joshua Tree", so I joined in when lots of others did, I guess. I can't claim to have been at any of those shows in Boston in 1980 or '81 (of course, I was just 12), but I do remember hearing "Gloria" on the radio and thought it was pretty cool. And in 1987, I requested "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" on UMass Dartmouth's radio station. For those five minutes, I felt what it must have been like to be a fan from the beginning. "The Joshua Tree" was #1, and U2 was no longer hip for college radio, but I wanted to hear this song. On the radio.

That's my standout track on this album, but then there's "October", "Tomorrow", "I Fall Down", "Stranger in a Strange Land". I think once "War" came out, this album suffered some backlash and it almost seems like they went from "Boy" to "War", and people forget this step. (And listen to "Rejoice" and then "New York" from almost 20 years later and notice how Bono sings the titles.) Give this album another chance, and by all means, listen to some of those bonus tracks! Again, they're young here, but "A Celebration" is a fun song and "J. Swallo" hints at some of the experimentation that you'll hear on The Unforgettable Fire reissue.

I guess "October" is a sensible title with all the wintry feeling of "War", (and the "New Year's Day" video where Larry's snare isn't in synch with the music) but I digress. This really is a great and underappreciated chapter in the U2 story.

This one is so far the second best remaster behind the first album. Excellent sound and highly recommended to fans as well as collectors. As with all the U2 material, had all the second CD material on vinyl. If your really looking for excellent U2 recordings, get this one and the first one as well. If you already have this on CD originally, it still a fine album but the second disc adds all the extra excitement.
Search out little site on the web "Judemac Forever" and drop us a visit.

Having heard this disc at a friend's house, I can attest the sound is truly amazing. The remastering has been done expertly. The second disc is choice as well (though "Trash & Trampoline" has always been a throwaway song & 20-bit remastering can't change that; I'll bet there's an "inside" joke about that I'd love to hear).

I dock the set 1-star for an entirely non-musical reason...

(I MUST ASK THE OBVIOUS QUESTION: the technology to make these disc sound this good existed when they were first issued on CD, so WHY only NOW are we getting CDs of this audio quality? Answer: corporate greed. Something the band has little to do with, obviously. So I'm not taking the Boyz to task, but the greedy record company punks who not only overcharge us but then call us thieves and tell us that ripping tracks for our iPods is a crime! [Steve Jobs must've loved hearing that!])

I just wish these sets weren't so bloody expensive. While U2 out-takes and "B"-sides (back when there was were such things -- dating myself, I know) have usually been of very high quality, I hardly think putting them on a CD justifies these very high prices. I admit I did dig in and spend $50 for "The Joshua Tree" "Deluxe" package, but it includes a DVD concert video, whereas these sets don't. But I've always considered "Joshua Tree" to be the pinnacle of U2's artistic achievement; with the exception of a few tracks (e.g. "Desire", "Mysterious Ways", "Beautiful Day") they have never again reached that level (after all this was the album that led Rolling Stone to call U2 the "Band of the 80s" and the album, the album of the 80s; admittedly Rolling Stone--quite justifiably--isn't taken seriously for their criticism, I mean look at their abysmal treatment of Rush over the DECADES!!).

But the four pre-Tree discs were also outstanding, each disc getting better and better. And perhaps the precipitous decline in quality following "Tree" is understandable. How much brilliance can one artist (or group thereof) be expected to create in one lifetime? Thus "Zooropa", "Pop Mart" and other blatantly, rock-by-numbers albums were inevitable. One almost gets the feelings the albums were recorded simply as an excuse to tour. Personally, I wish they'd just tour and leave the utterly forgettable music unwritten and unrecorded. As it stands, they are backloading their legacy with throwaway discs that will never be considered in the same league (or even the "same ******* sport", to quote Quentin Tarantino) as their first five masterpieces.

But, getting back to my theme: guys, come on!, lower the prices. You pay ZERO income tax on your artistic earnings and you can't need the money (even Imelda Marcos couldn't spend that much money). Your label obviously WANTS it, but surely you're in a position to dictate terms.

I paid $200+ for two back-of-the-arena loge seats three years ago. And I've owned all of their albums up to "Rattle & Hum" inclusive (I even have the unfairly maligned movie of the same name on HD-DVD, which sounds and looks absolutely gorgeous).

So, lower the prices, take smaller bites and remember, not all of us are willing to burn up our credit cards to complete our collections.

Finally, U2 got around the releasing deluxe versions of their albums, complete with 10,000 super-bit mega remastering, which was long overdue for the material recorded on analog (pretty much their whole 80s catalog). The earlier CDs suffered from the same syndrome that so many discs did---that flatter sound of analog tapes released on digital format without tinkering that so many albums had.

October is probably one of the least-cited U2 albums, and the fanatics find that shameful. It was admittedly rushed, and Bono famously had his songwriting notebook stolen during the making (it was actually recently returned) and so he had to slap some words together, etc, etc. But it sounds better than that. The production is a bit warmer and deeper than Boy---U2 is a band heavily influenced by the producer on all its studio albums. There's an almost muddy, gray quality to the sound on October, making it sounds a lot like...the month of October, when the weather really changes, the leaves start falling, and the sky seems to get whiter. I think the awful album cover (which was not originally intended) does not do justice to the sound inside...imagine something more like the muted tones of the early 80s Cure albums, and that would be a better fit.

Regardless, this is still a very solid album, and certainly moodier than the energetic Boy. In those 'post-punk' days, U2 was already departing from their peers and going for something less cool. How many bands were singing lines in latin (Gloria)? Or singing 'rejoice' over and over (Scarlet)? Or singing about...Jerusalem (With A Shout). Or how about a title like I Threw A Brick Through A Window? Yes, Bono was sculpting what would be perhaps the most formidable mullet of the 80s, and he soon starting waving white flags and climbing the lighting rigs during shows, but if you just sit back and listen to the music and the songs here, it's very good rock. Still amazing, though, that the Chameleons, who also had Steve Lilywhite production, never made it big though they were releasing more polished material at the same time. (Early material is collected on The Fan And the Bellowes).

The remastering is good, and necessary. The bonus disc isn't bad, either. If you've been a U2 fanatic and at all into bootlegs, you likely own some of this material. There are some real plusses, like the BBC tracks finally released in their best quality compared to bootlegs (includes the only live performance of Scarlet). If you love complete shows, then the random addition of dates and venues can be maddening, but for song selection, this is good material for the fan. Again, you may have The Paradise tracks as it was widely bootlegged from '81, and the b-sides like J Swallow and Trash, Trampoline and The Party Girl are likely familiar.

All in all, I think the retail on these U2 remasters is way too high (compared with other bands releasing their deluxo versions) for the material that you get. The booklets are pretty good, and the bonus material is welcome just because it's (finally) the 'official' releases (and usually) the best quality. This should be way cheaper, and should have more material, considering a) it's U2, and b) fanatics probably own most of it. Nevertheless, recommended on a sale, or for the fan who wants to hear these albums in remastered glory.

U2 have always had an undercurrent of spirituality and religiousness running through their music. Growing up in a country that is literally divided by faith, the band members were obviously influenced by religion. October is their most overtly religious album where songs like "Rejoice", "Fire", "I Fall Down" and "Is That All?" find the band searching for answers to higher questions. "Gloria" opens up the album with a punch as the song which starts off with a driving guitar riff before ending up with a hymn-like closing. "Tomorrow" is one of their most Irish sounding songs and the title track is a strong instrumental. "I Threw A Brick Through A Window" and "Stranger In A Strange Land" are more in a political bent. October was only the band's second album and shows a that they could build on the tremendous potential that they showed on their debut release. The deluxe edition contains a second disk with numerous live sonsg that show the beginnings of the band's power on stage as well as three b-sides including one of their best and most overlooked songs "Trash, Trampoline & The Party Girl".

This was my least favorite U2 album originally when I was a kid just getting into them, like so many, after MTV started playing their rocking "Sunday Bloody Sunday" at Red Rocks music video. This album I think had a bit darker and deeper subject matter than their debut Boy (or U2 3). That might be why it took until I was a bit older to appreciate it, which I do and find myself continuing to go back to for great tracks like "Rejoice", "Scarlet", "October", and "Is That All?". It's awesome to get the rarities in proper form on this re-master now though. "A Celebration" is early U2 rarity at its best (though not so rare really if you watched the TBN Christian network's late night show Real Videos back in the day, then you would have seen this video in heavy rotation along with most of The Unforgettable Fire's videos and some of The Alarm's early stuff like "The Stand"). Classic.

I got to U2 through Under a Blood Red Sky and only after that did I look out for the first three albums. To sum it up, I must tell you that I wasn't very impressed. Not that they weren't good, but because the best songs were already on the live album and they sounded better.
But of the three albums it was October that I liked best. So I was quite surprised to know that this album was a bit under-appreciated, considered a miss-step sandwiched between Boy and War.

Boy was a wild, rawer album, but October introduced a wider scope to U2s music. True some lyrics seem a bit sketchy, but the rest is just as good as anything on Boy.

Like Boy, October kicks off with a raise-your-arms-to-the-air anthem: "Gloria" stands as tall as "I Will Follow" and both songs are the only indisputable classic on each album. The rest of the album balances between rockers that somehow try to break from the mould left by Boy and a handful of lovely mellower tunes that sound a bit 4AD. "I Fall Down" adds the piano to the U2 palette; "I Threw A Brick Through A Window" marches through some odd rhythm patterns; "Rejoice" rocks harder then anything on Boy. However it is the mellower side of October that truly brings some novelty to U2. "October" (the song), "Scarlet" and "Tomorrow" may be considered a bit underdeveloped but they shine like little pearls among the band's wall of sound, and they are the reason why October is quite special. The sonic landscapes U2 worked on these gems would echo on latter songs like "New Year's Day" or albums like The Unforgettable Fire. It may not be fully accomplished but October is a major stepping stone for what was to come.

In fact I think that the major problem with October was BAD COVER DESIGN. Bad photo, bad models (where the hell is Bono looking at?), even bad lettering, and most of all, dreadful styling. The band looks unease and dressed like a mix of A Flock Of Seagulls and The Chameleons (great band, by the way). A cover like this doesn't really shine between Boy's and War's beautiful black and white close ups. So there you have it.

As for this Deluxe edition, it is beautifully and carefully packaged with some interesting words to read and lots of photos. There are a few photos from the same session that are even worse, but hey, that's history! And for the first time on cd the sound is excellent.

The 2nd cd is basically live versions of some songs that sound very-much-the-same-but-better than the studio versions. And there is "Celebration" and the studio version of "Party Girl". On the down side, you get two virtually similar live renditions of "I Will Follow" that don't bring anything new to the version on Under A Blood Red Sky.

If you are a fan, buy it. If not, stick to the single CD version.

OCTOBER is one of U2's least highly regarded albums but it's a personal favorite of mine and I consider it to be one of their best. BOY is a fantastic debut, but I'm more likely to reach for OCTOBER when choosing a U2 record to hear.

For many reasons (not enough new songs, Bono's stolen lyric book, intra-band tension), this was a difficult album for U2 to make yet it manages to be a step forward for the band, as most of their albums are. The sound on OCTOBER is harder, more forceful, more skillfully played - more rockin'. Edge flexes his sonic delay effects and Bono, largely improvising in the studio, pours out his heart to deliver some of his most passionate, soul-stirring vocal performances ever. Every group member rocks and Larry Mullin Jr. lays down some of his heaviest, most complicated drum parts on record. To my mind, this album is essential U2.

Disk 2:

Every Deluxe CD edition from U2 thus far is superior in quality and OCTOBER is no exception. There's an excellent essay about how the album came together that makes a very good case for its greatness. The rare pictures, covers of the single releases and notes from the Edge are all stellar. The bonus CD is heavy on live versions and they're all top notch with excellent sound (The Edge himself supervised the Deluxe edition remasters). I would've liked to hear live versions of "Stranger In A Strange Land" along with a few other favorites, but everything here is a real treat for true U2 fans.

Breakdown:

tracks 1-5 recorded live at Hammersmith Palais, 1982 --

These early recordings are hungry, revealing the desperation of a band struggling to be heard and the inner turmoil inherent in these songs. Bono isn't always reliably in control of his voice but he's passionate as ever and the audience is very enthusiastic. The crowd participation on "October" in particular is remarkable. Bono delays singing the opening line as members of the crowd can be heard jumping the gun! Bono's voice can be very uplifting but he's never been afraid to expose his negative feelings either. ****3/4

tracks 6-8 BBC Studio recordings recorded 9-3-81 --

6) "With A Shout" - a tuneful, very powerful version featuring some of my all-time favorite U2 drum parts. *****

7) "Scarlet" - beautiful simplicity. *****

8) "I Threw A Brick Through A Window" - another killer OCTOBER cut, full of angular guitars and some effective sonic touches. Excellent take. *****

9) "A Celebration" - I've always loved the "get up and go" of this track - it's very raw and off-the-cuff. It's a pure pop song, a celebration of independence. I love the way Bono thumbs his nose at some of the more negative aspects of life as he rallies his followers: "And you . . . can go there too!" Quite different from just about anything else the band recorded. ****1/2

10) "J. Swallo" - a really cool sounding studio experiment - believe it or not, this could be considered to be a sort of proto-trip-hop groove considering the way the beat was slowed down in the studio. I love this sort of mysterious, atmospheric song that U2 do so well - some of my absolute favorite U2 cuts ("Walk To The Water," "Deep In The Heart") have a similar feel. A very cool, unique sounding B-side. ****1/4

11) "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" - without a doubt this is one of their strangest, most unique recordings. Bono's warbling voice sounds unhinged and the mix is murky and mysterious. Improvised in the studio in under an hour's time, it's become a U2 classic. *****

tracks 12-15 recorded live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 6, 1981 --

12) "I Will Follow" - I had this B-side on vinyl back in the day and it's a truly electric performance. After bidding the crowd a rousing goodnight, Bono implores, "Up on your feet! Up off your feet!" - it's hard to believe anyone was sitting down by the end of this concert. *****

13) "Ocean" - a gorgeous version, the guitar notes are resonant and lush. *****

14) "Cry/ Electric Co." - "Cry" became a fantastic live intro to this scorcher from BOY. Intense - one hell of a rock n' roll hoedown! ****1/2

15) "11 O'clock Tick Tock" - a confident, muscular take, Bono belting out "la la la's" at the top of his lungs toward the end of the song. *****

16) "I Will Follow" - live May 14, 1982, Hattem, Holland. Good version but maybe a little road weary. ****

17) "Tomorrow (Common Ground Remix)" - this remix was done in 1996 about when trip-hop was peaking and it definitely has that slinky, dark and sexy trip-hop sound. The original is more cutting with rawer emotion but this is a worthy reinterpretation. Adam Clayton and Bono did this remix with Donal Lunny on bouzouki, bodhran and keyboards and Sharon Shannon on accordion. Cool, but not as good as the original. ****