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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A masterpiece finally gets its due, July 23, 2008
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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
U2 - In Transition, January 8, 2009
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.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't forget this one, July 22, 2008
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.
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