U2
October
Label:  Island 
Date:  1981
Length:  0:00
Format:  LP
Genre:  Rock; Alternative
  Category:  rock
    Track Listing:
      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    
      9.  
      Stranger In A Strange Land    
      10.  
      Scarlet    
      11.  
      Is That All?    
    Additional info: | top

      Long a favorite of U2's original core following, October not only avoids the sophomore slump, but adds an edgy, emotional resonance to the buoyant self-confidence they showed on their debut, Boy. Though producer Steve Lillywhite deserves mention for helping effectively frame the material with production that manages to be both stark and atmospherically murky, this is the music where Bono, Edge, and company first show the potential that would make them superstars. Lacking the sometimes ham-fisted polemics that would mar War, The Joshua Tree, and later works, October has an oft-tortured sense of emotional and philosophical ambivalence that only underscores concerns that range from the crypto-spiritualist yearnings of "Gloria" and "Rejoice" to more anxious moments like "I Fall Down," "I Threw a Brick Through a Window," and "Fire." In retrospect, they may have peaked early. --Jerry McCulley