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Rating: THE REVIEW
Punk, in its anarchic-disruptive inclination, lasted just that fraction of time, which, albeit brief, completely erased the intentions of the previous generation.
Now true anarchy reigned undisturbed in the music of the early '80s; starting from a stasis of general deconstruction and destructuring of music, rock seemed apparently dead.
It was 1981 and U2, which seemed to be just a promising Irish band, were about to release their second LP.
October opened with Gloria, creating an atmosphere of liturgical psalmody, almost an antiphon of the album itself. The tones immediately revealed themselves to be very intimate, as if the shadow of death that had struck the singer Bono (his mother had just passed away) was omnipresent. Sorrow plunges people into oblivion (I FALL DOWN) but at the same time provides the key to interpretation for the ascent (REJOICE).
The young singer looked to tomorrow (TOMORROW) full of existential doubts, OCTOBER was disconcerting for its minimal beauty: it almost lacked the courage to breathe during its two minutes, just as an audience member might hide timidly in a corner. One must have felt really strange in that IRELAND, still too surly towards what was outside; it was really all there, enclosed in a narrow and suffocating universe (IS THAT ALL?)...or perhaps they simply did not imagine what would happen just a few years later.
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Summary by Bot
U2's October is a minimal yet powerful album released in 1981 amidst a deconstructed music scene post-punk. The review highlights the intimate and sorrowful tones shaped by Bono's personal loss. Tracks like Gloria and I Fall Down reflect existential struggle and hope. Though confined by the Irish cultural setting, the album foreshadows U2's eventual rise.
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976 by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. Rising from post‑punk roots to global fame, they fused atmospheric guitar textures with anthemic songwriting and ambitious tours such as Zoo TV and U2 360°.129 Reviews
Other reviews
By Alevox
"October is a journey between restlessness and confusion within a melancholic winter frame."
"It is a sincere work that holds tightly to its moments of class, and therefore deserves respect."
By claudio carpentieri
"Gloria... faithfully reflects the complexity of the unhappy situations recently faced by the band."
"An album that never gives way to compositional uncertainty, crossing a musical path characterized by a sharp sound..."
