U2 “October”
U2 “October” released 40 years ago today, October 12th, 1981. October, their second album (no. 2 in the UK and no. 104 in the US) solidified U2′s epically big and soaring anthemic post punk sound with a heavy emphasis on religion and spirituality. “Gloria,” with its soaring chorale chorus (“Gloria, in te domine”), is one of the strongest tracks on the record; it went to #55 on the UK single charts. “Fire” was another single (#35 UK). The album also has an air of beautiful sadness, particularly on “Tomorrow” about which Bono said, “[Its] influences: primarily Joy Division, Invisible Girls. A great example of how you can write a song and not know what you’re writing about. ‘Tomorrow’ is a detailed account of my mother’s funeral. But I had no idea when I was writing it.” U2 wrote much of October while touring the US for their first album, Boy, but bad luck plagued the band: Bono lost the lyrics for the album backstage during a show and the songwriting process needed to be rushed along in order to keep the studio recording schedule. Producer Steve Lillywhite stated the recording sessions were “completely chaotic and mad.”
Daily (maybe) pulls from the vault: 33-1/3, 45, 78, old, older, classic, new, good, bad. Subjective. Autobiographical. Occasionally putting a record up for sale.