October
Studio album by U2
Released	October 16, 1981
Recorded	Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, July-August 1981
Genre	Rock
Length	41:08
Label	Island Records
Producer(s)	Steve Lillywhite
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B-) link Rolling Stone link
U2 chronology
Boy (1980)	October (1981)	War (1983)

October is the second album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1981. October is considered by some to be U2's weakest album; many critics find its lyrics heavy-handed and the band's performances bland. This is an album cover. ... A Studio Album is an album of regular studio recordings. ... U2 is an Irish rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland, featuring Bono (Paul David Hewson) on vocals, rhythm guitar and harmonica; The Edge (David Howell Evans) on lead guitar, keyboards and vocals; Adam Clayton on bass guitar; and Larry Mullen, Jr. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Windmill Lane Studios is a recording studio located in Dublin, Ireland. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Rock is a form of popular music from the mid 20th century which typically features a vocal melody (often with vocal harmony) that is supported by accompaniment of electric guitars, a bass guitar, and drums, often with a strong back beat. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Island Records was founded in Jamaica in 1959 by Chris Blackwell and Graeme Goodall but moved to the UK in May 1962. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Steve Lillywhite (born in 1955) is a well-known British music producer. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 3_stars. ... Robert Christgau (sometimes abbreviated in print to Xgau), born April 18, 1942, is an American essayist, music journalist, and rock critic. ... Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics and popular culture. ... Image File history File links 3_stars. ... U2 is an Irish rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland, featuring Bono (Paul David Hewson) on vocals, rhythm guitar and harmonica; The Edge (David Howell Evans) on lead guitar, keyboards and vocals; Adam Clayton on bass guitar; and Larry Mullen, Jr. ... Boy is the debut album from Irish rock band U2, released in 1980 (see 1980 in music). ... War is a 1983 album from U2, again produced by Steve Lillywhite. ... Sophomore album is a term for a band or artists second album. ... 33â…“ LP vinyl record for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour album from the 1960s. ... Rock is a form of popular music from the mid 20th century which typically features a vocal melody (often with vocal harmony) that is supported by accompaniment of electric guitars, a bass guitar, and drums, often with a strong back beat. ... U2 is an Irish rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland, featuring Bono (Paul David Hewson) on vocals, rhythm guitar and harmonica; The Edge (David Howell Evans) on lead guitar, keyboards and vocals; Adam Clayton on bass guitar; and Larry Mullen, Jr. ...

History

Quite boldly, the record placed an emphasis on religion and spirituality, particularly in the songs "Gloria" (featuring a Latin chorus of "Gloria, in te domine"), "With A Shout (Jerusalem)", and "Tomorrow". About the album, Bono declared in 2005: "Can you imagine your second album- the difficult second album- it's about God?"^[1]. Gloria was the second and final single from U2s October album. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Tomorrow is a song from U2s second album, October. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

The album's recording was complicated when the briefcase containing Bono's lyrics was stolen by fans after a show. The band already booked studio time and thus had to continue recording in spite of this, even improvising lyrics on some songs. The briefcase was eventually recovered on October 2004, and Bono greeted its return as "an act of grace"^[2].

The songs mainly refine U2's formula of riff-rockers with songs such as "Gloria" and "Rejoice", but the band also expanded its musical palette in a few ways. In particular, guitarist The Edge incorporates piano in songs such as "I Fall Down" and "October". "Tomorrow", a lament to Bono's mother, who died when he was young, features Uilleann pipes. "I Threw A Brick Through A Window" was one of the band's first songs to highlight drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. while Gloria highlights bassist Adam Clayton as it features three styles of playing in one song (using a pick for the most part, playing with fingers during the slide guitar by The Edge then a "slap & pop" solo towards the end) The Edge is the stage name of David Howell Evans (born August 8, 1961), the lead guitarist of the Irish rock band U2. ... October is the seventh track from U2s 1981 album, October. ... Uilleann pipes (IPA: ) are a unique form of bagpipes originating in Ireland. ... Larry Mullen, Jr. ... Gloria was the second and final single from U2s October album. ... Adam Charles Clayton (born March 13, 1960 in Chinnor, Oxford, England), is the bass player for the Irish rock band, U2. ... The Edge is the stage name of David Howell Evans (born August 8, 1961), the lead guitarist of the Irish rock band U2. ...

Its sales indicate that October is the least popular of U2's studio albums, and it is frequently at the bottom of many U2 fans' lists and polls. Only one of the songs from October, the title song, was featured in the band's Best of 1980-1990 collection, as a hidden track at the end of the album, although "Gloria" was a staple of their live set throughout the eighties. On the other hand, October was ranked as #41 on CCM Magazine's 2001 list of the greatest Christian music albums of all time, one of only two U2 albums to make the list. CCM Magazine is a monthly magazine published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. ...

"Influences, primarily Joy Division, Invisible Girls. A great example of how you can write a song and not know what you're writing about. A song called 'Tomorrow' is a detailed account of my mother's funeral. But I had no idea when I was writing it." – Bono (Jann Wenner, "Bono on the Records," pg. 60, Rolling Stone, November 3, 2005. Joy Division was a rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics and popular culture. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

October was the start of U2's vision of the music video as an integral part of the bands creative work, as it was released during a time that MTV was first becoming as popular as radio. The video for "Gloria" was directed by Meiert Avis and shot in the Canal Basin in Dublin. MTV (Music Television) is a cable television network headquartered in New York City. ...

Track listing

All songs written by U2 (lyrics by Bono).

1. "Gloria" – 4:14
2. "I Fall Down" – 3:39
3. "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" – 4:54
4. "Rejoice" – 3:37
5. "Fire" – 3:51
6. "Tomorrow" – 4:39
7. "October" – 2:21
8. "With a Shout (Jerusalem)" – 4:02
9. "Stranger in a Strange Land" – 3:56
10. "Scarlet" – 2:53
11. "Is That All?" – 2:59

"Fire" and "Gloria" were released as singles. "Is That All?" borrows the riff from "Cry", an older song the band previously used as an introduction to "The Electric Co." live. Gloria was the second and final single from U2s October album. ... Fire was the first single release from U2s album, October. ... Tomorrow is a song from U2s second album, October. ... October is the seventh track from U2s 1981 album, October. ...

Personnel

• Bono – lead vocals
• The Edge – guitar, piano, vocals
• Adam Clayton – bass
• Larry Mullen Jr. – drums

This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... The Edge is the stage name of David Howell Evans (born August 8, 1961), the lead guitarist of the Irish rock band U2. ... Different kinds of guitars The guitar is a fretted and stringed musical instrument, used in a wide variety of musical styles, and is also widely known as a solo classical instrument. ... A grand piano, with the lid up. ... Adam Charles Clayton (born March 13, 1960 in Chinnor, Oxford, England), is the bass player for the Irish rock band, U2. ... Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... Lawrence Joseph Mullen, Jr. ... It has been suggested that Breakables be merged into this article or section. ...

See also

• U2 discography

This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by the Irish rock band U2. ...

Charts

Album

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ...

Certifications

August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.u2station.com/news/archives/2005/03/transcript_u2s.php
2. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3945519.stm

External links

• Discography entry at U2 Wanderer – Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more.
• Album lyrics – Searchable album lyrics.
• U2 tours overview at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com – Includes setlists for every date on the October Tour.
• Quotes and information – Detailed background on each song.
• U2MoL – Contains fan interpretations and interview excerpts for each song.