Album Reviews #1: Boy

[starvinmarvin]

Hey everyone, I thought it might be interesting if people start posting reviews for each of U2's albums. We'll begin with Boy, and then every few days we will move on to the next album. here's mine:


Boy= Rating 7/10


An impressive debut album, Boy combines sweeping, atmospheric textures and post-punk edginess to create a distinctive sound that had the music world buzzing with excitement in the early 1980's - and deservedly so. Although the band has not yet perfected its trademark style on the LP, all of the basic elements are already in place: The Edge's chiming, heavily-processed guitar lines, bassist Adam Clayton's steady pulse, the hard-hitting precision of Larry Mullen Jr.'s drums, and the distinctive, impassioned vocals of Bono. Standout tracks include the energetic 'I Will Follow,' a punkish two chord rocker that remains a fan favorite, and 'The Electric Co.,' a raucous Siouxsie And the Banshees/Ramones hybrid featuring a boisterous Edge riff that demonstrates just how much the band depended on their guitarist to achieve their unique sound. The aggressive, in-your-face Clash swagger of 'Out Of Control' is yet another highlight, its chiming guitars, joyful vocals, and swirling harmonies making it a candidate for the best punk song of all-time. If you prefer the band's softer, more atmospheric material you may want to check out 'An Cat Dubh,' a dark, brooding track with a great riff that drifts off into a spacey, Eno-like coda in the ending, eventually segueing into the lovely 'Into The Heart,' a great ballad with a distinctive, throbbing bass line that sounds like- yup, you guessed it - a heartbeat. But perhaps the best song is the second track on the album, 'Twilight,' a powerful, moody song containing stunning ensemble playing from each member of the band that also features a beautiful chorus and an aggressive, pedal-to-the-metal Edge guitar solo that serves as a precursor to the guitarist's effects-laced axe work on Achtung, Baby. Unfortunately, the album really starts to sag in the second half, with each successive track sounding more and more the same - a serious problem made even worse by the conspicuous absence of catchy hooks in each of the songs (yeah, I'm talking to you, Bono). In addition, Bono's underdeveloped, youthful vocals really start to grate after a while, and while no-one can find fault with his enthusiasm, it is clear that his voice would get a lot better with age. Nevertheless, this is a fine debut album for the talented Irish lads, and one of the best records of 1980.

 

[youtwohearts]

Okay for a first album I would give this also a 7/10 where I can't say much about the bass or guitar riffs I can say that the tunes were very catchy and they have an unusual sound. I would also like to say those are some serious lyrics for a boy of 17. Profound I would even dare say.

 

[namkcuR]

The 1960s were a great decade for rock music. The 1970s were not so great, but they did have one upside: punk music. This scene included such bands as The Ramones, The Clash, and The Cure. In the mid-to-late 70s, a new Irish band called U2 were majorly influenced by this music, and aspired to be a "punk band". It is important to note that U2 were not always "U2", and that there WAS a time when they couldn't play their instruments very well. Because of this they were sort of forced to write their own music to play, because they didn't know HOW to play anybody else's. As a result of this, they didn't quite make the kind of music those punk bands made, but instead a similar, yet distinctly different sound, created during the writing and recording process for this debut, "Boy", which for all intents and purposes started a full three or four years before it was even released. It was a unique sound, and it was their sound, the sound they would keep for three decades, the sound on which they would ride the waves of new artists, rock superstars, and legends of the music business.

The songs on this record flow in and out of each other, as if they were one whole. In fact, tracks 3 and 4, 'An Cat Dubh' and 'Into The Heart' were originally one song, even played live as a single entity. It was split in two for the record because as one song, it was too long. Incidentally, it's one of the high points of the record. Other highlights include the anthemic 'I Will Follow', the angsty 'Out Of Control', 'A Day Without Me' in which Bono was singing about child neglect and abuse over a decade before Eddie Vedder sang about a boy named Jeremy, 'Another Time Another Place', and the haunting closer, 'Shadows And Tall Trees', the title of which was taken from the title of chapter from the literary classic, 'The Lord Of The Flies'. All in all, this is one of great rock debuts I've ever heard, it pocesses an innocence that perhaps U2 never had again after this record. In closing, I would be remiss not to mention a b-side from this record, called '11 O'Clock Tick Tock'. Its significance is that it was one of the earliest live fan favorites, and it remains so to this day. In fact, at a typical U2 show, the crowd usually emits some of its loudest and most enthusiastic cheers when the opening chords to 11 O'Clock or I Will Follow or Out Of Control are played. It gives the feeling of being a true fan, for being familiar with the REALLY old stuff, the music of U2 before they were "U2".