starvinmarvin
Refugee
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2005
- Messages
- 1,178
Thought you guys might want to check out the following review of October I found on a rock review site:
Ah, the dreaded sophomore jinx....A catastrophic artistic reversion, October is a dull, thoroughly uninspiring Christian rock album that suggests the band used up all their good ideas on Boy. It is important to note that October was recorded when U2 were at a proverbial spiritual crossroads, unable to decide whether they were a "Christian rock band,' or simply just a "rock band of Christians." And since three-quarters of the band was experiencing a spiritual revival of sorts, it will come as no surprise that October is overflowing with Christian imagery - you know, the sort of evangelical Old Testament lingo that you'd be more likely to hear from Ned Flanders than from a rock and roll band. However, the band's religious tone is probably the most positive thing about this album. When Bono enthusiastically exhorts the faithful with gleeful yelps of "rejoice!" and "Jerusalem,' he not only sounds like a man on a mission, the singer also proves that contemporary Christian music really can produce spiritual highs. And as we all know, most of today's generic Christian rock bands do everything but produce spiritual highs. Well, apart from Stryper, that is.....So what's the biggest problem with October? The answer, alas, is the songwriting. I've listened to this album about a dozen times over the course of the last several months, and I still can't remember any of the tunes except for 'Gloria.' There are no hooks or melodies to speak of, and every song sounds exactly the same - you'd need a photographic memory to hum along. Rumor has it that Bono was forced to improvise most of the lyrics after he misplaced his original words before the recording sessions, an unfortunate incident which partially explains why everything sounds so underdeveloped and fragmented. The other major problem is Steve Lillywhite's sub-standard production, as the album's flat, murky tone makes the album sound as though it was recorded somewhere in the heavily-polluted depths of the Irish Sea. The only standout track is the energetic hit single 'Gloria,' an emotionally-uplifting religious hymn that really pushes all the right buttons, and although I could do without all the instrumental solos just before the final chorus, the overall effect is breathtaking. And if you want to hear something that doesn't really sound like U2 you might want to give 'Tomorrow' a listen, as the song merges hard rock and Irish folk music with some interesting results. The song itself is pretty weak, but the use of traditional Irish instruments like the Oillean Pipes and Bodhran are a really nice addition.
What do you think? I actually agree with most of it. A little harsh, but pretty accurate.
There are other U2 reviews on the site, most of them quite positive. You can check out this site at
http://ca.geocities.com/iansmusicreviews/u2/u2.htm
Ah, the dreaded sophomore jinx....A catastrophic artistic reversion, October is a dull, thoroughly uninspiring Christian rock album that suggests the band used up all their good ideas on Boy. It is important to note that October was recorded when U2 were at a proverbial spiritual crossroads, unable to decide whether they were a "Christian rock band,' or simply just a "rock band of Christians." And since three-quarters of the band was experiencing a spiritual revival of sorts, it will come as no surprise that October is overflowing with Christian imagery - you know, the sort of evangelical Old Testament lingo that you'd be more likely to hear from Ned Flanders than from a rock and roll band. However, the band's religious tone is probably the most positive thing about this album. When Bono enthusiastically exhorts the faithful with gleeful yelps of "rejoice!" and "Jerusalem,' he not only sounds like a man on a mission, the singer also proves that contemporary Christian music really can produce spiritual highs. And as we all know, most of today's generic Christian rock bands do everything but produce spiritual highs. Well, apart from Stryper, that is.....So what's the biggest problem with October? The answer, alas, is the songwriting. I've listened to this album about a dozen times over the course of the last several months, and I still can't remember any of the tunes except for 'Gloria.' There are no hooks or melodies to speak of, and every song sounds exactly the same - you'd need a photographic memory to hum along. Rumor has it that Bono was forced to improvise most of the lyrics after he misplaced his original words before the recording sessions, an unfortunate incident which partially explains why everything sounds so underdeveloped and fragmented. The other major problem is Steve Lillywhite's sub-standard production, as the album's flat, murky tone makes the album sound as though it was recorded somewhere in the heavily-polluted depths of the Irish Sea. The only standout track is the energetic hit single 'Gloria,' an emotionally-uplifting religious hymn that really pushes all the right buttons, and although I could do without all the instrumental solos just before the final chorus, the overall effect is breathtaking. And if you want to hear something that doesn't really sound like U2 you might want to give 'Tomorrow' a listen, as the song merges hard rock and Irish folk music with some interesting results. The song itself is pretty weak, but the use of traditional Irish instruments like the Oillean Pipes and Bodhran are a really nice addition.
What do you think? I actually agree with most of it. A little harsh, but pretty accurate.
There are other U2 reviews on the site, most of them quite positive. You can check out this site at
http://ca.geocities.com/iansmusicreviews/u2/u2.htm
Git! Lovely stuff!!
