October did not fail because of the music, it failed because....

[-macphisto-]

They don't play any songs from October because, I believe, Bono doesn't like the lyrics on it...if you remember he lost the notebook they were in and had improvise the whole thing from memory. He probably remembers what it could have been and that makes him dislike what it is.

But I do think it's brilliant. At the moment I like it the most out of the first three records.

Hey, can you give me some quotes about this, Ive heard he lost i\his lyrics, but ive never heard Bono actually say he didnt ike the lyrics (album)? I would really like to read into this. Thanks

 

[U2Kitten]

Last summer a girl came forward and admitted she had taken the lyrics while she visited with the band in a bar after a show. I don't know if she got a reward.

 

[david]

I think a lot of people don't appreciate October because it's not really a pop music album in terms of ease of accesability.

I listen to that album and I am blown away by the fact that this is their second album and it's such a deeply personal and religious album and even expirimental in ways too.

When I listen to that album there poetic lyrics, ambient music, I hear lyrics that were probably inspired by the band's coming to terms with their career and religion and probably the turmoil they were going through with Adam and him being distant from the band.

It's a real heavy album.

Gloria, I Fall Down, Fire, Tomorrow and October are songs just as good as any of their "hits" from their first 5 years as a band.

 

[U2Kitten]

I wonder what the people who think ATYCLB is slow because they are old think of October. They were young but still mostly slow. It's just where the band was at the time, man!

 

[mistyrose]

I know a lot of people hate it, but I really love that album. It's not my top one, but it's in my top five. It is not their best by any means, but on an emotional level it has a lot of meaning for me.

 

[Zoots]

REJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCE

 

[allbecauseofu2]

so what songs would you like to see remixed on a best of? like they did with pop?

 

[namkcuR]

so what songs would you like to see remixed on a best of? like they did with pop?

None. None of the Pop songs needed to be remixed either.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

i like the pop versons better too, but some people might have liked the new mixes. so im asking those people to apply thier pop crituqes toward the real bastard album in the u2 cannon, october.

 

[thrillme]

I prepared myself for the worst when I originally bought it, because fans in countless U2 forums slag it off repeatedly. I was so pleasantly surprised when I listened to it for the first time.

Hmm, good thing I bought October before ever visiting any forums then.

Come to think of it, I think most of their albums have been surprises, (became a fan in late 2000, and didn't participate in U2 forums until Zootopia went up in late 2001. ) I was an occasional lurker in Inteference for a few months before joining Zootopia though.

they don;t even acknowledge october--allbecauseofu2

Not quite

Propaganda, Issue 3, August 01, 1986

Adam's PERSONAL FAVORITE:

U2 ALBUM: October

Though in a recent interview Adam said his fave U2 album was Achtung Baby.

Bono said he likes October, he just doesn't care for his singing, as he felt he sounded like a girl. I like Bono's "girlie" voice, maybe that's why they don't do songs off October anymore, the notes too high?

I'm in that minority of people who really really like October, in fact, it's my #4 U2 album. *Yes I know, back in my box I go.*

I like the "spur of the moment" lyrics, what you get is what came out of Bono's mind at that moment, no time for him to sort of rethink or rewrite a song's lyrics, a few weeks later.

Edge starting to utilize the piano, which made a great segue from "October" to "New Year's Day" on the Red Rocks concert.

October has "Gloria", how about Edge's piercing guitar notes after Adam's near bass solo

Is it common for a bassist to start a song using a pic, then for the last minute or so, go with pick and slap playing like Adam does on Gloria?

Maybe you have to see and hear the songs from October live to appreciate them more?

If you can find it, watch Larry on songs off October on the "Red Rocks" video. He's almost spastic on "I threw a brick through a window." Larry hits the drums hard at the beginning of "Gloria."

Fire is a great track.

Tomorrow, how the song starts off slowly, probably their most traditionally "Irish" sounding song on account of the uillean (sp?) pipes, then it gets faster towards the end.

"Rejoice" has some fine drumming by Larry.

The weakest song for me is "I Fall Down" that's only one I occasionally skip.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

yea, u2 never sounded close to irish music except mabey on here.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

October is a good record. There is a couple of classics (Gloria/October), a couple of should've beens (Tomorrow/I Threw A Brick) and some stuff that need to be sussed out a bit more. It was another 16 years until U2 made another album like it....

U2Kitten, actually the women who brought the briefcase back did not take it; the story goes it was left behind by Bono in a Portland club and some local sound guys found and meant to return it to Bono. They never did, put the briefcase in an attic where it remained until the woman who eventually bought the house found it and then returned it to Bono. @u2.com had the "exclusive".

 

[BVS]

Tomorrow alone makes this album worth owning.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

so u2 has the lyrics to october? then re release re done,lol lyrical remix.

 

[Saracene]

I really like Gloria and Tomorrow; Fire and I Threw a Brick Through the Wall are pretty good; I don't care much for the rest. The lyrics... well they may have done the best they could in the circumstances but that doesn't make the lyrics any less weak IMO.

October does have an unfortunate fate of being an "invisible" U2 album; it's not as often-maligned by general opinion as POP or R&H are but it doesn't seem to have a lot of defenders either.

 

[Axver]

Folks, the lyrics didn't make much of a difference. Upon the return of the lyrics, Bono said much of his notebook was for a third album or other jottings. Losing the lyrics wasn't as catastrophic as some like to make it sound.

 

[Axver]

By the way ...

In my opinion, October > Achtung Baby. So, lazarus, am I a fucking idiot now because I don't share your AB worship?

 

[the soul waits]

Heated discussion!
Why it is even considered "cool" or "uncool" to like a certain U2-album, is beyond me, really. Thank God for opnions, lol.

I personally LOVE October, just pulled it up after (I think) 2 years! First thing that struck me was the abundance of emotions on this album. I certainly agree that they've grown immensly technically and musically and lyrically (is that a word? ), but the scala of different emotions in the songs and the way Bono sings inhibited, is a thing I'll always love about the early U2.

 

[ZeroDude]

It's a great album but to be purely objective no way in hell is it better than Achtung Baby, The Joshua Tree possibly depending on my mood but then again I prefer Pop and Zooropa over all the 80's albums

 

[D'oh!]

A failure for U2 in 1981 and a failure for U2 in 1997 are two very different things.

October is a good album, nothing more IMO. I guess more people preferred Boy and War

 

[U2Kitten]

October is a good record. There is a couple of classics (Gloria/October), a couple of should've beens (Tomorrow/I Threw A Brick) and some stuff that need to be sussed out a bit more. It was another 16 years until U2 made another album like it....

U2Kitten, actually the women who brought the briefcase back did not take it; the story goes it was left behind by Bono in a Portland club and some local sound guys found and meant to return it to Bono. They never did, put the briefcase in an attic where it remained until the woman who eventually bought the house found it and then returned it to Bono. @u2.com had the "exclusive".

I didn't remember the whole story, sorry.

I can't say I believe she wasn't the one who took it, if it was her, would she admit it? On the other hand she didn't mean to profit from it or it wouldn't have rotted in an attic all these years. After U2 became big it might have drawn a lot of money. Guess everyone was too scared of getting arrested or something. Hard to buy they actually forgot something like that. I guess we'll never know what really happened, but it doesn't matter.

 

[bathiu]

1) I don't think October "failed" at all, they were able to make another record so it wasn't that bad...

2)"IF" it failed... it's very possible that it's because October is the only U2 record that can be called a "part2" of it's predecessor. Except for October U2 never did same things twice...

 

[-macphisto-]

How in the name of the good Lord did you come up with that, based upon what I wrote? In no shape or form did I EVER say that October was U2's best album. My favourite U2 album, depending on my mood, is either The Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. I'm not bloody deaf, for goodness' sake! I'm only defending October because I think there's some quality stuff on the album, and because I think it really isn't as crap as some people here at Interference and other U2 forums make it out to be. I don't like it because I think it's "cool" to like it (who the fuck with half a backbone does that anyway?) Of course U2 have improved drastically since October. One would have to be rather daft to think otherwise. However, that doesn't take away from the reality that October isn't all bad! I enjoy the album a lot, and am frankly sick and tired of seeing people constantly putting it down. And if that means I have a fucked up taste in music, well then so be it.





Honestly.

 

[-macphisto-]

I think a lot of people don't appreciate October because it's not really a pop music album in terms of ease of accesability.

I listen to that album and I am blown away by the fact that this is their second album and it's such a deeply personal and religious album and even expirimental in ways too.

When I listen to that album there poetic lyrics, ambient music, I hear lyrics that were probably inspired by the band's coming to terms with their career and religion and probably the turmoil they were going through with Adam and him being distant from the band.

It's a real heavy album.

Gloria, I Fall Down, Fire, Tomorrow and October are songs just as good as any of their "hits" from their first 5 years as a band.

 

[xana dew]

I lost my copy of October some time ago. This very board inspired me to get out and buy that puppy yesterday. The music, or melodies, are very strong, but the lyrics are sort of lacking. (We all know why). Still, there's some great emotion on this album. I thought Tommorrow held up very well. October (the song) is a classic of course. They should get that back in the live show.

 

[-macphisto-]

Last summer a girl came forward and admitted she had taken the lyrics while she visited with the band in a bar after a show. I don't know if she got a reward.

Yes, I know that Bono lost his lyrics, or they were stolen, but my question was, I have never heard Bono say that he didnt like October for that reason, because of the lyrics. I did hear Bono say that he didnt like his voice back then, because it was to high. But I would like to read into this a little more, because I just dont believe that Bono would say that, I think those are some of Bono most personal lyrics, and they are AWESOME LYRICS!

 

[U2Kitten]

A failure for U2 in 1981 and a failure for U2 in 1997 are two very different things.

Very good point. A 'flop' after you have achieved worldwide megastardom is not the same as a 'flop' while starting out. Of course, Pop sold a lot more than October, but a lot less than AB and JT so that is what it's compared to as 'flop.' It was by U2 big star standards. In the case of October, few bands are able to survive such a 'sophomore slump' and still hang on to achieve the fame and greatness they did. They were very lucky. I shudder to think what a wicked world this would be if they had been canned after October, never got to make War, and went home to work at the battery factory in Dublin

 

[allbecauseofu2]

october fell between the cracks between a brilllant debut and a awesome third album. the song october should be back in the live show, i mean it's piano only.

 

[lazarus]

By the way ...

In my opinion, October > Achtung Baby. So, lazarus, am I a fucking idiot now because I don't share your AB worship?

In short, yes.

Without a doubt.

I'm not criticizing people who like, or even love October. But if you think it's their best album, or one of their best, your taste in music is suspect.

And if you think it is a more impressive album than Achtung Baby, you are a fool, or have some kind of pesonal baggage with AB that you can't reconcile.


laz

 

[financeguy]

I lost my copy of October some time ago. This very board inspired me to get out and buy that puppy yesterday. The music, or melodies, are very strong, but the lyrics are sort of lacking. (We all know why). Still, there's some great emotion on this album. I thought Tommorrow held up very well. October (the song) is a classic of course. They should get that back in the live show.

Unbelievable, I also lost mine a few years ago and only recently bought it again (at a knock down price I must add). Would agree with you about the lyrics.