October (thing)

'October'...it's an image. We've been through the '60's, a time when things were in full bloom. We had fridges and cars, we sent people to the Moon and everybody thought how great mankind was. And now, as we go through the '70's and '80's, it's a colder time of year. It's after the harvest. The trees are stripped bare. You can see things and we finally realize that maybe we weren't so smart after all, now that there's millions of unemployed people, now that we've used the technology we've been blessed with to build bombs for war machines, to build rockets, whatever. So 'October' is an ominous word, but it's also quite lyrical. - Bono

October is the name of U2's second album, released just one year after Boy, in 1981. The Band was fraught with problems during its making and the music reflects that. The album suffered because of a lack of time the band had to prepare for it and because of the personal troubles the members were experiencing. After a show in Portland some months before October was released, Bono's lyrics for the new record were stolen. Unable to find them again, Bono was now under pressure to improvise. Also, Bono, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. were having serious doubts about whether to continue with the band. The three were very into Shalom Christianity and felt unsure whether being in a rock and roll band jived with this lifestyle. Fortunately, they worked this out. The album was produced by Steve Lillywhite and released by Island Records Inc. U2 recorded this album at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. Although October is a U2 album that is frequently overlooked, its music is refreshingly honest and simple.

October song list:

1. Gloria
2. I Fall Down
3. I Threw A Brick Through A Window
4. Rejoice
5. Fire
6. Tomorrow
7. October
8. With A Shout
9. Stranger In A Strange Land
10. Scarlet
11. Is That All?

Track 7, also called October features U2's lead guitarist, The Edge, playing the piano.

October

October.
And the trees are stripped bare
Of all they wear.
What do I care?
October.
And Kingdoms rise,
And Kingdoms fall,
But you go on, and on.

The highest chart position for this album was number 11.