October (1981)
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?
It’s tempting to look back on the first handful of U2 records and dismiss them as near-identical entries: the same producer (Steve Lillywhite), the same anxious energy, and the same absence from the mainstream spotlight. But this is an oversimplification. For all their similarities, each of those early albums had its own distinct pulse. In the case of October, the band’s second outing, the mood shifts notably. Gone is much of the wide-eyed bounce of Boy; in its place is a band trying—perhaps prematurely—to grow up.
And grow up they did, at least in tone. October is where U2 began to reveal the shape of their future selves: political, spiritual, and grand in ambition. At times, these instincts come off as noble. Other times, they feel like the product of youthful urgency stretching a bit too far. What’s undeniable is that the spiritual current is flowing heavily here—religious imagery dominates, and the word “rejoice” alone seems to echo across the album like a mantra.
Of course, none of this necessarily hurts the music. But it does explain why some early admirers found this album less engaging. The brightness and adolescent joy of Boy is dimmed somewhat here, replaced by a heavier, more contemplative tone. Tracks like I Threw a Brick Through a Window struggle to find clarity, while Scarlet—a song that literally repeats one word for its duration—feels less like a statement and more like an unfinished sketch. (Curiously, that word is “rejoice,” though they’d already made that declaration in another track.)
But when U2 stops trying to deliver a message and just lets the music speak, the results are often refreshing. Gloria, the album’s opener, is a perfect distillation of what this version of U2 could do best: blend muscular performance with spiritual yearning. It's also one of the few tracks from this record that casual fans might recognize. With a Shout (Jerusalem) continues in that same vein—urgent, propulsive, and firmly rooted in the terrain of the first album.
October isn’t always an easy listen. It’s uneven, occasionally overwrought, and clearly the work of a band trying to define its purpose. But those very qualities make it fascinating in hindsight. It marks the beginning of U2’s long flirtation with significance—a quality that would go on to define much of their career.
Not top-tier U2, perhaps, but still essential. It’s the sound of four young men caught between instinct and ideology, raw talent and lofty intentions. Within a few short years, they’d strike the right balance and begin reshaping the world of rock. October was one of the first steps.