Not often here do we cover an album that could be considered a classic “sophomore slump.” We’ve seen the story repeated often: Act releases debut album that everyone loves; they’re catapulted into stardom; they go on long tour to promote said album, and as a result don’t have time to craft a deserving follow-up by the time the label wants another release.

October is a variation on said notable formula. Touring did affect the song-writing process, but less in that abstract sense, and more in that Bono had his lyric book stolen on tour, thereby reducing those duties back to square one. Having said that, it wasn’t as though there was a lack of material to record, with only eleven of the bands forty finished songs used on Boy. The problem there was another simple one, which was that they front loaded their previous album with the best material. And all of those problems can be found on this record. Lyrics are often repeated to tedium, likely to fill space (though I should say that songs like “Into the Heart” from Boy did this too), and although peppered with some great songs it doesn’t stand up in quality to both its successor and what it succeeds.

However, in spite all that, I would like to wave the flag in defending October’s somewhat shaky reputation. The big thing of note is that, unlike our previous second album misfire Lionheart, it feels like a different beast to the first record instead of just a second disc. Much, if not all, of that is down to the production, where Steve Lillywhite locked on to the space and sounds that would come to define the band’s sound. While this does lack the punk charms of Boy or the further experimentation on the Eno-driven Unforgettable Fire, October feels a noticeable step closer to what we consider a U2 record: ringing, anthemic chords that rely heavily on delay; a rhythm section that fluctuates between the propulsive and sturdy, and vocals that ring between the spaces those things can’t cover. Bono here sounds much more confident and improved as a vocalist, a few duff notes here and there not taking away from his power.  The only thing that makes it feel off the trademark – yet conversely gives it a distinct flavour – is the heavy use of piano, which U2 would use again, but never to this extent, never to be the whole basis for songs, and never again this eighties sounding.

But the production on October does end up taking place of the song-craft, as evidenced by the fact that I have delayed more than normal talking about them. In the vein of following continuous themes as evidenced in their first album, Bono rebuilt his lyrics around a theme that certainly had a boldness and ambitious: Religion. Or, more specifically, Irish Catholicism based on their times in a formal religious group. Being such an openly religious work led to cries of dreaded “Christian Rock” on one side and the evils on rock music on the other. The latter is of course silly, and the former’s effect lost on me after living through the shit that calls itself Christian Rock now. But the religious overtones make themselves apparent from the Latin calls of “Gloria,” keeping to the U2 tradition of great album openers.  It is a song with trademark Edge riffs’n’ringing, a variation of bass styles from Clayton and some glorious “Gloria” choruses that really hones in to their collective sound.

The second song is where we see both this albums unique qualities as well as its weaknesses. The combination of piano and bright guitars, as well as Bono’s enunciation in the chorus, could remind one of the kind of music Queen was making at the time. But by the thirty-fifth time Bono says “Fall Down,” you’re kind of hoping he stays down and that Lassie doesn’t come to save him. Still, we move swiftly onto another album highlight with “I Threw a Brick Through a Window,” a song that with some tweaking wouldn’t have sounded too out of place on War. This is likely down to the showcase of drum work from Larry Mullen, who shows off his intricacies in the verses just as much as the drum breaks. I think if this series will end proving anything, it is that Larry Mullen Sr.’s son often goes overlooked.

“Rejoice,” like “Gloria,” is another instance of the band refining the U2 sound, and is all the better for it. Specifically the opening, crying riff from the Edge and the fanciful and erupting drums; it really does sound like someone rejoicing. The sounds of “Fire” meanwhile are an adaptation – or a whole lift, if you like – from their own B-side “Saturday Night,” and I have to see I prefer the moodier sounds of the original compared to the brighter tones here. Still, it is meant to be tailored to this album and it is so, such as in the echoing introduction that recalls choir boys in church. And more lyrics about falling down. Bono is sure doing a lot of falling.

Side Two begins with one of the best from October, as well as one of the most different sounding songs in the U2 canon with “Tomorrow.” Subconsciously written to be about the day of the funeral of Bono’s mum, its most distinguishing trait is without question the distinctly Irish sounding Ullieann pipes (another Kate Bush tie, there), its sincerity and vulnerability would probably make it just as suited to “Boy” if it were not for the instrumentation. This, however, is the highlight of the weaker second half.

Having an expectation of the U2 sound, imagine my shock when I get to the title track, and not ONLY is it piano ballad, barring one verse at the end accompanied with bass a piano instrumental. For something that ends up being quite superfluous, you wonder why they would name the entire album after it. After that comes “With a Shout (Jerusalem),” which admittedly has an infectious rhythm from Mullen and Clayton, but doesn’t have a memorable hook in the treble, except for Bono telling us to “shout with a shout” as if there was any other way to do so. Then comes “Stranger in a Strange Land,” a somewhat misleading song compared to its punchy intro, where the hooks and the verses mismatch and don’t really bridge together effectively enough for such a dynamic change. Also Bono screaming “Wish you were here” reminds me of a much better song.

“Scarlett” might have a somewhat saccharine piano tone, but it is made up from with the atmospheric drums and high bass line taking the brunt of the work next to the Edge’s sparse playing. This track is also a demonstration of the higher echelons of Bono’s range, much more confident here then he was in the previous album. As a contrast to this track, “Is That All?” is much rockier, more in line with what we come to expect from U2. An adaptation of an older U2 song “Cry”, it’s a great illustration of all the bands skills at once, from Larry’s  rapid drums to Adam’s catchy bass line, Edge’s sweeping chords and Bono yet again reaching his highest ranges (even though his falsetto’s are lost in the volume). I must ask though, was there any self-awareness in calling the last track on your album “Is That All?”

Although there are problems with October, and is on the lesser levels of U2’s work, it has both enough songs to give a recommendation, and as a demonstration of the U2 sound is much more obvious than its predecessor, even if this would not be the record to optimise it. The band should probably have learned the two things not to bring up in public are politics and religion. Fortunately, they would be a hell of a lot better on the former…

What did you think, though?

U2 Album Rankings

1. Boy
2. October