Retro Reviews: U2: October

       I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 70s and start of the 80s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

U2 – October (1981)

***

Producer: Steve Lillywhite

Musicians: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr, Vinnie Kilduff

Songs and music: Gloria, I Fall Down, I Threw a Brick Through a Window, Rejoyce, Fire, Tomorrow, October, With a Shout (Jerusalem), Stranger In a Strange Land, Scarlet, Is That All?

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    U2 is a post punk band that leans into the new wave sensibility, they have been highly praised for their debut Boy, and they press on with their second album, I am not certain if a fully agree with my peers adulation in certain respects, but they are shaping into a damn good band just on the result of this album. Producer Steve Lillywhite has added a certain ambient sheen to the recordings as he continues on with them. The Edge is an adequate enough guitar and piano player with an ability to work within his skills. The rhythm section of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr remain a steady team that works around their skills to make it work. Bono tends to be a little overwrought as a singer, but with his sincerity he makes it work mostly. Having raised all of these points, the punk ethos was never about virtuosity but the ability to connect with an audience, a trait that U2 has been able to achieve. But it’s not lost on me that their sound runs counter to the standards of other punks – we’ll get back to that in a moment.

    The album moves at a fairly brisk pace, while having some musical moments of real introspection. The opening number “Gloria” acts as this album’s “I Will Follow” single. The track fades in before the real fire steps, but the track is also their open declaration of faith. It has many of the characteristics one heard from the Boy, the open piano passages give it ethereal quality, before the closing anthem section gives it vibrancy. The Edge’s echo piano textures that open “I Fall Down”, as well as acoustic guitar changes the tone until big full band chorus sets in. This also helps to illustrate the critique from the punk scene. The band’s sound is designed for larger venues, theatres or arenas, not for the club scenes that Punk bands rely upon. Steve’s production adds to the drama of that larger scale. 

    “I Threw a Brick Through a Window”, within the band, has a full-throated sound, The Edge’s slide guitar moments seem tactical. Larry’s tribal drum fills keep this interesting. The lyrics seem a little rudimentary, but the guitar phrases keep it dark. “Rejoyce” drives the album forward, it just reinforces their declaration of faith, and probably one of the most insightful lyrics for the start of a decade full of uncertainty. “I Can’t Change the world, but I can change the world in me.” The next track, “Fire” manages to round out the first half.

    The side two opener, “Tomorrow” begins with Uileann Pipes and a Bobhran, with a bass and acoustic track sets up the tone until the full band settles in the second half. The fact that the band is openly Christian is interesting and unusual, but the other truth is the band is so Quintessentially Irish, it seems intrinsic they would use this as a feature on their music. The nearly instrumental piano piece “October” has a dark and somber tone with a brief lyric in the last moments, making this one of the most introspective and interesting pieces that have offered. Larry’s brisk drums and toms set up the mood for “With A Shout (Jerusalem)” offers hints of echo-based horns in a fairly common number. With “Stranger In A Strange Land” Edge’s short delay fills, and piano colorings allow the rhythm section to come through. Things are scaled back with “Scarlet” as a more freeform vamp off of the spirit of the prior track “Rejoyce”. The more vibrant “Is That All?” is an interesting album closer, with the interplay between Edge, Clayton, and Mullen is full swing. 

    The album cover seems to harken back to the designs of the early sixties and I find that curious and revealing that they would draw parallels to the past. The major drawback with the album is that the lyrics seem a little underdeveloped. This is a typical sophomore release from a good band finding its footing and not quite there yet. The quitter, introspective moments are what stood out for me and will probably keep me coming back. They sound like young players struggling to find their place in the world, the midst of our shifting sands.

I wouldn't say U2 are the great hope of the eighties, but they are an interesting band.  

Retro Reviews: Andy Summers, Robert Fripp: I Advance Masked

  I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 70s and start of the 80s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. This is a lesser-known album.

Andy Summers, Robert Fripp – I Advance Masked (1982)

***1/2

Producers: Andy Summers, Robert Fripp

Musicians: Andy Summers, Robert Fripp

Music: I Advance Masked, Under Bridges Of Silence, China – Yellow Leader, In The Cloud Forest, new Marimba, Girl On A Swing, Hardy County, The Truth Of Skies, Painting and Dance, Still Point, Lakeland / Aquarelle, Seven On Seven, Stultified

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    The idea of Andy Summers from The Police and Robert Fripp, formerly of King Crimson doing a collaboration is an intriguing one and they manage to deliver on the promise. But this doesn’t follow any of the conventions of what you’d expect from either, the exercise is more about setting up a mood and state of mental place. It’s often pensive and dark, full of mystique with music you can almost relax with but not quite. Every time there are pleasant moments, it’s off set by something uncomfortable, it requires attention, but if may be well worth it for those ready. I don’t say these things to suggest this is any more challenging that latter period John Coltrane – it isn’t, but you may have to walk away from preconceived notions. Andy and Robert split up the work with both playing - guitars, Moog and Synths, Bass and Percussion as a self-contained unit.

    The album opens with the title track, some characteristic distortion and drones from Fripp set up the tone, before a weaving pattern by Andy steps in, he also supplies the kind of synthesizer swells you’d expect to see from The Police, some incredible lead work creeps in from Fripp, and Andy manages some characteristic lead work as well. The ambient “Under Bridges Of Silence” is awash with percussion, and Andy’s moods. The next track “China – Yellow Leader” opens with another dexterous pattern and synths and a brief synth lead from Fripp, before shifting the tone into the more ambient Asian motif before another dueling guitars the final half. The impressionistic guitar work within ”In The Cloud Forest” is probably played by Andy while Robert plays the more dexterous leads, at times Fripp almost sounds like Steve Hackett, Playing with different time signatures is an important element of “New Marimba”, impressive while also serving a mood. The piano driven “Girl On A Swing” has the interplay of guitar to accompany and a synth lead that is all impressionistic 

    The second half opens with “Hardy County” with a guitar, synth bass driven number that offers some angular phrases and electric sitar, and dynamic percussion. “The Truth Of Skies” pretty much feels like an Andy where the structure hints at Mahavishnu Orchestra. “Painting and Dance” feels like another jazz duet between the both of them, a little more stripped down of a number. “Still Point” manages some more modulating shifts with some great Fripp work. The brief “Lakeland / Aquarelle” manages a Japanese setting that harkens back to the Bowie / Eno collaborations of the late 70s. The brief “Seven On Seven” takes a pensive, darker turn. The closer “Stultified” is a cascading blend of guitar and Keyboard that ends on a apocalyptic turn. 

    This isn’t what one might expect, it isn’t a pop record, but it isn’t a fusion rock record either, the emphasis is on ambient moods juxtaposed with some impressive playing from the both of them. The truth is that Andy may have options away from the police if that ever ends. For Robert Fripp, this simply expands the palate of his - already - impressive work. He has always pushed back on the definition of rock and pop music anyway. This is a worthwhile pairing.