Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
Vivaldi: Concertos; Stabat Mater [Import]
Music: The Swinger from Rio/The Beat of Brazil
Whistle Down the Wind (Songs From) [Import] [Soundtrack]
Vol. 1-Original Seeds [Import]
Vaughan Williams, Delius: Orchestral Works
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Long a favorite of U2's original core following, October not only avoids the sophomore slump, but adds an edgy, emotional resonance to the buoyant self-confidence they showed on their debut, Boy. Though producer Steve Lillywhite deserves mention for helping effectively frame the material with production that manages to be both stark and atmospherically murky, this is the music where Bono, Edge, and company first show the potential that would make them superstars. Lacking the sometimes ham-fisted polemics that would mar War, The Joshua Tree, and later works, October has an oft-tortured sense of emotional and philosophical ambivalence that only underscores concerns that range from the crypto-spiritualist yearnings of "Gloria" and "Rejoice" to more anxious moments like "I Fall Down," "I Threw a Brick Through a Window," and "Fire." In retrospect, they may have peaked early. --Jerry McCulley --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.