U2 ~ Ireland

October (1981)

I'm pretty much drawing a line in the sand with U2. Their first three albums, not coincidentally all released while I was still in high school, are the albums I enjoy the most. After that, U2 lost me. Though to be fair, almost all mainstream artists lost me as I began my deep dive journey into the 1970s European progressive rock underground while in college. But even in reflection, I cannot relate to U2, starting with The Unforgettable Fire, on any level. 'Bullet the Blue Sky' from Joshua Tree is the only exception. 

One could make the argument that October is their most experimental work, or at least not self-consciously experimental.

You can read my history with U2 below, largely due to an influence of a friend. He's the same guy who inspired me to really appreciate Kansas and early Chicago. A wise fellow he was (and is, I hope).

Ownership: Island (CD). Early commodity pressing.

3/7/26 (review)  

Boy (1980)

I had a chum in high school - and still a friend I keep up with on occasion -  who was a huge U2 fan. He was a "Born Again" type and U2 was a great way to get authentic underground rock and still be with the Faithful. He'd play me this and October all the time in the car (dubbed cassette of course), and I remember liking them. But here we are close to 40 years later and I never bothered to own them - and haven't even heard them since! I really like U2 at this stage. I prefer them in upbeat punchy mode more so than their later moody works. Especially when they became way too self-conscious of who they were. Good memories.

Ownership: 1983 Island (LP). Slightly later US pressing (the first domestic release was 1981 incidentally).

12/2/21 (review)

12/2/21 (new entry)