832 U2 - Boy (1980)

 832 U2 - Boy (1980)


Studio Album - Rock




About the Act:

U2 are a huge Rock band from Ireland. They were formed in 1977 and have been active ever since. They are Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton. They are mega-famous wold conquerors.


About the Album:

This was the band's first album


My History with this Album:

None. Honestly.


Review:

I am no expert on U2. I did not know when I had my first listen, for example, that this was their first album. I don't think I knew any of the songs. However, in the first few seconds I might have identified this as U2. It's the guitar. I mean, Bono has a fairly distinctive voice, but not so much at the time and there were other people around with similar high, strident voices. But the guitar... Well there's a certain jangly, echoey reverby arpeggiated sound that is definitively U2, at least for their first few albums. 

There are shades of other contemporary bands in here, there was a certain sound to certain rock bands that was emerging at the time - The Adventures, The Cure, even some post-punk stuff. A certain high-pitched-over-use-of-echo-ness. Even at times, Gary Numan, but that's to do with processing of the vocals. The frequent use of glockenspiel is a bit different, but that doesn't strike me as something that continued much.

I've gone backwards and forwards on this album. At first, I quite disliked it, then it grew on me, and I have oscillated quite a bit since. I know that for some, U2 are a sacred cow, and it's tempting to feign lots of enthusiasm so as to not upset anyone, but I'm kind of trying to listen to it as if it wasn't U2, and as if I didn't know what they became. In isolation, it's OK, but not brilliant. The sound could be irritating (the U2 sound used to irritate me immensely, and I'm still not the biggest fan of Edge's guitar sound - too grating). Even then, Bono could sing, and has a wildness to his voice that is a good thing. He got better at singing I think. The lyrics are mildly interesting, and it's a thematic album, about the transition from boy to man. It's not particularly inspired, but also not repugnantly clichéd. They do labour the point at times, both lyrically and musically.

It has an unpolished feel to it, even though it is pretty well-produced. Partly that's because they do so much with just guitar, drums and bass (and glockenspiel), and partly that's because there is an energetic looseness to it that is infectious. There is no doubt there is an emerging sound here, and that at this point they have potential. It lacks direction at times, but on the whole, as a debut album it is strong. I can hear what it was that started to excite people about them as a band at this stage.

Mixed feelings needs a mixed score.


6.8/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2co53OwPjlTvPDQTpErBtU

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFXfhhW9S_hAsD_etBVJTAh0bT13VMjtg

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_(album)



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