Nice to see some appreciation for this album! I didn’t know so many of us existed, so this is awesome.
October didn’t start out as one of my favorite U2 albums. In fact, I initially rated it as their weakest when I was first going through this discography. I didn’t think it was bad, per se, but it did lack the lyrical and musical muscle that their other albums did. Like many beloved records, it slowly began to sink in and often brought me a lot of comfort in times of distress or uncertainty. I can say that for most of U2’s music, yet October occupies a special place that no other album of theirs quite does. ATYCLB has arguably been with me through the most ups and downs, and I do have a very personal connection to that one as well, but there’s something about October that’s just different. Sure, it’s unpolished musically and lyrically, yet I think that’s what so many of us love about it. It’s that scrappy energy and spur of the moment passion that sees it through.
October is my “don’t panic” album. Whenever I’m struggling with anxiety (which is pretty frequently) or have to make a tough decision, I can put this one on and it just calms me. The fact that I share the band’s faith is certainly a big factor too, as this is their most overtly Christian release. It’s basically a worship album and I love that about it.