#417

Impressions: I come into this entry as a old fan of U2 from way back. This was the first U2 album I purchased in the eighties. It was on a cassette that, politely, was recorded with the entire album on each side, so you wouldn’t have to flip the cassette halfway through. At the time, that impressed me for some reason, along with the moody, earnest post-punk songs within. Let’s see how this record does today… “I Will Follow” is a still a solid, straightforward rocker that kicks things off with a simple but distinct riff courtesy of The Edge. These tracks are mostly tinged by punk or new wave, but still too earnest for either movement. Enjoyably naive (or, more accurately, Boy-ish) they favor the big, grandiose stadium gestures but blend them with weird moodiness and guitar textures. I don’t know if Bono’s lyrics (he’s all of 20 when this came out.) hold up under scrutiny, but I still enjoy the energy of the anthemic tunes like “Out of Control,” “Stories For Boys” and Another Time Another Place.” The Edge’s evocative guitar parts are the show here, as he favors echoey ringing arpeggios instead of fuzzy chords. Sometimes they sound like bizarro verision of Joy Division, with an optimistic, non-suicidal lead singer. The youthful confidence of the band and their complete lack of worrying about music trends of the time makes this still work for me, even though most people are probably tired of their current status as corporate rock dinosaurs. This album made me feel like I was listening to it on my Walkman in the back seat of my parents’ Jeep Wagoneer while on my way to summer camp.

Starred Songs:  “I Will Follow,” “Out of Control”
Sneaky Track: “The Ocean,” “The Electric Co.”
Should this album be on the list? Yes
Will you listen to this again? Yes