release date: Oct. 20, 1980
format: vinyl (ILPS 9646) / cd (reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,15]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland
Track highlights: A) 1. "I Will Follow" (5 / 5) - 2. "An Cat Dubh" - 5. "Out of Control" (4 / 5) - - B) 3. "A Day Without Me" - 5. "The Electric Co." (4 / 5)
Studio album debut by Irish quartet U2 consisting of Bono (aka Paul Hewson) on lead vocals, The Edge (aka David Evans) on guitar & backing vocals, Adam Clayton on bass guitar, and with Larry Mullen Jr. (aka Lawrence Joseph Mullen Jr.) on drums.
It's a mighty fine and promising release that immediately caught everyone's attention and really signalled something other than many new acts playing new wave, gothic rock post-punk, or art rock. The album was the first of three consecutive albums to be produced by Steve Lillywhite. Although, I heard and listened to the album it wasn't my first acquisition by the band but I bought the album around '83 just after acquiring first War (1983), and then October (1981).
[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]
