Boy

A boy is a male child. Sometimes the word is also used for a man.

See also Boy band, Boy Scouts of America.

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Boy is an October 1980 (see 1980 in music) album from U2. It was the band's debut, and was preceded by the single "I Will Follow". The single was a hit on college radio[?] and established a buzz surrounding the group's debut. The song was widely perceived as a religious song, affirming the band's Christian faith, though this has never been confirmed or denied.

The album was recorded in Dublin, in Windmill Lane Studios with Steve Lillywhite[?] producing. Some of the songs, including "An Cat Dubh" and "The Ocean" were written and recorded in the studio; many of the songs were regularly performed in concert at the time, including "Stories for the Boys", "Out of Control" and "Twilight".

In stark contrast to the then-popular British rock bands like The Smiths, Boy was optimistic and positive, and helped establish a rhythmic, guitar-led jangle pop[?] sound within alternative rock circles on both sides of the Atlantic.

The boy on the cover is Peter Rowan, brother of Bono's friend, Guggi. The photographer, Hugo McGuiness[?] and the sleeve designer, Steve Averill, would go on to work on several future U2 album covers. The image had be a changed to a band picture for the United States, due to fears that the band would be accused of child pornography.

In 1981 (see 1981 in music), Boy peaked at #63 on Billboard[?]'s album charts. "I Will Follow" peaked at #20 on the Mainstream Rock charts. It did not chart in the United Kingdom.

Track Listing

1. I Will Follow (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 3:36
2. Twilight (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 4:22
3. An Cat Dubh (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 6:21
4. Into the Heart (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 1:53
5. Out of Control (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 4:13
6. Stories for Boys (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 3:02
7. The Ocean (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 1:34
8. A Day Without Me (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 3:14
9. Another Time, Another Place (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 4:34
10. The Electric Co. (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 4:48
11. Shadows and Tall Trees (Bono/Clayton/Edge/Mullen) - 4:36

(The Track Listing is from the CD Release. This album was originally released on LP and cassette.)