Note 11 - Senior Notes and Term Loan - Senior Secured, Senior and Senior Subordinated Notes (Details) (Parentheticals)		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Apr. 30, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Senior Secured Notes [Member] | The 7.25% 2020 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	7.25%	7.25%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Oct. 15, 2020	Oct. 15, 2020
Senior Secured Notes [Member] | The 10.0% 2018 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	10.00%	10.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Oct. 15, 2018	Oct. 15, 2018
Senior Secured Notes [Member] | The 9.125% 2020 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	9.125%	9.125%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Nov. 15, 2020	Nov. 15, 2020
Senior Secured Notes [Member] | The 9.50% 2020 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	9.50%	9.50%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Nov. 15, 2020	Nov. 15, 2020
Senior Secured Notes [Member] | The 2.0% 2021 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	2.00%	2.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Nov. 01, 2021	Nov. 01, 2021
Senior Secured Notes [Member] | The 5.0% 2021 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	5.00%	5.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Nov. 01, 2021	Nov. 01, 2021
Unsecured Senior Notes Excluding Senior Amortizing Notes and Senior Exchangeable Notes [Member] | The 7.0% 2019 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	7.00%	7.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Jan. 15, 2019	Jan. 15, 2019
Unsecured Senior Notes Excluding Senior Amortizing Notes and Senior Exchangeable Notes [Member] | The 8.0% Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	8.00%	8.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Nov. 01, 2019	Nov. 01, 2019
Senior Amortizing Notes [Member] | The 11.0% 2017 Amortizing Note [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1],[2]	11.00%	11.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Dec. 01, 2017	Dec. 01, 2017
Senior Amortizing Notes [Member] | Senior Exchangeable Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	[1],[2]	Dec. 01, 2017	Dec. 01, 2017

[1] "Notes payable and term loan" on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of April 30, 2017 and October 31, 2016 consists of the total senior secured, senior, senior amortizing and senior exchangeable notes and senior secured term loan shown above, as well as accrued interest of $31.1 million and $32.4 million, respectively.

[2] As discussed in Note 1, we adopted ASU 2015-03 in November 2016. We applied the new guidance retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements to conform to the fiscal 2017 presentation. As a result, $20.2 million of debt issuance costs at October 31, 2016, were reclassified from prepaids and other assets to a reduction in our senior secured term loan, senior secured, senior, senior amortizing and senior exchangeable notes. Debt issuance costs at April 30, 2017 were $17.8 million.