U2 - The Joshua Tree
|
Our Price: $19.97 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for The Joshua Tree
Free Music Review: Epic Number One
Hit: 5 Stars
U2 had covered a lot of ground in its first four studio albums, from adolescent post-punk to ambient experimentalism, free-form abstraction and political punditry. What the band had not yet done, however, was manage to craft a genuine masterpiece - an album which would be mentioned in the same breath as, say, HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED or STICKY FINGERS. With THE JOSHUA TREE, that finally happened, and it's easy to hear why. Building on the various textures and concepts of its predecessors, THE JOSHUA TREE outdoes them all: it's bigger than BOY, more introspective than OCTOBER, tighter and more topical than WAR and more atmospheric than THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE. This is an indisputable epic, almost certainly the greatest rock album of the 1980s, bar none.
Retaining the services of FIRE producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, while bringing back original producer Steve Lillywhite to mix a number of key tracks, U2 wisely chose to tie together a lot of the musical strings of its first four LPs in order to create a career-defining sound and sensibility on its fifth. With its wide-open-spaces imagery and implied longing for a freedom the singer knows will never be found in this world, WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME remains perhaps the band's definitive anthem, an opening salvo so driving you barely notice that it's really built on an extremely simple melody, endlessly repeated and intensified, with no solos or even very much in the way of sonic trickery. The more restrained and dour I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR essentially replays that melody (or at least its equivalent) at half-speed, while the soul-wrenching ballad WITH OR WITHOUT YOU slows it down yet again for maximum emotional effect before exploding into a now-famed howling climax. Politics come in - and how! - on BULLET THE BLUE SKY, one of U2's hardest-rocking numbers and a poignant reminder that the America this album is all about has a very dark side. One could easily imagine a band like Aerosmith having written and recorded the instrumental track of this song, and after the chiming 4/4 melody which stretches through the first three tunes the assault is doubly striking. Keeping Americana firmly in the foreground, RUNNING TO STAND STILL employs acoustic slide guitar and teary harmonica to add some down-home grit to a harrowing and beautifully sung dope story. For a band which had never so much as touched country or blues in any direct fashion before, U2 pulls off an amazing feat on THE JOSHUA TREE by fully absorbing American influences into its European sound without any awkwardness whatsoever.
While THE JOSHUA TREE is a prime example of U2's career-long practice of "front-loading" albums by placing most or all of the singles and other radio-friendly tracks early in the running order, the second half (side two of the original vinyl release) actually offers a stronger and more varied set of songs overall. Opening with the fully orchestrated RED HILL MINING TOWN, a mile-wide tale of a doomed middle-American community and its doomed family relationships, then jumping straightaway into the irresistable pop-rock of IN GOD'S COUNTRY, a bracing three-minute jewel, this is where the substance of THE JOSHUA TREE is in fact fully formed. TRIP THROUGH YOUR WIRES seamlessly marries American blues and European music hall traditions, while ONE TREE HILL is perhaps the album's emotional apex, a brilliant and moving work which ties all of the album's strains together in a powerful performance. EXIT and MOTHERS OF THE DISAPPEARED are a fine one-two closer, the former all hard rock and streetwise attitude and the latter a haunting tale of murder and loss with the dark legacy of American foreign policy once more rearing its head.
THE JOSHUA TREE - there's nothing else like it.
Free Music Review: "I'm hanging on..."
Hit: 5 Stars
While I myself like U2, I can understand why there are those who do not. Much like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, their music is essentially unavoidable - hell, even I got burnt out on Where the Streets Have No Name back in the '90s and early '00s, though it's a lot easier to enjoy now that I don't have to hear it on the radio every day. Then again, I don't listen to the radio that much anymore.
Anyway, overplayed as they may be, I consider myself a U2 fan, or should I say an '80s U2 fan. Most of the '80s was a musical wasteland (at least according to my experience - I wasn't alive back then, so I probably don't know the half of it), but U2 brought a ton of sincerity and a will to experiment that made so many of their albums - Boy, War, The Unforgettable Fire - so good. This great Eno production is pretty experimental too, but that's not all I like about it. This one's a triumph of songwriting as much as it is experimentation.
It's tough to pick a favorite on this album when so many songs qualify. The massive hit Where the Streets Have No Name is one competitor - a great build-up, charging verses, soaring choruses. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (another one I heard way too many times, though again I love it now) probably is the weakest of the album's three inescapable hits, but it also has the best hook, and to call it "weakest" isn't exactly an insult to it or anything. Now, With or Without You is the strongest of the three inescapable hits (Where the Streets Have No Name being the third) - forget what I said earlier, I think this is my favorite song on the album, maybe my favorite U2 song period. Some people see Bono as pompous. and while sometimes that's true (the entire October album, for instance), he's as earnest as he ever got. "I can't live... with or without you..." is a lyric with an edge, that's for sure. My favorite part of the song (and maybe album) is when the whole band suddenly kicks in, Bono screams, "Whoa-hoa-hoa-hoa...", and the song unexpectedly becomes a rocker. Then again, the whole song is just perfection. I'm serious. You think Twisted Sister or the Eurhythmics could've dome something that good? I don't. Bullet the Blue Sky and the almost frightening Exit are two of the most intense, compelling songs U2 has ever done; Running to Stand Still is a chilling drug protest - like Bad, but introspective rather than epic. And the propulsive One Tree Hill is yet another personal favorite of mine.
Those are just the top songs, though: it's hard to deny the power of the cathartic Red Hill Mining Town, the fun bluesy stomp Trip Through Your Wires has a great harmonica part; and In God's Country is actually kind of funky, believe it or not.
It's tempting to call this U2's indisputable best album. I can't, though. One song keeps it from that title. Remember all those ambient songs on The Unforgettable Fire, like Promenade/4th of July and Indian Summer Sky? Remember how boring they were? Well, Mothers of the Disappeared is also ambient, and it's also boring. Sure, its intentions are good, but it's just a dull song. The only one on the album, if you ask me. So there's a massively intense smackdown between this and War as U2's best album, but this secured U2's status as a great band - much better than most of their '80s (and most of their '90s and '00s ones - I'd much rather hear U2 than Green Day, Good Charlotte, Limp Bizkit or any of those stupid commercial rock bands today). If you hate U2 with a passion, this probably won't do anything to stop that hatred - indeed, I'm pretty sure its massive success is what brought a lot of people to an anti-U2 stance in the first place. But if you like the group, it's really a hard album to go wrong with. Most fans probably have it in the first place.
Free Music Review: Absolute Perfection, Albums like this are rare.
Hit: 5 Stars
I was in junior high when this CD was released in 1987. It is now 14 years later, and this CD is still one of my all time favorites. A Grammy Winner for Album of the Year and being Diamond certified don't happen without a reason. This a CD that forever put U2 in the eschelon of the greatest groups in the history of rock. (Looking back now, in 2001, we all know that these 4 lads from Dublin, Ireland weren't done yet. They followed up with the equally impressive "Achtung Baby" in 1991, and just recently won 3 Grammys for "Beautiful Day.") I loved The Joshua Tree from the get go based on the first 3 songs: "Where The Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You" which most people have heard, and, quite frankly is the best 3 song opening ever to a record. True, these songs are still in heavy rotation for the most part, and still can be heard on the radio. The brilliance of the rest of the album often times gets overlooked, which is a shame. "Bullet The Blue Sky" has always been one of my favorites, opening with Larry's always incredibly rhythmic drumming and Adam's powerful bass line. I've often thought that Adam and Larry are perhaps the best rhythm section in rock; they truly are a unit when playing together. Edge's guitar adds that spark that marks this song as one of their best songs ever. If Led Zeppelin was the inspiration for the foundation of this song, then in my humble opinion, U2 took it one step further with Edge's spine-tingling solo, which he usually elaborates on in concert. Moving on, "Running to Stand Still" is just heartbreaking when you realize it's a song about the people in Dublin who are addicted to heroin, and are looking for, as the song states, "a way out of here." To me, the true masterpiece of this album is the song that comes next: "Red Hill Mining Town". I've recently begun to think that this may be the song that Dylan and Springsteen wanted to write thier entire lives, but weren't able to put to words. This, to me is the greatest rock song ever written. The sheer emotion in Bono's voice in this song has moved me to tears on occasion. "In God's Country" is just a beautiful song, with one of Edge's always tasteful solos towards the end. "Trip Through Your Wires" is a nod to the US tradition of country music. "One Tree Hill" This song, lyrically, is one of their best ever; and again, brings me to tears sometimes. This is especially true when you know the background story. Greg Carroll, to whom the song is dedicated, was a member of the road crew who was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was performing an errand for Bono. The anguished wail you can hear in Bono's voice at the end of the song is absolutely heartbreaking sometimes. "Exit" This song is an example of less being more. Adam's bass is the real highlight of the whole song, while Larry proves that by not filling the whole song with drumming, the result can be a more forboding song. Listen to the beginning of this song with headphones in a darkened room at night, and you'll probably see what I mean. "Mothers of the Disappeared" -- I recently found out that the background to this whole song is that they used a processor to modify the sound of Larry's drums, and the effect is mesmerizing. What takes this song to the next level is the lyrics, and is a tribute to the mothers of those who were either killed or are missing in the conflict in El Salvador. A beautiful and thought provoking closing to an incredible album. This CD will always be one of my favorites, and doesn't have a weak point anywhere.Free Music Review: A Timeless Classic
Hit: 5 Stars
"The Joshua Tree was the album U2 HAD to make, the only one they COULD make" Those are the words of Eamon Dunphy, author of "Unforgettable Fire - The Definitive Biography of U2", on U2's process of making a new record in 1986 and early 1987. That might sound like an over-dramatization for a rock record, but once you've heard the record, that thought goes out the window. This record, U2's exploration of America, is one of the quintessential rock records ever recorded. It is, varying with opinion, U2's masterpiece of masterpieces. Since this album was recorded back when it was still 'ok' to talk about records in the context of 'sides', I will say that every song on the first 'side' of this record is a classic. 'Where The Streets Have No Name' with an intro that ranks with the best of all time, 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' with a theme of longing that anyone can relate to, 'With Or Without You'(my favorite U2 track), one of the most popular breakup songs ever, 'Bullet The Blue Sky' with its hypnotic talk/chant at the end at Edge's furious and passionate solos, and 'Running To Stand Still' with its atmosphere of deep pain being held in. The second 'side' was comprised of lesser-known but no less mesmerizing songs: 'Red Hill Mining Town', 'In God's Country', 'Trip Through Your Wires', 'One Tree Hill', which was written for roadie Greg Carroll, who died in a motercycle wreck running an errand for U2, the dark and moody 'Exit', and the mournful and haunting ballad closer, 'Mothers Of The Disappeared'.
This record catapaulted U2 in a realm of superstardom seldom seen by any band. They were not expecting it and they were taken by surprise a bit. I own this record on vinyl, cassette, and CD, and I even have the 'Classic Albums' DVD for it. This album has that quality about it, that sets it apart from from all other albums that don't pocess it. What quality is that? This was the first U2 record I ever heard, and I remember listening to it for the first time at age 13, and thinking to myself, before the album was even half over, 'hey, whoa, this band is one of the best ever'. That's the quality. Just like when you listen to 'Revolver' or 'Abbey Road' or any record of that quality, before it is even finished, you know the band is one of the best ever. I was completely blown away. It is a draining experience, one that will leave you exhausted when the album reaches its conclusion.
Spiritually, emotionally, lyrically, musically, commercially, U2 reached their peak with this record, and it was a peak they would remain on for a while to come, starting with the "Joshua Tree Tour", their biggest tour to date at the time. And not only did U2 reach their peak, but it is also important to note that on this record, Bono reached his peak as a singer. For U2's whole career up to this point, he had progressively improved as a singer with each outing. On this record he made the leap from being a very good rock singer to being one of the great rock singers of all time. I submit he is still the best, most emotional, most evocative rock singer of his time.
And though that tour would eventually lead to U2 being sick and tired of their current form, and to the brink of a breakdown, that was still a good two and a half years away. At this point U2 were excited to be as popular and relevant as they would ever be, which, incidentally gave them the leverage to pull stunts like the now legendary liquor-shop-roof-quasi-show during which the 'Where The Streets Have No Name' video was shot. U2 had arrived.
Free Music Review: Masterful and Defining
Hit: 5 Stars
After its release, Bono was quoted as saying "The Joshua Tree is the best record we've made to date, but it will not be our best record by a long shot." People may argue about whether or not it is their best record, or even was at the time, but I think it would be difficult to support the second half of the statement. "The Joshua Tree" was released on the 9th of March, 1987 and was a critical success, and a sales success as well as it reached number 1 on the charts in over 20 countries. It was U2's fifth studio album, and with it the group explored different genres, and in particular blues, than they had in their previous albums. At the same time, the album also builds on their previous release, "The Unforgettable Fire", both in sound and with their decision to stick with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois as producers.
The album opens with the brilliant "Where the Streets Have No Name", the third single from the album, and a piece which sets the tone and the style for the entire album. The second track is "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" which was also the second single from the album which brings forward the religious aspect of the album, both in lyric and in gospel influence. "With or Without You" is next, and it was the first single from the album. A song dealing with internal conflicting feelings and desires. "Bullet the Blue Sky" brings in a different sound, and yet works well with the rest of the album, this is the first political song from the album.
"Running To Stand Still" brings some blues into the album, with its acoustic interaction between guitar and piano. The lyric refers to the heroin epidemic in Dublin during the 80's. "Red Hill Mining Town" is next, a song which had been planned to be a single, but when they had difficulty with the video they released "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" instead. That problem aside, this track would have been a good single. "In God's Country" is the shortest piece on the album, and probably the highest energy one as well. It was released as the fourth single for the album in the U.S. and Canada.
"Trip Through Your Wires" is next, a piece with a different feel than most of the rest of the album, with Bono playing Harmonica, and a lyric which plays with good vs. evil and the path which our desires lead us down. "One Tree Hill" was released as a single in New Zealand and became number one there. The song was written about Greg Carroll, to whom the entire album is dedicated. Greg was Bono's assistant, and died in a motorcycle accident during the period when the album was being recorded. "Exit" is another interesting piece, which appears to be dealing with suicide or perhaps murder, as it starts soft and builds to a heart-racing crescendo, and then jumps between the two contrasts. The album closes with "Mothers of the Disappeared", a final political statement about the civil war in El Salvador and the people who "disappeared".
"The Joshua Tree" took U2 from an internationally known and respected group, to the status of one of the greatest groups in existence. They broadened their sound by exploring different genres, yet maintained their own identity. It may or may not be your favorite U2 album, but it is one of those albums which is known by even the most casual fan, and it is one of the defining albums of the period.