U2 - The Joshua Tree
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Free Music Notes for The Joshua Tree
Free Music Review: U2's second best
Hit: 5 Stars
Even though I consider Achtung Baby their best, this just narrowly misses it but back in 1987, this was a definate welcome. In a decade of wannabe new wave groups and sound-alike pop metal, U2 gave an album with depth and substance.
Where the Streets Have No Name: The.Best.Intro.Ever. After church-like synth, we have Edge's classic delay-laden riff. Despite the repetitive structure, it holds it's own as one of their great epics. 10/10
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: a very long title for a great anthem. A song about an endless search. While Streets was big and epic, this is fairly mid-tempo but without being ballad-like. 10/10
With or Without You: A song more about the darker side of a relationship, the first single and a smash hit. Edge does probably the most beautiful guitar notes that seem to go on forever, and of course there's Bono's emotional climax at the end. 10/10
Bullet the Blue Sky: Like Achtung Baby's opening trilogy, the next song just ruins it. Pretentious lyrics and clumsy rock despite Edge's cool guitar work. Still played live. Why? No clue. 6/10
Running to Stand Still: taking away BtBS and you'd have a flawless quadrilogy opening. But even after BtBS, you have a slow song with probably Bono's most emotional vocal performance. Their best drug song since Bad. 9/10
Red Hill Mining Town: Bono's vocal performance is top-form but the rest of the song? It's ok. His vocals more than saves the song, Edge does good guitar work to compliment but it's not compelling enough for me. 7/10
In God's Country: Ahhh, here we go. Nice, upbeat, catchy, with an awesome Edge intro. Lots of overdubs by Edge. Sounds like a lot of unneccessary guitar parts but only Edge can make it all sound great. 8/10
Trip Through Your Wires: I wasn't a big fan of the bluesy rock songs from Rattle and Hum and this is no exception. Oddly this was one of Edge's favorites although the band didn't like it. Band compromised and Bono added harmonica. Meh, not a huge fan of it. 7/10
One Tree Hill: Now this is more like it. Written for one of the band's closest friends, it's a nice tribute without having those overdone ballad-esque feels. It's catchy and nice to listen to, although what's with that thing at the end? 9/10
Exit: A slow but big builder once it gets going. Song about a man who got enraged and shot his wife. Song sure sounds like it. It sounds angry and it's a awesome song. 8/10
Mothers of the Disappeared: Probably the most beautiful closers they've done to date. Written about an incident in Argentina where children were kidnapped and killed because locals were turning into compassionate people. Rather than having a pissed off song like Bullet, it's a cry for acceptance and peace without being preachy. Haunting and eerie. 10/10
Some missteps here and there but their minor grievances. Great guitar work, passionate vocals, poetic lyrics and some classics prove that U2 was a band that was sorely needed.
Free Music Review: Amazing Classic. 18 Years of Praise DEFINITELY justified!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Joshua Tree (1987.), U2's fifth studio album
'The Joshua Tree' is a classic which harks back to the days when U2 were a real groundbraking force in rock (U2 are a rock band NOT a pop band for the record). This album, released in 1987 was their fifth studio album release and is in many ways the culmination of the U2 work which came before it, including works such as 'War'. 'The Joshua Tree' was the album which truly cemented U2 on the world stage. Its thoughtful approach makes it interesting to listen to every time and it is certainly one of my favourite albums, even if U2 themsleves probably do not feature in what I would regard as my top 5 favourite bands.
In the 80's when there was too much a share of 'hair-metal' acts which brought down the rock genre as a whole thankfully there are albums such as this one which carry the torch for good music if you like. These were the days when, for me U2 had real respect as a rock band. They did different things, pioneering their own sound and gained many fans beacause of it. They avaoided advertising and appearing on commercials, often didn't turn up to collect awards at ceremonies and didn't allow themselves to be bowled over by wealth and popularity. And .... surprise, sadly all of these things are what U2 are not now - even their music - as good as the tracks on the recent album are - its nothing that they hadn't done before. Going back to the Joshua Tree, we see U2 switching the overall themes for their albums. From the earlier controversial political issues such as songs like 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday' in War, we see U2 go more onto traditional themes of love, troubles of life etc etc etc. However, it fits in well with the style of the album overall.
All the material on 'The Joshua Tree' is first rate. Some of U2's most famous stuff is one here. 'Where the Streets have No Name' starts the whole thing off and we reacquaint ourselves with Bono's familiar vocals and The Edge's instantly recognisable guitar riffs. The fourth track on the album, 'Bullet the Blue Sky' is one of my favourites on the album. A slightly downbeat but effective riff accompanies well with Bono's story telling vocals and similarly 'Running To Stand Still' is a very passionate track to follow this. 'Red Hill Mining Town' is another highlight with effective synthesizer and vocal harmonisation. 'Trip Through Your Wires' is a great track, a bit different with a great harmonica part over the top with a progressive riff theme to it - its a track that I never tire of listening to. The other top highlight of the album for me is 'Mothers of the Disappeared' which makes a very interesting and very much surreal finish to the album.
So, there you have it, 'The Joshua Tree', an 80's masterpiece which is well deserving of its classic album status amongst many critics. Definitely worth investing in, you'll not regret it.
Free Music Review: `I Stand With The Sons Of Cain'
Hit: 5 Stars
I first purchased a copy of `The Joshua Tree' on tape when I was 15 years old after I had bought `Rattle and Hum'. I loved many of the new songs on `Rattle and Hum' like Heartland, Desire and Hawkmoon 269 so `The Joshua Tree' was a natural purchase. This is where the problem starts and where I differ from a lot of other `Joshua Tree' fans but the reason may be lost on the CD generation. (Side A / Side B) Bands often put all their best material on Side A of a record through a sometimes pain staking selection process. The problem I have with this album is that I prefer and believe side B to be infinitely superior to Side A.
I always thought Side A of the `Joshua Tree' was average yet it contained many fan favourites as well as hit songs. `Where The Streets Have No Name' felt like an empty epic opener, similar to the song `Zooropa', and the reason for all the desert metaphors. `I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' with it's gospel flavour didn't appeal and never felt like the real deal, although the older I got the more it appealed lyrically. `With Or Without You' I couldn't identify with at 15 and still can't, although it is a decent song. `Bullet The Blue Sky' felt like a return to War era material and is much better live (just listen to the live version on Rattle And Hum). So the only song on Side A that I liked was `Running To Stand Still' with it's Ry Cooder-like intro probably influenced by Wim Wenders `Paris, Texas' (1984) soundtrack. The problem is that Side A just feels like it's laboured and lacking any real spark.
However flip over the Record to side B we have a completely different and much better record. First up was `Red Hill Mining Town' about the UK miner strikes and damage it caused to relationships. Then `In God's Country' comes flying out of the blocks with The Edge's guitar sounding like lightning breaking up the desert sky. Bono's vocal delivery is impassioned and earnest, like he had something to say and you were going to hear it whether you like it or not. Not only that but one actually starts to notice that Larry and Adam are actually in the band, both punching a hole through the mix. `In God's Country' and `Trip Through Your Wires' continue in much the same vein slowing down a bit for `One Tree Hill' by which time Bono's vocals have become virtually hoarse. Then the next song is what I believe to be one of U2's greatest, darkest and my personal favourite on the album then and now: `Exit' a menacing song about a man on the edge with only one alternative left. Larry literally sounds like he's trying to beat the living daylights out of his drum kit. The song reaches such a climax that there's almost nowhere else to go other than down for `Mothers Of The Disappeared' inspired I believe by Luis Puenzo's `The Official Story' (1986).
Free Music Review: a masterpiece by all counts.
Hit: 5 Stars
The first song i listened to on this album was "I still haven't found...." at a friend's place four years ago. I was impressed by the song and asked to hear more of the group's stuff. So, my friend played "Where the streets have no name" and "With or without you". All three songs were impressive but none really moved me enough to make me buy the album. Two years passed; and then one day, at the same friend's place I listened to "One Tree Hill". This song swept me with it. The melody was so expansive - the musical arrangements so exquisite. I was thrilled. I chided my friend for not playing this song before(but he was blameless, his favorites were and still are the first three songs in the album). I bought the album. And then, one by one, I discovered the placid and meditative "Running to stand still", the apparently mellow but in fact very intense "Mothers of the disappeared"; the evocative masterpiece "Trip through your wires" and the burning disturbing "Exit". To me, however the climax of the album is "In God's country". There is the Edge's signature guitar sound buried under layers of music, there is a rhythm in the song which starts with the very first chord and does not end till the very last. And towards the end of the song is an absolutely magnificent, absolutely brilliant guitar piece. I have listened to this song atleast a hundred times; and to that mesmerizing guitar piece atleast a thousand times. I find it surprising that U2 never rose to this supreme level later on in their career, the closest they ever came was in the last minutes of "one" and "until the end of the world" (In Achtung Baby) - in both cases the breadth of their sweeping guitar sound was more than their depth. I still wonder why "In god's country" never became a hit or for that matter why hardly anybody who listens to joshua tree mentions anything except the first three songs. Maybe this explains why U2 is such a mighty group with such a diverse fan following - they can exact tributes from the masses by their hits and at the same time cater to tastes of people like me who still do not know how to appreciate what is called "mainstream" music. I'll just like to end by saying to those people who have still not had the pleasure of knowing this group - "Go ahead and buy the album even though you do not feel deeply enough about the first three songs. The album is much more than the first few songs or the first few listens - there are worlds hidden in the songs that comprise this album that have the power to open unexplored territories within yourself - territories that define something nobler, something grander than the ones you already know."Free Music Review: a masterpiece by all counts.
Hit: 5 Stars
The first song i listened to on this album was "I still haven't found...." at a friend's place four years ago. I was impressed by the song and asked to hear more of the group's stuff. So, my friend played "Where the streets have no name" and "With or without you". All three songs were impressive but none really moved me enough to make me buy the album. Two years passed; and then one day, at the same friend's place I listened to "One Tree Hill". This song swept me with it. The melody was so expansive - the musical arrangements so exquisite. I was thrilled. I chided my friend for not playing this song before(but he was blameless, his favorites were and still are the first three songs in the album). I bought the album. And then, one by one, I discovered the placid and meditative "Running to stand still", the apparently mellow but in fact very intense "Mothers of the disappeared"; the evocative masterpiece "Trip through your wires" and the burning disturbing "Exit". To me, however the climax of the album is "In God's country". There is the Edge's signature guitar sound buried under layers of music, there is a rhythm in the song which starts with the very first chord and does not end till the very last. And towards the end of the song is an absolutely magnificent, absolutely brilliant guitar piece. I have listened to this song atleast a hundred times; and to that mesmerizing guitar piece atleast a thousand times. I find it surprising that U2 never rose to this supreme level later on in their career, the closest they ever came was in the last minutes of "one" and "until the end of the world" (In Achtung Baby) - in both cases the breadth of their sweeping guitar sound was more than their depth. I still wonder why "In god's country" never became a hit or for that matter why hardly anybody who listens to joshua tree mentions anything except the first three songs. Maybe this explains why U2 is such a mighty group with such a diverse fan following - they can exact tributes from the masses by their hits and at the same time cater to tastes of people like me who still do not know how to appreciate what is called "mainstream" music. I'll just like to end by saying to those people who have still not had the pleasure of knowing this group - "Go ahead and buy the album even though you do not feel deeply enough about the first three songs. The album is much more than the first few songs or the first few listens - there are worlds hidden in the songs that comprise this album that have the power to open unexplored territories within yourself - territories that define something nobler, something grander than the ones you already know."