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View Full Version : Album Club - Week 113: 01.10.2013: U2 - The Joshua Tree. (1987)



Album Club
30-09-2013, 23:02
Alex(_UK) has given us the album for this week - a monster seller, with 25 million sales to its name. Cheers Alex!


U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

http://intothemusic.ca/images/sized/images/covers/U2_-_The_Joshua_Tree-300x300.png


spotify:album:2gKxc9XphKyPDjfKSZ1ULT


I had to laugh when this thread (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?27928-U2-Joshua-Tree) appeared, knowing that I had already chosen this classic rock album as my latest album club choice... Well, by the looks of it I should do better than the last one (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?26472-Album-Club-Week-99-25-06-2013-Green-Day-American-Idiot-(2004)&highlight=american+idiot), which was swamped with apathy...! :)

So, U2... I have no intention of referring to the politics, or whether Bono is a cock - I'm just interested about the music. And at the time of this, their 5th studio album, most of that hadn't really happened. Even hindsight can't change what for me was a landmark album - when U2 moved from being a great band, to probably the biggest band in the World at that time.

Unless you're a hermit living in a cave you must have heard at least a couple of the lead tracks - but for me every one is a killer, not filler. I was lucky enough to see them twice on the tour of the album - the first at Wembley Stadium probably still stands as the best gig I have ever seen. I was 18, drove to London in my little Renault 5 with my best mate, watched the gig and we felt so awake we drove into central London for a night time tour of the sites - drove back to Norwich just in time for a quick shower and straight to work! (Unfortunately hitting a barn owl on the M11 on the way home - something I still feel terrible about over 25 years later!)

This really is an album that has to be played as an album should - start at the beginning - finish at the end. From the very synth intro of Where The Streets Have No Name the album then follows with the two other big singles -I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With or Without You - 3 classics. Bullet the Blue Sky follows- one of my favourite guitar-led tracks ever. I could go on - the best bet is to listen for yourself, and if it is new to you or not been heard in many a year, try and remember the Album Club doctrine of "listen without prejudice" ;)

Interesting fact - released on the 9th March 1987, this album was the first new release available on vinyl, cassette and CD at the same time. Personally I'd go for the vinyl - but the 20 year anniversary Deluxe CD box-set is superb - one of the rare times when a "Deluxe" edition is well worth it in my opinion, with a 2nd CD and DVD.

Tim
01-10-2013, 20:34
An absolute slam dunk classic Alex and without doubt a favourite of mine. I haven't played it for awhile (25 Aug 2012 to be precise ;)), but know it well and look forward to hearing it again - it's easily a 10, but I won't score it until I have listened objectively, just to see if it still deserves that, or if I should dock some marks?

IMHO a must for every record collection and a musical milestone - top choice http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w63/greatgig/thumbsup.gif (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/greatgig/media/thumbsup.gif.html)

Audio Al
01-10-2013, 20:42
Epic Album

I have just found this Album

Love it :)

9 out of 10 from me ;)

sparrow
01-10-2013, 20:46
10 all the way from me. I bought on its release day back in 87 ..at the time I was underwhelmed but now it is a favourite..easily in my top albums of all time. The deluxe cd/dvd version is worth searching for and although I still like U2 and own all their output this is theyre pinnacle IMO..not everyones taste I know and Bono can be an emarassment sometimes I still think the guy has a great voice.

pjdowns
01-10-2013, 21:08
Yeah agree this is a stonker of an album, an easy 10/10!!

Roy S
01-10-2013, 21:27
First CD I bought but certainly not a perfect 10, 8 from me.

pjdowns
01-10-2013, 21:29
First CD I bought but certainly not a perfect 10, 8 from me.

Ooo please tell Roy, why a lowly 8?

Roy S
01-10-2013, 21:31
Ooo please tell Roy, why a lowly 8?

Cos it's not a perfect 10, I can't think of any album I'd score 10 (except maybe Machine Head). 8's not lowly anyhoo :scratch:

pjdowns
01-10-2013, 21:32
8's not lowly anyhoo :scratch:

:lol: Roy, sorry, just me messing... I was just interested in your thoughts :)

twickers
01-10-2013, 21:54
Good album. 8/10.


Cos it's not a perfect 10, I can't think of any album I'd score 10 (except maybe Machine Head). 8's not lowly anyhoo :scratch:

I agree, Machine Head ' The Blackening ' defo 10/10 ;)

Audioman
02-10-2013, 09:26
Excellent choice Alex - a step up from Britney eh! Looking forward to giving the old vinyl a spin again. Sorry about your Owl experience. Was watching a prog the other night and unfortunately Barn Owls flying into cars is quite a common occurrence.

Canetoad
02-10-2013, 11:49
My favourite U2 album. Sounds good on vinyl and CD. 10/10 for me.

losenotaminute
02-10-2013, 11:57
I'm sorry but this gets a 0 from me. I can't listen to anything where Bono and someone called "The Edge" are involved.

Lawrence

twickers
02-10-2013, 14:41
I'm sorry but this gets a 0 from me. I can't listen to anything where Bono and someone called "The Edge" are involved.

Lawrence

Blimey. What on earth have Bono and "The Edge" done to you to deserve a big fat zero? :eek:

Barry
02-10-2013, 15:00
10/10 from me - a classic album if ever there was one. I don't care what Bono's politics are; I listen to the disc for the music, and only for the music.

loo
02-10-2013, 15:28
Tried really hard and listened twice not for me really cannot do with Bono's singing? And that damn guitar
3 from me
Paul

Roy S
02-10-2013, 16:54
'Bono - with your funny little name like a dog biscuit'

7_BcLjtG3eY

losenotaminute
02-10-2013, 17:19
'Bono - with your funny little name like a dog biscuit'

Brilliant, that just about sums them up. Apart of course for the hypocrisy and wrong-headed approach to solving the problem of poverty.

I must confess that their music is quite good despite them being a pseudo tribute band to 80s/90s Springsteen.

Lawrence

John
02-10-2013, 18:28
For me the band is to polished on this. I prefer the earlier stuff when they still had more energy. A 6 from me

Audioman
02-10-2013, 23:25
Forgot how good this is. Top class and no filler 9/10 from me.

Bazil
04-10-2013, 18:06
I like U2 , always have done but have never owned a copy of this as I only like certain tracks and I agree with John it lacks edge ( no pun intended). I bought Rattle and Hum which came out soon after, that contains some of these tracks Bullet the Blue Sky (live) being a highlight.
However it is of course a top album, I'll give it 7/10, now if you'd had chose Achtung Baby you'd have got top marks Alex :D

Alex_UK
06-10-2013, 10:49
Thanks guys for the mainly positive views! Certainly one of my better received Album Club nominations! Big thanks to Chris (TGW) for covering Album Club the past few weeks, which have been mental for me with lots of changes at work and a ton of travelling, hence me being a bit of a stranger on AoS just at the moment... Hopefully it will get a bit easier soon.

The Grand Wazoo
06-10-2013, 10:55
Hiya stranger!
I haven't voted yet, but I may have to amend the options to allow for minus figures!

The Grand Wazoo
06-10-2013, 10:55
Go on then, we'll call it an 8

Alex_UK
06-10-2013, 19:24
Bloody hell - an 8! Or was that minus 8? ;) Must admit, I didn't think it would be your cup of cha... So if it got a plus 8 then wow!

The Grand Wazoo
06-10-2013, 19:57
I prefer 'Rattle & Hum' & 'Under a Blood Red Sky', but this is pretty good. I have quite a few of their albums - I opted out when I heard 'Achtung Baby' though!

Alex_UK
06-10-2013, 20:07
Under a Blood Red Sky would probably be my 2nd favourite - one of the very few live albums I have played repeatedly - I think I'm on my 3rd vinyl copy, have the original CD and the Deluxe box set remaster... I'm a sucker for those as I've said on here before - and they are rarely worth the effort but the U2 ones have been great IMHO.

johnB
06-10-2013, 21:25
I dug out the LP and really wanted to dislike it (They take themselves far too seriously) but I quite liked it really.....Bullet The Blue Sky followed by Running To Stand Still are great back to back. Nice one, at least an 8/10.

Barry
07-10-2013, 11:18
'Rattle and Hum' is an excellent live album; however I'll stick with my vote of 10/10, as I regard 'The Joshua Tree' to be an almost perfect classic album.

Tim
08-10-2013, 09:46
Finally got back to this after the first post and after listening to it again - no change from me since then, it still gets 10/10, voted accordingly :)

MartinT
09-10-2013, 07:06
I can place exactly where I first heard this album: in the Virgin Megastore in Oxford Street, where they were playing With or Without You. I went straight to the record rack and bought a copy. For me, this has always been U2's finest moment with some great songs and an interestingly thick production that responds well to great playback sound. In fact the double 45rpm set is well worth buying. A solid 9/10 and I should play it more often.

losenotaminute
13-10-2013, 15:53
Try this, I think Mike Masse is incredible:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXjz5YdjZU4

Audio Al
13-10-2013, 23:57
Try this, I think Mike Masse is incredible:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXjz5YdjZU4

Very good

RichB
19-10-2013, 11:59
A straight 10 from me, wore the grooves out on my vinyl copy from back in the day. U2 were always a bit of a guilty pleasure for me as many of my pals would take the pee, probably just because of their commercial success. Bullet the blue sky is a particular highlight for me.

Alex_UK
19-10-2013, 21:39
With 13 out of the 17 votes being 8 or above - an unqualified hit, I think! Wow, thanks guys!

MartinT
20-10-2013, 10:15
That must make a nice change for you, Alex :lol:

Tim
20-10-2013, 10:44
That must make a nice change for you, Alex . . .
Oooo, that's harsh :lol:

Alex_UK
20-10-2013, 11:52
Oooo, that's harsh :lol:

...But fair!!!