The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987)
The Joshua Tree is one of those timeless albums, like Sgt. Pepper’s or The Wall. Songs like “With or Without You” or “Where the Streets Have No Name” evoke memories and joy in everyone who loves U2. How can your spirit not be elated as soon as you hear those first 6 notes The Edge plays during the very atmospheric organ intro? And, we automatically crank up the volume to hear the driving bass and the first words exhaled by Bono, “I want to run, I want to hide.”
I discovered U2 with “New Year’s Day” and I was absolutely blown away by their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. But, I have always carried The Joshua Tree within me. It is one of the few albums whose purchase I recall. I was wandering the streets of Albany, NY as a Freshman in college and the newly released album was just sitting in the window of a record shop. Of course, I did not hesitate and bought the cassette. I devoured the lyrics and music and learned to play most of the songs on guitar. In the summer of 1987, I visited Italy for the first time and, of course, I took the album with me. I was a student on my first archaeological excavation and we, a small team of New Yorkers and Floridians, stayed in a hilltop village, Moncioni, in the heart of Tuscany. That album helped to form bonds between us and the local kids and I still have strong friendships from that summer.
The music of U2 expresses many emotions from the highest highs to gentle lows. “Party Girl” aside, Bono’s lyrics are always rich and deep. As a teenager with a rebellious spirit, how could you not adore songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Pride in the Name of Love”? In addition to the album’s hit singles, every song is meaningful and beautiful, even when the themes are ugly. “Bullet the Blue Sky” denounces the corporate and political greed of the 1980s, a theme that is just as prevalent today. “Running to Stand Still” is a hopeless about heroin addiction. “Mothers of the Disappeared” raises awareness of the ‘disappearance’ of ‘inconvenient’ young people during some of the ugly years in El Salvador:
“In the wind we hear their laughter
In the rain we see their tears
Hear their heartbeat, we hear their heartbeat”
Time passes and between YouTube and Pandora Radio, I do not listen to the full album often. But like all of my favorite music, I have a constantly playing Spotify in my head. And, songs like “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” are on my frequently played list. “With or Without You” is an obligatory song in my living room or campfire concerts. It is always fun to play with other people around because, like “Hey Jude” everyone knows it and will eventually sing along, especially at the end – “oh, oh, oh, ohhh; oh, oh, oh, ohhh…with or without you”
So, yes, The Joshua Tree, for many reasons is on my most memorable albums list.
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