Album Review #2: U2 - The Joshua Tree
Well, it's been a while, but Adam at least apparently liked my first one, so I figured I'd try another album review. This time around, I'm talking about U2's 1987 release, The Joshua Tree. This is my all-time favorite U2 album (closely followed by The Incredible Fire). The
beginning is excellent: slow keyboard chords fade into The Edge's classic ringing guitar riff of Where The Streets Have No Name (side note: this song will always be special for me, as it was our grad intro music). The dynamics play a key part here, as the song starts off very quietly, builds to an exciting climax, and then fades back down. Next is I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, which continues the anthemic mode but in an entirely different direction. It is more measured and controlled, with Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums/percussion) taking the musical lead. There is also more usage of background vocals here. Additionally, I think this is one of U2's most profound songs, and a very philosophical statement about how nothing ultimately satisfies.
The album now takes an entirely different twist with With Or Without You. This is a very subdued, almost understated song.`Dynamics are yet again integral to the song: it starts out very quietly, builds to a powerful climax, and ends with a quieter instrument only-outro. Bono's vocals are the main feature here, but the music is again bass driven, making for a nice transition from I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and an even better one into the next song, the pounding bass and drum pattern of Bullet the Blue Sky. Also, the very end of With Or Without You is primarily drum driven, and then Bullet opens with only drums, but Mullen is playing a similar, yet more complex beat. Bullet is also one of my all time favorite U2 songs. In contrast to With Or Without You, Bullet is loud, dark and eerie. It reminds me of a short power ballad, except that it depends on rhythm more than guitar chords. Also, it has some of U2's most memorable and poetic language, such as the famous "rattle and hum" line, a face "red like all the colours of a royal flush", and the metaphorical staircase.
In the fifth song, Running to Stand Still, we again are taken into a aquieter mode. The inter-song dynamics here are well placed: we go from extremly loud and pounding into soft and melodic, and then are taken up into a mid-range in the next song, Red Hill Mining Town. Running also reminds me of A Sort Of Homecoming off The Incredible Fire: it is quieter, but the vocal style is similar. Red Hill, and the following song, In God's Country, thematically resemble Homecoming as well: Red Hill has the community feel, while Country carries the same love of land and freedom. Country and the following track, I Trip Through Your Wires, are musically related: both are somewhat guitar driven, but yet have their own style going on as well. Country is higher tempo, and is largely comprised of the "helicopter" guitar effect mixed with some awesome drumming from Mullen, while Wires has a more controlled beat, a more ringing guitar style, and also features some awesome harmonica playing. The following song, One Tree Hill, is one of my favorites from the album. It (and the entire album, for that matter) is dedicated to Greg Carroll, a former U2 roadie, who was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1986, the year before the album was released. Its emotional, poetic, but dark lyrics, mixed with soothing, yet haunting music, deeply recall Bad, my favorite track off Incredible Fire. The album then launches into Exit, easily its darkest track, which is again a triumph of dynamics. It starts off slowly and barely audible, but then surges towards a powerful climax.
Finally, the album concludes with Mothers of the Disappeared, a disturbing and dark conclusion that somehow perfectly summarizes the album. Overall, the album is permeated with a sense of longing for better (Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, In God's Country), combined with a dark dismay at the way things are (Bullet the Blue Sky, One Tree Hill, Red Hill Mining Town, Exit, Mothers Of The Disappeared). Additionally, there are songs about conscious efforts and attempts to improve things (Red Hill Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wires, Running to Stand Still). This album is quite unique: it is both lyrically and musically diverse, but still cohesive and united. It is a very dark U2 album overall, but it is amazingly well done. It primarily fits into my Spiritual category, as it is very emotional and deeply resonates with many listeners, but it also has elements of the Intellectual category in the arrangement of music, themes, and lyrics. I heartily endorse it!
P.S. I'd like to hear comments from others who have heard this album.
P.P.S. http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=3132 is a great source for some of the stories behind this album and its songs. Another good link is http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7vv1z84ajyv4.
beginning is excellent: slow keyboard chords fade into The Edge's classic ringing guitar riff of Where The Streets Have No Name (side note: this song will always be special for me, as it was our grad intro music). The dynamics play a key part here, as the song starts off very quietly, builds to an exciting climax, and then fades back down. Next is I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, which continues the anthemic mode but in an entirely different direction. It is more measured and controlled, with Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums/percussion) taking the musical lead. There is also more usage of background vocals here. Additionally, I think this is one of U2's most profound songs, and a very philosophical statement about how nothing ultimately satisfies.
The album now takes an entirely different twist with With Or Without You. This is a very subdued, almost understated song.`Dynamics are yet again integral to the song: it starts out very quietly, builds to a powerful climax, and ends with a quieter instrument only-outro. Bono's vocals are the main feature here, but the music is again bass driven, making for a nice transition from I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and an even better one into the next song, the pounding bass and drum pattern of Bullet the Blue Sky. Also, the very end of With Or Without You is primarily drum driven, and then Bullet opens with only drums, but Mullen is playing a similar, yet more complex beat. Bullet is also one of my all time favorite U2 songs. In contrast to With Or Without You, Bullet is loud, dark and eerie. It reminds me of a short power ballad, except that it depends on rhythm more than guitar chords. Also, it has some of U2's most memorable and poetic language, such as the famous "rattle and hum" line, a face "red like all the colours of a royal flush", and the metaphorical staircase.
In the fifth song, Running to Stand Still, we again are taken into a aquieter mode. The inter-song dynamics here are well placed: we go from extremly loud and pounding into soft and melodic, and then are taken up into a mid-range in the next song, Red Hill Mining Town. Running also reminds me of A Sort Of Homecoming off The Incredible Fire: it is quieter, but the vocal style is similar. Red Hill, and the following song, In God's Country, thematically resemble Homecoming as well: Red Hill has the community feel, while Country carries the same love of land and freedom. Country and the following track, I Trip Through Your Wires, are musically related: both are somewhat guitar driven, but yet have their own style going on as well. Country is higher tempo, and is largely comprised of the "helicopter" guitar effect mixed with some awesome drumming from Mullen, while Wires has a more controlled beat, a more ringing guitar style, and also features some awesome harmonica playing. The following song, One Tree Hill, is one of my favorites from the album. It (and the entire album, for that matter) is dedicated to Greg Carroll, a former U2 roadie, who was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1986, the year before the album was released. Its emotional, poetic, but dark lyrics, mixed with soothing, yet haunting music, deeply recall Bad, my favorite track off Incredible Fire. The album then launches into Exit, easily its darkest track, which is again a triumph of dynamics. It starts off slowly and barely audible, but then surges towards a powerful climax.
Finally, the album concludes with Mothers of the Disappeared, a disturbing and dark conclusion that somehow perfectly summarizes the album. Overall, the album is permeated with a sense of longing for better (Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, In God's Country), combined with a dark dismay at the way things are (Bullet the Blue Sky, One Tree Hill, Red Hill Mining Town, Exit, Mothers Of The Disappeared). Additionally, there are songs about conscious efforts and attempts to improve things (Red Hill Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wires, Running to Stand Still). This album is quite unique: it is both lyrically and musically diverse, but still cohesive and united. It is a very dark U2 album overall, but it is amazingly well done. It primarily fits into my Spiritual category, as it is very emotional and deeply resonates with many listeners, but it also has elements of the Intellectual category in the arrangement of music, themes, and lyrics. I heartily endorse it!
P.S. I'd like to hear comments from others who have heard this album.
P.P.S. http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=3132 is a great source for some of the stories behind this album and its songs. Another good link is http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7vv1z84ajyv4.
posted by Andrew Bucholtz at 11:18 a.m.
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