The Joshua Tree

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For other uses, see Joshua tree (disambiguation).
The Joshua Tree
Image:The Joshua Tree.png
Studio album by U2
Released March 9, 1987 (1987-03-09)
Recorded Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, July–November 1986
Genre Rock
Length 50:11
Label Island
Producer Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois
Professional reviews
U2 chronology
Wide Awake in America
(1985)		 The Joshua Tree
(1987)		 Rattle and Hum
(1988)
Alternate cover
Image:The Joshua Tree re-issue.png
2000 re-issue cover
Singles from The Joshua Tree
  1. "With or Without You"
    Released: March 1987
  2. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
    Released: May 1987
  3. "Where the Streets Have No Name"
    Released: August 1987
  4. "In God's Country"
    Released: November 1987 (North America only)
  5. "One Tree Hill"
    Released: March 1988 (New Zealand only)
  6. "Trip Through Your Wires"
    Released: March 1988 (Australia only)

The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released on March 9, 1987 on Island Records. It was produced and engineered by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The album is considered to be their magnum opus and was massively successful. It has often been praised by music critics as the band's best album and one of the best rock albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 26 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The Joshua Tree won the Album of the Year award at the Grammy Awards of 1988.

Contents

[edit] History

Following The Unforgettable Fire album, the band realised that "U2 had no tradition, we were from outer space", and they explored American blues, country and gospel music.[1] Furthermore, they spent time with fellow Irish bands The Waterboys and Hothouse Flowers and felt a sense of indigenous Irish music being blended with American folk music.[2] Friendships with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Keith Richards encouraged the band to look back to the roots of rock music and focused Bono on his skills as a song and lyric writer.[3][4] The band wanted to build on The Unforgettable Fire's atmospherics, but also sought a more hard-hitting sound within the strict discipline of conventional song structures, rather than The Unforgettable Fire’s often out-of-focus experimentation.[5]

The wild beauty, cultural richness, spiritual vacancy and ferocious violence of America are explored to compelling effect in virtually every aspect of The Joshua Tree—in the title and the cover art, the blues and country borrowings evident in the music...Indeed, Bono says that "dismantling the mythology of America" is an important part of The Joshua Tree's artistic objective.

—Rolling Stone[6]

U2 interrupted their 1986 album sessions to serve as a headline act on Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour. Rather than being a distraction, the tour added extra intensity and power to their new music, providing extra focus on what they wanted to say.[7] In his 1986 travels to San Salvador and Nicaragua, Bono saw first hand the distress of peasants bullied in internal conflicts, and this was a central influence on the album, most noticeably on "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "Mothers of the Disappeared".

The album juxtaposes antipathy towards America, including anger at American foreign policy in Central America, against the band's deep fascination with the country, its open spaces, freedom and what it stood for.[8] The band wanted music with a sense of location, a 'cinematic' quality; its music and lyrics drew on imagery created by American writers the band had been reading.[9] According to Bono, the album was inspired and influenced more by the country's geography, rather than its people.[4] The band had toured in America extensively, consequently affecting the band.[4] Since, at the time of the album's recording, America was having an extensive effect on the world stage, Bono said he "...had to 'deal with' America and the way it was affecting me, because America's having such an effect on the world at the moment. On this record I had to deal with it on a political level for the first time, if in a subtle way."[4]

The record was also influenced by blues.[4] While in recording sessions for the b-side "Silver and Gold", working with Keith Richards, Bono and Richards listened to blues music, country music, American pop music from the 1950s, and other such influences.[4] These influences, combined with Bono's early influences, such as Patti Smith and Bob Dylan, had an effect on the song and the whole album.[4]

"With or Without You", the album's first single and one of the band's most well-known songs, uses an effect called "infinite guitar", developed by Michael Brook, to infinitely sustain notes.

The original tree on the cover photos died around the year 2000.[10]

[edit] Reception

Named The Joshua Tree as a "tribute" to (rather than a "metaphor" for) America,[11] the album was released in March 1987. It debuted at number one in the UK and also quickly reached the top of the charts in the U.S. U2 became the fourth rock band to be featured on the cover of Time magazine (following The Beatles, The Band, and The Who), who declared that U2 was "Rock's Hottest Ticket".[12] The Joshua Tree is often cited as one of the greatest albums in rock history.[13] The album brought U2 to a new level of mega-stardom, as the worldwide Joshua Tree Tour sold out arenas and stadiums around the world, the first time the band had consistently played venues of that size.[13]

[edit] Awards and accolades

The Joshua Tree won U2 their first two Grammy Awards, with the band receiving honors for Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal.[14] The rock & roll bolero[15] In 1989, it was rated #3 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's, as well as appearing at #26 on the magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The Joshua Tree was selected as #6 on CCM Magazine's 2001 list of the greatest Contemporary Christian music albums of all time (see CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music). It came second place in Channel 4's 100 Greatest albums.[citation needed] It came in at #10 in ABC-TV's My Favourite Album, which aired in Australia in December 2006.

The album has sold over 10 million copies in the United States alone[16] and more than 20 million copies worldwide, it remains the band's best-selling album.[citation needed]

[edit] Single releases

"With or Without You" and the rhythmic gospel "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" were released as singles internationally and quickly went to number one in the U.S. "Where the Streets Have No Name" was also released as an international single and became a smash hit. In addition, "In God's Country" was released as a fourth single in North America with modest success, and "One Tree Hill" was released as a fourth single in New Zealand. "Red Hill Mining Town" had originally been slated as a single before it was realized during rehearsals for the Joshua Tree Tour that Bono could not hit the high notes in the song;[17] it ended up being the only number not played on the tour from this album.

A number of songs that were released as B-sides were thought to have been considered for a double-album version of The Joshua Tree. Though Bono was the most vocal proponent of this extended version of the album, The Edge successfully argued for the 11-track version that was ultimately released[citation needed]. "Spanish Eyes" and "Deep in the Heart" were released as B-sides to the "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" single. "Luminous Times (Hold on to Love)" and "Walk to the Water" were released as B-sides to the "With or Without You" single. "Sweetest Thing", "Silver and Gold", and "Race Against Time" were released as B-sides to the "Where the Streets Have No Name" single.

[edit] Track listing

Music by U2, lyrics by Bono.

  1. "Where the Streets Have No Name" – 5:37
  2. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" – 4:37
  3. "With or Without You" – 4:56
  4. "Bullet the Blue Sky" – 4:32
  5. "Running to Stand Still" – 4:18
  6. "Red Hill Mining Town" – 4:52
  7. "In God's Country" – 2:57
  8. "Trip Through Your Wires" – 3:32
  9. "One Tree Hill" – 5:23
  10. "Exit" – 4:13
  11. "Mothers of the Disappeared" – 5:14

According to Bono in a BBC TV documentary, the track order for the album was devised by singer Kirsty MacColl. She put her favorite song first, then her second favorite, and so on.[18]

The original CD pressings of the album incorrectly indexed the ending of "One Tree Hill" at 4:43 and the beginning of "Exit" at 4:53. This is because a final, quieter stanza of "One Tree Hill" ("Oh, great ocean...") occurs once the song has died down and apparently ended. As a result, the stanza was for a long time thought to be the beginning of "Exit", even though it completely contrasts in tone with "Exit". This error has been corrected on later editions.

In 1996, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab remastered the album and released it as a special gold CD. This edition has slightly different running times from the Island CD editions, and features an alternate edit of "Mothers of the Disappeared" in which the repeating synthesizer rhythm pattern briefly rises in volume just before the song fades out completely; this recurrence is not audible on the Island CDs. (The 2007 re-issue CD remastered under the supervision of The Edge also features this edit, suggesting that it may represent the band's original intent.)

[edit] 2007 remastered edition

Image:The Joshua Tree remastered.png
2007 remastered edition cover

On September 19, 2007, various U2 fan sites began reporting that Universal Austria had confirmed the release of three special 20th Anniversary Editions of The Joshua Tree with a tentative release date of November 23, 2007, continuing U2's streak of releasing an album, compilation, or DVD in November of every year since 2001's Elevation 2001: Live from Boston DVD.

On October 16, 2007 (2007-10-16), Billboard confirmed the US release date as November 20, 2007 (2007-11-20)[19]. The release date everywhere else in the world was December 3, 2007 (2007-12-03).

The album was released in four different formats:[20]

  • CD format: remastered album on CD
  • Deluxe format: remastered album on CD, bonus CD with b-sides and rarities from The Joshua Tree sessions, and a 36-page booklet
  • Box set edition: remastered album on CD, bonus CD with b-sides and rarities from The Joshua Tree sessions, bonus DVD with a concert from the Joshua Tree Tour and other videos, and a 56-page hardback book.DVD also has``easter egg``section, which contains `Dalton Brothers` performance from Los Angeles, November 18, 1987
  • Double vinyl edition: remastered album on two 180 Gram virgin vinyl gramophone records and pressed at Nashville's historic United Record Pressing. It includes a 16-page booklet.

[edit] Bonus CD

  1. "Luminous Times (Hold on to Love)" 4:35
  2. "Walk to the Water" 4:49
  3. "Spanish Eyes" 3:16
  4. "Deep in the Heart" 4:31
  5. "Silver and Gold" 4:37
  6. "Sweetest Thing" (1987 B-side version) 3:04
  7. "Race Against Time" 4:02
  8. "Where the Streets Have No Name" (single edit) 4:50
  9. "Silver and Gold" (Sun City version) – Bono with Keith Richards and Ron Wood 4:42
  10. "Beautiful Ghost" / "Introduction to Songs of Experience" 3:56
  11. "Wave of Sorrow (Birdland)" 4:06
  12. "Desert of Our Love" 4:59
  13. "Rise Up" 4:08
  14. "Drunk Chicken" / "America" 1:31

[edit] Bonus DVD

[edit] Chart positions and sales

Country Peak position Certification Sales
Australia 3 5x Platinum [21] 350,000+
Austria 3x Gold [22] 45,000+
Canada Diamond [23] 1,000,000+
Finland Gold [24] 27,965
France 2x Diamond

[25]

2 072 100
Germany 2x Platinum/3x Gold [26] 700,000+
Mexico Gold [27] 100,000+
Netherlands 1 Platinum [28] 80,000+
United Kingdom 1 6x Platinum [29] 1,800,000+
United States 1 Diamond [16] 10,000,000+
Year Single Chart Position
1987 "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" Billboard Adult Contemporary 16
1987 "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" The Billboard Hot 100 1
1987 "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 2
1987 "Where the Streets Have No Name" The Billboard Hot 100 13
1987 "Where the Streets Have No Name" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 11
1987 "With or Without You" The Billboard Hot 100 1
1987 "With or Without You" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
1987 "Bullet the Blue Sky" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 14
1987 "In God's Country" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 8
1987 "In God's Country" The Billboard Hot 100 53
1988 "In God's Country" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 6
1988 "In God's Country" The Billboard Hot 100 44

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Additional personnel

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bono in McCormick (2006), p.169
  2. ^ McCormick (2006), p.172
  3. ^ McCormick (2006), p.179
  4. ^ a b c d e f g The Joshua Tree. Propaganda, issue 5. Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
  5. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (27 March 1987). "U2 Releases The Joshua Tree". Rolling Stone. cited in Gardner, Elysa (ed) (1994), U2: The Rolling Stone Files, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, ISBN 0-283-06239-8
  6. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (7 May 1987). "Truths and Consequences". Rolling Stone.
  7. ^ McCormick (2006), p.174
  8. ^ McCormick (2006), p.186
  9. ^ Graham, Bill; van Oosten de Boer, Caroline (2004). U2: the Complete Guide to their Music. Omnibus Press, pp.27-30. ISBN0-7119-9886-8. 
  10. ^ http://www.joshuatreenationalpark.net/u2tree.htm
  11. ^ McCormick (2006), p.186
  12. ^ "Rock's Hottest Ticket" Time Magazine Archive, April 1987. Retrieved on 20 January, 2007.
  13. ^ a b The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 15 October, 2006.
  14. ^ GRAMMY Winners List grammy.com. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
  15. ^ Pond, Steve (9 April 1987). "The Joshua Tree Album Review". Rolling Stone.
  16. ^ a b Top 100 Albums. RIAA.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-15
  17. ^ U2 FAQs.com, Song/Lyrics FAQ
  18. ^ Kirsty: The Life and Music of Kirsty MacColl, BBC2, 3 March 2001
  19. ^ U2's 'Joshua Tree' Blooms Again
  20. ^ The Joshua Tree 2007. U2.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
  21. ^ ARIA Australia
  22. ^ IFPI Austria
  23. ^ CRIA
  24. ^ IFPI Finland
  25. ^ [1]
  26. ^ IFPI Germany
  27. ^ AMPROFON
  28. ^ NVPI
  29. ^ BPI

[edit] External links

v • d • e
U2
Bono • The Edge • Adam Clayton • Larry Mullen Jr.
Other personnel: Paul McGuinness • Dik Evans • Brian Eno • Daniel Lanois • Steve Lillywhite • Jimmy Iovine • Flood • Howie B
Studio albumsBoy • October • War • The Unforgettable Fire • The Joshua Tree • Rattle and Hum • Achtung Baby • Zooropa • Pop • All That You Can't Leave Behind • How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb • Twelfth studio album
Compilations and EPsThree • Wide Awake in America • Please: PopHeart Live EP • The Best of 1980–1990 • 7 • The Best of 1990–2000 • Exclusive • The Complete U2 • Live from Under the Brooklyn Bridge • U218 Singles
Live albums and other projectsUnder a Blood Red Sky • Rattle and Hum • Melon: Remixes for Propaganda • Original Soundtracks 1 • Hasta la Vista Baby! • The Million Dollar Hotel Soundtrack • Live from the Point Depot • U2.COMmunication • Zoo TV Live • U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle
Video and theatrical releasesUnder a Blood Red Sky: Live at Red Rocks • Rattle and Hum • Zoo TV: Live from Sydney • PopMart: Live from Mexico City • Elevation 2001: Live from Boston • U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle • Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago • Vertigo: Live from Milan • U218 Videos • U2 Live from Paris • U2 3D
ToursWar Tour • The Unforgettable Fire Tour • A Conspiracy of Hope • The Joshua Tree Tour • Lovetown Tour • Zoo TV Tour • PopMart Tour • Elevation Tour • Vertigo Tour
Related articlesDiscography • Awards
v • d • e
Grammy Award for Album of the Year:

1950s:  The Music from Peter Gunn — 1960s:  Come Dance with Me! · The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart · Judy at Carnegie Hall · The First Family · The Barbra Streisand Album · Getz/Gilberto · September of My Years · Sinatra: A Man and His Music · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band · By the Time I Get to Phoenix  — 1970s:  Blood, Sweat & Tears · Bridge Over Troubled Water · Tapestry · The Concert For Bangla Desh · Innervisions · Fulfillingness' First Finale · Still Crazy After All These Years · Songs in the Key of Life · Rumours · Saturday Night Fever  — 1980s:  52nd Street · Christopher Cross · Double Fantasy · Toto IV · Thriller · Can't Slow Down · No Jacket Required · Graceland · The Joshua Tree · Faith  — 1990s:  Nick of Time · Back on the Block · Unforgettable... with Love · Unplugged · The Bodyguard · MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett · Jagged Little Pill · Falling into You · Time Out of Mind · The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill  — 2000s:  Supernatural · Two Against Nature · O Brother, Where Art Thou? · Come Away with Me · Speakerboxxx/The Love Below · Genius Loves Company · How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb · Taking the Long Way

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