U2, 'The Joshua Tree: Deluxe Edition'
Two-disc 20th anniversary edition of the record that turned U2 into rock royalty
Special to Metromix
Why it’s a classic: Everything crystallized for U2 on 1987’s “The Joshua Tree,” a sweeping, cinematic album that catapulted them to the top of the charts (repeatedly). Two decades later, whenever a rock band dares to dream big and amplify the bombast, U2 is inevitably the name that’s invoked. Unfortunately for all those would-be giants, U2’s arsenal was much heavier than mere attitude and ambition—they also wrote an outstanding collection of songs and performed them with an almost religious fervor.
Why it’s back: U2 can still make a case for being The Biggest Band in the World, and now has countless fans who weren’t even alive when “The Joshua Tree” was released. This remastered and expanded version also includes a disc of B-sides and rarities from the period. Plus, let’s be honest, U2 are between albums and have never been afraid of pushing product.
Verdict: Even time and overexposure haven’t dampened the euphoria of powerhouse singles like “Where the Streets Have No Name,” nor diminished the gorgeous ache of “With or Without You.” Judged solely as an album, “The Joshua Tree” is a bulletproof classic, deserving of a full five stars. The reissue is an iffier proposition. The B-sides are a mixed bag, ranging from album-quality tracks like “Luminous Times (Hold On to Love)” to pretentious, off-putting experiments like “Drunk Chicken/America.” Plus, even some casual U2 fans will already have many of these tracks, as they appeared on the B-Sides bonus to their “Best of 1980-1990” package.
X-Factor: The lovely hard-bound booklet will lure hardcore fans with a brief band history by the Edge and more of Anton Corbjin’s iconic black-and-white photographs of the band in their desert-obsessed mid-‘80s period. Then there's the widely acclaimed "U2 3D" concert film, which may spark renewed interest even among casual fans in the band's classic catalog.
Why it’s back: U2 can still make a case for being The Biggest Band in the World, and now has countless fans who weren’t even alive when “The Joshua Tree” was released. This remastered and expanded version also includes a disc of B-sides and rarities from the period. Plus, let’s be honest, U2 are between albums and have never been afraid of pushing product.
Verdict: Even time and overexposure haven’t dampened the euphoria of powerhouse singles like “Where the Streets Have No Name,” nor diminished the gorgeous ache of “With or Without You.” Judged solely as an album, “The Joshua Tree” is a bulletproof classic, deserving of a full five stars. The reissue is an iffier proposition. The B-sides are a mixed bag, ranging from album-quality tracks like “Luminous Times (Hold On to Love)” to pretentious, off-putting experiments like “Drunk Chicken/America.” Plus, even some casual U2 fans will already have many of these tracks, as they appeared on the B-Sides bonus to their “Best of 1980-1990” package.
X-Factor: The lovely hard-bound booklet will lure hardcore fans with a brief band history by the Edge and more of Anton Corbjin’s iconic black-and-white photographs of the band in their desert-obsessed mid-‘80s period. Then there's the widely acclaimed "U2 3D" concert film, which may spark renewed interest even among casual fans in the band's classic catalog.
Latest in Entertainment
of