The Joshua Tree

Fun fact of the day. bono is the largest ever recorded piece of shit in history

whats the difference between jesus and Bonio? Jesus doesn't think he's Bonio. musically this is actually fairly enjoyable but its dominated by the wailings of one of the biggest cunts going. an instrumental version of this album would be pretty good, but as it is its really diffuicult to get past the noises coming out of the egotistical, narcissistic self anointed uber cunt. i used to think the hedge was a cunt too, but i've got a bit more respect for his playing now i've endured an albums worth of Bonio.

U2 are a steaming pile of shit. The Joshua Tree hates the fact they named this album after it. Anyone named Joshua is hugely ashamed of any connections to this. All trees are thoroughly embarrassed too.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for, but I know it's definitely not U2.

It's just not very enjoyable. I know that's not a very insightful review but it's all I can muster.

Classic.

The first half of the album I have heard before and have loved for years, the rest was far less memorable.

As I've mentioned with the other U2 albums, I run hot-and-cold with this band. I do remember this album pretty well because it got a lot air play and coverage at the time. I enjoyed listenting to it today quite a bit more than I expected. This album has a great sound to it (I don't know enough about music production, sound engineering, etc., to comment intelligently on it, so I'm not sure how much that work has to do with the "sound" I'm talking about) and the songwriting is overall excellent. Hard to separate Bono from the "Bono-ness" of his gargantuan image, so I really tried to just listen to the music and let that be it. It did help. His voice can be quite compelling and he's got killer range, and it fits this music perfectly. I still love The Edge as a guitar player and repeat what I've said before about he deserves to be mentioned in the same list of whoever gets put on the "great rock guitarists" list. He's a lot more innovative and interesting than people give him credit for. I can barely understand what the few pedals I have do, and he plays effects and alternate tunings like they are instruments of their own.

Peak pompous u2 prior to their proper peak

First three tracks are classic U2 and even though I like them I don't think I ever necessarily will feel the need to listen to them again on purpose . The rest is immediately forgettable and made no impression whatsoever. 5/10

Kinda had some soothing rap vibes, not all of it was my jam. Interesting black experience dialogue though.

This is a forever album. I was 10 when this album came out... Still a great listen, 35 years later. I'm surprised tracks like Exit and Bullet the Blue Sky don't get more love.

Anthemic stadium rock. Sounds like contemporary worship music, although that's not U2's fault. Very front-loaded album. Split up the hits, kids!

A must

Stunning album. First three songs set the mood perfectly. Love the soft/ poetic like acoustics and lyrics. I'd say this album, U2 found their sound. Despite their 1984 album, with their single "Sunday Bloody Sunday", all eleven tracks are monsters! Although they're a rock band, their music is light. You're able to appreciate it more, since the instrumentals arn't dominating your attention. Defiently reccomend. Total stand out is "The Streets Have No Name" excellent opening. Although "Bullet The Blue Sky" gets an honourable mention, as I haven't heard it before and my god it's brilliant!

Fantastic album

Not sure who it was but I think it might have been Henry Rollins said somewhere what a ridiculously overrated band U2 was. It was like I had been brainwashed and was finally snapping out it and ever since I've not been able to enjoy them. They are a band with a limited amount going for them other than their singer's voice yet they've managed to stick around for 40 year, the last 20 objectively without any good music. This album was definitely a highlight and I know people rave about how good a singer Bono is and how amazing the Edge's guitar playing is, etc. But when you take a step back, you realize they are an average band with great production, a few catchy hooks and way too much guitar delay. I know that will offend a lot of people and I'm truly sorry for shattering this illusion, but the sooner you come to recognize it, the sooner the world can finally get rid of Bono!

In just one word: Beautiful

some meh, some ok

Feels timeless, still fairly uninteresting.

This is my favorite album of all time with my favorite song of all time, "Where The Streets Have No Name." It's excellent in every way and all songs, save for Exit and Mothers of the Disappeared" are absolutely excellent. Incredible start to the album and the middle through the near-end parts are massively underrated compared to the rest of U2's catalog. 10/10.

Awesome

Better than the other U2 album I heard on the list, which is not hard. Enjoyed the last track, and not just because it signalled the end of the album. The rest of it is just so... safe.

The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987) The American spy plane with the designation “U-2” is an instrument of war designed to peer surreptitiously (from 70,000 feet) into things the enemy doesn’t want you to see. As the name of an Irish rock band, U2 is potently and multi-valently symbolic of what they’re trying to do. From the high altitude of their aesthetic perception, they endeavor to make these things seen by ‘you too’. And boy, do they succeed. When I first listened to this album at the time of its 1987 release, I concluded immediately that it was one of the greatest recordings I had ever heard. My judgment hasn’t changed in 34 years. Lead singer/lyricist Bono’s words stand as poetry on their own. Technical innovation by guitarist The Edge more than compensates for any deficiency in virtuosity. Adam Clayton on bass and Larry Mullen, Jr. on drums/percussion together provide a rhythm section that goes far beyond foundation, making compositional contributions that round out the near-symphonic sound. And Bono’s vocal delivery is infused with passion, sincerity, dynamism, and color. When one focuses all this Irish talent toward a not-so-surreptitious gaze at “God’s Country” (that would be the USA), guided by producer Brian Eno, the result is high art. What makes the sound so great on this record is the subtle use of silence. It creates distance, scope, and room for the reverberations and echoes. The Edge finds a way to make a guitar sound like chimes, church-bells, and pipe organ, all of which require sonic space. And Eno gives us plenty of it. Longing for a transcendence that leaves linguistic tags behind, the first-person opening track (“Where the Streets Have No Name”) summons the listener to join in an adventure of seeing—together. “When I go there I go there with you .” It’s part of what makes us human. But we’ve not yet seen clearly (“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”), even if we’ve gazed intently into the Paschal Mystery. There are lots of angels and demons on this trip, helping us to see what some say ain’t even there. Plenty of metaphysical strife. And we’re caught right up in it. The beginning of the bridge at (1:47) on “With Or Without You” produces a shiver, as even the first-time listener knows what’s coming. And the gradual buildup in the dirge for a junkie “Running to Stand Still” (2:14 to 3:04) resolving in the hushed climax is powerfully poignant. Bono’s wailing lead vocal on the chorus of “Red Hill Mining Town” leaves one cold. And the screaming lament over Chilean singer/songwriter Victor Jara (at 4:09 on “One Tree Hill”) fires our passions. Jara was one of the “poets [who] speak their heart then bleed for it” (actually the bleeding wasn’t the worst part—he was tortured before being shot). These are musical moments of naked drama. And there are so many more on this record. How many tears ya got? In terms of socio-political outlook, this album gives unreconstructed Reaganites something to think about whenever America considers the use of lethal force to confront undoubted evils in places like Nicaragua and El Salvador (“Bullet the Blue Sky”, “Mothers of the Disappeared”). While such force may have produced measurable gains for good in Berlin, Moscow, Warsaw, and Prague, what would be the effect in Kosovo, Baghdad, and Kabul? And what lessons can be applied today in response to injustices in Xingjian and Addis Ababa? Do we “stoop so low” in order to “reach so high”? One should always listen to this record immediately after reading George W. Bush’s Second Inaugural Address. Because of The Joshua Tree, this U2 will persistently be there to help us see the innocent human element and “hear their heartbeat” (in “Mothers of the Disappeared”), even if the enemy prefers we look (and listen) elsewhere. This not just great music. It is has a cultural, political, and spiritual potency that gives voice to the world-soul. 5/5

The record is characterised by a somewhat outdated realism, harking back to themes and moods of the 1930s, from Frank Capra to Ernest Hemingway. Where The Streets Have No Name marks a new peak of transcendental intensity, thanks to the frenzied, raga-sounding tones of the long instrumental overture and tribal beat. (7/10) Favourite Tracks: Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found, With Or Without You, Running To Stand Still

I’m mostly pro-U2, and I do think this is a good album, but I’m pretty sure half the tracks on this album are the exact same song just with slightly different delay setting on the edge’s guitar

No soy muy fanático de U2 pero hay que reconocerles que este disco es muy bueno

OK couple of songs I heard before, but forgot about.

Started well but tailed off

pretty good album but not really for me i can appreciate it contextually, it’s an impressive show for something from the 80s i don’t know, maybe I should listen to it again, but off a first impression I’ll give it a 6/10

WITH OR WITHOUT YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU. Decent album 3.75/5

big arena anthems! Sounds like something that would appear on a 'best of classic rock' cd in the bargain bin in a gas station

It's good, it's atmospheric, it's well produced. Some cracking songs, some filler.

Blech again. "Random?" Two overplayed U2 albums in 5 days?

The Joshua Tree is the fifth album of U2. It contains the classics : "Where the Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You". The sound of the band evolved in a sort of alternative stadium rock. Something that is not necessary bad and too great commercial success, but I lost my interest.

Amazing, not listened to this in a very long time. Forgot how brilliant U2 are, when they are just being brilliant. I was back in the car with my Dad listening to this on cassette during the drive to school.

Outside of the singles, some good songs and energy but not quite the polish of the big start

Well it's got 3 fantastic songs - the rest are just OK. I'll probably never play it again though those 3 songs are regulars on my playlist already.

Classic album with some great singles on it.

they're cool and evocative, but I was a little bored tbh.

Personalmente no es de mi gusto, demasiado pop. Algunas buenas melodías

Melancholy

First of the album is all the big hits, with that jangly guitar / ephemeral U2 sound, and of course Bono's pipes. Polished and skillful, but not my style. Greatly preferred Bullet the Blue Sky.

5/5 One of the best albums of all time.

It's a fine album though a little over-rated. The production is overly dark with the guitars buried, perhaps even dated sounding. But the songs are pretty good though, again over-rated and over played. A pretty enjoyable listen though. 3 5 🌟

You can tell that U2 knew what album they wanted to make, and they succeeded on all fronts. All the singles are frontloaded but you never want to stop listening because every track could’ve been a single. Another example of albums as art.

Too poppy

Quite boring. Except song 3 and 4. But like bullet better on r&h. Some songs even painfull to hear.... the torture of bono's voice..... Maybe i need high quality speakers.... 3 because i liked it in the past.

The best album opening ever and one of the best albums ever made; should be played through high-quality speakers for maximum effect...

This album has some great hits but the latter half of the album isn’t anything special. Feels like it attempts to be better than it is. Overall it’s above average though. 6.6/10

I'm not a great U2 fan, but it was nice to listen to this album again, after so many years. It also reminded me of how excellent the first four songs are. The rest of the song did not capture me as much, but overall a very good album.

It didn’t age as well as I expected….

Get some stick but this is actually an unbelievable album!

Amazing

In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, The Unforgettable Fire, the band aimed for a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures on The Joshua Tree. The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music, and through sociopolitically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery, it contrasts the group's antipathy for the "real America" with their fascination with the "mythical America". Throughout the sessions, U2 sought a "cinematic" quality for the record, one that would evoke a sense of location, in particular, the open spaces of the United States. They represented this in the sleeve photography depicting them in American desert landscapes.

The greatest rock album of all time.

Hard to think of an album with a stronger opening three songs. This album turned U2 into global superstars and rightly so. It’s not just the anthemic Where the Streets have no name, Still haven’t found what I’m looking for or With or without you that make this such a good album, it is consistently excellent all the way through. Blues and Country influences add light and shade throughout as U2 tap into their American influences and the result is a near flawless record with some epic track that have more than stood the test of time.

An amazing opening with three fantastic tracks back to back. The remainder is just a tad samey and unremarkable. Solidified my belief that U2 are one of the most overrated bands in the world.

I struggle to think of a better opening three tracks of any other album - it’s quite something and nearly 35 years later the 3 tracks remain as iconic as ever. The rest of the album can’t cope to keep up but still holds some of U2’s best work by a distance. I debated a four but felt I would be doing this album a disservice so I listened again - it’s gets the five it deserves

Seventeen year old me chalks this up as an easy 5. And upon listening again, 51-year old me is pleased to agree with my younger self. Bono can get on my nerves pretty fast, but I have to think even his harshest critics have to give him props for a lot here, especially With Or Without You and my favorite track on the album, Running To Stand Still. This was the moment for U2 when everything fell together, and they finally reached an audience who somehow missed their landmark performance at Live Aid two years earlier. The three hit songs from this album are arguably the three most popular of the band's career. It's almost the definition of a quintessential album. It's worth listening to the 30th anniversary edition, as not only is the entire original album remastered, but you get a great concert from this album's tour in 1987. For anyone tired of "With Or Without You", go watch how it was used in the final episode of The Americans. It'll make you appreciate the song all over again. As much as I cherish The Joshua Tree, it's my third favorite U2 album. Quick research tells me the other two will be coming up on this list.....

Greatest three-song stretch opener of all time. These songs are loud and orchestral, carrying New Wave into a more alt rock direction in the late 80s. This is an album hard for me to describe why it deserves all 5 stars, but it's intelligent and hardly possesses any negative characteristics. Between the lyrics and choice of instruments like the harmonica, the songs reflect strongly of American folk culture, speaking of the vast open space and American ideals. The gospel-like orchestral sound puts you in that environment, feeling insignificant yet open to opportunities. Did I mention Eno helped produce this piece? Explains a lot considering he invented the ambient genre. There is hope and optimism in these songs (also religiously influenced). This is U2's most impressive record yet and got me into plenty of their singles.

Classic album that’s still stands up today

pretty nice

Capolavoro

meh, 1.5 stars

Fantastic album front to back

I rated the previous U2 album we got 2 stars and noted that I never understood the hype around them and find them pretty dull. I can understand this album's success a lot better. The songs have an undeniable grandness about them. Good album.

I still don’t get the popularity behind U2 but it was an interesting album nontheless!

Classic! Everyone needs to hear these songs

Ugh. Too much Bono.

I could not bear / bother to listen to it all. Too much Bono. Good singles though.

Loved it

One of the best ever!

4 great opening songs in a row "Through the storm, we reach the shore You give it all but I want more" Great song, used perfectly in friends lots of religious references throughout the album is running to stand still about dublin/heroin? u2 at this time are one of the best examples of a band which are better than the sum of their parts no disrespect to them individually Brian eno is a genius this is a strong 3 possibly a 4 but very front heavy with first 4 tracks and then a bit tedious in parts

This album needs to be looked at in isolation to their more recent albums. When this came out it was pure genius and that can’t be taken away from U2 despite their later stuff being pure barbage. Some seriously good songs on this and great for U2. This is them at their prime. Bullet the blue sky is my favourite U2 song but the album trails off toward the end.

U2 är inget band jag har särskilt bra koll på (med undantag av det kändaste ("With or Without You") ex). Baserat på det jag hört tidigare hade jag inte superstora förhoppningar att det skulle bli en slam dunk, det kändes på något sätt lite tråkigt. När hela lyssningen var genomförd kändes det precis likadant tyvärr. Det fanns ljusglimtar dock. En som stack ut lite var känslan som första låten "Where The Streets Have No Name". Det långa introt som på ett långsamt sätt stegrar, med något mörkt sound som kanske kommer från en synt och som tydligt blir högre och högre. Sedan smyger gitarren in, på ett så lättsamt sätt som av någon anledning får mig att tänka på rinnande vatten, en bild av ett glimrande vattenfall kanske. Till sist kommer trummorna in och låten är igång. Det var bra iaf, resten var en besvikelse. Bäst: "Where The Streets Have No Name"

Absolute class

4 1/2

solido 8/10

Really good album The end it gets a little less 4/5

For me it's a 3.5/5, but it leans more towards a 3/5, than a 4/5, if you know what I mean.

A classic of course. Nice way to start my day.

Better than I expected! Doesn't sound as dated as I thought it would.

I had a moment while listening to this album yesterday where I thought to myself, 'oh, maybe I am a U2 fan.' I have a hard time articulating exactly what was so appealing about their anthem level soft rock. Maybe it was Bono's performance which howls. Maybe the never overbearing but huge, uplifting swell of guitars that make up much of the background. It's hard for me to say exactly why, but the album is endlessly appealing. Something I wouldn't have thought to say after growing up with the more laborious older albums that U2 has recently produced.

It's U2.

Never been a huge U2 fan. Not bad, but pretty generic and samey sounding.

Lush instrumentation with some brilliantly written songs. However, quite a few of the deeper cuts fell flat for me.

Nah. The album that invaded my iPod years ago was just too much U2 as it is.

Starts off great with the four hits that got tons of airplay. If I rate as an album, not that great.

I had a real “U2 sucks” phase when I was younger, and I think it kept me from realizing that this is a truly great album. True, half of the tracks (the singles) sound like the exact same song and I still think U2 straddles that terminally uncool line between dad rock and mom rock, but the sound is so good; I love Bono’s voice and The Edge’s guitar work so much. Favourite track: “Trip through Your Wires”

some songs I already knew very calm songs, but nice to listen to

With or With Out you

U2 fucking sucks

Opening salvo of 'Where The Streets Have No Name', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' and 'With Or Without You' is as good a start to an album as any. The rest of the record doesn't quite live up to that opening but still chugs along nicely, nailing it’s anthemic, stadium filling rock brief. Meanwhile, Coldplay called and said thanks for the inspo.

Perhapss the most important Irish rock album of all time and certainly the album that turned U2 into the biggest band in the world. It is both a political and religious album and makes no apology for it; ground well covered by U2 prior to Joshua Tree. On this record however there is a power and conviction in the songs as well as a confidence in the presentation and imagery of Americana, despite most of the songs not being directly about America. ‘WTSHNN’, inspired by Belfast, is as good an opener as you’ll hear on any album whilst the soaring ‘Red Hill Mining Town’ is about the UK miners strike of 1984. Although the second half of the album cannot match its powerful opening run of anthems The Joshua Tree is a triumph.

D: 5/5. Rock tranquilo, para relajarse. Canción favorita: With or without you. R: 4/5. Relajante. Ideal para estudiar. Canción favorita: I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

вполне, радио по альбому хорошее получилось

I'm not a fan of U2, and this is a great representation of their sound.

Hard to think of an album with a stronger opening three songs. This album turned U2 into global superstars and rightly so. It’s not just the anthemic Where the Streets have no name, Still haven’t found what I’m looking for or With or without you that make this such a good album, it is consistently excellent all the way through. Blues and Country influences add light and shade throughout as U2 tap into their American influences and the result is a near flawless record with some epic track that have more than stood the test of time.

Tricky 3 or 4 Good album on the whole. Flows really well. One tree hill is a stand out track.

Good album, lotta songs I forgot about

Honestly more boring than i expected. The opener is great though.

É bom, tem algumas das melhores músicas deles.

4th June 2021 Listened in the shower and in the supermarket after finding out I got a second round interview for the FT. Anthemic tax dodging.

4/5

First three songs are amazing and classics! Rest are not memorable. 4/5

Tolles und historisches Album! Memory man sei dank

Epic Es bleibt genau meine Mischung aus Folk, Rock, Hymne, Druck, Pathos, Einfachheit und einem Schuss Selbstgerechtigkeit. Klappt bei keinem anderen U2 albbb I’llm in der Form

Que recuerdos.....

Favourite Song: With or Without You

Joshua Tree sounds like the culmination and refinement of U2's sound, as they move away from their punk roots and into a more radio friendly pop. Almost like REM's Automatic For The People and Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. For better or worse, it ended up sending them into stardom, and potentially inflated their egos a bit. There's a subtlety to the arrangements and lyrics that are lost in the broader modern U2 songs. While "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" unwittingly provided the blueprint to 2000s Christian worship music, there's a good balance of personal lyrics by Bono with broader themes that deal with real world issues. Fav Tracks: Red Hill Mining Town and Mothers of the Disappeared Rating: 3.5/5

Did you ever notice how "Where the Streets Have No Name" kind of lifts its intro build-up from "Pinball Wizard"? Solid pop crossover record. As Tim put it well, this signified the end of one era for U2 and the beginning of one full of mainstream success that often blunted their more insurgent, early sensibilities. This album ushers in an era that produced some of the best and some of their most cringe-inducing music, but it's hard to hold that against this record in particular, because it's altogether well-done, if not a little too well-done. Favourite track: "With or Without You"

Brilliant album. 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' is such a powerhouse vocal performance from Bono and I love the sound of the overall album, credit for this must be given to producer Daniel Lanois (he also produced Dylan's 1997 masterpiece Time out of Mind which shares the same swampy 'wall of sound' style production)

Love the grandiosity which captures the immigrant spirit of the American dream. The first half is close to perfect but cannot be sustained. It's a shame the U2 sound has become a bit of a joke as it's epic. I listened to it walking around Sheffield at twilight, the vistas were different but the feelings were the same.

My first 5* new discovery (although hardly a hidden gem) and of all the artists for it to be... not a weak song in sight though and there's just a weird kind of atmosphere throughout which I can't pinpoint but I'm all in for. Best track: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

This was a surprise to me. Cool as fuck. Who knew?!

No.

Great album

U2 are a band I blacklisted for arseholiness and haven't listened to for 25 years. But I used to like them, and before Rattle & Hum they were good. This is a good album.

Not a big U2 fan but this is a pretty good album

Classic U2 album. Probably their best with some of their most well-known and best loved songs. Probably a band at their peak on this.

Beautiful album. The opening three songs are probably the best album opener of all time. The rest of the album is filled with mysterious atmospheric songs about American desert, which are not standout hits, however give a great vibe.

Hay canciones eternas, con mensajes super sólidos y una emoción innegable. El trabajo de Lanois en la producción con Eno también es encomiable, con unas atmósferas preciosas. Sin embargo, hay temas vagos que bajan el nivel. Aun así, muy bien disco.

U2 sounds like a bank commercial.

Too classic, not my type. However, the ambient is really nice.

Ew

2/5 didn't really like it, despite a couple of nice songs

Not my favorite U2 album, but this really is the peak of good U2 before they became the most pretentious band of all time. Only songs I don’t like on this album are One Tree Hill and Exit. I could take or leave Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, and Mothers of the Disappeared, but they aren’t bad. Overall, this album is great and doesn't deserve the disrespect.

Beter dan ik verwacht had. Heeft uiteindelijk een paar uur opgestaan.

Bij U2 erger ik me soms hoe geforceerd het gezang van Bono soms klinkt. Ook nu merk ik dezelfde frustratie hier in op. Goeie nummers, dat wel

Yeah, the album has a lot of U2's biggest hits, but its just not really the sound I typically go for.

It’s been said that Elvis died musically when he reported for duty after receiving his draft notice. U2 died musically with Joshua Tree. The rating is not based on the music which is better than my rating. It’s a 1 because it marked the death of an excellent band’s music and how big of a letdown that was. Their first album Boy came when exciting music was staring to make its way to Sudbury. I expect MG procured Boy since I recall having it on cassette. I stayed a U2 fan for their first three albums picking up what I could on cassette. I saw WAR on release in the local record store, bought it on the spot and it was my favourite album. I was a big U2 fan. They were getting better known and their music kept getting better. They had a hard driving original sound, were exploring new areas, playing w passion and had an original and provocative sound. WAR was better than prior albums and they were on an insanely good trajectory. I could only dream about what might come next. Spoiler Alert Then came Joshua Tree. They simply followed what worked on WAR. They died musically. I think they realized this and tried to get back on the trajectory but never did. The ship had sailed. Of course the record buying public rewarded them which didn’t help. Its hard not to think of Joshua Tree when I hear the song American Pie.

Yo 3era muy fan de U2 por la época infame de Pop. Estaba yo como en primero de secundaria. Me compré el casete en un Carrefour que duró un año abierto en Chihuahua. Los consideraba cool. Divertidos. Luego me di cuenta que eso era una excepción. Más bien eran muy creídos de su importancia, serios, sentimentales, grandiosistas. Luego aprendí como habían creado el camino para que un chingo de bandas más se convirtieran en bandas de estadio: temas populistas, coros imposibles de sacar de tu mente, temáticas uplifting y todo eso. Sigo sorprendido y nunca entenderé porque Brian Eno se entregó a estos weyes de tal manera. Luego los odié. Hoy ya me valen verga. No he escuchado este disco, que dicen que es su mejor disco. No sé, yo creo que no es una banda con la que congenie tanto. No tengo mucho que decir de ellos, la verdad. No me inspiran. Lo que sí es que la guitarra de Edge en todo el disco es increíble. Es como un pintor abstracto. Pincelazos, brochazos anchos, chorreo. Lo que sea que haga con su guitarra es maravilloso. De hecho es lo que me hizo escuchar el disco completo. Creo que su cumbre como guitarrista es With Or Without You. Gran, gran canción. Bullet to the Blue Sky está semi brutal. Me gusta. Creo que es mi rola favorita de ellos, no la había topado. En general, se me hizo aburrido. Destaco los otros sencillos y los momentos en que se ponen bien Patti Smith como Exit Mothers of the Dissappeared también merece mención a parte. En fin, no creo que sea ni el mejor disco de la banda, ni de los mejores de los 80, ni nada. Es bastante irregular.

I groaned when I saw I had to listen to U2. Everything about this band from Bono's lame "activism" to their polished pristine sound has made the thing seem so sterile and boring. For what it's worth, it is well-produced and easy on the ears. It's just so underwhelming, so uninteresting. It just doesn't do much for me, even if it is competent enough to not be strictly bad. Maybe that's my confirmation bias talking, I dunno.

Excellent album. Some really great songs.

Overly Dramatic Band

I love when they stack the hits up front. Even better, this really is a strong & varied album throughout, hard & soft. Vocals & lyrics are great.

Can still always listen to it, even though it's become pretty basic.

somehow it was worse than Springsteen

You know, not a big U2 fan but this album does have like all of their hits. It’s a good album with good songs, I just am not a huge fan of the U2 sound.

Undeniably confident and charismatic, soars when it should, whispers when it must

very good album, all songs were amazing but not all like each other, creating a very nice listen. very good vocals and very nice accompaniment

Pretty boring. Lots of wailing and not my fave

Pierwszy albumik U2 ktory przeslychalem tak zebym sobie samemu wlaczyl, nie wiem czemu zawsze U2 kojarzy mi sie z blurem, wiec song2 zawsze kojarze z U2, a bloody sunday z blurem, dziwnie wymieszane, ale co to za albumik irlandzkiego zespolu popularno rokowego, jest on mocno hamerykanski, bo jednak zrobili najwieksze pieniadze za duza woda, wiec albumik mocno typowo hamerykanski klimat, zycie codzienne, biedaki, umieranie, wszystko co mozna zaspiewac o hameryczce zeby boomer rzucil grosiwa, nie wiem czy nagrywane to bylo w hameryczce czy tylko tak sobie ktos wykonceptowal, wezmy nagrajmy hamerykanska plyte, sprzeda sie dobrze i sie sprzedala dajac zespolowi status kultowego grajka lat 80, w 90 zmienili calkowicie swoje granie, wiec widac ze niezle kameleony muzykowe, wrzucam otwierajacy trak do kolekcji where the streets have no names oraz mother of disappeared

I hate U2. So dramatic with so little substance. 2 because i'm feeling generous

Pues creo que nunca había escuchado un disco de U2 porque siempre que he intentado escuchar alguno de ellos me terminan dando hueva. No por ello daré una mala calificación a este disco, ya que entiendo que es de agradable escucha, sobre todo el tono melódico y amable de las guitarras y una batería catchy. Como de costumbre no le puse atención a las letras de las canciones así que no sabría qué comentar de estas. Canción favorita: Bullet in the sky está seductorsilla por las distorsiones y los soniditos de interferencia, me parece una buena producción i suppose... Mood: fumando un porro con gente básica y privilegiada que se siente muy edgy.

Some of the tracks on the second half of this album are a bit boring/naff but the first 4-5 really make up for it. Bullet the Blue Sky is slammin'

With or without. Some good songs. Structure. "Bullets.." Intro

Está fuera de lugar oiga

Wenn man ein Album mit einem solchen Openern beginnt, ist die Fallhöhe vorprogrammiert, denn der schöne Gleitflug ist mangels konstanten Auftriebs ein kurzer, dafür aber schön heftiger; hab ab der Hälfte gemerkt, wie wenig Aufmerksamkeit übrig blieb, die erst ganz zum Schluss, nach einer Reise durchs Tal wieder sanft wachgeküsst wurde. Vielleicht hätte eine andere Abfolge der anfänglichen Über-Verwöhnung entgegen gewirkt. Mir neue Erkenntnis: U2 müssten wohl stark Eindruck auf Arcade Fire in puncto leidenschaftlich treibenden Pathos gemacht haben. Nichtkleinzuredende 3.6

Mit ungefähr 17 hab ich mir mal ein T-Shirt gekauft, per Sammelbestellung beim Frontline-Mailorder, darauf stand sehr groß "KILL BONO", garniert mit einem Revolver. Fand ich eine sehr witzige Idee und hatte ungefähr 3 Wochen lang viel Spaß dran. Als das Shirt dann ankam hatte sich der Gag irgendwie schon totgelaufen und ich hab's eigentlich nie angezogen. Weiß gar nicht wo das gelandet ist; wahrscheinlich hat meine Mutter es heimlich weggeworfen weil schlimm. Was ich nur sagen wollte: U2 war damals die Musik der Leute von denen man sich abgrenzen musste; nicht die ganz großen Arschlöcher zwar, aber beschränkt, uncool, dorfig. Hab das Album also nie gehört. Jetzt mit 35 Jahren Abstand: was ist das für ein Move, die Platte mit 3 der größten Singles der 80er Jahre anzufangen, wer kommt denn auf sowas? Und vor allem: was soll denn kommen, nach sowas? Zentrales Problem scheint mir zu sein, dass die Latte so hoch liegt und das The-Edge-Denkmal aus so festem Granit gehauen, dass alles dahinter wie Filler wirkt. Mir entsteht der Eindruck, dass Pathos und Emphase der zentrale USP von U2 sind: wo Eno und Lanois diese großflächig draufgekleistert haben, bekommen wir Welthits, nehmen sie es zurück, sind die Songs bisschen Durchschnitt - und Bonos Stimme nervt dann doch zu sehr. Fazit: ich würde mir das T-Shirt nicht mehr bestellen, bereue aber nichts.

Not much to say, really.

don't LOVE U2 but this album is pretty damn good

Good Classic

It’s Interesting how polarizing this band is. Their musicianship is good, the production by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno is certainly good but after hearing the singles from this album for the gazillionth time and Bono acting like a douche I’ve put up a mental wall against them. But I’m trying to be objective here in rating this album so I’ll bump it up to a 3.

I do not love U2 and would go so far to say that they get a big eye roll from me, but I like the more muted rock from this album compared to their hits from the aughts.

Perro discazo 9/10

a classic

Gran disco, la verdad. Quizá hoy en día, U2 ha perdido vigencia, pero sin duda, tuvieron lo suyo. No sé bien cómo explicarlo, pero creo que es un álbum grandilocuente: en su conjunto, las melodías con las letras, la voz de Bono, tranquila en ocasiones, en otras, más bien hasta desgarradora. Creo que todas las canciones me gustan, la triada del principio está muy bien, pero quizá mi fav esta vez sea "Mothers of the Disappeared". Un cierre genial. Finalmente, un pensamiento random: ¿le debe mucho Muse —con sus atributos y carencias— a U2? 9.5/10.

This album. This was a really important one for me. I listened to it A LOT. I still have my original vinyl. I also remember searching for the 12" of Where the Streets Have No Name because Sweetest Thing was on the B Side. This was my first concert where no parents were involved. This was my first BIG concert. We left early in the morning and sight seed our way to the Oakland Coliseum, with lots of time to hang out in the parking lot. Rating this is hard. I want to give it a 4 because there are other albums that are probably better, but in revisiting it for the first time in a long time I can't believe how good it still is, how much I love it, and I want to give it a 5. But I'm going with 4.

When I grabbed The Joshua Tree on cassette when dropped my senior year of high school, it was exactly what I needed and solidified that U2 was my favorite band. There was no album I knew better that year. Its symbolic and poetic lyrics are rich with very human truths and contradictions, as well as spiritual longings. I could write on and on about how each song has influenced my own writing, spirituality, and outlook on life, and how the musicianship from Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry in this piece of art framed a sound that I gravitated towards back in '87 as well as inspired my search for more of the same moving into college and beyond. There isn't 1 of the 11 songs that I don't love and that doesn't spark contemplation and joy in me. I know each one personally and have meditated on each with endless hours and emotional intention. Initially One Tree Hill was not a popular song, but it made it onto several mix tapes that Scott and I made. One of my Top 10 albums of all time, The Joshua Tree is one of my favorite representations of why an album is greater than the sum of its parts, even though each individual song is so powerful!

Obra maestra de éxito comercial. Prácticamente todas y cada una de las canciones son de 5 estrellas, desde las más conocidas: Where the streets have no name, I still haven't found what I'm looking for, With or without you hasta Running to stand still, In god's country y One tree hill. Imprescindible de verdad.

I think this is the worst thing I've listened to yet. I tried. Honest. It was really a struggle to power through this. Every song was exactly the same. At its best, I found some of these songs to be somewhere between "Gen X Easy Listening" and "Songs to hear when you're in the dental chair". If you found a Gen Z kid who had never heard U2 and then played this album for them while saying "These guys sell out stadiums", they straight up wouldn't believe you

Un classique. Le debut est incroya le 5*

It's U2. Safe, easy listening and really just not my style. There is nothing wrong with this type of music, but I feel like you had to "be there" when U2 was up and coming to really subscribe to anything more than "this is some safe, light rock with entry level 'deep' lyricism." It does not surprise me that this band is freakin' huge.

U2 gran clásico!

Surprisingly good

Starts off powerfully, but wanders off toward the end. 3.5

Decent classic rock. First three songs are by far the best songs. 7/10

Very good album.

Incredible. Epic. Interesting. Lyrically diverse. An all time classic.

Not a big U2 fan but this song has a ton of well known hits and was honestly better than I remembered.

Good old U2, with those tunes that have permeated pop culture. An enjoyable listening experience but not much out of the ordinary

It's got the hits. Fun to listen to.

A perfect classic.

Great album, classic sound and songwriting by U2. Always a great listen and takes me back to when it was released. Still holds up as great album years later.

real good

They’re okay. Not bad considering the vintage and general popularity

This has some real belters on it that know how naff they are and they just don’t care. Sadly the whole things falls off a cliff in the middle RIP

There is literally nothing I can say about this album that has not been said by thousands of other Irish. It's a national heritage at this stage. It should be on a podium in Dublin Airport, and it probably is. Bono is still a gobshite though.

Wasnt bad but I have never been able to get away with U2

Kinda pop-ish, but not bad

U2 suck.

THE EDGE

Gross, U2 is the worst

Sonic beauty

Love

U2 as a band still annoy me. I wish I could hear this as if for the first time.

Such a famous album. I totally see the appeal, it’s just not my style. The songs are catchy, but at the same time don’t stick with me, if that makes any sense.

Quite something this ay?

Some great songs and some duds. I don't have a problem with this album being on this list, but it's not stellar all the way through

Streets Have No Name has some cool buildup and sounds. With or Without You is cheesy and overplayed but a well composed pop song. Exit was interesting. I really disliked almost every other aspect of this album. I do not get U2. When it's good, it's fine, but It's the elevator music of rock. It's trying to be something but it just all feels so generic and trying to have emotion but ultimately leaving me flat and it feels contrived. I have no idea how this band is so popular.

Nice. Couple of the favorites are on this album. The rest felt closer to good then great though

It's a truly great album, but aside from the singles I really couldn't connect with it. It's very focused on America, obviously, and yeah pleasant but not mindblowing!

Njei

Lotta hits!

Timeless

Not too bad. Bullet the Blue Sky (sp) was my favorite track. I remember this album from childhood, and didn't like it then, but I have a much better appreciation.

An undisputed classic. 5/5 quality, 4/5 for music i want in my rotation

Thought I would like it more, but the music was overall very slow. There's of course a few hits and those are enjoyable as expected, but the rest of the album wasn't noteworthy for me at all.

Classic

U2 is the worst thing to happen to music - and I still have that other albums on my iTunes 😂

Best band i won't waste my time listening to on purpose that's for sure

I needed exactly this album today. I mean, this is one of those all-time-great albums anyway but there's nothing like listening to the perfect album for a particular time. This morning, this is the album I needed and I'm not even a U2 fan. But these tracks are undeniable monsters.

80 klassisk rock n roll, anthems, Bono

Peak U2 and prolly peak ‘stadium’ rock

I get the appeal, just not for me

Generic at best 3

Recognize its status as a trend setter and U2's best work... but even this early hard to miss how so many songs sound the same. The first third of the album is the same song with a different chorus and The Edge being a dickhead on the guitar at a different tempo.

boring and samey sounding. i liked "bullet the blue sky". bono has a nice voice. 2.5

Some singles on this album that I had heard before but didn't know where they were from. Chill listen, some nice singles

Knew some of the bigger hit songs already. Good sound