Reviews (page 4 of 15)
I hate U2 so much. But I didn't hate this. There's something about that guitar intro on the first track. Pretty badass, actually. And a few of the more obscure tracks at the end weren't bad. Fuck Bono tho
I like U2
U2 are always considered one of the greats, one of the bands who defined their era and whose influence rings through to today. As you can imagine in a list of highly influential, important, and other positive adjective albums, U2 are one of the many on our list of targets. I’m still early in my hit list, and of the heavy hitters I’ve gone up against so far, U2 is the one I get the least. That’s not to call this album bad, that would be deceptive of me, but The Joshua Tree is an album I have never listened to but know by name, by an artist with a reputation. I cannot understand why or how this album carved out the influence it did. The musicality of the album is solid, but not to me at least world-class. There are good songs on here, controversially to me the first three songs of the album, which I understand to be the big hits, were not the ones I would have ranked too highly, but even the ones in the moment I felt were strong and solid are ones I would rush to go back to. Perhaps the context, the time period it was released to and the concerts they continue to sell out, matters more than I’m realising. I know they’re often considered arena rock. I cannot knock the talent, but not for me. Worth a listen, but to me not worth a frequent return.
Ok
Some good hits on this and overall a good album. Enjoyed listening to it, but I don't know how often I'll be coming back to it.
Where the Streets Have No Name - 5/5 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - 4.5/5 With or Without You - 4.5/5 Bullet the Blue Sky - 4.5/5 Running to Stand Still - 3.5/5 Red Hill Mining Town - 4/5 In God's Country - 3.5/5 Trip Through Your Wires - 3/5 One Tree Hill - 3.5/5 Exit - 4/5 Mothers of the Disappeared - 4/5 If the whole album was like the first 4 tracks, then it would somehow be an easy 5 stars. But the rest of album peters out and doesn't go back to those highs, staying at a pretty solid but not outstanding level or arena-oriented rock for the remaining 40 minutes or so. For an attempt to go "harder", they really only went hard for the first few tracks and only a few tracks (Bullet to Blue Sky, Exit) could be seen as hard rock-adjacent. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without You, Bullet to Blue Sky
The first time this record really got inside me I was mowing the lawn with a yellow Sony Walkman turned up loud enough to hear over the engine. That’s not a detail about nostalgia — it’s a detail about a record good enough to make a kid engineer an improvised outdoor listening solution just to stay inside it. Some albums find you before you have the vocabulary to explain why they matter. This was one of those. The opening three tracks are as good as advertised. “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and “With or Without You” constitute one of the great sustained openings in 80s rock — each one distinct, each one contributing to a coherent emotional and sonic world that Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois built around The Edge’s chiming, space-conscious guitar work. Then “Bullet the Blue Sky” arrives and pivots the whole record from spiritual yearning into something more confrontational and political, and “Running to Stand Still” carries the exhaustion of that transition with complete conviction. The middle section holds. “In God’s Country” is criminally underrated, and “Trip Through Your Wires” — Bono on harmonica, a bluesier and looser feel that briefly sounds like U2 had been listening to the same Americana records that shaped a whole other part of this listening project — mostly works as a detour rather than an interruption. The closing tracks lose a little steam, but by then the record has already made its case beyond any reasonable argument. A masterpiece that earns the word honestly. Five stars.
Absolutely fantastic album! Strong from start to end. The less popular songs are my favorites. Such good writing.
Fjottkjedelig.
Hørt på vakt søndag. Noen fine låter her. Men blir veldig fort lei av han Bono.
Æ va streng med de sist. Så får være litt snill no. Fin plate. Skjønne godt at de va klodens største live-band på den tia.
Første halvdel e utrolig sterk, før det etter hvert blir litt anonymt. The Edge skinner🌹
Hørt på vei hjem fra byen. Klassisk u2. Whatever musikk.
God åpning med tre hits, men derfra og ut går det fort i stampe. Pent lydbilde, men det er ikke så veldig interessant.
Inoffensive to the point of being boring at times
9/10
This isn't necessarily my favorite U2 project, but it's certainly among their most grand. This album feels so big, and they deal with so many interesting ideas and such on here. It feels very poppy in certain moments, but something like Bullet the Blue Sky is one of the hardest songs they've made, and Trip Through Your Wires is a weird country thing. It really feels like they were just trying stuff out, it's really only anchored by the idea of America. Amazing stuff. Favorites: Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, Bullet the Blue Sky
One of my faves. 4.5
This album is a hugely important one for me. It came out at a tumultuous time in my life, my freshman year in college, and there are all kinds of memories associated with it. It's hard to write about it now because it meant so much to me then and continues to resonate now. Inspired and inspiring, there are so many things that work so well on this and it is five stars based on the first side alone--probably the best "side 1" of any album ever made. But the second half is just as strong in many ways with some fantastic songs like "Red Hill Mining Town" and "One Tree Hill." And the production by Eno and Lanois is absolutely perfect, helping the band to achieve the apex of its sound and ambitions. Hard to put into words what this one means to me and I know I haven't done that very well here. But sometimes that's what music does.
The first four songs of The Joshua Tree are immaculate. I've always paid less attention to the second half, but there are some great songs there too. I love Red Hill Mining Town, Exit, and the closing track. Hard to go wrong, really, with both Eno and Lanois on production. Bono's lyrics often fall flat for me, he can get very cliche and generic, but some of his best work is here. It's a real full band effort, and I've never noticed how great Adam Clayton's bass playing in particular is on this. A classic for a reason.
Initial reaction: Early U2 is great - it is unfortunate that the band's rep got damaged by the forced addition to Apple music. I enjoyed it.
Good
Honestly, was not to excited going in to this as U2 has always been a band that's just never grabbed my attention before. With Or Without You continues to stand as a classic song and the South Park Bono episode is still hilarious, but beyond that I've never really had a drive to listen to U2. After listening, I think my opinion mostly still stands. Don't get me wrong this is a great album, but I don't see myself returning to the full project often. For me, there's no real hook that gets me to go "fuck yeah this is sick" compared to many of their rock contemporaries from around the same time. That opening 3 track run is great and there are some awesome guitar parts and Bono can really carry a note, but again nothing that really gets me excited to talk much. Solid but far from my favorites.
Of my favorite U2 albums, it was nice to listen to it all over again after so long and it reminded me of my childhood because I basically grew up listening to this music
so many bangers
This was soooooooo good. I am so embarrassed, I had no idea U2 sang Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For???? Holy shit.
One of U2’s best but not quite the best. Still, a very good album at the start which slowly peters off after the halfway mark. The first four songs are absolutely unreal. 4.0/5.0 Best Song: With Or Without You
Put 3 massive bangers as the first 3 tracks, then provide absolutely nothing for the rest of the album. Best track: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
extrême grande qualité, création d'un univers et surtout d'une esthétique propre grâce à guitare, batterie (et autres percussions), et voix.
Pas trop into u2 mais cet album est bon! Les trois son sont exceptionnel. 4-/5
It is a very good album. An album my mother really loves it has a feel of relatability if you are going through hard times
listening to this I feel like someone's dad (czyjś stary) speaking of dads, Bono is probably coldplay's dad
Classic U2 album. Had most of their well-known songs album was pretty good knew the biggest hits but overall it wasn’t too bad.
Fine
The first ten minutes felt like horizon, but the rest was a bit rough and uncomfortable
This certainly is an album, it has songs, they have choruses and melodies. IDK its maybe the most forgettable thing Ive ever heard but that's not criminal. Not a great sign when the most positive thing I have to say is: I recognized some of those songs 2.5/5
Easy 5 stars for an album I play a lot
I just really hate U2
I know that I'm biased as a U2 fan, but this is the easiest 5 stars out there. I might prefer Achtung Baby for its guitar oriented alternative rock, but this is a more complete album. All four members at their bests, the best production work on possibly any album, and yeah, it's easy to give it well-earned praise. There isn't a bad song on it either. "Where The Streets Have No Name" is easily in my top 5 songs ever, and its even better live. Same goes for the other 10 tracks. "Bullet The Blue Sky" is such a raw political piece and it goes HARD. The B-side is softer, but has some really well done guitar parts and lyrics. The rhythm section is awesome the entire way through as well. I'd argue its the best American album, despite being written by Irish. 1987 was a stacked year for music, between this, Depeche Mode, INXS, GnR, Michael Jackson, R.E.M, and so many more, but this is easily the best album of that year, along with the decade. Having seen this album performed in its entirety twice live, I feel it would be remiss to not mention how much better it is live. U2, despite being masters in the studio, take it up to another level live. A perfect album: 5/5 stars
Excellent
uno de mis favoritos que eh escuchado hasta ahora un sonido muy placentero y capaz también atudo que lo escuche en un dia de lluvia 10 de 10
I have been made a U2 fan, apparently; this album is just outstanding overall, from the ambient guitars on the less intense songs like “With or Without You” and “Where the Streets Have No Name”, to the intense bass and drums heard on “Exit” and “Bullet the Blue Sky.” An album about religion and war that fits both so perfectly.
it kinda makes sense why they sell out stadiums because listening the album at home is just not that all impressive
a bit boring
Their best albums. No skips.
It’s so easy to hate U2. At their worst, they’re too serious, too preachy, too earnest in the ways of affected rich men, too shit. But you can’t deny that this album, like their earlier albums, is objectively good. The three opening songs make this almost feel like a “best of” album. Once you get past these behemoths, the remaining songs are intriguing and extremely listenable. I’ve always liked The Joshua Tree. It’s not my favorite by U2, but it’s an undeniable 5.
Personally not for me, but can appreciate the work in it.
I hated this when it came out. I was about 12. Fast forward to approximately 2002 and I saw the greatest hits at a local Best Buy. I picked it up and began my love affair with the band U2. I have almost all their albums and went with my boys to see them at the Sphere in U2. This album is incredible from top to bottom from the anthems to the lesser known songs.
A couple good songs added to playlist, not my fav
Everyone seems to laud the opening three tracks of this album. I beg to differ - I think they encapsulate the bombastic stadium rock style of U2.
Gud
America breaking album from the Irish lot
i just couldn’t let myself fully enjoy them, still don’t get what they’re about although it’s the third album i get. was okay, on a good side
No conecto conmigo
Look, I know U2 aren’t cool (not sure if they’ve ever been), but this really is the tits. Even ignoring the first three tracks (all top tier), the rest of the album is really solid. Red Hill Mining Town is an anthem
I’ve found that U2 is a much better singles band than an albums band and it’s on full display here. The first 3 tracks are great tunes that are nearly ubiquitous if you’ve ever listened to a classic rock station. Then there’s the rest of the album, which is still pretty good, but nowhere near the quality of the first 3 songs.
Got this album as a gift in 7th grade. Achtung Baby had been released and a friend of mine gifted this to me for Christmas after I mentioned I hadn't spent much time on this album. This album has some great moments performance-wise and production-wise. Historically significant album worth a listen all the way through once. After my first time listening to this, I found myself skipping a few tracks on a regular basis. When I gave it a full listen again later, I found a new appreciation for those previously skipped songs. Definitely in the Top 3 of the U2 catalog.
Enjoyed the latter tracks much more than the earlier ones, contrary to Spotify popularity/streaming numbers. None of the songs particularly stuck out to me, but that might change on relisten
I like this album
Didn’t really listen and also -2 for that apple music rollout a decade ago
Probably U2 at their best.
feels like u2 at their most floaty, wispy, 'With Or Without You'-y. not bad! low points get balanced out by some jammers. favorite song is Exit
Rating: 7/10 Arguably U2 at their best, though I'm not sure if I would wind up liking Achtung Baby more. This one probably has higher highs, and it might be very frontloaded. Beautifully produced by Brian Eno, that guy knows how to make great atmospheric music. Nicely mixed, strong sense of dynamics, all the buzzwords. They have good singles for sure. While they're pretty boring on the surface, they still have this almost undeniable enjoyment to them. U2 is the definition of a 7/10 band for me. Turns out they were a pretty good band, but I never find them spectacular. I'll keep the same score for this one but I'll also bump it up to 4 stars, why not
Really not that bad. Bullet The Blue Sky cool song - reminds me of Deftones. I won't willingly listen to this again but I didn't hate my time with it 6.5/10
I'll go with ....better than expected? I know it's one of those albums everybody knows and raves about, but it's still classic rock. Took a few tries to get over that hurdle, but it wasn't terrible.
I finally can understand why people lost their shit over U2; this album absolutely slaps. I really enjoyed "Bullet the Blue Sky" as far as songs I've never heard.
Starts off with three great, now-classic songs. The second half lags a bit compared to the first half, but this is a fairly solid album all the way through. Not particularly groundbreaking, but well made and generally catchy light rock.
Smooth but boring
Grandes canciones que forman parte de la historia de la música, no son de mis agrupaciones favoritas, pero definitivamente entiendo porqué están aquí
Not even a big U2 fan, but this album is great. I like how they explore different sounds on different tracks. Keeps it fresh, but still cohesive. 4/5
Bono I can never forgive you for your crimes against iTunes. I just don’t like U2’s vibe. This, along with all other U2 songs I have engaged with feel whiney and boring, this included. I can appreciate a band who want to do good things, but music wise and ego wise, U2 think what they do musically is much more impactful than it actually is.
First record we've had that I actually own. Can really visualise Bono and 'The Edge' just jamming figuring this out solemn faces earnestness. Using any surface they can find as drums in the making-of DVD extra montage. Eye contact and a smile because they know they've really got something here.
This is what I think of when I think of U2. It's the sound I grew up with. All existing in a time before the iTunes debacle. Where The Streets Have No Name I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For With Or Without You Bullet The Blue Sky In God’s Country
An album like a worship. U2 on its way to became a stadium rock band.
I don't typically like U2. U2, as a band really baffles me. They sell out massive arenas within minutes, but, over the course of my entire life, I've only ever met 1 person who is a fan of U2. Thus, they're put in a mental compartment of mine along with the Black Eyed Peas. Groups that have loads of hits (you know at least a dozen of their songs), but also groups that have no fans. This album, however, was actually pretty good. It's cohesive. It's undeniably U2, who's sound is immediately identifiable.
Best Song: Where the Streets Have No Name Worst Song: Trip Through Your Wires
Kinda whatever
Seminal 80s album. U2 has never been a favorite band, but with respect to first 3 tracks on an album, you have an excellent set here. Ill be generous and give 4 to a 3.5 album.
I love this album
This was my 2nd U2 album (after about one week here lol) and I enjoyed it a lot. Ended up listening to it 3 or 4 times. So good front-to-back, even ignoring 3 opening bangers. Particular standouts: Bullet The Blue Sky, Red Hill Mining Town, Exit. Being a bit lenient, I rate it 5/5!
Meh
Not many albums are this absolutely stacked at the beginning. Like honestly, this is just big, not just in fame and sales and exposure and all that, but it is just... big big quality. It fades in and builds perfectly and that first side just doesn't let up with great songs. I don't think these guys could write something like Bullet the Blue Sky again for love or money. With or Without You's only flaw is familiarity, but I haven't listened to this for years, and it opens itself up on its own terms after that. And it's not like the quality really meaningfully dips off. I have spent much less time with side B, but most other bands would kill for a side that strong, and U2 just murdered it with the first side. There's still a youthful passion here, the Edge still sounds like he's chopping away at the guitar like no one else, and the worst song here (Exit) is still a perfectly fine track. Everything else is a 4 at minimum, and it reminds one that there was a reason U2 got so huge. I think this is my first very well deserved 5? And it starts with probably one of my fave songs ever in Where The Streets Have No Name
First U2 album I bought. I went to see them when they toured the album. I became a big fan along with a lot of my friends. I don't listen to them anymore. I last saw them live on the Popmart tour. This is a good album, and I enjoyed revisiting it.
A classic album. Not a bad song on the album, Several hits and the intense masterpiece that is “Exit.” I like their early albums (War, Boy) but this one is considered their best for a reason.
I believe this was 9th grade for me. I knew a guy who was obsessed with u2. I recall owning this on cd. But it’s another one of those albums I never listened to all the way through. The first 5 songs are very good. From there it’s just ok. Lanois is a huge part of this record in many ways, just watch the documentary in the making of the album. I’m torn between 3 or 4 stars because it’s obviously u2 at their peak and it’s well done. I’m going with 3.5 which will push it to 4. But I’m my heart I lean more to 3.
I think they benefited from me having recently listened to War, and I like this album better than War. I think the pop stuff fits their vibe more. And it's still got a little bit of a punk edge.
My first experience with U2 was the appearance of their album on my iTouch, and generally I've considered them a band that only middle aged dads listen to while working on a car. I won't say my opinion has been swayed much, but I did find The Joshua Tree to be an ok listen. The album kicks off with a great three song run and then peters out as it goes.
With or without you and where the streets have no name natürlich überragend schöne Songs, aber der Rest war eher "ging so"
Eigentlich kein Fan, aber wirklich gut anzuhören.
Ganz gut. Ikonisch. Aber bin kein U2 Fan
Que de bons souvenirs rappelés 🙏🙏🙏
I can’t say I’m a big U2 fan, but this album has all their best songs on it by far. This was actually pretty decent, and does make me understand why they’re such a huge band nowadays.
Maso
First three tracks are good, but it disappears up its own arse slightly after that
Great early U2 album.
there's a reason a lot of people (myself included) can only name Bono and The Edge and not any other members of U2, and it's only partially cause those are catchy and easy to remember stage names. the drumming and bass guitar are perfectly good, but take a supporting role to the vocal melodrama and the frankly really impressive guitar texture. on the other hand, the actual *lyrics* often leave something to be desired, and the overall songwriting sags heavily in the middle of the album.
U2 is one of those bands that on paper, I should love, but I’ve never gotten into them. Something just never fully clicks for me. This is the best album I’ve heard from them, though. Really a great album. 4 easy stars. Maybe even 4.5.
Aina hyvä
Good songs
8/11
Was enjoying the first 2 minutes and was then let down when Bono started singing. I still haven't found what I'm looking for and with or without you carry this to a 3
"with or without you" increíble, y alguno que otro muy bueno, los demás son mas tranquilos. buen álbum.
This may be one of the worst albums I have ever heard in my entire life.
Actual learning to not mind U2
Outstanding! In my opinion this was the pinnacle of their careers. As someone who has visited the Southwestern US, they captured the feeling and spirit of the area on many songs
Album emocional Great drumps OMG young Bono
It was good...
Bruh, I already dont like U2 but will listen to it. Heard the first 3 songs before, don’t like them. 4th song was pretty good sounds like strangehold by Ted nugent, kinda liked it. The rest was just mid sounds the same each song.
The first half of this album is outstanding! Shame it’s U2
Yes Bono is a self aggrandising prick BUT! … that should not mean that one cannot appraise U2’s output fairly, I stand by my assertion that 1980 - 1992 U2 were a top quality rock band and this album serves as strong evidence to support this. It’s maybe 10 mins too long, maybe lacks one more higher energy track but these are not fatal flaws , it’s a strong album and deserves recognition as such 4.2
I'm not a fan of U2 but this album did threaten to change that. The first half of the album is strong and I do really like Bullet the Blue Sky. The second half I'm not bothered about though. And Bono is a knob.
Tämä löytyy omasta hyllystä muutamana eri versiona. Hyviä biisejä ja soitantaa.
Onpa kaksijakoinen levy. Alkaa kolmella todella komealla jättihitilä mutta lässähtää sitten Exit-biisiä lukuunottamatta melko keskinkertaiseksi pop-rock -levyksi, josta ei jää oikein mitään käteen. Mitta nuo levyn avaavat kolme biisiä; onhan ne nyt älyttömän kovia veisuja. Ja Exit piristävän erilainen ralli levyn lopulla. Vaikea arvioida kokonaisuutena, koska sisältää mestarillista ja yhdentekevää musaa. Kokonaisuus ehkä 3/5, kaukana mestarillisesta Achtung Babysta. Hitit toki Achtung Baby -tasoa.
Not a U2 fan by any measure, but it's hard to argue that there aren't at least a few really strong songs on Joshua Tree. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois as producers will do that for you, even if you're Bono.
was walking home from the library at dawn and the songs on here were really hitting. i also really liked the way with or without you builds its instrumentation, and the vocals throughout the album are powerful
On their fifth album, U2 finally sound like a band that’s figured out how to turn ambition into something undeniable. The atmospheric sprawl, political urgency, and spiritual yearning that marked earlier records like War and The Unforgettable Fire don’t just coexist here—they lock together. With the guiding hand of producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, The Joshua Tree stretches toward an American mythos of deserts and highways without losing the band’s core sense of purpose. If you had a radio anywhere near you in the late ’80s, you’ve already absorbed the opening run: “Where the Streets Have No Name” builds from a slow shimmer into a sky-scraping anthem, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” retools gospel into something arena-sized, and “With or Without You” distills longing into one of the decade’s defining love songs. Even “Bullet the Blue Sky,” with its searing guitar and apocalyptic imagery, managed to break through to wider audiences. But the real surprise is how deep the album runs—there’s no filler here, just variations on a theme of searching, whether spiritual, political, or personal. What elevates The Joshua Tree beyond a collection of hits is its emotional gravity. Bono sounds less like a preacher and more like a man wrestling with belief, while The Edge paints vast, echoing landscapes with his guitar. Tracks like “In God’s Country” and “Trip Through Your Wires” expand the palette, blending roots influences with the band’s signature atmospherics. And then there’s “With or Without You”—for some listeners, the high point not just of this record, but of any record, period. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t just define an album; it defines a feeling you keep coming back to long after the music stops.
I just have a hard time caring about this.
Classic 80s U2, strong start, obviously, and strong finish, too. 5/5
Mid pop. Well assembled but kinda flat
Didn’t finish but I will. I liked it more than I thought
After three days of trash albums it is nice to see one I actually own. And while I didn't need to listen to it, to know it, I have listened to it plenty, my ears needed something good. And this is very good. 3.75 rounded to 4
I liked a few songs at the start of the album, which were the biggest hits from the album. But, after those songs the album didn't hit the same as I hoped. Rock genre definitely isnt for me, but I think Bono has a great voice and I liked some of the lyrics, but just not for me.
I honestly don't understand the hate for U2 and Bono in particular, and that this leads to dismissing this excellent album. It is extremely well written, performed, and produced. The buildup is phenomenal, starting with one of the best intros I've heard. Some criticize the second half of the album as being weaker or dragging a bit. I believe that this was intentional, and it fits perfectly with the overall concept of the album. For me, not one track is a miss.
Honestly a pretty solid album. I’d give it a 3.5. I enjoyed it more than I’d like to admit. But 1) Bono is such an insufferable douche, and 2) I still haven’t forgotten when they put that album on everyone’s phone so every U2 release is an automatic 1.
Dramatic, atmospheric, grandiose, and compelling.
I liked a couple of tracks - where the streets have no name and exit. Otherwise mid
i was having way too many 2010s ccm flashbacks
The world’s first and last good Big Music band.
The grandiosity just borders on being overwrought but overall it's a pretty enjoyable album Fav track: Bullet the Blue Sky
I think I'm not a big fan of the vocal performance on this album. I'm not sure what bothers me about it. It was fun to finally get to hear this album, though.
Easily an all-time classic. So good to come back to this and listen to it maybe ~6 times now over the last month or so.
Sometimes I think that Eno/Lanois + Bono/Edge was the Lennon/McCartney of the 1980s. These songs are so incredibly overhyped and overplayed, yet listening to Streets Have No Name open this record is thrilling every time. The builds are masterful — filmic, sweeping and patient. My conviction persists that Edge is an absolute master in restrained, tasteful lead guitar, and one of the very best user of effect pedals, up there with Tom Morello. Anyone else with an echo pedal is risking masturbatory noodling out of the gate. But Streets just shimmers with its jittery echoing lead over choppy rhythm guitar. It's an incandescent album, and even its b-sides like One Tree Hill are magical.
Classic album. I think it's quintessential U2, where their sound really came together
I equate U2 with three albums. War is the Baby Bear album that is rougher, less refined and hungry to be seen. Achtung Baby is the Dada Bear album, a band at its apex, cranking out hit but flirting with being too self important. And Joshua Tree is the Mama Bear... striking a nice balance of the two.
It's *really* hard to hear this with fresh ears given my mom had this album on on repeat. Combine that with the videos being on continuous rotation on MTV - Bono looking deeply earnest, the Edge in that hat - it's just hard to consume it without all the baggage of what U2's become, the singles feeling like a cliche more than anything. So it mostly comes off as a bit trite, which is too bad because so much of it is really catchy and you can see they probably meant it at the time. I liked the more unfamiliar songs best, and Exit in particular, which reminded me of their earlier albums while also seeming to harken towards the grunge that would become mainstream in just a few years.
eh impossivel gosta de u2
Just an exceptional piece of work. A joy to listen to start to finish.
Def some good stuff on here, but this album definitely feels a bit more subdued compared to their other stuff. Still a nice listen.
Supermarket music. This band is terrible.
ok
This was the soundtrack to my March Break trip to Arizona 39 years ago. Coincidentally, today is the first day of March Break. If you want to listen to a U2 album, then this is the one. I would describe it as simple, melodic music played well. I'm not a U2 fan, but I like this album. Liked Songs Added: Where The Streets Have No Name I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Running To Stand Still Red Hill Mining Town Trip Through Your Wires One Tree Hill
Bangers in the beginning, starts falling off at the end. 7.5/10
wish they didn’t come out with support for palestine so late :/ but i applaud them declining to ever perform there again after they performed once in aviv in 1997 which was actually this album
Thanks for giving me a reason to listen to this again. This is the best U2 album.
U2 makes really good and listenable music and this album is one of the great ones
I don't like U2. I don't really want to think about U2, let alone listen to this album. I fear there'll be more on this. I did listen and now I can be thankful that I don't have to listen to this album again. Why the distaste? Sometimes justifying a strong dislike is something I don't want to spend energy on.
I’ll admit that musically, this wasn’t that bad. I just can’t escape the image of Bono I have from an episode of South Park. In the show, he’s portrayed as a sentient piece of shit who bursts into rooms pumping his fists and shouting “YE! YE! YE!” while some middle-of-the-road rock anthem plays. But because he’s a literal piece of shit, he can’t stand being called “number two.” He has to be “number one,” so he travels the world with U2, breaking records and doing philanthropic work. He’ll always be a piece of shit, though.
*1987. *With or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name, In God's Country, Bullet the Blue Sky... This is such a good album. *Red Hill Mining Town is a sleeper hit. *I've never listened to this album all the way through for some reason, so this was a new experience. RATING - 8.5/10
has their only good song on it, so giving it a big respect 2 stars
Without a doubt their best album.
mid
5 stars
Five innit? Can't be many greater opening 3 track combos than this. Yes, of course they got massively annoying and Bono became "Bono" etc etc. But as an example of a band at the peak of their powers - Bono's howling vocals, Edge's driving guitar, Larry's heavy boot, Adam's tonality................ it's absolutely glorious.
By many accounts U2 were the band of the decade in the 80s and certainly the run from Boy to Rattle and Hum is incredible — there's room for criticism in those records but it's mostly minor compared to 91's Achtung Baby and beyond. And so, how to begin a review of The Joshua Tree? An album and a band that nearly everyone listening from the 80s on has an opinion about, a record that's been with me personally since my 6th grade teacher gave me a dub of the tape in 87 and where U2 looms large in the development of my personal taste in music. It hit at the right time for me, just when I needed something mainstream that could be an onramp to more interesting music. Maybe there's little objectivity to cling to — just like the "mythical" America U2 mines — in discussing it. And why a 150 word preamble before speaking how you feel about it? Is it because in talking music it's difficult to call something perfect? Maybe. I'm not prepared to call the entire album perfect — I think the back half is left wanting because they decided to end in a whisper rather than in an anthem. I think the final four tracks needed an edit of some kind and yet, real talk, Side A is a perfect half of an album. It is one of the greatest sides of all time and it makes me long for a vinyl copy again. If I'm able to listen with any measure of focus as this record starts, it's chills every time... and Where The Streets Have No Name isn't even the best song on the side, though there's enough depth to it that repeat listens mean my favorite shifts over time. It's a piece of art that changes with you. I guess it's like the America it conjures: both mythic and flawed. But when it works, it feels like something to believe in anyway — even if we still haven't found what we're looking for.
Tremendo album. Vale la pena escucharlo otra vez jaja
i didnt know what to expect since ive never listened to u2 before bit solid album
No. I'm sorry, I tried. I just hate U2
Спорный, местами зашёл, местами нет
Great.
Pretty awesome album when you're hurting. But even if it caught me at a good (bad?) time, tracks 5 and 6 ran pretty boring to me, and they don't exactly run short. There's a song or two more that disinterested me, but you can really feel out your emotions on the dotted delay hits, and it's got a hell of an energetic ending. It takes a lot of focus, but it's a pretty album.
very pleasurable, enjoyable record
I've never liked U2, but this was good
I believe this was their best album
The Joshua tree is a great album with minimal low points and some excellent tunes. Slightly top heavy on the front side of the album
The first three songs are generational, but it really runs out of steam by the end
S'ok, not really my thing but OK
The last good *rock* album U2 did (Zooropa/etc don't count)
The first has is incredibly good, but the second half is just solid.
My dad got me into u2 I think they were a generational band and very up there at the time. Some great music, song writing. But a big but. After a few songs you sort of get a little fed up. A few songs at a time you’re ok.
Joshua Tree is a classic and there’s no better opener than where the streets have no name , edges instant recognisable guitar effects echo through the album Larry mullens marching tribal drums really push the songs along , some hits like with or without you are just timeless Bono has a pure quality to his voice that really resonates a lot on these tracks Still haven’t found what I’m looking for I think was a gospel song turned pop tune Feel the first half was great but then it slipped slightly not cos they were bad songs just really hard to follow some of them big hitters But always been a fan of Joshua tree don’t think they’ve looked back since making that record
Great sounding album enjoying the textures and blend of instruments. I just feel that a lot of the songs sound a little similar, and towards the end of the album I can't remember which was which. They undeniably sound great though, it just misses that song separation for me
One of the defining and turn around albums for U2. I was a huge fan until Achtung Baby. This album is steeped in Americana from the bands constant touring in attempt to break the US market. Every track is brilliant and shows how much they as musicians soaked up their influences.
There’s no denying the first 3 tracks of this album. But everything after that was pretty unremarkable.
Look at us! We love America! We love Elvis! Edge - hold this spotlight on me while I vamp.
Stacked first side, and some still very good songs on the second. Can easily see how this made them the world's biggest rock band.
Their 2nd best album
Starts super strong and then dies down a bit. Need to dive a bit deeper. I prefer their earlier work.
I’m not exactly a U2 fan, but if I’m going to listen to them this is probably the one I’m going to listen to.
I think at this point in time U2 has gotten mildly over hated actually.
Meh
I had this on vinyl and listened to it over and over, but it has been decades since I heard the whole thing from start to finish. What talent, coming out of a really tumultuous time in Ireland.
This is the first LP to come up that I know pretty well already. Got his on vinyl when it come out in the 80's. The first three songs overshadow the rest of the LP which is good on it's own. I am not a big U2 fan TBH, but this is a landmark in pop music.
Pre mňa jeden z dvoch najlepších albumov U2. Pamätám si, ako ma fascinoval zvuk a atmosféra albumu. Bolo to niečo celkom nové.
A solid first three tracks. Amazing buildup, very anthemic, their most popular off this album. After that, very forgettable songs. That's my entire review.
Great record, and I don't even like U2 that much at this point (with the exception of this record and War and Unforgettable Fire). 8/10
good album although the guitar sound has not aged well and is associated to advertisment music now. Favourite track: Bullet the blue sky
this is actually already saved in a playlist titled ‘albums to listen too’ lol. glad i listened but im still mad they forced their album on everyone in 2014 so i have to give it a three i fear.
A masterpiece
Opens with three huge singles, but drops off quite hard. There are one or two nice tracks later on, but some waffle too. And it's hard to overlook some of the pretentious posturing going on, either.
Don’t need to hear this again
U2 was something I used to listen to when I was a teenager, but now that I'm 39 years old, I can't listen to their songs anymore.
I’ve heard this before and I used to own it on tape. I never replaced it after I lost the tape because I think I had gotten tired of U2 by the end of the ‘90s when I was replacing tapes with cds. U2 had a problem of really getting up their own asses as the 90s went on. This one comes before they got all the way up their own asses (although having a guitar player call himself The Edge is a good starting point to getting up your own ass). One thing I’ve heard said about him is that he is less of a guitar player than an effects pedal player, and I agree with that in a complementary way. The echoes and delays and reverb are well thought out and used with a purpose for each song here instead of being used to mask sloppy playing and there are interesting guitar parts underneath all that. The album suffers some from being front-loaded with the best songs but there are good deep cuts with no filler and it closes on a good ending. I forget that U2 used to be a good band and this album is a great example of that.
Better than the other U2 albums. Had some hits which was nice. Still hope there isn't any more U2 on here
Enjoyed, with or without you is one of my favourite songs
A classic for a reason. The soundscape is just epic.
Both reviled, and adored. I understand both camps, but associate with only one camp.
Every time I start a new project, I’m given an album I dread and never even listen. Repeat this process about 7 times for a year. Only makes sense I’m given a U2 album for my new project, but this time I actually listened to all of it. I wasn’t wrong. So boring. I’m happy other people like this- I am anxiously awaiting however many U2 albums I will be given, and undoubtedly give 1 or 2 stars. I’ll give it a 2 because I finished it. I don’t need to hear these ambient guitar sounds anymore, or Bono’s insanely boring vocal style.
Couple classics on here that my dad played a lot. 3.5/5
4명의 시인이 부르는 이 시대의 찬송가
songs of yearning, with a huge, widescreen production - but I didn't find any connection with it
Singles are amazing. Rest pretty good
One of arena rock's insipid early offerings. Should make for fine elevator music in the near future. I imagine if a JC Penny catalog came with a soundtrack, this is it.
1) Bullet the Blue Sky is incredible, edges of the song are distorted, guitar is frantic, wailing. Easily the highlight of the album. Contrasted with the beginning twangs of Running to Stand Still, it's shining. Latter song is whatever, good but not insane
meh
Somehow these four dorks from Northern Ireland made one of the most American rock records of the 1980s and no one before or since has been able to recapture the sound in exactly the same way, maybe apart from R.E.M. in its early heyday. The band was obviously at the peak of its creativity but add Eno, Lanois and Flood to the mix and Bono's earnestness hits your heart like an arrow; the Edge's guitar swirls like desert landscapes; the band sounds more epic than anything ever. It's occasionally exhausting and some of the second half songs suffer, but when the first 6 songs on your record all have legendary status it's kinda undeniable.
U2 the Joshua tree un classic
I just listened to The Joshua Tree (1987) by U2, and I came away with quite a few thoughts about what I heard. I have never been a big rock fan. I am only now exposing myself more to the genre because I challenged myself to explore new kinds of music. Through this process, I have realized that I tend to like a very specific kind of rock: songs with strong melodies, intelligent lyrics with a clear sense of purpose, a sound that flirts with pop or at least is not too aggressive, and a singer with a beautiful voice. I found many of those elements on this album. I completely understand why the record is so acclaimed and why it won Album of the Year in 1988 at the Grammy Awards. With that said, I think the album starts incredibly strong with a sequence of three spectacular songs: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, and my favorite, With or Without You. After that, however, this is purely my subjective impression, I feel the album loses a bit of its direction. The following tracks lean more toward a traditional rock sound, which is not really the style that appeals to me the most. The album closes beautifully with Mothers of the Disappeared. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. The album runs for about 50 minutes, and it went by very quickly, which is usually how I feel when I truly immerse myself in an album. All things considered, I gave The Joshua Tree four stars. It is an excellent and very well crafted album. After listening to it, which was my first time hearing a U2 record, I am now quite curious to explore more of the band’s work.
This is an excellent album. Side one is timeless. This is the only 80s album I listened to on repeat. I like how they created a bigger luster sound then previous albums. I'm sure Lanois n Eno helped here. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For......
Opens with the four recognisable ones, also comfortably the four best songs here. But yeah it's good and pretty undeniable.
Nice record, some iconic songs in there. Not the biggest U2 fan but credit where credit is due.
Not a big fan of Bono's voice but definitely dug some of the riffs and the overall themes. Not bad I just think that Bono sounds like he's whining most of the time Highlights: Bullet The Blue Sky, With Or Without You (ofc), In God's Country
No. 121 Nice music. Not a song on the album that I didn't like the sound of. Easy listening.
I was the god of War and I personally struck the match that lit The Unforgettable Fire, but I graduated by the time this record came out. Literally. They released this the year I graduated high school and I was busy setting aside my childish ways, so I never got around to listening to this album straight through until this moment now. I have to laugh at how quickly we grow and change through adolescence, because only 2-3 years before this I was camped outside the Hartford Civic Center box office, spending the night to ensure that I would not miss The Most Important Thing That Ever Happened. And by the time their next full length album came out, I couldn't possibly care less. In fact, I probably went out of my way to demonstrate how little I could care to anyone unfortunate enough to let me. Which was probably pretty hard to do, because this album was a monster in terms of its commercial success. Anyway, at this point it is hard to hear this straightforwardly. To me it sounds like a parody of U2, if you can imagine. Peak Edge - he has fully mastered his unique approach to the guitar. But Bono is taking his first steps onto the bridge that apparently connects Dublin to Davos. And then the other two guys, whatever their names are, Larry and Moe? Something like that. Anyway, they do a good job of keeping the two personalities upstage tethered to reality, but can't be accused of breaking new ground, exactly. A little harmonica that Bono musta bought at the Joshua Tree National Park gift shop creeps in as one of the earlier tunes fades out and I took it for the ominous signal it turned out to be, for a few tunes later you get some silliness that sounds like U2 Goes To The Rodeo. Which brings me to Brian Eno. Such an interesting fella, and other than that jarring misstep, this album sounds like the old soul of U2 tugging back on him after the more experimental sounds on The Unforgettable Fire. Not necessarily a bad move, but an interesting development in a spectacular career as a rock record producer. But ultimately this album suffers from singles-itis, meaning that the songwriting falls off a cliff after the first three singles, which are also the first three songs on this album. They were monster tunes but the record really falls off after that.
I remember being in college when U2 announced tour dates for this album, and even though I was aware that they were big, it was still shocking to watch the entire five-college phone system crashing for nearly a day as fellow students feverishly swamped Ticketmaster phone lines desperately trying to score tickets. So while this collection probably doesn't need four U2 albums, it's hard to imagine this one being absent, given how it propelled them to the arena-rock stratosphere. I'm pretty sure I've never listened to this album start to finish, even though nearly the entire first half of the album seems familiar (mainly from continuous radio play); I enjoyed several of their not-as-famous tracks like the Springsteen-esque "Running to stand still" and "One tree hill" (an homage to an NZ-native roadie who died while they were composing the album) as well as the very Daniel-Lanois-sounding "Mothers of the disappeared". U2 has never been a favorite of mine, but they did a nice job creating a very solid album, even if I'm not sure I really hear all the American/Irish "roots music" that supposedly helped inform the album's songs; too bad that inspiration didn't extend to their surprisingly uninspired videos to their singles. I also wish the album wasn't marred by the hollow 80s production aesthetic, despite having Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois as producers.
Even though Bono is the biggest shit (as measured in Courics), you've gotta give it up for the first three anthem-worthy songs. And the rest isn't too long.
Am I correct in my impression that this album gets on a lot of people's nerves? I seem to recall reading many negative remarks about The Joshua Tree. It's oversaturated; the songs are played out; Bono's obnoxious. I think this album is one of the best I've ever heard. Every song is entertaining, well-written for the most part, and well-performed. Even when it borders on the grandiose, like on Bullet the Blue Sky, sincerity and rock n' roll freedom give them all a pass. Every song on this album is unique, but they all come together as a whole. "With or Without You" is on this album, for god's sake! Not to mention that it's the last song of a killer opening triptych made up of three stone-cold classics of eighties rock. This is one I have come back to over the years, and I'm sure I'll keep coming back. Five stars.
Was a fan when it came out. It was a coming of age album for them and me in a way. Their American visit gave them a bit of material to work with. 'Angel in devil's shoes, salvation and the blues.' kinda summed up the US for me quite nicely. But as the years have gone by 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' doesn't have the meaning it once did and the group have become a distant memory and a disappointment, hobnobbing with elites and Bono just being a bit of a prick. I'll give it 3 for nostalgia's sake.
Good songs are great, rest are forgettable
I like. I know it well already
"The Joshua Tree" stands out for its expansive sound and strong buildups. The album flows smoothly from track to track and works well in a contemplative mood. There’s a sense of space throughout, with songs unfolding gradually rather than hitting hard right away. “Bullet the Blue Sky” is a highlight for its grit and raw edge, bringing a welcome intensity to the record. Overall, though, the polished, “dad-rock” sound doesn’t fully connect with me. It’s not a bad album by any means, but it doesn’t stand out strongly either.
Me parece que las canciones con folk y blues de fondo son absolutamente las mejores
I have definitely heard The Joshua Tree enough times to be able to declare that I heard it before I died. We listened to this record constantly when it first came out; it had some inspiring instrumentation and was fun to sing along with while driving around. But then I got sick of it and haven't listened to it since. So it was fun to hear it again today, but I doubt I'll go back to it anytime soon. Of course I have to mention that hearing "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" immediately called to mind the hilarious Negativland track "U2" that sampled that song and made fun of U2 a bit. At the time we thought it was absurd for Island Records to sue little Negativland over that? But they may have had a point, seeing as that's always the first thing I think of when I hear the original song. 3 stars for U2, 5 for Negativland
The hits on this one are pretty classic songs. LIttle drop off on some of the deep tracks but that's ok.
J’pensais pas que j’allais bien aimer mais la fin c’est chiant c’est répétitif
For Boner and his ego.
for a u2 album, this pretty good shit. Just don't mention that every song sounds the same
There's a decent documentary about Joe Strummer where certain pop culture figures and rock stars are interviewed about his legacy. One of those people is Bono, who talks about growing up in Ireland in the 70s and being heavily influenced by The Clash and Strummer. One thing he lauds Strummer for particularly is his lack of pretension. BONO says this. While wearing sunglasses at night sitting next to a campfire. Ugh. Dude probably also thinks he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. It also grates me, to some degree, that what was once a very political Irish band has become (today) this sort of metonym for a beautiful, conflicted Americana, even if it was not meant as such at the time. This is not the fault of the band when they made this album, although it all *feels* steeped in the post-9/11 "All That You Can't Leave Behind" era hoo-rah stuff. All of this adds up to this: U2 is unaccountably whack. U2 is easy to make fun of. U2 deserves to be made fun of. HOWEVER, challengingly, they are also very talented and make quite good music if you can stop rolling your eyes long enough. So if we actually focus on the music, this album is great, and largely deserving of its reputation. To be sure, it contains a few songs that are overambitious and striving ("Running to Stand Still" "Mothers of the Disappeared"). The Edge's signature playing style (which I've always felt owes a lot to London Calling and "Train in Vain" specifically) really sounds incredible here. The hits deserve to be hits. Some of the deep tracks ("Trip Through Your Wires" "One Tree Hill" "Exit") are excellent. "Bullet the Blue Sky" is the hardest they've ever rocked (although live renditions rock far more). It's great! I can't deny it! U2 (particularly Bono) is annoying. I'm annoyed that you gotta hand it to 'em. That said, I gotta hand it to 'em. This is a very enjoyable listen.
..
I thought I remembered not liking u2...must say I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was 7 or 8 great songs. I would say a 4 1/2
3 - good but for squares
Even though this album loses steam pretty quickly, I would have preferred this one added to my ITunes without my consent back in the day. Likes: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, With or Without You
Always felt U2 and the Bono were a bit comical so glad to see what their earlier stuff is like and give my first album of theirs a full listen. I want to dislike it and there is a tone of grandiosity, but this is also what they offer well in the size and depth of the songs too. ‘Bullet for Blue Sky’ what the hell. It feels a cringe and comical song 😬 I actually thought my opinion might have been changed after the first 3 tracks, but it appears they are the only quality on here and the rest is as expected - over the top, self-important and a bit over earnest. First 3 tracks, easy 4*+, the rest, just scrapes a 3* (3.5)
Leuk
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is good, not great. This album falls flat beyond the singles. 3.45 stars
Like a greatest hits album for U2. All the good stuff I grew up listening to.
One of the greatest albums of all time. Outstanding songwriting and production by Eno/Lanois. The album shifted music and made U2 a stadium band for many decades.
U2 is great. Everyone knows that.
People love this album. I feel like it has been stomped into my brain so hard that it falls flat as shit now.
Melancholy and somber, reminds me of the last song at the dance floor for school dances. I really liked the first 3 songs of the album.
Jamais écouté avant. Un album compétent, très bien produit, mais parfaitement lisse, calibré et sans aspérités. Comme un super frigo design, c'est indéniablement bien fabriqué, mais c'est froid et ça ne procure aucune émotion. Top : Exit Flop : With or Without You
Enjoyed listening. Found the three singles the most enjoyable. Preferred the heavier rock sounds to the more mellow.
2/23/26 - Listened during "work". This is my favorite U2 album and I don't really like U2. The radio hits are all classics but the album tracks are all good to great as well. Where the Streets Have No Name is probably the best overall song here with an iconic opening. Top Song - Besides the radio hits, Bullet the Blue Sky.
If you don't like U2 that's fine but have you heard Joshua Tree? Holy fuck. This is amazing. Starts off with a side A that's one of the most frontloaded in history, then follows it with a side B that still blows my mind. The Edge shows here why he's a revered guitarist, beautiful riffs. The production is unlike anything I've heard. So big, like it could only be played in a stadium so the song can float into space
Good album Song I like: I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, With or without you
With or without you é a melhor. Começa super bem o álbum e depois senti minha atenção indo embora.
Easily the best U2 album on there, it is solid. I was anxious, cause those haven't been hiting, (it's my fourth one) and I was decently surprised. Unlike the rest, it is listenable and not a one hit album. There are still the usual big U2 doodoos, (bullet blue sky leading in that caregory) but yes not horrible
I'm very familiar with this album. If the entire album was as good as the first half, this would be an absolute high-water mark for albums. But the second half of the album just doesn't have the same quality. If it were two separate albums, it would be a 5 for the first half and a 4 or 3 for the second half.
Before listening: i am excited for this album since i already know 3 songs and my dad is a big u2 fan. I know a bit of their music style but i am curious about the songs i haven't heard before! Where the streets have no name: one of the 3 songs i ALWAYS mix up the intro's but i do like this song I liked the first few songs the most, the rest was a bit boring but still enjoyed listening!!
meh it's fine. boring. i find u2 the most critically overrated band of all time. generic rock for people who want to look like they know and are in to music - but clearly don't and are not
Complicated relationship with this one. Came out my freshman year of college, and I immediately dismissed it as U2’s sellout album. I grew to like it more and more over the years, and really listening to it again now … I’m right back to where I was in 1987. This was the album where the best band became the biggest band.
It's U2 I don't give a shit about u2
Because U2 released a few different monster albums across several different decades, it’s hard to say which one cemented their legacy. But for it was Joshua Tree. It’s “slower” by U2 standards but songs like With Or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name and I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For ruled the airwaves and maybe more importantly, MTV.
really not a fan
Wohl eines der besten Alben überhaupt für mich.
For me, it's all about Daniel Lanois and possibly Brian Eno. This U2 album has such atmosphere. The only albums I've heard that capture something similar are Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy and Time Out of Mind, both of which were produced by Lanois. The first half of this album is undeniably killer. The quality of the songs takes a step down afterwards. Except for "In God's Country". I remember being very excited when this album came out and Very disappointed with U2's subsequent albums. At the time, at least. I look forward to re-evaluating them when they come up on this list.
Bit of a nostalgia trip for me. This album came out a month before I was born and my mom LOVED it. Ive heard her listen to this album my entire childhood. A good amount of the songs on here still hold up, I think Gen Z would recognize that too lmao
A lot of great songs.
Даже не дослушала. Не цепляет. Спокойная музыка, без какой-либо изюминки. 3/10
Great
приятный рок, переслушать можно без заявки на что-то мощное и новое немного отдаленное звучание, мягкое какое-то больше инди и для поездок 3.5
Fist 3 songs are good then my goodness does the quality drop off a cliff.
i just think they're great
Have loved this one for a long time.
Wow, yet another one from these guys! This one is clearly my favourite of them, but apart from the 3 big hits I am not familiar with album tracks, so this might go for 4 stars unless those album tracks are super amazing.
One of the best opening sides; drags a bit in the second half.
Loved this album! There’s so many good tracks on it
While yes, I also feel U2 are pretentious assholes, I'm not going to let those feelings affect my rating. Bono may be a massive piece of shit (the world's largest if you believe south park), but I can't imagine a world in which you tell the history of the past 100 years of music without including U2. Sure, their music is bland and not necessarily revolutionary, however it clearly struck a chord with someone considering how popular they were in the 80s and 90s and how ingrained they've been in pop culture for the past 40 years. In terms of this album - it sounds bland, sounds like there isn't much going on, it feels "safe". I appreciate the message it's putting forth, and very much feel it belongs on this list overall, however I'm not going to act like it's anything but average rock
Over-rated hacks that don't deserve to be on this list TWICE. Good gravy.
I'll say straight up that I'm not really a U2 fan. But the the guitar work still sounds amazing to this day, and it's difficult to think of 3 straight opening tracks on any album as good as these.
O melhor de se gostar de uma banda desprezada pelos amigos é aquela sensação juvenil de exclusividade, de possuir algo que está além do alcance dos pobres mortais. U2 é a típica banda que todo mundo ama odiar e é sempre um prazer revisitar seus discos, especialmente este ótimo "The Joshua Tree".
When a great band rock band visits the US (they’ll descend to parody almost immediately, but this is a great album)
Another great album judging by the track listing. Looking forward to listening to this.
Mid tempo albums don’t get much better than this. For me this is the pinnacle of their catalog. It’s easy to put this album on and just let it play through. The Edge deserves a lot of credit for making this album cool. The guitar tones beautifully layered and hold the album together while love him or hate him Bono’s singing is all time stuff. Just a brilliant album.
Embarrassingly enjoyed this way more than I wanted to. Can’t believe it devastated
A top heavy album 3*
Fine
Konsistens og Helhed: 7/10 Guitarspillet har en meget atmosfærisk lyd igennem sangene. Meget atmosfærisk lyd. Bono varierer også imellem at synge med kraftigt og blødt igennem sangene Innovation og Originalitet: 3/10 Man kan godt høre det er en U2 sang, men sangenes form er meget statisk og ikke så originale. De er ikke så meget for at prøve nye ting. Den atmosfæriske lyd lyder dog ikke så meget som noget andet. Emotionel resonans: 8/10 Jeg synes lyden vækker de rigtige følelser frem så det har de gennemført godt. For de fleste sange Tekst og tematik: 9/10 Er ret vild med deres tekster, nogle er simple med fungerer godt og andre har nogle dybere meninger Musikalsk komposition: 5/10 Helt klart guitaren der bær det musikalske hvor bassen og trommerne ikke tager nogen chancer. Dog gør guitaren det rigtig godt. Mundharmonikaen synes jeg nogengange bare er der for et ligegyldigt fill. Til gengæld er Bonos stemme virkelig god Tidsløshed: 6/10 Det er kun få sange folk snakker om fra pladen, men den er ikonisk og vigtig for hvordan pop-rock har formet sig. Den har dog ikke helt holdt sig over tid fordi det ikke har været så originalt Subjektivt X-Factor: 7/10 Det er ikke et album der har et sted i mit hjerte, men jeg ville sige Bonos stemme har et sted og deres tekster har også gjort et godt indtryk på mig Bonus noter: Der var flere catchy sange end jeg huskede og det er ikke fordi det gør så meget at instrumenterne ikke er over det hele. Ville nok komme tilbage nogle enkelte sange Rating: 6,43 Bedste sange: With or Without You Bullet the Blue Sky Red Hill Mining Town
Great album with genuinely enjoyable music. Never listened to U2 before but I love their sound.
It was pretty good, and totally a classic. I can understand the art, yet this is really not my taste, and the band is tainted by constantly performing in Las Vegas, so I absolutely cannot glaze.
Can't deny that the first few songs are legendary. Album gets meh after that. I'd call that 4 stars.
Super stacked at the front half of the album. The back half is pretty lame tbh. tough one to rate but I think at the bangers at the beginning earn it 5 stars.
It's really impressive how an Irish band managed to nail the vibes of driving on a long highway during the early evening, setting off while the sun is still in the sky, and being able to watch it set. Also, say whatever you want about U2, but this is iconic. I will hear out complaints about Bono's voice, but the rest of the album, instruments and production, all achieve the goal that they were working towards (and I don't actually think Bono's voice is a negative here). This album is definitely driven mostly by its hits. Don't get it wrong, though, the rest of the album is still good, very evocative, and certainly captures the theme they were going for. But this is a great album because those first three songs are so good. (I ended up liking another one a little more than "Where the Streets Have No Name", but my point still applies). Favorite Song(s): Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without You, Running to Stand Still
I'm not a huge U2 or Bono fan, but I'm trying this anyway. Brian Eno producing could be cool. Wiki says this one is pretty famous so I'm hoping the funk is in here somewhere, as it usually is. 1. Where the Streets Have No Name - alright, this is more or less what I thought U2 sounded like, kinda generic and shouty and reverb-y. Like a secular hillsong, basically. Structurally sound though, and the b7 move is kinda cool. 2. Still Haven't Found - still in that hillsong mode. I think this serves the same purpose as the spacey worshipy stuff in church, too. Just a simple 1-4 prog to put lyrics over. Not that 1-4 is bad, that's the genesis of a lot of great music. Simple is good, most of the time. In this case and the hillsong case though, I get bored easily. Lot of Christian imagery in the lyrics here too, so maybe that's a feature not a bug. I do like the mix on this one though, it does sound like Brian Eno's later stuff. 3. With or Without You - okay, this one is a little less hillsong. A little more house party band in the Nirvana boom, complete with 1-5-6-4 prog. I gotta say though, this album is not gonna beat the Christian Rock Band allegations. I actually searched "is U2 a Christian band" because it's just that close. They kinda are, enough imagery and you're no longer alluding but fully performing. On this one there's even a worship shout "oh oh oh" chorus thing. At this point in the album I've looked back at the wiki to check the run time and have decided this is going to be a SLOG. If I don't find a banger (and I know bangers) in the next 2 songs, I may pass this one. 4. Bullet the Blue Sky - finally a little bite. So far this is the best song on the album, but it's still a little bland. The funk is at least present here, I can't say it's strong but something is almost trying to emerge there. I like the backing vox, reminds me of Thomas Dolby's Aliens Ate My Buick, one of his most exciting albums imo. In fact, this song has a pretty similar structure to one of those songs, "Pulp Culture". The guitar solo has similar elements, and the whole thing is over a kinda loose ostinato. The poem is kinda weird but better than that floaty crap earlier. I'll take it. 5. Running to Stand Still - starting off with a bummer there, intro was that "Diggin my Potato" slide guitar stuff which could have led somewhere cool but now we're just in hillsong mode again :( I at least like the form for this one. Simple again, which is fine. This time, a little sauce at the end of the form though with the use of phrase rep. That's kinda cool. It's here that I notice I'm having a bit of trouble engaging with the lyrics, maybe it's because of the sonic-scape as a whole but they are not gripping me and that's a shame because surely this whole worshipy vibe is here as mostly a vehicle for the lyrics. 6. Red Hill Mining Town - I like the groove but STOP DOING 1-4 FOR A BIT. Geeze, again I'm not saying music has to all be Mahivisnu bc that sounds terrible too, but all the changes are variations of 1-5-6-4? 1-5-b7-4 ooohh! Fuck you man. Sorry, I'm just getting a little bored. Worst part is, if this were the second song on the album I wouldn't mind. I really like the chorus melody and the changes outside of the verse are more interesting than most of the album so far. By song 6, though? B-Side? I'm getting sick of the soundscape. Objectively I'd like to hear this one again most out of all of them so far, but I'm just ready for this to be the last song on the album as a whole. The previous songs were that bland. It's like eating a gross, gray, unseasoned steak 3 times in one meal and then someone offers you a perfect dessert, rich and sweet and deep. That dessert looks great, mm smells nice. Bet it tastes great, in fact I know it must. But gee man, after I filled up on that below avg steak? I just wanna go home, maybe dessert another time. It'll be a lot more fun when I have the pallette left for it. 7. In God's Country - I think I've heard this bassline before. Song is fine. This must just be the U2 sound that kept me away all my life. I was hoping it'd be a nice subversion of my expectations like Talking Heads was, but so far I'm on the money. 8. Trip Through Your Wires - hell, some different rhythmic content. Some different sonic content! Not all spacey ambient synth! Already takes this track to top 3 so far. Oh man I can't overstate how this song feels like I came up for air after being under too long. On its own I'd imagine I'd think of it as passable but after the rest, this is awesome. I heard that DX7 the wiki says Brian Eno was on! Finally. Was waiting for his ass to show up. 9. One Tree Hill - dig the octave guitar pattern to start but now we're back to U2 standard. Or at least, this album standard. NOTE TO SELF: try to vary your own melodies a little bit more. I think something that's grating to me on this album is that Bono's melody lines are so narrow and samey. I feel like he has a pretty good range, but he's just sticking around the plagal notes, 1234 mostly in the same octave. There's a place for that obv but I can't have that be boring over the backdrop of a boring soundscape with the band too. He saves it for the ends of the songs mostly, but I wish he'd incorporate that range more during the meat of the thing. The coda at the end was nice. 10. Exit - hey, nice subversion here with the major-minor shift/uneasiness! That was fun. Wiki says this song is about a serial killer, apparently. It feel like that, yeah. That was more exciting than most of the album, maybe like a low top 5 contender. 11. Mothers of the Disappeared - I think I've heard this one too. Either that or, I fear, the melody is generic enough for me to confuse it with other stuff. Or maybe the album was popular enough that folks bit off this original? The guitar melody that surrounds the thing is sweet and I do like it. I think overall this one isn't something for me. Most of it is pretty boring, I think the tracks are placed poorly. I can't engage with Bono's lyrics (at least not on first listen). It feels like the sonic interpretation of the phrase "all who wander are not lost" and I mean that in a derogatory fashion. I've learned from this that I need to write strong, memorable melodies in order to have people engage with the lyrics. I think by tomorrow, I could maybe sing back Track 11's guitar melody, but I don't think I'll remember any Bono lines. I remember hearing Billy Joel's "Sometimes a Fantasy" in the context of him flipping over the piano and all in Russia. That melody is so good I remembered it for years without ever hearing the full song. When I did go back and hear the full thing, it got even stronger in my head. I've only listened to it maybe twice? And I feel confident I could sing a fair bit of the verse and chorus. The words for the chorus even, if only the melody for the verses. That's excellent melody structuring, super memorable and it makes the lyrics stick much more than that bland stuff on this album. If I had to go again, I'd take 4, 6, 8, and 11 and leave the rest behind. Maybe Track 5 if I had to round it out. 50 minutes was too long for the album imo. *now that I've had some time to hit some other albums on this list, some I knew and some that are new, I can very confidently say this is a 1. I understand there's no objective "bad" and millions of people have real love for this group, but I just don't get it. It isn't for me and I've used this album to contrast better albums now. The idea that this is rated the same as Band on the Run and HIGHER than That's the Way of the World is absolutely insane to me. I wonder if I listened back to this album, would I enjoy the few songs that I thought were okay?
7/10
Ok, good for repair jobs
aite
Damn massere af gode sange. Produceret af Brian Eno som giver det en masse atmosfære og rummelighed selvom det er stadion rock i den forstand at det er virkelig storslået og fyldigt eller hvad man skal sige. Det er virkelig et flot album og det bliver ambient og filmisk nærmest. Der er enormt mange gode sange på, så det er svært ikke at synes det bare er mega fedt. Jeg kan sgu godt lide U2 de er altså deroppe af med Stones osv for at være legendariske
The solitary message of this album makes it a hard rate. The first 4 songs are amazing. After that, In God's Country is great, too but the rest is meh. BUT they all fit with the theme... Still going with a 4/5 instead of a 5/5 if that opening rush could've been sustained even for a couple more songs...
Soaring tunes, more great guitars from The Edge, and gospel/Southern influences creating some infectious grooves, it is all-in-all a great record.
I just can’t with U2
I really wish Bono wasn’t Bono
Wow. Equal parts rock and edgy mixed perfectly with tender and thoughtful. U2 always have something to say, and they do it perfectly through their music. They are very, very talented songwriters and musicians, and "Joshua Tree" is a prime example. I don't give out a whole lot of five star ratings, but this is definitely one that has earnef it.
Boring but pleasant. Like sitting around waiting in someone's lounge but they have very nice wallpaper.
I remember hearing Achtung Baby on this generator and thinking back on a memory where I found Joshua Tree a little less annoying. Hearing it again today, I take it back. Hearing this in my youth probably cemented my steering away from U2 before I understood that was a mechanism I had. The first few tracks are slow, a little bland, fairly commercial. It then shifts to a dark and mysterious vibe, but without feeling dark or mysterious. It doesn't feel genuine. That slight grunge feel they slap on doesn't really help the overall energy. It's too pop on the pop-rock scale for me, and I don't get what it inspires or why it's historically significant. With or Without You, for better or worse, is a really sticky tune. 1.4/5
I’m not a great U2 fan and have heard the singles too many times. However, as a complete album this a great piece of work.
I quite liked this! had it playing while I meal-prepped and it was really nice background music. Definitely wanna check out more U2 bc of this !
While it may not be something I often turn to, this album is objectively a classic and I admire the craftsmanship.
Easy 5. Fantastic production and songwriting. 8 of 11 tracks are bangers. 3 to 4 of them are all time standards. A touchstone for Generation X and the 1980s themselves. Hard for me to decide which of THE JOSHUA TREE or ZOOROPA is their best. ACHTUNG BABY is clearly their third best for me.
Considero que es un álbum bueno, me transmitió mucha paz y cada canción fue un viaje completamento diferente, realmente siento que fue un buen álbum para iniciar este viaje...