The Joshua Tree

People who know me, know I despise U2. That said the previous album surprised me a bit, so I'll try to be more open minded. This U2 album has some of their best work. ISHFWILF is an all-time classic as is With or Without You. Some other decent work from them as well. If any album has a chance soften my stance on U2, this is the one. And it has. I no longer despise them.

I'm probably in the minority that I neither love nor hate U2. I'm kind of indifferent about them. I can understand why this album launched them to superstar status - it's a very good album in terms of song composure. What I can't fall in love with here is the melancholy of this album that leads to a general feeling of ennui. I'll give it a 4 because it is a pretty epic album, but barely.

193/1001 U2 - The Joshua Tree Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Obviously I've heard all of the singles from this, but never really ventured further and I probably should have before now, as the album tracks do hold up relatively well to the them. I was surprised at how top heavy this album was, and could have done with a reshuffle.

An album that supposedly was set its track listing by preference of the band's friend Kirsty McColl. This inevitably means that they album has 3 of the best opening tracks ever before becoming increasingly less worth continuing to listen to as it goes on. A rather bizarre choice. However, still very listenable throughout and the opening 3 tracks are phenomenal.

okay yeah sue me i have never listened to a U2 album fully but i swearrrr i know ball (i have heard most of them). i remember buying a vinyl of this album for my uncle though. humming everything from start to end.

Is this one a crowd-pleaser or what. It's basically an equivalent of a successful four quadrant movie. I enjoyed it very much.

My rating 4.2

Several iconic tunes. Held back by how pretentious the band can be

Three pretty stellar tracks to open. Even if it's not your thing, these songs are iconic for a reason. Then they lose their energy. The rest of the album stumbles along without much that makes you sit up and take notice.

a big vibe! again not something i would traditionally listen to but i found really nice and enjoyable

Well here’s another classic for sure! I grew up with this as well and although I was starting to shift towards heavier music as I entered my teenage years, I still bought this and listened to it back then. I remember also buying all the singles where each single had a photo of a different band member and there were sometimes more than one unreleased song on the b-side which was great value! Although I did enjoy this back then I don’t think that I fully appreciated it until later in my adult years. The songs are great and the production is pretty amazing. It is strange that this is the only album I ever listened to from this band because their next album Achtung Baby was a pretty big deal back then. I’m assuming that album will come up at some point and I’ll listen to it then but I’ll definitely have to try to find some time to check out the rest of their catalogue.

Comes out of the gate amazingly hard. After that the songs are mostly average, but the production and “sound” of the album remains remarkable and just… BIG. Don’t love the album overall, but got to give it kudos.

Bangers all the way thru

Coming out strong with excellent first three tracks. The rest of the album is good as well. A solid listen

This is a hard one for me, as I am squarely between 4 and 5 stars. When I was growing up in the 80s, I was not a U2 fan. Tons of my friends were and I just didn't get it. Over time, I've grown to appreciate them much more, even saw them in Chicago for the Innocence + Experience tour back in 2015, which was undeniably a great show. All the same, they are not a go to band for me. This album gets off to an amazing start with the three lead singles, followed by Bullet the Blue Sky, which I might like even better than those hits. The problem I have is that after this, the album wanes a bit for me. Sure, Running to Stand Still has some good soul to it (even if a lot of the song is quiet), In God's Country is a good one too, but most of these songs are far from great. This is why I am stuck, as it is a great record with some tremendous songs on it, but it is far from perfect. Given this, I think I have to go with 4 stars. It's just not consistently amazing for me.

cabronamente frontloaded con esas primeras tres rolas, pero si bien hay un par a la mitad que no me gustan mucho, el resto hasta eso aguanta dignamente. o bueno dignamente tal vez no sea la palabra al hablar de U2, pero me entienden

no bangery fajne

Listened on: Spotify (2007 remastered) Listening experience: Across multiple sessions, in the car driving Already a fair weather U2 fan but had never gone to this album to listen intentionally. First 3 songs are the singles. The middle songs thereafter were just as good. The guitar sound is really unmistakable. I felt it lost steam towards the end but could be because I was interrupted multiple times. Will definitely put this album on again.

absolute classic album, though don’t know if i’ve ever fully listened all the way through. rate 8.5/10

Classic

Hot damn the intro to "Where the Streets Have No Name" is one of the most amazing-sounding things ever. Across the entire record, The Edge gives some of the most amazing guitar performances ever recorded. His sound was so distinctive and carried their sound so hard. Those punchy stings he builds up to on "With or Without You" are so emotive. Brian Eno is also a huge asset here with his timeless, full production. While the deep tracks aren't nearly as good as the big singles, they are still quite enjoyable.

i get why my high school vice principal had a life size cardboard cutout of one of the members in her office

I’ve been a Brian Eno fan ever since his Roxy Music era, and his involvement in a project is pretty much a guarantee of something extraordinary. This album lives up to that standard, it’s outstanding. Easily my favorite U2 record, from back when Bono hadn’t yet turned into an insufferable pretentious prick.

Bono is cool, but he should not have allowed this man to allow the creation of Inhaler.

I appreciated this album, but more on an intellectual level rather than an emotional level. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For is a standout.

Atmospheric. Has my favorite U2 song - With or Without You

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is one of the greatest songs ever written. It gets me every time and can be on repeat for hours. The rest of this album was easy to fall into. It has a good variety of sounds that I really enjoy. Very good album, will be incorporating some of these songs into my daily listening.

I love the production on this album. Brian Eno brought his ethereal minimalist approach to great effect. Great songwriting. The entire album is a great listen.

The first half of this album is ridiculously weighted with iconic hits. The rest of it is fine, but just pales in comparison. If they had a different play order, I think the album would be stronger as a whole. It is a trend I have noticed on their albums.

Was a solid album

U2 was on a roll and hit their stride.

Starts strong and fades

Just some tear jerkers

The Joshua Tree is very much an album of 2 halves. The first four tracks are an astonishing run - it’s these which have cemented its status as a classic. In particular, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and its gospel vocals have always been a favourite (especially the last two refrains that have lost Bono’s higher key and are sung in a lower register - I am an absolute sucker for it every time). “With Or Without You” is a beautiful love song, albeit one which I now always associate with the tv show “Friends”. My favourite of the first 4 tracks has always been “Bullet the Blue Sky” - so different in its sound to anything else on that album and so overtly political. It even works as a metal track, which I’m not sure was the intention at the point it was written, but that’s the beauty of a good song. The rest of the album, unfortunately, is a bit boring compared to that opening run. None of the other tracks come close to matching. It’s probably more deserving of a 3.5*, but in the absence of that option, and considering the strength of the opening four tracks, it is getting 4*.

Very first song that came up was " Mothers of the disappeared ", and I instantly fell in love. As of someone who The microphones and Neutral Milk is still heavy for me, this felt like a perfect introduction to those. My fav one so far!

None of these songs really caught me. nevertheless a solid album

They lock in here and really find their sound, very good

Definitely a journey. I liked the first two songs. Following i felt it got a bit. Slow and boring. Picked up again, really loved red hill mining town, in gods country and trip through your wires. The latter felt Led Zeppelin III inspired with folky elements which i love. The album then went down again towards the end but wasnt as bad as prior. You can really hear how inhaler took inspiration from some of these songs, who are bono’s son’s band. Probably wouldnt listen to whole album again but definitely the few songs i liked. Id probably rate it a 3.5, but will round up to a 4.

I probably first heard U2 via Pride on MTV. At least, that’s how I remember it. Could’ve been I saw the video for New Year’s Day, as that has a similar impression in my memory as other 1983 videos when that whole MTV thing was quite new. By the time summer of 1987 rolled around, I was not exactly thrilled to see With or Without You or Still Haven’t Found every hour on the hour, but I did remember liking Streets and the somewhat faux live performance. Then, I didn’t hear about them again until sometime after Rattle and Hum had come and bombed, with my melancholy-trending interests piqued by their Cole Porter cover. So, as a nascent U2 fan in 1990-91, pre-Achtung Baby, I had to go back and discover all of the Joshua Tree, not to mention War, October, etc. And half of that came from the Rattle and Hum live versions, so the studio versions of songs like Bullet and In God’s Country still sound kinda thin to me. It’s not perfect, maybe *the* classic Side A/Side B conundrum. But man, that Side A! U2 themselves, while I prefer their 90s work, have still never topped it. Even with their cynical rehashing of this and The Unforgettable Fire’s guitar sound in the 2000s and beyond, The Joshua Tree still feels timeless.

pretty great stuff, I loved U2 as a kid and now I still love their landscapes they create with the sound, but there's also a little empty feeling I can get when everything always sounds so huge

I liked this album a surprising amount. There are a few tracks I'd never heard before that I really enjoyed. It's cohesive as an album. Could use more contrast/range of skills.

This is the closest I will get to liking a U2 album. Bono is still an ass and The Edge's guitar riffs still suck, though.

This album reminds me of popcorn at the movies. Enjoyable enough and ubiquitous.

Not exactly a new observation to say that the album is really front-loaded and the back half is a little forgettable That said, the first 3 songs are fantastic and the rest of it is still pretty solid. I've always sorta rolled my eyes at U2 but this reminded me I do really like a lot of their stuff.

I think I prefer War? Sunday Bloody Sunday is my kind of U2 moreso than With Or Without You. Still giving this a four but please, in your heart, know this is a lesser four than War's four.

Okay I get it

You too~ Safe album. w/ || w/o u oooOoOooOoooo

Peak

Very good all around. Especially the production

4- Stars (10/15)

Pretty good. I feel like U2 is kind of a joke nowadays because Bono is kind of preachy, but there's some bangers on this album. It's very atmospheric

it was neat i liked the lyrics

De eerste paar nummers ken ik van vroeger van de radio. Ik twijfelde of ik de liedjes leuk vond omdat ik ze gewoon ken van vroeger, of dat het echt goede nummers zijn. Verder in het album heb ik echt even goed geluisterd en ik ben verrassend positief

It's hard to listen to this without mentally tracking the notion of Bono slowly disappearing up himself. But it's still a great album by a great band, and I'm thankful this moment of a band at the peak of their powers is distilled and captured. If I made this album I'd probably be full of myself too.

Singles monumentaux, reste de l'album juste bon.

There isnt a bad song on this album but it's so hard to keep up the bar they set with the first 4 songs. Beyond the singles, the middle has some absolute gems and the last few songs trail off a bit. If this album had 8 songs instead of 11 it would be a solid 5

I am biased because I'm Irish, but I find this album very beautiful. It seems like every single song on this album has been featured somehow. There is a simplicity and beauty to the music. It's a lot coming out of Ireland at that time in history, too.

The first four songs are absolutely legendary, then the rest just kind of fades away into obscurity for me. But man, those first few songs are enough to carry any album. Favorite track: With or Without You

Being a millenial, I have this impression of U2 as cheesy. Stopping and intentionally listening to Joshua Tree gave me a lot of appreciation for their music. I really like the song Trip Through Your Wires, it has a different feel from their other music. The album is also pretty solid all the way through, especially starting strong.

7/10 Favorites: Where The Streets Have No Name With Or Without You

Woof, it does not feel cool to enjoy U2 any more, but this album is an undeniable triumph. They definitely seemed a bit before my time, but I didn't realize how much--they were already 11 years into making music together when this was made, and I was only 5 years old.

The measure of a U2 album is how many detours it makes to some preachy, ponderous dreck. This is the best U2 album because it only makes a couple of those detours. There are a few songs that, while good, feel like they never fully kick into gear like the first 3 tracks do. Still, this is a very good set of songs led off by 3 absolute classics.

Solid 4 stars.

back 2 back 2 back bangers. This album is a classic. A lot of people throw around the word "timeless" but this album literally still sounds like it could be released today.

Based on their reputation, this U2 album is very U2. I imagine this album being a foundation for what became their identifiable style of music with Edge’s shimmery guitar riffs and Bono’s iconic voice. First 3 songs were pretty great and are widely known already, but I also liked Exit.

i'll be open, i am not a huge fan of U2, too much of simple rock band first listen was exactly that -> quite dissatisfying, bono dominates too much second listen, you finally do not focus on bono, and see the intstrumental talent, and incredible production by eno and lanois, and I think that is the valuable bit it's a good album innit

Strong album with a couple of fillers. So many layered guitars! I prefer unforgettable fire

Been a while between spins for this one! I think i once called it the best album of the 80s, until a friend corrected me with Disintegration, which is hard to refute. Stacked side A, with hits i can't even hear properly any more I've heard them so many times. Side B has the gold. Trip Through Your Wires, Red Hill Mining Town etc. Only complaint - fizzles out at the end. An album that starts with 3 absolute anthems should probably end in kind, IMO.

I always heard of U2 being an iconic band but I never had the time to fully listen to their discography or any of their albums. But I understand why they are so revered after listening to this album. There are so many memorable tracks that are still being played mainstream in this present age. Great length time and was not at all forgettable. I also liked the symbolism of The Joshua Tree.

I get it

Easily the best U2 album.

For those who've been working through The List for a while, you'll probably hear the influence of Brian Eno on this record. There's a lot of atmosphere (the soundstage is chasm-wide, thanks to the clever reverb and the drama of the music) but even in the effects-drenched arrangements, everything is distinct and intelligible. There are arguments about this but I think this is clearly the best U2 album. The work of Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) backing up the two more famous members of the band (possibly still known as Paul and David, at this point) is essential. It's solid without being overly simple: Clayton's bass lines are carefully build to heighten the tension of songs like 'Bullet The Blue Sky' and Mullen's rhythms are timed impeccably alongside the cascades of delay and reverb emanating from The Edge. The Edge (David Evans) fills the sonic space with huge amounts of sound -- surprising for a man who plays a very sparse style of guitar. The use of effects (delay, reverb, chorus, various overdrive/distortion effects, wah and even crazier things like The Infinite Guitar) to expand chords and simple parts into a full-on sound bath is remarkable, particularly at a time when numerous Van Halen imitators were trying to do it with the maximum number of notes, instead. Much of it isn't entirely difficult to play but it is often quite difficult to write and arrange. Bono (Paul Hewson) is a drama queen. It suits U2 perfectly, especially on earlier works. Lanois and Eno have him backed up with both effects and session singers to sound like he is at the head of a massive choir, standing on a rock spire amid the Grand Canyon. The songwriting is actually pretty good. It's about longing and tension and tragedy -- all things that suit U2 very well. The Joshua Tree isn't a masterpiece (it's do over the top as to be borderline camp, at times) but it's a wonderful reflection of that time of music. You need to imagine this in the charts, up against Soft Cell, Bon Jovi and Duran Duran. Maybe, god forbid, a Todd Rundgren album. U2 have become self-parodic over the decades but they deserve their plaudits -- I expect that their early work will experience a revival in the near term. You should listen to The Joshua Tree. Take it a little bit seriously -- like Eno -- but not totally seriously -- like Bono. 4/5

First couple tracks are great, One Tree Hill and Bullet the Blue Sky are definitely the best tracks

Eu já conhecia algumas músicas, mas não cheguei a ouvir o álbum antes. One Tree Hill e Red Hill Mining Town foram as surpresas. Dito isto, Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, esses singles são muito bons. Mas o favorito ainda é Bullet the Blue Sky, que cheguei a ouvir versões live da música.

⭐️⭐️1/2 Eu amo esse álbum real É U2 não exagera

An interesting and even good album with being amazing . The first 3 songs are all great but never really get going - sounding like continuous intros if anything Taking the new wave sound of bands like echo and the bunnymen to heart. Weirdly songs about desert by a bunch of lads from Ireland are better than you would think . The edge and bono are great together but are no Maca and Sullivan or Moza and Mar . Tries a little to hard to be meaningful

I really get the hype with U2. Some of the songs are just too iconic. Enjoyed this album a lot

gud

Typical U2 sounds of political activism to heavy guitar rock

Big U2 album

I have mixed feelings on U2, but this is a pretty good album, from before they fully became the music of soccer moms. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You" are the standouts, but "Where The Streets Have No Name" is probably my favorite.

Classique (pas mal de connues)

Good

I'm not sure how I can rate this one. The first 4 songs have been ubitiquous on the radio since my youth, so I don't really have context for how unique it was when it came out.

This is the culmination of U2 in the 80’s. The first half is so good, with a lot of good songs on the second half as well.

Great album

Way better than I expected, the songs are really well mixed and the bass leads a few songs

Un dels millors discs de la historia del rock,obra d'art amb himnes d'absolut nivell!!Les tres primeres conçons fan que potser l'inici del disc sigui molt poc superable.No es un 10 per molt poc però si un 9!!

Great album! Very mature sounds and some very famous songs!

Most of the songs on this album are well -known which explains why it is so iconic. Love listening to this!

Just a really solid album!

A solid album throughout, maybe U2"s second or third best, in my opinion.

Pretty nostalgic. Growing up in a house with Gen X siblings I heard this on repeat from a pretty young age (like 5-7). That opening definitely has the feels. First 3 tracks are excellent. The remaining are mid mostly.

I'm not like a huge U2 fan. They're fine. But I think this their best album. And really it's because of the first 3 songs.

The songs I knew I still liked, and the new songs were decent to good. Kind of one note, but a good note at that. It's not the most exciting album I've heard but I think it was pretty solid.

I kinda want to dislike U2 because of that South Park episode where Bono is literally a giant turd, but I gotta admit, this is a good album. It’s packed with all the songs I actually know, and hearing them together just works. You can tell why this one made them huge. Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, and With or Without You are all classics, but Bullet the Blue Sky was new to me, and it ended up being one of my favorites. It’s darker, heavier, and way cooler than I expected. As much as I’d love to roast Bono, The Joshua Tree earns its reputation. It’s emotional, powerful, and full of songs that still sound massive today. Favorite song: Bullet the Blue Sky

as much as i usually dislike Bono’s vocals… i quite liked this 🫣

*Several all time hits to start the album but it trails off a little as it goes along

First listen. I have heard some of these songs before, but never the whole album. Very expansive sounding album, that was more enjoyable than I was expecting. Really enjoy the guitar riffs and the atmosphere of the songs.

Did not expect to like this so much - Some great songs in here, but a few in the middle that felt a little like filler. Overall, a really good album.

Basic bitch pop rock but very well done, some very good songs. Given how good their best songs are it baffles me how much complete dross U2 have put out.

with or without you gives deep aldous snow vibes was not expecting the grunge tracks this album is up there in terms of the very competitive 'bunchofwhiteguys rock' scene.

I can't really be very objective about The Joshua Tree, because it's an album with an enormous amount of sentimental value from my childhood. Thankfully, I don't even have to worry about the effect of the rose-tinted glasses because this album is a banger anyway. Best U2 album and one of the best to ever do it. fav tracks: Exit, With Or Without You, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

One of the first vinyl records I ever bought! The first 3 song run on this might be up there with the greatest starts to an album ever, but the rest is not quite as good. Even though I'm not a fan of other U2 albums, this one holds a special place in my heart. 8/10

классика

As this site is pretty much anonymous, I'll reveal I first heard this album when my brother had it on cassette when we were kids - I have an inkling he now wouldn't want anyone to know he was once a U2 fan. I suspect he's not the only person rewriting history where U2 are concerned, but if you ask me, there's no shame in liking The Joshua Tree. There's a reason this album turned them into the biggest band in the world for a while.

Good album, easy listen, there is a reason they are legends. 7.1/10

reminds me of keane

An excellent album, not 100% my taste but I can appreciate the level of skill involved.

J'avais 7 ans, j'me rappelle que ça sonnait grandiose. Finalement, près de 40 ans plus tard, ça sonne pas si ben que ça, mais y'a quand même quelque chose d'unique. Objectivement, un album qui a eu un impact démesuré sur la musique, pour le meilleur et pour le pire. 4.49 étoiles

very comforting intro, like everything will be ok. Cozy rock.

Living on the red, white, and blue side of Ireland's order in the 80s and 90s, I was not allowed to listen to U2. They were from the other side, and we're the bad guys. Nonsense of course, but a true story nonetheless. As such, even as a rabid music fan, most of their music passed me by. I've always known they are one of my musical black spots, and as much as I've loved their singles and many of the bands and albums inspired by them, I never got around to listening to any of their albums. I think today is the first time I've heard a U2 album in full - deffo this one. Naturally that opening bombast of singles is great. I know them by heart,and they're flawless. Maybe it's familiarity or maybe it's quality, but nothing else here loves up to that opening. There are some other food songs, songs I'll likely enjoy more with further listens, but there also appears to be a fairer amount of middle of the road dross on the second half. Dross is too harsh. Average. Nothing that made me feel anything. Taking out the songs I knew, this is a three star album, it with those bangers it's a four.

Its embarrassing, but I only knew like one U2 song before this. So it was exciting to actually listen to a full album. It's good - mellow, nice for driving or doing a workout. It doesn't take my full attention, and I can just have it on in the background.

4/5

Yeah okay

I haven’t ever listened to this album in its entirety and just knew the most known radio hits. What surprised me is my favorite tracks were those I have never heard before. Mothers of the Disappeared was a haunting way to end the album and what a song title.

U2 is an interesting one. I don't think I could stand to be in the same room as Bono's ego. But, I do still enjoy many of their early albums, up to about the Rattle And Hum/Achtung Baby era. Those had their moments, but not many, and everything after that hasn't moved me in the least. Joshua Tree was huge in its time. I still enjoy it, though having listened to some live stuff from the era has tampered the enjoyment a bit. The songs are still great, but it's hard to look past the pomposity at times.

I think it would be naive to insinuate that this album hasn’t survived countless years and that the individual tracks within haven’t entered your brain space before you probably even knew what the band U2 was. Its pervasiveness in an era of music abundance deserves its flowers alone. The songs are fun. I understand that Bono is Bono and U2 ran a psyop with Apple to dump their album on iOS devices but come the fuck on With or Without You/I still haven’t found what I’m looking for are legendary songs.

1987 I make no apologies for loving this album. This is peak U2, and the culmination of all that had gone before, which in my opinion is a strong back catalogue that lead up to this release. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆ (8/10)

Masterpiece

Last time I heard this was when I drove through Joshua Tree. I'm sure that's a thing. I'm not a crazy U2 fan, but one cannot deny the hits on this mamajama. For that, I will give this album a 4.

I'm a big U2 fan. I saw them when I was 17 years old on the Popmart tour and my mind was blown. This is a great album. It was a shift away from there more punky/raw sound to a more slick atmospheric sound. I wore this album out. There's a song or two on here that I always found a bit clunky and but overall it's a great album and you could see where things were leading up to. Not my favorite album from them (Hopefully Actung Baby and Pop make the list) but it's up there.

Ashamed that I actually liked it. Has aged well

1. Where The Streets Have No Name - 11 Brilliant track. Vocally excellent, lyrically superb, instrumentally a masterpiece. This track is fantastic and an all time classic. 2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - 10 Fantastic track. Absolutely brilliant sound and absolutely moving lyrics. Superb listen. 3. With Or Without You - 10 The build on this track is absolutely excellent. It's just an absolutely outstanding sounding track. 4. Bullet The Blue Sky - 8 It's significantly better instrumentally than lyrically. The guitar sounds amazing, and the bass is pitched so low it's a beautiful combo with the at times heavy drums. Solid song. 5. Running To Stand Still - 9 Great slower song with another superb build before a calm down in the bridge. Just a great track. The harmonica at the end is a brilliant addition to start the fade out. 6. Red Hill Mining Town - 5 It's okay. Not anything phenomenal but not a poor track. Lyrically and instrumentally it's completely middle-of-the-road. 7. In God's Country - 7 Solid sounding track. Very good tempo that's kept well by an excellent guitar. Very enjoyable. 8. Trip Through Your Wires - 7 Another decent sound tracking. Great drums on it which do so well to keep you moving through the song well. 9. One Tree Hill - 8 Decent track. Great build on it but I'm not a fan of the random screeching/screaming James Brown-like lyrics in the bridge. Outro is fantastic. Very uplifting sound. 10. Exit - 9 Great track. Really beautiful building sound through the bass that passes onto the drums. Beautiful lyrics that keep the tone of the song right in line with the brilliant guitar riffs in the bridge. 11. Mothers Of The Disappeared - 4 Instrumentally it's okay but it 's the weakest song on the album. Not much to it outside the instrumentals and the vocals aren't particularly too great. Bang average track. Average Rating: 8.00 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 4.00 No Rounding: 4 Stars

Used to love this album - Bono and U2 have become an irritating cliche now. But it turns out I still love this album

Revisiting a classic.

Dette albumet er bedre enn jeg husker. Jeg er stor fan av de 3-4 første platene, da de var mer postpunk. Dagen før denne plata ble generert her så var jeg overlykkelig over at jeg hadde funnet en strøken utgave av October i en platesjappe på Hamar. Men ja, altså bedre enn jeg husket fordi jeg har regnet denne plata som der det gikk nedover med U2. Men nå hører jeg mye jeg liker her. Det er definitivt et sprang fra tidligere plater, og det får kanskje være greit 5 plater uti karrieren. Det er som en miks av amerikansk roots-musikk og big music. Plata holder seg jevnt god fram til og med "In God's Country", etter det opplever jeg at plata har en dipp, og kan godt skru av plata der. Jeg syns det er synd at folk har sin første opplevelse med bandet via denne plata, for det er en plate som jeg opplever som veldig nedtonet fra tidligere. Musikken var råere tidligere og Bono langt mer aggressiv. Og som nevnt har dette vært en plate jeg ikke har vært noe fan av før, men som jeg kan like nå.

Solid album. A lot of over played songs tho

This starts off with the three singles in a row. Makes you think it’s a Greatest Hits album. Those three are proper classics. 5/5 for me. After that opening section, we don’t come back to five star territory until we get to Exit. Everything else hovers around the three star mark. So what’s a fair total score? 3? 4? Probably 3.5, but that’s not an option. 4/5

Pretty good album start to finish. Certainly helps that the first 3 songs on the album are some of the most well known amongst U2's catalog.

My sister and I had a big fight when she derided Side 2 as "some hippy bullshit" and I said Side 2 was better than Side 1. I was right - it really holds up. Loses a star because the Canucks stopped using "Where the Streets Have No Name" as their intro music.

You want me to admit this is a golden album, fine. But I still don’t *like* it. Lol

A Rock album I can enjoy. Saw U2 live once upon a time and would love to see The Edge again; his guitaring is amazing. But please tour without the most huge production stage that prolly cost millions to move and construct in place. Listened before? Y Saved tracks? Y Favorite tracks? Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I;m Looking For ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really Liked it. Saved some tracks.

Beaucoup de classiques sympa. J'ai eu un peu l'impression d'entendre pas mal de fois la même musique. En fait c'est propre mais c'est trop propre ça manque un peu d'âme si j'ose dire. J'ai malgré tout passé un bon moment

This might be my favorite U2 album yet, which isn't really saying much given that I don't really enjoy U2. Quite some solid hits though and even the deeper cuts are still very passable

Sorry dh, are you kidding me? This album slaps. 3.5 stars, bumped up for the image of someone listening three full times to award it a 1-star review. Rolling Stone Magazine watch: five mentions in album Wikipedia page. Note: album Wikipedia page in unconscionable.

De første tre sporan her e jo klassikera uten like, men resten av albumet har æ ikke særlig forhold til fra før av. Det va fint, men streit.

Не можу сказати, що дуже заслуховувася U2 колись. Проте цей і попередній досить непогано пам'яютаю. Стадіонний меланхолійний поп-рок з виразними хітами. Не можу сказати, що ця музика в мене попадає на 100%, але важко не відмітити високий рівень пісень. Ще досить цікаво, що це такий погляд на хартленд-рок зі сторони і U2 вийшло добре

Якось ніби прийнято не любити ю2 і вважати їх чи то моветоном, чи то поганим смаком, я хз. Можливо це й справедливо для пізнього періоду їхньої творчості, а от у 80х, як на мене, вони робили дуже непогану музику. Джошуа трі це прям класика, хітів тут купа, але мабуть варто виділити bullet the blue sky, на яку купа "важких" гуртів робили кавер і взагалі мені здається що це той трек, який вплинув на появу RATM. Коротше не знаю, хороший альбом.

I of course knew the hits, and this is one that I have listened to a lot. The drums and harmonica on Trip Through your Wires is incredible. The song One Tree Hill is awesome as well. I really liked "Exit." That stuck out to me this listen. Just some incredible songs. Bono's lyrics have never really spoken to me, but it's undeniable that the music is top notch.

I don’t revisit this often, but when it first came out it was incredible. The playing here is outstanding. It still holds up today, even if U2 has lost some credibility over the years.

Arguably their peak they never quite reached subsequently

Pues temazos de escuchar en la radio cuando era pequeña y otros que no habia escuchado nunca. Un album muy agradable porque no es soso pero es tranquilo. El tipico que te esucuchas un domingo cuando se acaba cuando la temperatura ronda los 25 grados, el sol te da calorcito pero sopla una ligera brisa fresquita, es domingo y te dispones a lavar el coche.

It's hard for me to put a handle on U2. I like them but also find them annoying. "Bono"? "The Edge"? Really? Why the stupid names? Ego? The Edge has a signature sound which kind of gets annoying after listening to it for a while. Overall, I like their music. Once I've heard it I'm good for a long time and don't want to hear it again anytime soon. The three opening hits are so played out that I'm still pretty much burnt out on them though I love the opening to "Where The Streets Have No Name". The album seems better than a 3 but isn't a 4 for me so I'd give it a 3.5 and round up to a generous 4.

I spent years hating U2, not sure why. This is pretty good!

4.5- still a wonderful album but 1-2 songs are hit or miss: Red Hill Town and Trip Through Your Wires

despite having their songs shared with all our smart phones back in the day, I don't hold it against the quality of their songs. Songs of note: I still haven't found what I'm looking for, with or without you

Prime U2, I remember listening to this as a kid.

Was very happy to see this one come up as there are a couple of iconic songs on this album. Found myself singing along during my work day. Four stars as there were a few samey/forgettable filler tracks.

Not a U2 fan at all, but this one had the hits and the in-between wasnt bad either. 3.5/5

Quite enjoyable all things considered

Classic album. Good Sunday listening

Good album. Nothing too adventurous.

For me, the last album u2 did that was worth listening to. All downhill from here.

I'm not a U2 person so had never listened to this album. The first three tracks are obviously wildly famous, and the whole thing is solid, honestly. Not my favourite music ever and I don't think they "deserve" their mega fame and riches, and I know they're not well liked in Dublin. But all that aside, they have a very distinctive sound here and this is an impressively cohesive record.

the rosetta stone of car commercials. at this point it feels like i could hear a million u2 records and have my feelings remain the same kind of Passively Positive...4.0 stars as far as the eye can see! ive hashed out a couple of my feelings ab the band in previous entries so theres not much left to say...except perhaps that my instinctively warm feelings towards their music are very much tied to both the earnestness and the sensory sparkles, and this record is a clear height for both. im not sure i even really agree with the frontloaded perception...the big singles are the best Songs but i care more for the Sound when it comes to U2, theyre a surprisingly loose band with lots of room for big space and ambience and melodic ambiguity, so the hardest-hitting songs arent necessarily my absolute faves...i get a comparable amount out of the last three songs! ig one last thought is that im not sure this type of "soulful" mainstream rock band exists anymore? okay maybe Mainstream Rock Bands dont exist anymore hgjsdghjsd but still, i genuinely kinda like creed for filling this niche, and even im not crazy enough to kinda like creed without liking u2 a lot more. i'd much rather ppl believe in their art to an embarrassing degree than act above it!

Очень приятный и уютный альбом, который пролетел на одном дыхании. Безусловно лучший альбом U2 до того, как Боно забыл что в первую очередь важна музыка, а не политика.

A decent album. The good songs are great and are well deserving of their legendary status, but in all honesty the second half of the album didn't set my world on fire. Things start to drag just a little bit. Vocals are consistently good of course. I get that the later tracks are a bit more introspective and subtle and they're not bad songs, I actually think the end of 'One Tree Hill' is an album highlight. I just think the track listing could have been reworked to maintain the energy a bit better. Anyway, im probably being overly critical. I did enjoy the listen. Favourite track - With or Without You. 7.5/10.

bangers by bono.

Day 47 First listen- U2's vibe is simply great. This album showcases their talent beautifully. (4/5)

Not bad. But I prefer first 2-3 songs. Everything else is too repetitive. But will listen more.... maybe.

Much better than Achtung Baby.

Can’t believe it took me so long to get a U2 album!!! Here’s the thing, U2 are corny as hell, we all know that, but the early albums especially are ungodly good. The first three songs on this album is arguably the best sequence of three songs of all time. Massive, huge, life-affirming mega hits back to back into back. Unreal. The rest is less good, but still pretty solid!

Richtige Banget drauf

This album sounded familiar, and then I realised it started strong with the singles as I recognised it all. The album os overall ok, you can tell Bono can be a skilled vocalist and the guitars scream U2. I can see why The Joshua Tree put them in the map. The album is good bit not great 3.5/5 round to 4

It's a great, well-rounded album. I don't know how to say this...U2 is pompous in a way I can't put my finger on. Still a grand album.

One of those albums that when you listen through it for the first time your just like... Goddamn... They really nailed it huh.

I really enjoyed this album! It kicks off strong with classics like "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (seriously, what’s with these long track names?). The second half explores new territory for me, and while it’s a bit different, there are still some nice tracks. I’ll definitely be revisiting that first half.

Definitely the best from U2. Everyone has heard the first three songs a million times. I've always really liked Bullet The Blue Sky, I think that's one of U2's best. After that the album sort of falls off a bit, it's good but doesn't stand out as much as the first 4. Not much else to say about this album though. It's a solid album from a band I don't really care for. 4/5

Pretty good, ahead of it's time. But after the first couple of songs it all started to run together

mjög high highs en nokkur ekki svo góð lög

Probably their best 8/10

Classic album. U2 at their best.

tenía temazos que no sabía que eran de U2

U2 is my mothers favorite band. In spite of this fact, I haven't listened to a lot of their stuff. Although I have listened to some of the hits off this album, and can say ***if you don't have the patience to listen, at least listen to With Or Without You and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For***. These tracks to me are the quintessential U2 songs. The album itself was good but those two songs are the real highlights.

The first three songs are brilliant! The rest of the album doesn’t hit those heights, but are great all the same 4/5

Some iconic songs on here and overall a good listen.

Everyone knows the hits from this one, but the rest of the album is pretty good too. Certain tracks hit more than others, but I don’t think there’s necessarily a bad one. It’s very good, and I say that as someone who’s not really a fan but more so knows the radio songs and thinks they’re “ok”. But this was good.

Great album, solid all the way through. Reminds me of high school / church youth dances though, LOL

An example of great songwriting and production. Bono’s voice is incredible throughout, very powerful. These songs all have great soundscapes. The album does feel a bit long, but I don’t know what I’d cut because every track is strong. 4/5

4.5

So many good classics

What a stellar album; the start is front loaded with gold and the rest is still so good. This is my first U2 album and I feel lucky. I'm surprised that a few of these songs aren't mainstream, but can really feel the album losing momentum as it descends. Great listen, really impressed, and I want to give it a 5, but I think it's just missing a certain something to get there. Favorite songs: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For With Or Without You Bullet The Blue Sky Running To Stand Still

Fyra odödliga anthems radar upp sig redan på A-sidan. På B-sidan något mer anonyma låtar. Ovanligt luftig och organisk ljudbild för att vara 1987.

Detta borde väl vara irländarnas starkaste album (har i ärlighetens namn inte lyssnat ordentligt på något de släppt de senaste 20 - 25 åren). Bono är som vanligt lite hård i magen, men inte så det stör allt för mycket. En samling riktigt bra låtar. Lyfter gärna fram Exit, förutom den givna inledande trojkan.

Not my favorite U2 album but a damn fine one just the same

Socially and politically powerful

So much anticipation for this record in 1987 and I think they nailed it. Almost 30 years later, it's a really good rock album, held back by some of Bono's overwrought everything. Bullet the Blue Sky is kind of terrible. I understand why Streets and With or Without You were HUGE. When Bono sings about losing a friend or the heroin addiction in his hometown, it's not over the top. Running to Stand Still and One Tree are perfect songs. God's Country is the sleeper.

bah

Tree named Joshua:

Two legendsry tracks and a reat of an album that backs it up. Minus for being lacking some excitement.

Amazing Album Tracks to Track: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With Or Without You

I really like this album. It seems spiritual in a way.

Really great sounds, especially enjoy the guitar. Not quite a 5 for me but I'm not fully sure why.

The distinctive sound makes the album a great front-to-back listen, with a handful of standouts.

I think this is an album that benefits form context, the big stadium sounds here was brand new. But sort of sound stale at this point of time. But even taking in the above this is still a solid album 4*

Bullet The Blue Sky was a banger, and it was overall really mellow (not a bad thing)

Insane intro, 10/10, no notes Après la deuxième chanson, j’étais un peu moins into it. Mais c’est quand même très bon

U2 get a lot of flak these days and possibly rightly so, but there's no doubting their earlier output. The start of this album is just incredible! and the quality remains high throughout. I wasn't really a fan of them back in the day but have come to appreciate and in some cases love some of their stuff.. And because of that, I don't have the same over-saturation of their really popular songs that might afflict others so it still sounds relatively fresh to me.

First time I got a U2 album where I kinda started to see why they were popular. First three tracks were well known singles. The whole album was enjoyable

jak zobaczyłam U2 to odrazu wiedziałam, ze będzie dobre, ale nie jest to najlepszy album jaki słucham, i guess jakby się dało dałabym 4,5…

Maybe not a perfect album, but the first half is so strong that I don't really care. I didn't grow up with but came to it in college, so the nostalgia factor is not strong. It made an impression then and still grabs me now.

Boy, they sure can write an anthem, can't they? There are moments on this album where I think, "Is this one of the greatest albums ever made?" But then something else from the era will follow it -- Daydream Nation & Sign O' the Times are the same year; Surfer Rosa is a year away -- and I'll remember that U2 just doesn't turn me on or have its way with my soul. Alas.

Better than I thought it'd be. Definitely trying it again in the future. U2 still ass though

I feel old.. I actually liked this. Great sounding and it really hits the feeling they were going for.

I remember being in high school U2 were huge. I wouldn’t call myself a fan but was familiar with the hits. When this came out I recall being a little disappointed because it was so mellow. But definitely a fan of the record and it took them to another stratosphere. Record still holds up. Good stuff. They are often cited as one of the most overrated ever but I disagree.

I mean, they were big. But then they got HUGE.

Often considered U2’s Magnum Opus, and I gotta say, it’s pretty darn good. Great production throughout (thanks Brian Eno!), without any pure stinkers throughout. Sure not every song is at the same level, if you ask me no song reaches the heights found on the opener Where the Streets Have No Name but it gets close with songs like Bullet the Blue Sky and Red Hill Mining Town. I know U2’s reputation these days isn’t very favorable but I thought this was a really great album.

Considering all I know U2 for is having one of their albums forced into every iTunes library and nobody liking that I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. Pretty damn good especially the first few songs.

Flertalet bangers och överlag fyllt med deras klassiska sound. Jäkligt starkt!

Gött band

I think I’m biased because my dad really likes U2 but I enjoyed this album! More so than the other one I’ve listened to on this list. I think it starts out stronger than it finishes.

389/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Tis good. Lots of it holds up well. Bit of filler so a high 4.

Surprisingly I enjoyed it this time around. Probably something to do with what I was doing at the time and other factors but still not as horrible as I expected from U2

It pains me to say it because the people in U2 just seem so annoying and pretentious, but this album was frustratingly good. The best songs are definitely in the first half, but the music stayed pretty strong throughout. It’s nothing mind blowing - you won’t exactly find a Bohemian Rhapsody here - but for pop rock it definitely kept me engaged. And to be completely honest, I wanted to dislike it, which genuinely says a lot for the quality of this album.

Love this album. Huge songs

Classic

As ubiquitous as these songs were in the late 80s, they're actually pretty good. 4/5 #106

First 4 songs are some of the most classic songs of all time but the rest of the album wasn't as strong

Liked it and remembered it.

Iconic album from an iconic band.

WHERE DA STREETS HAVE NO NAME

I don't understand all the U2 hate. This is great and years ahead of their contemporaries. Their tracks still get stuck in my head.

This is a terrific album that brings a lot of nostalgia. As a child I thought because it was called The Joshua Tree that referred to a single mystical tree, that there existed only one Joshua tree. It amused me to remember this visiting Joshua Tree National Park as a child. :)

Very nice

A definitive classic

Never really rated U2, but this album was better than I thought it would be.

Never been a huge U2 fan, but this has a nice sound.

Like it

3.5/5

u2 is pretty fuckin good even if bono sucks

I've said a lot of negative about U2, but this album was great.

um filme, realmente. muito inspirado (porém cansativo?).

it has it's moments, and since I've known it since it came out it's nostalgic, but this is just about where they get too heart-on-sleeve performatively sensitive and sincere. it's still a very good album, but in retrospect the reinvention that would come next was due.

Ignoring the fact Bono is a blow-hard, and certain aspects of U2 have aged like milk (the U2 iPod, that iTunes album debacle), you can't ignore that this album is something special. A bona-fide classic and for good reason, I'm not a U2 superfan (or even really a fan!) but I really enjoyed hearing some of the hits in album format.

What a great album. Pretty much every song here is good except Exit. I don't get the hate.

For my money, quite possibly the strongest run of four songs to open an album, ever. By that measure, perhaps it’s then unfair to deduct stars for the tumble this album takes after such dizzying heights. To these ears there’s a fair amount of retreading of old ground to diminishing returns. There are other highlights along the way: as an NZ native it’s truly surreal to hear Bono sing of one of Auckland’s more obscure landmarks in One Tree Hill. But it doesn’t hurt that it’s also a really lovely song. Had The Sweetest Thing shown up here rather than a B-side we might be in five star territory. While there’s nothing revelatory in Bono’s writing, this gets an easy 4/5 for the strength of the album’s high points. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alright, let's talk about U2's The Joshua Tree. This one's a solid 4.5 stars for me. This album is pure 80s iconic stuff. It's funny, I actually enjoy it more now than I did back then. I was a senior in high school when this dropped, and it was everywhere. Long summer nights on the radio, you know? (Hey, isn't that in a song? Probably, haha). For me, U2's output up through The Joshua Tree was just great music. They kind of went off the rails on some future albums, but this one captures them at their peak. And Bono, well, he does some amazing things for charity, no doubt. But yeah, sometimes he can come off a little... pompous. Just saying. Still, this album is a fantastic time warp back to when music felt genuinely cool, especially for us Gen Xers. It holds up.

A good album by U2, loved the two classic songs of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With or Without You.

I’ve always thought that U2 was a bit overrated, and for me their ethereal sound can grow old. However, I thought overall that this album was pretty good. I was of course, familiar with the first three songs, but other than a couple of odd songs, I really quite enjoyed this album. I own Rattle and Hum and Achtung Baby on CD, and I really thought this one was better than either of those. For me, this one comes in at four stars on the low side. I think had I owned it back in the day, it would’ve grown on me some and I would like it better. I’ll probably save it and listen to it again.

me he guardado dos canciones “with o without you” y “beautiful day”. un album q volveria a escuchar leyendo las letras atentamente.

I’m at a 4.5 & I’ll have to talk my way into either a 4 or a 5. I dunno, I just found myself a little underwhelmed compared to the expectations I had – whenever an album pops up on the list that has both the critical acclaim & the sales to back it up, it feels like a sort of cultural zeitgeist, and the sort of album where once you hear it, you fully & totally understand why it has that place. The first 3 songs fit that bill really, really nicely, & the rest of the album coasts off of those 3 tracks, carrying itself rather well to a smooth 50 minutes. I’m not disappointed by the quality of the album, because it is a 4 at the very, very least. I just feel like I’m leaving this album without having fully gotten it, because it just doesn’t feel like a fully satisfying front to back album. There’s not a bad track, there’s not any noticeably awkward moments, and in terms of production / vocal work, I have genuinely no major complaints. I just think the pacing of the album doesn’t lend itself to that “all-timer” status. I do have a nitpick, and it may be a big enough nitpick to qualify as a complaint, as it’s one that just permeates throughout the remainder of the album for me: I just don’t think the lyricism is that tight. A lot of the political statements that underline this album add heavily needed context to a number of these tracks, but without them, I think parts of this album don’t feel as satisfying, at least to my ears. A lot of the political statements being made are in reference to specific events, but painted with broader strokes, and as such, I think they’re left too open to interpretation on some of its more biting ones. I might just be reading them the “wrong” way, though. As a whole though, even with the lyricism not feeling as tight & as timeless as it could be on its more politically driven tracks, when it gets closer to the personal level of “Achtung Baby”, it hits really, really nicely. It’s just not all-time songwriting, at least not to the level I was expecting based on the critical acclaim. Does that drag the album down enough to give it a 4 as opposed to a 5? Eh, not necessarily. Really, if there’s anything that’ll drag the album down to a 4, it would be that the album isn’t as “energetic” as I was expecting, with a lot more of these tracks feeling folksier, & the overall tone of the album coming across as more preachy than I anticipated. There’s a lot of biblical / spiritual overtones that permeate the album, and while it’s to be expected from U2, it feels especially heavy-handed on this one. “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For” may as well be a church hymn. At a base level, each of my complaints about pacing, lyricism, or overall tone aren’t enough to drag them down to a 4 by themselves, but when you pile them on top of each other, for my own personal tastes, I think they just compound in a way where I can’t personally give this a 5, at least on a first pass – hell, I listened to the album twice, just to be absolutely sure with myself, and I’m pretty comfortable with where I’m at – hence, the bump down to a 4. Still like a 9/10, though. Make no mistake: I really did enjoy this album, and I can see it easily going up to a 5 if it just clicks better on a different day. If this is someone’s favorite U2 album, I wouldn’t question that one bit. It’s certainly my second favorite one, from what I’ve heard. For my tastes, based on what we’ve gotten from the list, my favorite goes to “Achtung Baby”. Hell, since this is the last U2 album on the list, I guess it’s up to me to see if the rest of “The Unforgettable Fire” lives up to “Pride (In The Name of Love)”. As far as Bono & friends go, it’s a solid 16/20, but batting an average of 4 is pretty damn good regardless. Hell, it would be 13/15 if “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” wasn’t here. C’est la vie, though.

Actually a genuine rock band back in the day, who knew?

Good; solid album didn’t love the back half but the front half is clearly massive for a reason

First half is stellar, second not so much.

I’m teetering on 5 here. An all-time run of songs to open an album. Great production. Just a couple songs that don’t hit for me.

Bands could only hope to have 1 hit song, let alone a handful of mega-hits on 1 album. I've always gravitated towards BULLET THE BLUE SKY and IN GOD'S COUNTRY. They have a slightly different instrumental feel to the rest of the album, which is not to discredit those other tracks.

The first three songs are just an incredible way to open the album. There is a pretty steep drop off after that. So it's a 5-star start and a 3-star remainder, which is ultimately still a very good album.

Elliot loves U2.

Iznenađujuće dobar. Pogotovo prvi dio albuma. I still haven't found what I'm looking for najdraža. Sram me hehe.

This is really good. I enjoy this a lot. Every song has its own distinct feeling while still feeling like they all belong on the same album. It’s a very difficult feat to achieve. Only problem is a couple of these songs are dudskies. Not bad, just forgettable. Vocals are great, though. So are instrumentation and production. Lyrics are as good as U2 has ever had. Not many complaints at all here. 4/5

All-time great record. The first half of this album absolutely cooks. But it does have a sequencing issue - after the certified stadium bangers on Side A, Side B almost feels like a different album. It may have been a deliberate choice, or a casualty of the cassette era's "you have to assume they're not flipping the sides" mentality. Still, either way, it feels like starting the meal with dessert before serving the vegetables. It's a landmark record, and both sides have their merits, but side B fades with a whimper.

Amazing opening 3 tracks - then dips quite a bit. I don't particularly have any beef with U2/ bono and I do like Bono's vocals I just could not really get on board with the filler. The first 3 are bangers though and based on them its a 4.

The Joshua Tree Despite the pompousness, the generally unvarying musical palette, the earnest, self important hollowness of the lyrics and the clear dip in the middle this is an undeniably good album. Whatever you think of U2, Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, With or Without You and Bullet the Blue Sky is a fantastic 4 track opening run, the first 3 in particular, as well known as they are, remain 3 excellent bits of expansive stadium rock U2 songwriting - great melodies, meaninglessly universal lyrics and simple, uncomplicated arrangements. Despite the cheesy spoken word America bits Bullet the Blue Sky is a nice welding of their post punk origins with a dollop of Joy Division gothicness and their aspirations of worldwide, and in particular American, popularity, creating an, unusually for them, muscular bit of music, driven by Clayton’s relentlessly simple and effective bass line. It definitely feels like it loses steam after that. Running To Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God’s Country, Trip Through Your Wires, while perfectly serviceable bits of rock-populism don’t have the clear sighted, eyes on the prize, ambitious quality of those first three songs. It does pick up towards the end, One Tree Hill, Exit and Mothers of the Disappeared, while still not quite at the level of the opening run, are a notch above the tracks on the middle of the album. I know The Edge gets a lot of stick for his rather basic delay based sound, but it’s interesting in an era of excessive guitar heroes, he eschews grandstanding and soloing, and his sound is crucial to the non-threatening open armed, big sound they are going for. While not a massive U2 fan I’m not really a hater either, and I quite admire the ruthless efficiency of this album. And despite there being a notable lack of depth and shad in the end I can’t really refute the quality of some of the songs on here, and altogether it adds up to an enjoyably undemanding listen that I will very happily listen to again. 4. 🏜️🏜️🏜️🏜️ Playlist submission: Bullet the Blue Sky

Cooking my Sunday morning eggs listening to these, they just clicked. These are sweeping anthems, part of the fabric of life. My kids were singing along to them, although I've never played U2. We have now evolved to the point where we are born with innate knowledge of these songs in our very DNA. There's always a bit of me thinking, here we go again - it's like having to expend energy to climb the Inca trail - overwhelmingly exhausting, but you are left with quite the reward. The other criticism is the complete lack of joy in all this. The self-importance. All the greats (Dylan; all the others) sprinkle humour, even a soupçon, in their commentaries. Not these bog-brained Murphies. Bono's vocal is smotheringly yearning, but he puts in some of his best performances, and the strength of the songs carries it through. The Edge is nicely minimalist building atmosphere only when required. Similarly Mullen and Clayton give tight and sympathetic performances. The title and cover reflect the feel of expanse in these songs. Close to a five, but ultimately they're still R.E.M. for cappuccino drinkers.

Good one

Front heavy but still a classic.

This is an album I used to love. Definitely great songs, but they appeal less to me than they used to. Still enjoy every now and again. The vocal style has began to jar at times though.

A strong contender for the most frontloaded album of all time. We've all heard those first three songs a billion times before, but every time I listen to them again, it's like the first time. I've come to realize that they're actually pretty mindblowing, and can't imagine what they must have sounded like at the time. The rest of the album is fine, not really anything special, so overall it falls short of being an all-time great, but you can't beat that beginning.

Great album.

I used to love U2 - but over the years, they have lost their luster. However, this album still stands the test of time. So many great songs, and the production is excellent. Only knock is that Side B falls off a bit after a nearly perfect Side A. Still, excellent album all around.

a classic album.

8/10. Wow, U2 had some really great songs earlier in their career!!! :)

First three songs are some of U2's all timers. the album as a whole is pretty good.

An album so good I have it on vinyl. Was glad this popped up as I haven’t listened to it in a few years. Whilst the first side of the album is probably one of the greatest of all time, it’s those more unappreciated tunes at the end that really make this album something special

Don't really like U2 but this album is rammed full of bangers. fair play lads.

This album starts off as strong as any album ever made with the first three songs. Then it just swims along with a bunch of songs to not offend anyone. It’s a pretty great album if you can stomach U2.

point6.

Some albums just have banger after banger regardless of whether the song ever saw radio play or not. Other albums have a good number of radio hits, but the rest of the album isn't very good. Joshua Tree falls somewhere in between. The three songs that open it are hits for a reason, but from there, the album sort of falls into a predictable sound. There are a few other decent songs, but nothing on the level of those three. Overall, the other tracks weren't bad, they were just boring by comparison.

I've never been much of a fan of U2, but you cannot deny the quality of this album.

Classic. First half full of bangers and trails off. But great nonetheless.

Не смотря на двойственное отношение к U2 - альбом хорош.

Fabulous album. With or without you is a fantastic song.

I prefer achtung baby but this one is also great

Great Album!

1st 3 tracks absolute bangers and then it's like they gave up with the rest of the record, still great though

Not a bad album, surprisingly. A bit too same-ish, but still enjoyable. Some hits here or there.

buenisimo

Aside from the first 3 tracks I'm not super jazzed about it. Bullet The Blue Sky and Trip Through Your Wires are both new to me and are pretty solid, but the rest of the tracks sound very similar to each other. I guess I'm partly biased from ear fatigue of the first track on Dad's classic radio station, but I recognize the overall musicality and significance anyway. 7/10

Classic. 4/5. Starts so strong with 3 iconic songs but peters out.

I'm not a big fan of U2 but their impassioned wailing occasionally forms a melody I enjoy. This album was ubiquitous and it doesn't irritate me.

Oh such a great album and probably one of the most popular by them! Had so many good songs and it's just a good U2 album! Classic!

Epic qlbum

South Park did tell us that Bono is objectively the worlds Largest Piece of Shit, and he in fact, is full of it. But there is so much good on this album. Some of the greatest stadium rock anthems of all time on this Best Song: Red Hill Mining Town Rating: 8/10 (Excellent) Stars: 4/5

I kind of forgot about this album. Not the biggest U2 fan, but this record smokes. Bullet the Blue Sky, One Tree Hill and Exit were a few of my deep track standouts aside from the well-known singles.

Starts HOT, with three spacey, atmospheric ballads that really help to get you in the sound of the album. For the most parts the songs sound really nice, although some are rather forgettable. My other critique would be that for trying to be political on many songs, the lyrics are sometimes too abstract or simplified or just don't give much detail as to what the song is about. 7/10

This album has always suffered from a stellar A side and a meh B side. The B side would be a classic record for any other band but it is less timeless than the A side.

Powerful

The front half of this is pretty essential U2. They found their sound on this one and the tracks are great. Easy to listen to, quintessential Irish Rock.

This is where U2 plateau'd, in my opinion. This is where they defined their sound and where it was executed perfectly, vs their later work which somehow manages to be derivative of itself. I once heard a radio DJ say "U2 can't really make an unplugged record because the electric effects do so much work on their songs" and he was right. This album in particular really capitalizes on that signature sound of quick delay and fast strumming to great effect. The more introspective songs like "With or Without You" are nearly post-rock songs before that was a thing. For an album made in 1987 it really sounds ahead of its time. Its where they deviate from that sound that the songs start to fall apart and sound just like generic rock music. In this album, that begins on "Trip Through Your Wires" and continues to the end of the album. None of the last 4 songs are memorable or even that good. Make no mistake - you have to like U2 to like this album. If no U2 song ever did it for you, you wont like this album, because it is a quintessential U2 album. I'm not a huge fan or anything, but I did enjoy most of this. It's a far cry from the write-by-committee commercial slop they put out forever later on. The first three tracks are absolute classics, even if they are overplayed, and "Bullet The Blue Sky" is even better than those to me. You can almost here the beginnings of a stoner rock song in there which I think is great for a band that isn't anywhere near that orbit.

I have never really been a U2 fan, but this is a really good album with a super strong opening. Of course the hits are great, but I also really enjoyed Bullet the Blue Sky, it is a rocker. The quality in the second half does drop a little, but it is still a great album. High 4.

4 estrelas

Enjoyed this a lot, felt like summer road trip music. Would give it a 4.5 if I could

Starts off with some tuneroonies but tapers off a tad towards the end. The exit is a good song but why the hell is it not the last song in the album. Fav song - with or without you least fav - trip through your wires Specific rating 4.1

Very U2, enjoyed it but nothing stood out enough for me to have anything interesting to say about it Favourite: In God’s Country

nostalgia/10

This is why U2 are/were as big as they are/were. Great album, but not their best. Superb songs. Astonishingly good production. True story: I was walking along the river in Dublin one evening, and a grey Maserati pulled up to park alongside me. The passenger door opened and I nearly knocked right into the guy stepping out, said "oops shit, sorry mate" and carried on my way. Looked back and thought "he looks like The Edge". Carried on but looked back again, realising "ah yeah it is The Edge". And then Bono got out the driver's side. Favourite tracks: Where The Streets Have No Name, Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, Exit, Mothers Of The Disappeared

I know, I know. But this is a good album and I enjoyed listening to it. Also a monster album from an influential group that does deserve a spot on this list.

Even a U2 truther such as myself has to give the beginning of this album some credit. My issue with this and every other U2 album is that it comes with so much filler. And maybe it’s unfair to criticize a band for creating a signature sound, but man do these guys go back to the same well often (looking at you THE EDGE). Not going to be a hater today though (my wife listened to this one with me and gave it a 2 FWIW)