U2 - The Joshua Tree

Using the textured sonics of The Unforgettable Fire as a basis, U2 expanded those innovations by scaling back the songs to a personal setting and adding a grittier attack for its follow-up, The Joshua Tree. It's a move that returns them to the sweeping, anthemic rock of War, but if War was an exploding political bomb, The Joshua Tree is a journey through its aftermath, trying to find sense and hope in the desperation. That means that even the anthems -- the epic opener "Where the Streets Have No Name," the yearning "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" -- have seeds of doubt within their soaring choruses, and those fears take root throughout the album, whether it's in the mournful sliding acoustic guitars of "Running to Stand Still," the surging "One Tree Hill," or the hypnotic elegy "Mothers of the Disappeared." So it might seem a little ironic that U2 became superstars on the back of such a dark record, but their focus has never been clearer, nor has their music been catchier, than on The Joshua Tree. Unexpectedly, U2 have also tempered their textural post-punk with American influences. Not only are Bono's lyrics obsessed with America, but country and blues influences are heard throughout the record, and instead of using these as roots, they're used as ways to add texture to the music. With the uniformly excellent songs -- only the clumsy, heavy rock and portentous lyrics of "Bullet the Blue Sky" fall flat -- the result is a powerful, uncompromising record that became a hit due to its vision and its melody. Never before have U2's big messages sounded so direct and personal. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Adam Clayton Group Member Anton Corbijn Photography Armin Family ?, Strings Arnie Acosta Mastering, Remastering Bill Flanagan Liner Notes Bob Doidge Engineer Bono Vocals (Background), Vocals, Harmonica, ? Brian Eno Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Audio Production, DX-7, Vocals (Background) Candida Bottaci Production Coordination Cheryl Engels Remastering Producer, Research, Mastering Daniel Lanois Vocals (Background), Omnichord, Audio Production, Producer, Guitar (Rhythm), Tambourine, ? Dave Meegan Engineer Des Broadbery Crew Flood Audio Engineer, Engineer Joe O'Herlihy Crew Larry Mullen, Jr. Group Member Marcus Coleman Crew Marion Smyth Crew Mark Wallace Mixing Mark Wallis Mixing Mary Gough Crew Mary Kettle Mixing Assistant, Assistant Pat McCarthy Engineer Patrick McCarthy Engineer Paul Barrett Horn Arrangements, Arranger, Conductor, Conductor Scott Sedillo Mastering Assistant, Digital Editing Shaughn McGrath Package Design Steve Averill Cover Design, Artwork, Art Direction, Design Steve Lillywhite Mixing Steve Matthews Production Coordination The Edge Guitar, Vocals (Background), ? Thomas May "Beno" Technical Support Tom Mullally Crew U2 ?