ALBUM OF THE DAY: The Joshua Tree - U2

"This is a band that believes rock music has moral imperatives and social responsibilities. There is no one better than U2 at bringing "over there" back "over here," and setting it down right by the front door, where no one can miss it." - Time Magazine, 1987

I had long heard about the music of U2 among truly die-hard music fans for years before I took the plunge and purchased the much talked about and critically acclaimed album The Joshua Tree.

From the moment I heard the CD completely, I was overwhelmed at the shear magnitude of the poetry in their lyrics and the urgency of the music. It was one of the many factors that contributed to my venture into poetry that continues to influence me even now.

It wasn't long before I would hunt down their complete catalog up to that point in the early 90's and become a committed fan.

The album is almost concept in its approach and a testament of the musicality and vision of these four "angry" young men. Melodic and retrospective. Songs about sin and redemption. This is the music of legends. They even threw in a love song "With or Without You" just for good measure.

The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release The Unforgettable Fire, U2 aimed for a harder-hitting sound on The Joshua Tree within the limitation of strict song structures.

READ MORE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joshua_Tree