May 27, 2017 (Memorial Day Weekend)
So Summer is unofficially beginning this weekend. It's the first three day weekend after a long drought of them following the holidays of late December. In Northern Illinois it's shaping up to be a hot one, but after weeks of cold and rain I'm not complaining. It's also a good weekend to get a few record listening sessions in.
This Weeks Record Bin Find:
From eBay Train’s A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat. We are gearing up to see the tour of this record in concert in less than a month, so I figured now is as good a time as any to buy the album. Of course I'm hoping the concert also has a few other favorites as well. Train is one of those bands that runs a bit deeper then what radio play gives us, and for every bouncy top 40 we get on the radio each album has 2 other songs that prove the bands talent and span. I'm looking forward to this latest entry.
This Weekends Spin:
Joshua Tree U2 - Joshua Tree was U2’s fourth album, and was set to be a departure from the previous three, with an American theme. Essentially, U2 started to write the album as a criticism to U.S. foreign policy under Ronald Reagan, instead found themselves writing the album as a kind of love letter to the American spirit. In doing so the band draw inspiration from the Mojave Desert and it’s native Joshua Trees, hence the name of the album, and it’s sometimes airy sound. I personally found the album to be a delight to listen to, not only to hear the hits songs, With or Without You, and I Stlll Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For but for some of the deeper tracks as well. For me the albums B-side is actually somewhat better than its A-side, especially as the B-side kicks off with Red Hill Mining Town a song with a fantastic and inspirational rock beat, even is the songs subject is somewhat political in the UK. The remaining B-side follows this same trend of fantastic rock beats poised against heavier lyrics. Although the A-side would yield two of the bands more well known hits, the total album would yield five charted albums for the band with the moderately known Where the Streets Have No Names (A-Side), and In Gods Country, and One Tree Hill (B-Side) the latter of which would go on to inspire the TV show of the same name.
The overall album is quintessentially U2 with a sound that in 1987, was no doubt ahead of the current trends in music. U2 delivered an album that had the clear sounds of the Alternative music trend that would come to optimise rock music of the early to mid-90’s. A sound of clear and had articulate vocals, lyrics with deeper meanings, and true rock beats much like those we would hear from bands like Nirvana, and Garbage, 6 to ten years later. To say the least I think may be adding a few more U2 albums to my collection, perhaps some of their pre-Joshua Tree works like 1983’s War.
So what are your thoughts? Is Joshua Tree a classic and a trend setter, or is it overrated? Also, what are your thoughts on U2 or Train? Be sure to respond back and let know. Until then, have a safe and happy Memorial Day!!
