U2
The Joshua Tree

It was supposed to be called "Desert Songs" – a title that, for me, is much more beautiful than the one we know. At the height of Reaganite hedonism, U2 decided to “sing in the desert,” the place where purity is (re)found, a symbol of sobriety, far from skyscrapers, shop windows, and consumerism. A splendid idea, as splendid as the black and white cover, very far from the flashy colors of the '80s.

However, when I put it in the CD player, after the first listen that left me speechless, I realized that, in terms of sound, it was certainly a step back compared to the not-so-successful "The Unforgettable Fire." Obviously, "Where the Streets Have No Name," "With or Without You," "Red Hill Mining Town" (a masterpiece that U2 disdain) made me say that the "old school" U2 were not dead, but other songs (certainly beautiful) like "I Still Haven’t Found…," "One Tree Hill," "Mothers of Disappeared" left a bit of a bitter taste, as they seemed like brilliant tricks: a few pleasant chords, a nice melody, and some notes of piano or guitar in the background. The minimum of ideas, the maximum in listening, and too little of that guitar I had loved in the previous two albums. The true follow-up to "The Unforgettable Fire" (with a sprinkle of technology) would arrive only 4 years later.

"Joshua," from the point of view of individual songs, is an inferior album to the previous two. To confirm this, just cite Bono, who, in 1991, with great sincerity, said: “With Achtung Baby we might lose the pop-kids.” Obviously, he was talking about the “pop-kids” gained with "Joshua."

The irony is that, between 1985 and 1986, U2 wrote two old-style masterpieces like "Walk to the Water" and "Spanish Eyes," and an "emotional masterpiece" like "Hold On to Love" - which were released as B-sides and are truly superior to the relatively mediocre "In God's Country" and "Trip Through Your Wires" and, for my taste, to half of the songs on "Joshua."

I will certainly not disdain this album, but it is clear that, in some episodes, it transitions to more ordinary songs (even if presented to perfection, with a truly artistic sobriety and measure that not everyone would have been capable of achieving).

Moreover, from a listening perspective, "Joshua" is incredible. As I read years ago: “It's a miracle that an album with songs sometimes so devoid of ideas manages to be so enchanting and cohesive.” It’s this miracle that deserves the 5. Listened to in its entirety, it truly gives the impression of being one work, from the introductory organ to the final bass notes. One gets the impression that U2, during the recordings, were in a state of grace, and thus managed to turn everything they touched into gold.

Years ago, a friend of mine, who listens to nothing below King Crimson and early Pink Floyd, told me, exaggerating a bit:

“U2 is just a marginal band, besides being plagued by gigantism. But I wanted to have this album, for its unity and coherence. It's the only one I own, and will own, from U2.”

From a certain point of view, "The Joshua Tree" is the “Sgt. Pepper” of U2: like “Pepper,” “Joshua” manages to satisfy both the masses (28 million copies) and the connoisseurs (like my friend).

The “masterpiece for everyone” from U2, but the group’s authentic masterpieces are others.