U2 "The Joshua Tree" 1987*****

I was just yesterday at the Amsterdam Arena (home of the historic Ajax football team) to see U2 on their "Joshua Tree" Tour, commemorating the 30th Anniversary of what is arguably their best album - or, at least, the one that catapulted them to super-stardom. Touring whole albums has become the latest fashion in rock concerts, one I'm not sure I like - though I did enjoy The Who's Quadrophenia and would have loved to have seen Roger Waters' The Wall, it seems too self-celebratory, almost relegating the LP into a museum article. Maybe this is the destiny of Rock, now that its pioneers are slowly leaving us: Classic albums to be performed in their whole by tribute bands striving to replicate the original note by note, while the original artists always tried to differentiate from the studio versions to keep their music sounding fresh. After all this is what happens with classical music, why not with rock'n'roll now that this art form is already 60 years old?

U2 were not the obvious candidates for this treatment though, since they hadn't until now given in to nostalgia, always looking towards the next step in their evolution. Some attribute this sudden nostalgia exercise to the iTunes giveaway fiasco with their latest album and/or problems with the finalising of its planned successor "Songs Of Experience". It may be equally due to the Trump presidency in the U.S. which makes this particular album ever so relevant, as its celebration of America is mixed with criticism of its international policies under another ultra-conservative president, Ronald Reagan.

So this tour finds U2 at their most political, something which is sure to annoy many fans (especially) on the right as well as on the left: not everybody finds Bono's fraternising with "charitable" billionaires and hypocritical politicians to their taste. I, for one, wasn't thrilled to see his wall of "inspirational" female figures include IMF boss Christine Lagarde, German chancellor Angela Merkell and U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He stopped thankfully short of including Margaret Thatcher, being young and poor (or maybe Irish) enough at the time to know how she ruled Great Britain. But that's Bono: coming from a Christian rather than socialist background, he's (thankfully) sensitive to the human impact of politics but unaware of the bigger socio-economic picture. He did include a poignant video on the Syrian refugee crisis set to the music of the Passengers track "Miss Sarajevo" and thanked the Dutch for opening their country and their hearts to refugees - though how many of them deserve his thanks remains debateable. I do hope his anti-war, anti-racist, feminist and pro-human rights message reached some people in the audience. He even name-checks Trump (see the "Exit" video clip below), though he does it somewhat more tastefully than Roger Waters does in his concerts.
 
The concert began with the band playing some of their earliest songs on a small podium perched among the crowd in the middle of the arena, probably meant to symbolise their humble new wave beginnings. Moving on to the Joshua Tree album, they were dwarfed in front of the biggest screen I've seen in a concert. It seemed nevertheless fitting, a huge cinemascope screen for an equally widescreen album inspired by the majestic American landscapes. The great use of photography by their associate Anton Corbijn (who, being Dutch, got extra cheers by the audience), combined with the faultless and soulful song renditions of the band, to make this an unforgettable concert experience. The third part of the concert focused on their greatest post-Joshua Tree hits, leaving the audience feeling thoroughly satisfied, if not ecstatic.

As for the original LP celebrated in this tour, there's little left to be said: One of the best known, most iconic and successful 80's albums, it established U2 as one of the greatest rock bands on the planet. Under the working title "Two Americas" (in Bono's words "the mythical and the real one") it is both a love letter to the the American landscape and popular culture, and a condemnation of  its politics under the Reagan administration. Opener "Where The Streets Have No Name" is introduced with some atmospheric synths, while The Edge's guitar fades in slowly, insistent bass and drums kicking in after the 1-minute mark. Bono's vocals are passionate and committed, as they are throughout the album. As good as the singer is though, it's still The Edge's star that shines more brightly. He established a personal style distinct from the loud and flashy metal guitarists of the era as well as from blues guitar heroes like Clapton. His ringing arpeggios here are the perfect example, it is a "travelling" sound evoking the wide open spaces of America that inspired this record. American folk, country and blues are also a big influence on the record, mixed with the new wave sound of the band's early days. Examples of this "americanization" include the slide guitar in the ballad "Running to Stand Still", harmonica in both this and the uptempo "Trip Through Your Wires" and the gospel feel of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Instead of the celebratory tones of classic gospel, Bono emphasises doubt and a search for spirituality not yet won, but his delivery is no less uplifting for that. Lead single "With Or Without You" is an atmospheric ballad with an expressive vocal ranging from the soft whisper of the beginning to wailing in the latter third of the song. It's followed by its polar opposite, the aggressive hard rock of "Bullet The Blue Sky". Inspired by Bono's travels in Central America, The Edge's guitar evokes the sounds of war (explosions, low flying fighter planes) over a sinister beat while Bono spits out angry lyrics against U.S. foreign policy and the misery it inflicts on simple people. 

Back cover: U2 and The Tree they made world famous

This opening foursome of songs is so strong it often unfairly puts the rest of the album in its shade, but side two of the original vinyl also contained some gems. It opened with the lyrical folk of "Red Hill Mining Town" (about the great UK miners' strike of '84), followed by the Americana of the upbeat "God's Country" and bluesy "Trip Through Your Wires". "One Tree Hill" is another emotional moment, a ballad dedicated to their dead Maori friend and roadie Greg Carroll, referencing both the same-named place in New Zealand and Chilean singer Victor Jara. Bono-as-champion-of-worldwide-good-causes also surfaces on the last track, the touching "Mothers Of The Disappeared". "Exit", sung from the perspective of a serial killer, is the odd song out in this collection. Scary, primal and raw, it reminds me of early Nick Cave. Makes sense when you learn they hired Flood as engineer on the strength of his work on Cave's "From Her...To  Eternity" and "The Firstborn Is Dead". The production and technical aspects of the album are exemplary. Producer Brian Eno wisely sticks to the basic sound of a 4-piece rock band: guitar, bass, drums, and voice. No flourishes, no synths, no 80's production tricks. Though there is some sonic trickery involved, notably with The Edge's guitar sound, Eno's penchant for experimentation is offset by co-producer Daniel Lanois' earthiness to produce a perfectly balanced record. No question, the stars had aligned to give us a rock masterpiece that still shines 30 years after its initial release. For those of us who had grown tired of its ubiquitousness in the late 80's, it's time to rediscover it.

***** for Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With Or Without You, Bullet The Blue Sky

**** for Running To Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, One Tree Hill, Exit, Mothers Of The Disappeared 

*** for Trip Through Your Wires

"The Joshua Tree" tour, 30 years later: "Exit" is introduced by a clip from an old Western: a con man named... Trump breeds fear into the hearts of his countrymen and promises to keep them safe by building a protective wall (sounds familiar?) The good cowboy challenges him "You're a liar, Trump" but he's chased away by a majority eager to buy security whatever the price. U2 then launch into what is possibly their wildest song ever. The song's key phrase "The hands that build can also destroy" summarises the band's loving (but also critical) view on the United States of America