Advantages: A musical masterpiece by the Dublin Masters Disadvantages: Only drawback? Its success inspired U2 to make "Rattle and Hum!"
"The Joshua Tree" is more than an album; it is a work of art. It is more than a defining album for the Republic of Ireland's greatest export; it defined a generation. "The Joshua Tree" is easily the best album to come out of the Eighties, both in content and in being musically way before its time.
Where to begin? How about the 3 number 1s that came off this album: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Where the Streets Have No Name," and "With or Without You?" Whole reams of paper have been and could still be written on these three songs alone (not to mention their videos). These songs never age; they are still as relevant today as they were 20 years ago. For example, I was in the U.S. the night U2 performed "Streets" at the Super Bowl. The way they re-contextualised that song that night gave it a whole new layer ...
Advantages: A classic album Disadvantages: Atmospheric rather than packed with adrenalin
"The Joshua tree" made a big impact when it first came out: produced by Brian Eno it marked a change of direction and went on to sell 20 million copies, and made the band the world megastars they are today.
As an album, it's never been one of my favourites as it lacked the fizz of the earlier stuff like "War" and "Boy" and continued the more serious American feel of "Pride", the hit single from their previous album. It does, however, have a certain gravitas, and there's not enough of that around.
The album has now been remastered, directed by The Edge, from the original analogue master tapes and the sleeve notes give a new perspective on it, describing a band looking out of bus and theatre windows and watching the United States of America unfold before them.
If you don't really care about the story behind it, and any tinkering ...
Advantages: A gripping and intelligent film of horror and despair Disadvantages: Very Harrowing
INTRODUCTION
A dark, disturbing and morose film that is sufficient to terrorise
THE STORY
Fangoria magazine presents the fourth instalment of its GoreZone film series with director Travis Betz's low-budget horror-fest, JOSHUA. Kelby Unger (Ward Roberts) stirs up the past in more ways than one when he returns to his small Indiana hometown for the funeral of his father. In confronting his father's legacy, Kelby revisits a terrible childhood secret that awakens his own violent nature and threatens to erupt in a murderous frenzy of suppressed rage. Gory and atmospheric, Betz's genuinely frightening tale of buried trauma bears all the hallmarks of a modern-day cult classic.
Amelia, his unsuspecting fiancee is tossed into his private hell, watching his breakdown as the secrets he buried are revealed.
The name Joshua is ...
Nothing-But-The-Truth 09.11.2009
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