Question for "older" u2 Fans

[blueeyedgirl]

Really? Do you remember it like that? My recollection is that it was a huge hit right out of the gate...in fact, I don't know of any other U2 album that upon release was received with higher praise all across the board.

I do remember that it was the time when all the Bono thinks he's God comments started going around with a lot of force, as he didn't shy away from saying he was an activist...

Anyway, maybe you're right but I remember it differently

I have to agree with you there. JT was an immediate hit. Lots of people I knew who had been listening to me rabbit on about U2 for years with no interest became fans with JT. Even now, a lot of the casual music fan who came through the 80s that I encounter will have a copy of JT, with their Sting, their Phil Collins, their Bon Jovi, their John Farnham....

 

[YBORCITY]

While I think Streets was great on the Album (yes I said album), when seeing them play this in Concert REALLY made the song. I remember seeing them at Foxboro Stadium on the JT Stadium Leg and between the opening act (which I can't remember who) there was a thunderstorm in the area and when U2 hit the stage you could still see the lightning flashes in the darkening night sky for the first set of songs - it was an overload of the senses. Hooked ever since

 

[yolland]

Maybe I was a bit young to have a solid perspective on this, but I too remember JT being a huge hit from the get-go. In fact, since the Rolling Stone review was mentioned, I actually remember that review being one of the main reasons I went out and bought it right away--I specifically recall the reviewer predicting that this would be The Big One for U2, whom I already liked anyway; I think there was maybe some mild criticism to the effect that some of the lyrics were a bit cliched but, you know, that's true lol. I remember that year as clearly being the moment when U2 made the leap from mostly being college radio darlings (though most people knew 'Pride') to being one of the 'biggest bands in the world.' It's true that JT didn't sound much like earlier U2 nor like any particular other album that was big at the time, but I don't have any memory that it was widely seen as a 'challenging' listen, or not very accessible or whatever. WOWY and ISHFWILF pretty much went straight to #1, didn't they?

My memories aren't detailed enough for a sense of precisely how big 'Streets' seemed compared to WOWY and ISHFWILF, but it definitely featured prominently in the JT tour, you can see that much in the Rattle & Hum film. For sure it got heavy radio airplay upon release, and was far better known than 'In God's Country' which I think was the only JT single that never went much of anywhere (in the US at least).

 

[Celebration]

I thought the JT sounded "too country" when I first heard it - think of the contrast between UBRS - UF. It was a big leap.

I've seen U2 9 times live and the highlight will always be the show back in 1987 when the lights went down and the Streets intro started ... it was transcendant. Think of the energy of a Streets performance now times 5 (given the opening number energy).

 

[doctorwho]

Really? Do you remember it like that? My recollection is that it was a huge hit right out of the gate...in fact, I don't know of any other U2 album that upon release was received with higher praise all across the board.

I do remember that it was the time when all the Bono thinks he's God comments started going around with a lot of force, as he didn't shy away from saying he was an activist...

Anyway, maybe you're right but I remember it differently

The album did indeed to well right away.

I have to admit, I didn't follow the charts back then, so I had no idea how well the songs and album was doing, but there was a bit of "I wonder if this will be the album for them?" sentiment. And then, as it was clear the album was doing well initially, could it be maintained. I remember telling friends about the power of some songs and lyrics.

Of course, by mid-summer 1987, it didn't matter. U2 had arrived. One couldn't turn on the radio (rock or mainstream) and not hear a JT track at some point fairly soon.

I do recall telling people "see, isn't U2 great" with a bit of pride in knowing I had followed this group for about 4 years by then.

The Messiah complex started setting in more with the tour and Bono's preaching. It was both loved and hated. People loved that part of U2, yet didn't really want to constantly be reminded either. Kind of like Bono now. LOL! At least he's consistent. The big issue now is that he's doing a LOT more than he did then. Doing is far more powerful than preaching.