Is Joshua Tree overated?

[kawai17]

I'm wondering if there's anyone else out there sharing a thought I had...but after listening to the latest HTDAAB tracks, I'm beginning to feel like Joshua Tree is overrated, and to a large extent is held in high regard only because of its place in U2 history (being the album that vaulted U2 into superstardom).

Obviously, the first three songs are absolute classics. Its rare to find songs that are now 17 years old and don't sound a day outdated... Running to Stand Still is another great one.

But aside from that, I've always felt there were some real weak tunes (especially on the second half like Trip, Red Hill, Exit). As a whole, I think HTDAAB is much stronger as an entire album than JT, and that JT is absolutely no match for Achtung Baby. When I think of U2's greatest albums, I think I would put this one ahead of JT.

Or am I just on crack...

 

[theedge111]

Your just on crack....

 

[ZeroDude]

achtungs better off point but true............................

 

[kawai17]

i thought so thankyou

 

[bloodysunday972]

Remember when Joshua Tree came out it was a different time and if your pardon the expression a real kick in the balls to all those factory pressed rock bands out there at the time.

If you think about it those weaker tracks tone down the album so you have a blend of both harder and softer yin and yang (sorry to sound cheasy) to balance it.

HTDAAB is a awesome album but It cant touch Achtung Baby for the masterpeice it is and Joshua Tree I cant really compare because of different times. I think HTDAAB blows All That You Cant Leave Behind away as good a album it is

 

[Laura M]

AB and JT are my favourite albums. I love Trip and Red Hill. I find that I can go back to every U2 album and find another song to love on it that I didn't appreciate before. It took me 3 years to listen to POP more than once. Now I really really like it.

 

[Sicy]

Crack

 

[mkjc]

I'm wondering if there's anyone else out there sharing a thought I had...but after listening to the latest HTDAAB tracks, I'm beginning to feel like Joshua Tree is overrated, and to a large extent is held in high regard only because of its place in U2 history (being the album that vaulted U2 into superstardom).

Obviously, the first three songs are absolute classics. Its rare to find songs that are now 17 years old and don't sound a day outdated... Running to Stand Still is another great one.

But aside from that, I've always felt there were some real weak tunes (especially on the second half like Trip, Red Hill, Exit). As a whole, I think HTDAAB is much stronger as an entire album than JT, and that JT is absolutely no match for Achtung Baby. When I think of U2's greatest albums, I think I would put this one ahead of JT.

Or am I just on crack...

Can't say JT is overrated. But I see what you're getting at. For instance I think Zooropa would be held in higher regard if everyone didn't know that it was done between legs of a tour. I think there is a bit of a lemming effect when ranking U2 albums. I think that someone who had never heard of U2 and listened to all of their albums would rank it differently than the rest of us who have been told time and time again that THE classic album of U2's career is JT and that Pop was a mistake or that Zooropa is just an EP that was stretched out.

 

[roy]

The Joshua Tree is no way overrated

Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm looking For
With or Without You
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In Gods Country
One Tree Hill (The best)
Exit

All great, great songs IMO...

 

[RademR]

favorite album of all time = Achtung Baby

2nd favorite album of all time = Joshua Tree

Timeless...

 

[sundown]

The Joshua Tree is no way overrated

Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm looking For
With or Without You
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In Gods Country
One Tree Hill (The best)
Exit

All great, great songs IMO...

Man, I love Trip as well, its a class song, you've got to look into the refernce of the lyrics, the fight between man and the devil etc.

Bullet the Blue Sky is also a live classic, to be honest JT is the walls of the U2 house, AB is the fancy roof, UF is the foundation.

 

[LPU2]

I couldn't agree more. Joshua Tree was the perfect marriage of quality and timing. A song like With or Without You would not get to #1 today. Streets is a murky song that really only came to life when it was played live. It's a great album that is solid all the way through, but I don't think its any better than Atomic Bomb.

I think the "weak" tracks on Bomb (love and peace, one step closer) are better than the "weak" tracks on Joshua (exit, mothers).

"BEST" albums:
Achtung Baby
Joshua Tree
Atomic Bomb
Unforgettable Fire

"FAVORITE" albums
Unforgettable Fire
Atomic Bomb
Achtung Baby
Joshua Tree

 

[RademR]

The best quote abut this album i read in Rolling Stone a couple years ago. "It was pure beauty in an age of pure shit."

 

[deltau922]

I think Joshua Tree is the best album ever by anyone, so yeah I guess you can't overrate something more than that.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

No JT means no HTDAAB the way it is... geez they rip of One Tree Hill for the closer (not really but close)...

 

[Hoodlem]

I think the fact that you have people arguing about whether there best album was the one put out 17 years ago, 13 years ago, 4 years ago or 2 weeks from now, says something about the greatness of this band.

 

[MSU2mike]

If someone is suggesting The Joshua Tree is responsible for the fall of the Soviet empire then yes, I'd agree that would be overrating it (slightly).

Otherwise no, it's certainly not overrated.

 

[RademR]

I think the fact that you have people arguing about whether there best album was the one put out 17 years ago, 13 years ago, 4 years ago or 2 weeks from now, says something about the greatness of this band.

 

[AtomicBono]

I think the fact that you have people arguing about whether there best album was the one put out 17 years ago, 13 years ago, 4 years ago or 2 weeks from now, says something about the greatness of this band.

Amen to that!

JT overrated? I think not! Where the Streets Have No Name rivals One as the greatest song ever written. Still Haven't Found through Exit are all brilliant, brilliant songs. Mothers is decent, I don't care for it much but it closes the album well... Your life is not complete unless you're heard The Joshua Tree my friend Alec has 4 copies of it. 4!!! Does that show how good it is?!

JT is probably my fourth favourite album of all time... my top three being Achtung Baby, Pop, and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

 

[AtomicBono]

If someone is suggesting The Joshua Tree is responsible for the fall of the Soviet empire then yes, I'd agree that would be overrating it (slightly).

Otherwise no, it's certainly not overrated.

brilliant! y'know, maybe it was a contributing factor...

 

[Pero]

hmmmmm, JT can't be overrated, because of simple reason that it is the second best U2 album ever, after AB, because it's only album that has 6 great songs in the row, starting with massive guitar on WTSHNN ;
ISHFWLF is just a connection to Withor,
which you all know, not just you, i mean everybody.
Then, bullet is greatest live song ever.
Running is a dark ballad with a real life inspiration which is perfect after strong bullet.
Red hill town is a song which concludes this row. It's great.

Other are not so great,good but not crazy and unforgettable.

 

[Paul Vox]

Joshua Tree overrated??? No. Not never. Puhleeze...

It wasn't until I came to Interference that I learned Wire, Exit, and most recently Love and Peace were the so called "weak" tracks on their albums. This is absolute excrement.
Dig deeper please...these songs are the quill, the spine, the foundations of U2 rage and madness...they make it possible for the connections to be built when the ballads finally do rain down Gut level, primal screams. Pure conviction. Indispensible to their respective albums...and the live set, as well.

...deeper into black...deeper into white

 

[david]

Joshua Tree isn't over rated. It really is that damn good.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

Of course this is all a matter of opinion....but I would say that The Joshua Tree is a bit overrated. Of course to us hardcore fans, the entire album is brilliant.

To some of my friends who are casual fans...they turn the album off after the Streets/ISHFWILF/WOWY trio. I became a fan in 1999 and I remember it took me a really long time to appreciate the 2nd half of the CD also--nothing really stood out and was too earth shattering. Even now, I find the 2nd half quite weak as compaired to Achtung Baby...and I find the mix of awesome songs to average songs as about being about the same as Pop.

On the other hand, I'm amazed how much I loved HTDAAB after a few listens. Even my brother, someone who doesn't like U2 listened to the whole album twice while we were driving to our cabin and began singing along with the songs. In my unscientific poll, it must be pretty damn good.

Joshua Tree is a bit over-rated, especially compaired to Achtung Baby, but I guess I'll take it. With a few stronger songs on the second half, it could have easily been the best album ever.

 

[kakvox]

WTSHNN played live, puts any song ever by any band live, to shame. JT evokes feelings indescribable. And I only discovered it in 2000!

 

[CTU2fan]

I guess in a way you could call it over-rated, in the way that, say, Led Zeppelin IV is over-rated...many people have it as their one "token" U2 album, just on it's reputation alone. Funny, when I was younger, pre-JT, eveybody I knew had Under a Blood Red Sky Exit a weak track? Granted the studio version doesn't have the power of the liver version (neither does Bullet IMO), but listen to the track played live...I love the whole JT album, especially side 2 because you don't hear those tracks much. Funny, I love Wire also, and Like A Song...maybe I'm just weird

 

[Joshua87]

The Joshua Tree is no way overrated

Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm looking For
With or Without You
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In Gods Country
One Tree Hill (The best)
Exit

All great, great songs IMO...

One Tree Hill: AGREED
absolutely most underrated song by U2
and Red Hill Mining Town is a great song, then only track i think is weak is probably Trip through your wires. And have you ever heard the Rattle and Hum version of Exit, Kawai17??

 

[indigo tree]

JT overated? Pffssh, heck no.
Like david said, it really IS that good. I adore every bit of it. I think the second half red hill-mothers is just as good as the first half. Its an absolute masterpiece. Its U2's Starry Night. (Van Gogh for ya)

And I have to give a to what hoodlem said as well.

 

[whitehead]

It seems like not worshipping the Joshua Tree is almost sacriligious.

I actually have to agree with the original post. I've felt that way for quite a while now. I guess the second half of the JT album sounds a bit too "country" for me (I still like them though and I LOVE Exit). My personal top 3 are in this order:

1. Achtung Baby!
2. HTDAAB
3. Joshua Tree (Zooropa comes close at times)

 

[kawai17]

WTSHNN played live, puts any song ever by any band live, to shame. JT evokes feelings indescribable. And I only discovered it in 2000!

No doubt... the first half of JT may be the best 4-5 songs on any album ever. But, I still think as a complete album, I'd be more inclined to listen to AB or Bomb (or UF) end-to-end.

In the end, we are comparing great albums to great albums.