The Joshua Tree Double Album Appreciation Thread

[namkcuR]

By now we all know the story of how JT was meant to a double album but had to have tracks cut from it because of record-company complaints about the length, and how the seven cut tracks became b-sides. And we've all seen what the original tracklist would have been...

1.Where The Streets Have No Name
2.Silver And Gold
3.I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
4.Spanish Eyes
5.With Or Without You
6.Luminous Times(Hold On To Love)
7.Walk To The Water
8.Bullet The Blue Sky
9.Running To Stand Still
10.Red Hill Mining Town
11.In God's Country
12.Trip Through Your Wires
13.Sweetest Thing
14.One Tree Hill
15.Deep In The Heart
16.Exit
17.Race Against Time
18.Mothers Of The Disappeared

I just burned it to a CD recently and listened to it and

I normally pick AB over JT, but if JT had been released this way in 1987, it would be the undisputed masterpiece of masterpieces in the U2 catalog.

Appreciate!

P.S. I know some of you would like to add Beautiful Ghost to the beginning of the running order, but you'd have to stick to playlists on your computer or IPod to do so...the 18 tracks just barely fit on an 80-minute CD and BG pushes it over the brink.

 

[dano]

Was Beautiful Ghost supposed to be the opener or did it just get created during the JT Sessions?

 

[namkcuR]

Was Beautiful Ghost supposed to be the opener or did it just get created during the JT Sessions?

The latter.

 

[phanan]

I've seen that track listing before, but the one I have copied and paste below was from a thread in 2004, and I tend to like that one better. The only difference is the placement of Race Against Time.


Edit: Well, it screwed up when I tried to cut and paste the thing, so just go to this thread:

http://forum.interference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106861&highlight=double+album


1.Where The Streets Have No Name
2.Silver And Gold
3.I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
4.Spanish Eyes
5.With Or Without You
6.Luminous Times(Hold On To Love)
7.Walk To The Water
8.Bullet The Blue Sky
9.Running To Stand Still
10.Red Hill Mining Town
11.Race Against Time
12.In God's Country
13.Trip Through Your Wires
14.Sweetest Thing
15.One Tree Hill
16.Deep In The Heart
17.Exit
18.Mothers Of The Disappeared

 

[dano]

The latter.

Cool I am really into all these alternate playlists and using them to switch things up every now and again. In your opinion do you think that the beginning is the best place to put Beautiful Ghost?

 

[namkcuR]

Cool I am really into all these alternate playlists and using them to switch things up every now and again. In your opinion do you think that the beginning is the best place to put Beautiful Ghost?

Yes, because of the streets-segue. But it won't fit on a CD with BG.

 

[dano]

I will just have to save this special version for the computer then but if I can take advantage of an extra song I might as well!!

 

[dano]

Also how do you guys have a different placement of Race Against Time? What are the different sources?

Sorry for asking so many questions, this just excites me!

 

[bsp77]

I have seen this 18 track selection and I have a hard time believing it is correct. It is known that Trip Through Your Wires replaced Heartland at the last minute to give some levity to the album. So where is Heartland on the double cd?

Not saying it was never going to be a double album, just that this tracklisting is probably wrong.

 

[namkcuR]

Also how do you guys have a different placement of Race Against Time? What are the different sources?

Sorry for asking so many questions, this just excites me!

I got the one in my post here: http://www.u2station.com/news/archives/1987/12/index.php

I have seen the other one too...in fact, I was looking for it yesterday because I had forgotten the running order. When I found the one in my post, I thought I had the other one, and because they're 99% the same, I didn't realize it was different.

Anyway, I don't think the band or any official source ever said either was the tracklisting. The only official word was that it was supposed to be a double album. The running order was based on several quotes from bono about WOWY not making sense without Luminous Times and WTTW and Trip not making sense without Sweetest Thing, etc. And the flow is so good on both running orders(which are nearly the same thing) that it is thought that this is more than likely what it was going to be. I don't know why there are two different orders though.

 

[phanan]

Yeah, there really isn't any official track listing with this, just some fans using specific quotes from Bono to come up with something that most likely closely resembled what the final version would have been.

It's still cool, though.

 

[dano]

Yeah, there really isn't any official track listing with this, just some fans using specific quotes from Bono to come up with something that most likely closely resembled what the final version would have been.

It's still cool, though.

It is very cool. I stumbled across a reference to this years ago and thought that maybe in some documentary or music magazine someplace that there was actual confirmation of the running order of the double album.

 

[U2DMfan]

Yeah, there really isn't any official track listing with this, just some fans using specific quotes from Bono to come up with something that most likely closely resembled what the final version would have been.

It's still cool, though.

Exactly, just make your own.

I'd drop Sweetest Thing and add Beautiful ghost personally.

I have a 90 mintue tape that has all of it on there. It's incredible to listen to it all the way through. My track order is just one I liked. I don't think there is any validity to those old track orders.
The first website I ever saw talking about the double JT album (probably 1997 or 1998) had a tracklisting on it and it was made by the author of the website. Good money says it's the same one listed here.

Those JT B-sides should have been on Rattle and Hum, toss all the live tracks, and you'd have a studio album that would be strong enough to be considered classic.

 

[namkcuR]

Exactly, just make your own.

I'd drop Sweetest Thing and add Beautiful ghost personally.

I have a 90 mintue tape that has all of it on there. It's incredible to listen to it all the way through. My track order is just one I liked. I don't think there is any validity to those old track orders.
The first website I ever saw talking about the double JT album (probably 1997 or 1998) had a tracklisting on it and it was made by the author of the website. Good money says it's the same one listed here.

Those JT B-sides should have been on Rattle and Hum, toss all the live tracks, and you'd have a studio album that would be strong enough to be considered classic.

Sweetest Thing is a classic!

 

[U2DMfan]

How about two double albums of 16 tracks each?


11-JT tracks
8-JT B-sides
10 R&H studio tracks
3-R&H b-sides
32 tracks overall

Van Diemen's Land
Desire
Hawkmoon
Silver and Gold
Angel of Harlem
Love Rescue Me
When Love Comes To Town
Heartland
God Part II
All I Want is You

Beautiful Ghost
Silver And Gold
Spanish Eyes
Luminous Times(Hold On To Love)
Walk To The Water
Race Against Time
Sweetest Thing
Deep In The Heart

Hallelujah Here She Comes
A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel
Dancing Barefoot

unless I am missing some.
I don't count Unchained Melody and Everlasting Love but perhaps I could. That would make 17 each.

Too bad the CD burner I have doesn't work. I am resigned to cassette tapes right now.

 

[U2DMfan]

Sweetest Thing is a classic!

Maybe to you sir, not to me.

Heartland sure as hell should have been on JT though.
I'm going to make a version tonight, I'll get back to you with my tracklistings.

 

[namkcuR]

Don't forget the point of the thread - Appreciate JT Double Album!!!!!

 

[I'm Ready]

please people

appreciate the albums the way they were orignally released

I don't see any Who fans adding Pure and Easy to Who's Next just because it was meant to be there

except me

 

[phanan]

I like Pure And Easy.

Sorry, off-topic...

 

[typhoon]

P.S. I know some of you would like to add Beautiful Ghost to the beginning of the running order, but you'd have to stick to playlists on your computer or IPod to do so...the 18 tracks just barely fit on an 80-minute CD and BG pushes it over the brink.

You could drop "Race Against Time." You know, since it sucks anyway.

I like how everyone trashes "Trip Through Your Wires" for not being good enough for the album, then goes and adds a bunch of mediocre B-sides.

I actually like the Joshua Tree B-sides quite a bit, but honestly, only "Silver and Gold" and "Luminous Times" were complete enough to make the album. The rest are too rough, which is part of their charm.

 

[U2DMfan]

Re: Re: The Joshua Tree Double Album Appreciation Thread

You could drop "Race Against Time." You know, since it sucks anyway.

I like how everyone trashes "Trip Through Your Wires" for not being good enough for the album, then goes and adds a bunch of mediocre B-sides.

I actually like the Joshua Tree B-sides quite a bit, but honestly, only "Silver and Gold" and "Luminous Times" were complete enough to make the album. The rest are too rough, which is part of their charm.

I like Race Against Time, but it's not really cohesive to the others, it's not really much of a song, just a 'jam', or whatever for lack of a better term. Also add Deep In the Heart to the disposable list, toss that off before tossing Trip Through Your Wires.

I agree 100% about Trip Thru Your Wires. Easily among the 2 or 3 most underappreciated U2 songs. I'm not saying it's the greatest thing they've ever done but it is nowhere near as bad as some think. I actually like it quite a bit.

I would add Spanish Eyes to your others, I think that is a pretty strong song and it sounds fairly complete.

Often times with B-sides they don't really get a fair mastering unless they are seriously considered for the album. That's guesswork that the JT b-sides fall into that category, some might, but I have listened to them on vinyl for so long I can't freaking tell off the top of my head.

 

[Aardvark747]

Should Heartland be included on that listing? Despite it being my fave, i've no idea if it was one of those that wasnt able to get on JT...

 

[Miricale_Drug]

what about the outtake song 'my time has come? ' what became of that

 

[Clawgrabber]

i wouldn't count dancing barefoot with the others because it is a cover of an old Patti Smith song.

 

[U2Soar]

A different approach. Early on the album was titled The Two Americas. I see the album with a primary focus on themes of political / social justice and spirituality. (The romantic b-sides represent for me Bono preparing for themes explored on R&H and AB) Perhaps the key to this track order is the interpretation of WOWY – an “agony in the garden”, an intense struggle between “the idea of America” vs. the dark underbelly of America’s poverty, corruption, greed, etc.; between America benefiting the world vs. Regan’s Amerika (its involvement in supporting Central & South American dictatorships, apartheid in South Africa, Thatcher’s policies [breaking the British Miner’s union = Red Hill Mining Town and rampant unemployment and its effects such as heroin addiction = Running To Stand Still]; between one’s relationship with God vs. the desire to “leave by the back door and throw away the key”; between one’s conscience -> support guerilla groups or turn a blind eye to everything or to speak out or to shut up or….

1. Streets
2. Still Haven’t Found
3. WOWY
4. Heartland
5. In God’s Country
6. Trip Trough Your Wires
7. Running To Stand Still
8. Red Hill Mining Town
9. Silver And Gold
10. Bullet
11. Exit
12. One Tree Hill
13. Mothers

And just for imaginary purposes, if it needed to fill up at least 3 full vinyl sides in order to constitute an official double (vinyl) album then I would add Desire in between In God’s Country and Trip Trough Your Wires. And I’d add their very angry cover of Maggie's Farm (Live in Dublin, May 17, 1986) (6:43) Live For Ireland Compilation [I made an edit of it by chopping off about 2 minutes of crowd parts and to make it a tighter version] in between Red Hill Mining Town and Silver And Gold. The only other song that I could see fitting this political / social justice and spirituality focus would be Van Diemen’s Land. Maybe after In God’s Country. I just thought of Love Rescue Me. It does have a wonderful climax ending. Perhaps it is widely disliked because it seems to be and it is sooooo long (6:24). I’ll see if I can make a decent edit.

Streets
Still Haven’t Found
WOWY
Heartland
In God’s Country
Van Diemen’s Land
Love Rescue Me
Desire
Trip Trough Your Wires
Running To Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
Maggie’s Farm
Silver And Gold
Bullet
Exit
One Tree Hill
Mothers


a 4:30 version by eliminating these 3 sections?

In the cold mirror of a glass
I see my reflection pass
See the dark shades of what I used to be
See the purple of her eyes
The scarlet of my lies
Love rescue me
----------------------------------------------
Sha la la... sha la la la
Sha la la la... ha la la...
Sha la la la... sha la la la
Sha la la la... sha la la
Sha la la la... sha la la la
Sha la la... la la

---------------------------------------------

I've conquered my past
The future is here at last
I stand at the entrance
To a new world I can see
The ruins to the right of me
Will soon have lost sight of me
Love rescue me

 

[U2Soar]

And how about Hawkmoon 269 too?! It feels like an on-the-road song and a great to-You-God song (though I don’t think choir finish fits and I’ve never liked so I’ll think edit the end of it)

Streets
Still Haven’t Found
WOWY
Heartland
In God’s Country
Hawkmoon 269
Van Diemen’s Land
Love Rescue Me
Desire
Trip Trough Your Wires
Running To Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
Maggie’s Farm
Silver And Gold
Bullet
Exit
One Tree Hill
Mothers

And for the rest, an album called Spanish Eyes

1. Spanish Eyes
2. Hallelujah, Here She Comes
3. Dancing Barefoot
4. Unchained Melody
5. Walk To The Water
6. The Sweetest Thing
7. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
8. Everlasting Love
9. Luminous Times
10. All I Want Is You

 

[namkcuR]

Why can't people just appreciate what the thread was made to appreciate? Why does everyone have to come with their own thing? Not that I don't see the effort put in by some people, but that's not the point of the thread. Just appreciate!

 

[LJT]

^Just appreciating makes for a bit of a pointless thread...we all love the Joshua Tree and most of the b-sides

 

[Bodnex]

Anywhere know where I could get Race Against Time and Deep in the Heart? I'd love to test out this new tracklisting.

And thanks God Beautiful Ghost wasn't on the album, it's the most hilarious thing U2 have ever done. The whole thing reminds me of the Stonehenge scene in Spinal Tap!

dr DOT nefarious AT gmail DOT com

if you could e-mail those songs. :-D