The Joshua Tree (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered]

iTunes Review

1987’s The Joshua Tree cemented U2’s status as one of the 1980s preeminent groups. From Bono’s anguished cries from Mount Olympus and the Edge’s serrated guitar riffs to the rhythm section’s punishing marches and the Brian Eno-Daniel Lanois production team’s desert atmospherics, the album presented some of the band’s most memorable material in its most drastic form to date, assimilating the band’s initial post-punk energy with their fascination and immersion in American roots music. “With or Without You,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and especially the often overlooked “Running to Stand Still” shimmer with intensity, nuance and elegant style. The 2007 re-mastered and expanded edition includes 14 additional glimpses at the group during this creatively fertile time, including the single edit of “Streets,” the Sun City version of “Silver and Gold” with the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Ron Wood, several notable fan faves such as “Luminous Times (Hold On to Love)” and “Spanish Eyes” and a few improvisatory pieces (“Drunk Chicken/ America” with beat poet Allen Ginsberg) that provide insight into the band’s creative process.