Driving around the cold and snowy streets of the metro Minneapolis area tonight, on the eve of a pretty big day in U2-land, I braved the elements and tempted sane judgement and slipped in both earbuds. Wearing both earbuds while driving a big no-no on any driving occasion, let alone one that combines slick roads, snow and the cover of darkness. But, answering a yearning that has been building steadily over the past twenty-four hours, I acquiesced and calmly hit play on the remastered version of..."The Joshua Tree". I had a desire to attempt to harness the myriad of feelings, and more to the point, of words that were bubbling just below the surface. Sort of akin to a geyser, the steam percolating, and the wait for the coming explosion. So many words, just crying to be written. Sadly, I feel that by driving around and bouncing all of these lofty words around in my head, envisioning Bono and the boys reading them and saying to each other "You know, this American chap really has this shit figured out?", I probably allowed most of them to slip into the nether, that evil place that is chocked full of masterpieces and best sellers. I have contributed to this most evil of places way too often in my life. So, where was I? Oh yeah. Joshua Tree. I'm gonna skip most of the part where I recant where I was and what I was doing in 1987, 30 years ago, when this most important album dropped. I've done so in one form or the other before. I was in love with the Joshua Tree long before I was in love with U2. What? How is that possible? Let me be embarrassingly direct. While wearing out the cassette that became a fixture in my life fast forwarding to 1989 and 1990, I did not own any other U2 albums. Couldn't of even named them. There was just something about that album that grabbed me, albeit a couple of years later. Me and the rest of the fucking globe, right? No one needs me to tell them about how big the album was, is and will always be. That's not the epiphany. No. Driving around on the eve of the initial ticket release for U2's latest and greatest tour, a celebration of The Joshua Tree, I had words demanding to be put on the page. So, instead of writing the novel that I'm supposed to be cranking out, I write about an album. An old one. But, it seems there is this tired old adage about fine wine?
What can I, or anyone say about The Joshua Tree that hasn't already been said. On the eve of the biggest statement tour of their lives...yes, I believe it to be that big, U2 are on a fine line. Hearing and reading all this shit about relevancy and just what in the hell are they thinking by doing this "looking back" tour? I've tried to tone down my anger and defensive recoil when it comes to coming to the aid of this band that means so much. In the past I've sparred verbally and through social media with more than a few morons who blindly and without substance attack U2 and Bono and what they are and what they mean. But, then, cooler heads prevail and I tell myself, it's their loss and Bono and the boys have fared just fine and dandy without me raising my virtual fists. Now, however, some of the rhetoric and crying is coming from within the U2 community. I absolutely don't get it. Reading the most ridiculous of statements. "Scared what this means". "U2 a band that has always moved forward, now they are looking back". "Live-nation is making them do this tour". Serious? First off, why would anyone ever...EVER ask why U2 is choosing to tour? If they chose to tour and promised only to sing covers of Irish folk songs, we would line the fuck up, no? So, why in the world bat an eye, or raise ones ire at the blissfully delicious notion of celebrating the most important album in our lifetime? And sorry to some, yes...Joshua Tree is the most important album that U2 has done. We can all have our favorites but this is the single most important album of our lifetime. And, not looking back? Only moving forward? I beseech those who throw out these questions....just what more do they have to do? U2 has done it all. Done it all a thousand times over. The Joshua tree represents so very much to so very many. I contend that this tour is going to render all richter scales obsolete. This tour is going to be the most emotional group of gatherings that the free world has ever been privy to. Grown men and women will shed more than tears. There will be weeping. Happy and glorious weeping. Think of the most intimate and special moments of any U2 show you've been to. Ok, now just try and imagine that feeling lasting for the whole damn show. Because, that's what we stand at the doorstep to. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Are you kidding me? And some DARE to question the why?
U2 is so much more than a band. Dear God. I like a lot of bands. No, I love a lot of bands. I love the Foo fighters. I love The Doors. I don't have friends all over the world of these bands. It's amazing. U2 is more than a band. U2 is a tribe, a community. And The Joshua Tree is our constitution. With no intention of forgetting anyone, or saying anyone is more or less than others, I would never have in a million years imagined that U2 would go on to mean to me what they do. Way back in 1989 as I played that cassette over and over. Struggling with the gab between adolescence and adulthood. Struggling with religion and just what in the hell it was that I believe in. But, there they were. No way would I have predicted that one day I would watch shows on my phone, all the while trading posts and messages with people just like me in Ireland, The netherlands, Australia, all corners of the USA. People just like me, and people who are nothing at all like me, save for one tiny fact. We love the same band. U2 is more than just a band. U2 is a religion. And The Joshua Tree is our Bible. A blueprint that has served as the backdrop and soundtrack to so many of our lives. Bono serving as the traveling preacher, high up on a hillside, sweetly singing into the wind, and all of us...the congregation, eating up every word, every pure and innocent note. And as the preacher gets going, and really starts to rev up his message, in comes the Edge, from somewhere off stage, with the most haunting and beautiful symphonies, his guitar serving as the church's organ, joining the preacher note for note, as we the flock rise as one, arms outstretched and palms high to the heavens. Before anyone knows what has hit us, Larry and Adam complete the evangelistic front and I swear, it's acutely aware that we are in heaven. At least until the needle comes off of the vinyl and The Joshua Tree comes to an end. U2 is more than a band. U2 is family. And The Joshua Tree is that night time story that our parents read to us as we are tucked in for the night. To ward off all the evil and all the shit that's out there in the real world. Bono was inspired by wide open spaces, by the deserts and the feeling of escape. Without even knowing it, that is the very reason I ran to this album. It's the closest thing to perfection that these eyes and ears have ever chanced upon. Still powerful. Still fucking relevant. And you know what? I'll let you in on a little secret that has absolutely no backing or no proof whatsoever. But, I think that The Joshua tree is more relevant now than it was back in 87-89? Take a look around. Look at this shitty world and country we live in. Take a look at the imbecile that we just elected president of the United States. U2 and Bono wrote The Joshua Tree as an homage to America and its ideals. Its flawed ideals. The working title was actually "The Two America's", referencing the stark contrast between the segments of the population. The album was immensely influenced by the politics of the day and most pointedly by the Reagan-based policies on foreign affairs. Well boys and girls, I present to you the shit storm that is our United States of America here in the year 2017. You want to talk about two America's? We have never had a bigger divide. Not since the civil war have we had a country so divided. Run to the ocean, run to the sea. Please don't let anyone be so foolish and question this bands relevancy. 30 years AFTER its release, U2 will walk onto stages this summer to stadiums full of relevance. I try and avoid knocking modern music, cause U2 has taught me "to each their own", but I just can't fathom thirty years from now, singers like Drake or Justin Bieber or really anyone, doing a tour like this one, and garnering the type of response that this one is and will.
This tour, these shows, represent a pilgrimage. I for one plan to make that trip. Me, and 60 thousand or so fellow parishioners. I don't imagine there will be much sitting in the pews at this revival though. I could go on for hours about this band and this album. Hell, I probably will in another blog soon. I want to close with this. I told one of my U2-family/friends that I was gonna borrow and quote her and I am gonna right here. I cant wait for this tour, for the one show that I plan on attending. Granted, I will be soaking up every periscope and every video and playback and account of all the others, but I will only be attending one. I've been privileged to get to know some U2 fans that are uber fanatics. Lol. Before twitter, I considered myself a pretty big fan. The biggest that I knew in my small world. Then I went to my first show. I quickly discovered that I was WAY down the totem pole of U2 fanatics. And i say that in jest, and i'll get to the reason why in just a second. Then, intro twitter. Wow, what a wonderful world. I've met some of the coolest and most genuine folks in this global thing that is U2 and its family. Another relevation. There are some folks I know that are living out my dream. Going to multiple shows and going to Dublin at the drop of a hat and booking flights and hotels and planning meet-ups, etc. Last tour, this sort of manifested itself into a bit of social media backlash. And, as much as I fought it, I felt a tiny pang of jealousy, albeit it for the briefest of moments. Call it human nature. We all love U2, and I for one would love nothing more to follow them all over the globe, but I can't. Probably never will. But, you know what? I'm ecstatic for those who can, because thanks to technology, we can all follow them and live vicariously through them. Nothing replaces the experience of being there, but its a fun second. So, U2 nation, back to Mary. Mary, my very sweet and special twitter friend who I have grown to admire a lot, threw out the perfect tweet earlier this week, sort of in preparation for what was about to come, and i'm gonna share it, and amend it just a bit(at her request, LOL) right here, right now....
"If you love U2, you're a fan. If you want a seat and not GA, you're a fan, If you see them once, you're a fan, If you can't see them, you're a fan" Mary(@peacewillfollow)
I really can't make that any better. U2 is more than a band. And U2 is def. not a competition. U2 is family. My family.
