The Joshua Tree

U2's fifth album was released on March 9, 1987. Influenced by Irish folk and American roots music, The Joshua Tree wont U2 the band's first two Grammy Awards, and went on to sell over 25 million copies, making it one of the biggest selling albums of all time.

If you consider yourself even just a casual listener to U2, you probably own this album.

I don't think much more needs to be said, so here come the videos.

"With Or Without You"
March, 1987


"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
May, 1987


"Where The Streets Have No Name"
August, 1987


"In God's Country"
November, 1987



I also have to throw this in.
Accepting the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal:

The Edge is The Funny.

The Unforgettable Fire

When U2 went into the studio to record their fourth album, they decided to experiment with new sounds and textures. The band employed Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois to help lead them in this new direction. Edge played around with new guitar effects, which had been all but absent on the War album. The end result of the new direction was The Unforgettable Fire, which was released on October of 1984.

The first singe from the new album, released September, 1984, was a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" was U2's first single to crack the US Top 40 and the UK Top 5.


The second single was the album's title track. Released April 1985, it reached #6 in the UK.


On July 13, 1982, U2 participated in Live Aid, a concert to benefit famine relief in Ethiopia, at Wembley Stadium, London. During their set, they played a 12 minute long version of the song "Bad" from The Unforgettable Fire. During this performance, Bono jumped from the stage, helped a young girl over the barricade, hugged and slow danced with her. This began a still-standing tradition of Bono pulling girls from the crowd and dancing with them on stage during their concerts.

Life changes and War

On August 21, 1982, Bono married his long time girlfriend Alison Stewart. To heal the rift that formed between them during the Shalom Fellowship period, Bono asked Adam to act as his best man.

Soon after the wedding, U2 went back into the studio to record their third album. War was released February 28, 1983. While October was heavily influenced by faith and God, War was very politically driven.

The album's first single, "New Years Day" was originally written by Bono as a love song to his wife Ali. However, it was eventually re-written and reshaped, inspired by the Polish Solidarity movement.


"Sunday Bloody Sunday" was released as a single on March 11, 1983 in Germany and The Netherlands. The song was written about the troubles in Northern Ireland, specifically the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry in 1972.

The single gained popularity worldwide when the video, a live performance at their now legendary concert at Red Rocks in Colorado, was played in heavy rotation on MTV.


On July 12th, The Edge married his secondary school girlfriend Aislinn O'Sullivan. Edge was also the first member of U2 to become a father, with the birth of daughter Hollie the following year.

October

In 1981 while recording U2's second album in Dublin, Bono, Edge and Larry became involved a charismatic Christian organization called the Shalom Fellowship. During that time Bono and Edge particularly had a difficult time reconciling their Christianity with the rock and roll lifestyle, and left the band.

U2 ceased to exist.

Bono was the first to come back. Edge resisted. Bono eventually convinced his friend that they could make their dreams of U2 come true while still being good Christians.

The result of this period was the spiritually influenced album October, which was released that October 12th. The album produced two singels, the title track and "Gloria."

October was not as well received as Boy had been, and is U2's least selling album to date.

"October"


"Gloria"

"I Will Follow"

"I Will Follow," the second single from U2's debut album Boy was released in Oxctober, 1980.

The song was written about threee weeks before they band started recording the album. The lyrics are about Bono's mother, and the unconditional love she had for him before her death.

My personal opinion: I really, really love this song.

Island Records and Boy

In November of 1978, Larry Mullen Jr's mother died in a car accident. Overwhelmed with grief, Larry considered leaving the band. Having lost his own mother, Bono went to Larry, knowing what he was going through. Ultimately, Larry decided to stay with U2.

Over the next couple of years, the boys played gigs throughout Ireland, gaining local popularity. Finally, in March of 1980, U2 signed with Island Records. "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", their first internationally released single, was released that May.

U2's first full-length album, entitled Boy, came out the following October.

"11 O'Clock Tick Tock"

Three

After winning the talent contest in Limerick, the U2 boys went into Keystone Studios in Dublin to record their first demos. The band acquired their manager Paul McGuinness that May in 1978.

In September, 1979, U2 released their first EP, entitled Three. It was only released in Ireland. The EP included the songs "Out of Control," "Stories For Boys" and "Boy-Girl."

U2 also began appearing and performing on Irish television.

"Street Mission" March 1978


"Stories For Boys" on the Late Late Show in January of 1980.

The Edge still has that Gibson Explorer and still plays it live.

Artist of the Month

Yes I know. I've never actually done an Artist of the Month before. Hell, the one time I did an Artist of the Week I didn't even complete it. So you know, I fully intend on seeing this one through.

My Artist of the Month is on of my favorite bands of all time.

U2

In the beginning...




Lawrence "Larry" Joseph Mullen, Jr. was born on October 31, 1961 in Artane, which is on the north side of Dublin, Ireland. He was the middle child of Maureen and Larry Mullen Sr.

Larry began playing drums at the age of 9, and spent some time in a local marching band. In the fall of 1976, he posted a note on the bulletin board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, which he attended, saying he was a drummer looking for musicians to form a band.


Adam Charles Clayton was born March 13, 1960, the eldest child of Brian and Jo Clayton, in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England. His family moved to Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland when Adam was 5.

After being thrown out of a few private boarding schools as a teenager, Adam eventually landed at Mount Temple, where he eventually saw the notice posted by Larry. Adam had recently taken up the bass guitar, and he discovered his friends, Dave and Dik Evans would also be going to try out for the band.


David Howell Evans was the second child of Welsh parents Gwenda and Garvin Evans. Dave was born on August 8, 1961 in Barking, London, England. The Evans family moved to Dublin, Ireland in 1962.

Dave and his older brother Dik both took piano and guitar lessons, and often performed together. They were also learning to build guitars themselves. Dave also happened to sing a little. While they were attending Mount Temple, they both decided to answer an add they saw looking for musicians.


Paul David Hewson was born in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. Ireland, on May 10, 1960. He was the second child of Iris, an Angelican, and Bob, a Roman Catholic.

Iris Hewson died on September 10, 1974, when Paul was just 14. She'd suffered a cerebral aneurysm at her own father's funeral.

Paul knew how to play guitar but didn't own one. Nevertheless, he answered the add looking for musicians on the board at the school he attended, Mount Temple.


The first meeting of the soon-to-be band was set up in Larry's kitchen. After the final line-up was decided, Larry on drums, Adam Clayton on bass, Dave and Dik Evans on guitars with Dave doing backing vocals, and Paul Hewson on vocals, they had to think of a name. The first name was The Larry Mullen Band. That lasted about "5 minutes. Maybe 6." The band then settled on the name Feedback, named for the primary sound coming from the bands' amps.

Paul had been involved in a street gang of sorts called Lypton Village. Part of the culture of this gang was the giving of nicknames. Paul had been given the nickname of "Bono Vox of O'Connoll Street," which had become shortened to just "Bono." Bono and Dave, who had been acquaintances at school, were becoming close friends. He gave Dave the nickname "The Edge," because of his angular jaw.

In march 1977, Feedback changed their name to The Hype. Dik was beginning to attend college, so he decided to leave the band. They held a farewell show for Dik at Presbyterian Church Hall in Howth playing cover tunes. Halfway through the set Dik ceremoniously left the stage, leaving Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry to complete the set on their own. For the last half of the set they played all original music and revealed yet another new band name: U2.

U2 eneterd a talent contest that was to be held in Limerick, Ireland on St. Patrick's Day. First prize was a record contract.

U2 won.

A music shuffle survey thing

Because I am bored. Also, I hadn't seen one like this before, so I thought I'd do it.

Awesome-ness (A Shuffle/Music Survey) :D! Created by lover-face and taken 732 times on Bzoink
Put your music player on shuffle/random and answer these questions with the
song title. If it doesn't make sense, hopefully you'll have a laugh. :]:]:]
1. Don't you think this would look awesome on a t-shirt?:	Turn The Page
2, These are the words that you say with your dying breath.:	London Calling
3. You go to the bar & order your favorite drink called...:	One Step Closer
4. The advice you offer to your friend who is having relationship problems::	My Gift To You
5. The pickup line you use to charm that cutie across the room...:	Rain. Sun. Gone.
6. You decide to get a tattoo of your life motto which is...:	Let's Do This Now
7. If you were to create your own perfume/cologne, you'd call it...:	Schism
8. You're hoping this catch phrase will replace the word awesome...:	Fight Fire With Fire
9. You always thought this would be a great title for a soap opera...:	Change (In The House Of Flies)
10. When you open your fortune cookie it reads...:	Points Of Authority
Complete the sentence with lyrics of the song either with a line, phrase or
word(s).
11. My excuse for not going into work today is...:	cause my path had lost direction
12. I would solve the current financial crisis by...:	dreams of war, dreams of liars, dreams of dragon's fire
13. The reason for my frown is...:	no longer living, just a shell of what I've dreamed
14. I just called to say...:	Stop fuckin' with me, I'm the accused I'm not the enemy
15. My remedy for fixing a broken heart is...:	Going coast to coast watching all the girlies shaking
16. Sorry officer for speeding, I...:	I've been crawling on my belly
Basic iPod (MP3 player etc) Questions.
17. First 3 artists/bands in your music player?:	Adam & the Ants, AFI and Aiden
18. How many songs in total?:	1598
19. Which artist/band do you listen to the least?:	I listen to all of them
20. Name a song title starting with a S. Who is it by? Like it?:	Sunday Bloody SUnday by U2. I freakin LOVE it
21. What's your current favorite song?:	Hurricane by 30 Seconds To Mars
22. Do you have any techno artists on your music player? Are you a raver?:	Not really
23. Name the last album title in your music player & who it is by?:	30 Seconds To Mars (band and album name)
24. Any movie soundtracks on your music player?:	Queen of The Damned and Sweeney Todd
Put your music player on shuffle/random again. Answer with song title
and artist.
25. I get this really goofy smile on my face when I hear...:	If I die Tomorrow by Motley Crue
26. This song gives me a killer headache...:	Animals by Nickelback
27. This song totally gets me in "the" mood...:	Mr. Jack by System of a Down
28. My dance jam is definately...:	Acrobat by U2
29. My favorite song ever...:	Edge of the Earth by 30 Seconds To Mars
30. This song reminds me of my mother...:	Master Of Puppets by Metallica
31. This song describes my current state of mind...:	In Pieces by Linkin Park
32. This song describes my dream last night...:	Bullet The Blue Sky by U2
33. Basically this is my New Year's resolution...:	Wherever I May Roam by Metallica
34. This would be the perfect superhero theme song...:	Dirty by Korn
35. For whatever reason this song makes me cry...:	Ditty Diego (War Chant) by The Monkees
36. Like wow, this would be perfect for a fight scene in a movie...:	Hold On Girl by The Monkees
37.I would serenade my crush by singing this song...:	Dirty Day by U2
38. This song has taught me a life lesson...:	Take A Bow by Rihanna
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