Why This ICONIC 80s Album Was Also Their Toughest | Album Breakdown | Professor of Rock

Despite its eventual historic significance, there was a moment when the band’s iconic lead singer contemplated scrapping one of the greatest albums ever recorded, because he had second thoughts about the quality of the record. The story of what led to the creation of U2’s astonishing achievement The Joshua Tree NEXT on Professor of Rock. Thank you to this Episodes Sponsor, Zenni Optical Incredible Prices on New Glasses - https://bit.ly/ZenniOpticalShop ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Executive Producer Brandon Fugal Honorary Producers Scratchers J Scratcherton Esq, Neil Gardner, Leann Pass, Moon Comix ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check Out My Hand Picked Selection Below Professor's 80s Store 100 Best Selling Albums https://amzn.to/3h3qZX9 Ultimate History of 80s Teen Movie https://amzn.to/3ifjdKQ 80s to 90s VHS Video Cover Art https://amzn.to/2QXzmIX Totally Awesome 80s A Lexicon https://amzn.to/3h4ilrk Best In Ear Headphones (I Use These Every Day) https://amzn.to/2ZcTlIl ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check Out The Professor of Rock Merch Store - http://bit.ly/ProfessorMerch Access To Backstage Content Become a Patron - http://bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan Help out the Channel by purchasing your albums through our links! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you, thank you for your support. Click here for Premium Content: https://bit.ly/SignUpForPremiumContent https://bit.ly/Facebook_Professor_of_... https://bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of... #80s #Vinyl #Story Hey music junkies Professor of Rock always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time for the music community and vinyl community. If you long for the days of MTV when they actually played music you’ll love this community , subscribe below right now so you never miss an episode of our daily features. and check our Patreon link to be a part of curating this history. Since their debut album BOY in 1980, U2 steadily ascended through the ranks as one of music’s most acclaimed and vital band. Often categorized in the New Wave & Post Punk genres, by 1987, U2 had transcended classification. It was during this time that the four members of U2- Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullins, and Adam Clayton, felt removed from what was going on in the music business. The breadth of their music- evolving over 4 consecutive multi-platinum LPs- positioned the band for far-reaching significance, while their burgeoning fan base anxiously awaited the release of their 5th studio album- with the working title The Two Americas. The Two Americas originated from from what U2 manager Paul McGuinness called the band's "great romance" with the United States, as the group had toured the country for up to five months per year throughout the first half of the '80s. U2 Frontman Bono revealed that that he "started to see two Americas, the mythic America and the real America. The Edge was more interested in the European atmospherics of The Unforgettable Fire, and was initially reluctant to follow Bono's lead to seek a more American sound. The Edge was eventually convinced otherwise, after discovering blues and country artists such as Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and Lefty Frizzell on American public radio stations during the Unforgettable Fire Tour. The foursome was ultimately smitten by the country's geography. The 11th and final track on The Joshua Tree is the scathingly political “Mothers of the Disappeared.” The song was written on a Spanish guitar, and the melody lifted from a piece Bono composed in Ethiopia in '85 to help teach children basic forms of hygiene. “Mothers of the Disappeared" was another track inspired by Bono's experiences in Nicaragua and El Salvador in July '86, following U2's participation in the Conspiracy of Hope tour of benefit concerts for Amnesty International. Bono learned of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, a group of women whose children had "forcibly disappeared" at the hands of the Argentine and Chilean dictatorships. On the night before the January 15th, 1987 deadline set by Island Records to complete the record, the band and the crew completed the mixing for The Joshua Tree. The flop sweats that Bono experienced turned out to be nothing but needless worry…. Man... is that an understatement. 80s vinyl The Joshua Tree was released on time, on March 9th, 1987, becoming one of the world's best-selling albums of all time, with well over 25 million copies sold.