![u2 the joshua tree remaster disc 2 u2 the joshua tree remaster disc 2](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8H0AAOxykMpTGxXC/s-l500.jpg)
The United States' military intervention in El Salvador angered Bono and prompted him to ask The Edge to "put El Salvador through an amplifier" for the song "Bullet the Blue Sky". In his earlier 1986 travels to Central America, Bono saw first hand the distress of peasants bullied in political conflicts, and this was a central influence on the album. The album sessions for The Joshua Tree proper began in July 1986 at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. Rather than being a distraction, the band found the tour added extra intensity and power to their new music, providing extra focus on what they wanted to say. The band interrupted their 1986 album sessions to join Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour.
![u2 the joshua tree remaster disc 2 u2 the joshua tree remaster disc 2](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/djkAAOSwEnNgquQl/s-l300.jpg)
The band wanted to build on The Unforgettable Fire's atmospherics, but also sought a more hard-hitting sound within the strict discipline of more conventional song structures, in contrast to The Unforgettable Fire's often out-of-focus experimentation. Friendships with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Keith Richards encouraged the band to look back to the roots of rock music, and focused Bono on his skills as a song and lyric writer. Since that album, they had spent time with fellow Irish bands The Waterboys and Hothouse Flowers, and felt a sense of indigenous Irish music being blended with American folk music. In 2007, a remastered version of the album was released to mark the 20th anniversary of its original release.įollowing The Unforgettable Fire album, U2 realised that they "had no tradition, we were from outer space", and they explored American blues, country and gospel music. The album is one of the world's best-selling albums of all-time, having sold over 28 million copies. In 2003, the album was ranked number 26 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The Joshua Tree won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Album of the Year in Grammy Awards of 1988. The album produced several hit singles, including "Where the Streets Have No Name", "With or Without You", and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", all of which remain radio staples. The album increased the band's stature "from heroes to superstars," according to Rolling Stone. The album was produced and engineered by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Lyrically, The Joshua Tree depicts the band's fascination with America and many of the ideas it stands for. The album features the band's exploration of roots rock, with their music exhibiting influences from blues-rock, folk rock, Southern rock, and gospel music. Recording sessions took place from July to November of 1986 at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released Maon Island Records.