There’s a new “challenge” out there called #MusiCaresChallenge. It challenges you to find an album that played a significant part in your life and to take a selfie with it using the hashtag. Then you donate MusiCares, which helps independent musicians.
I’m not going to challenge anyone to do it but it got me thinking “what album would I chose”. It didn’t take long for me to think of it.
I’m taking a little detour here from country music and going back to rock. As you all know, that’s all I listened to my whole life. This album and band is rock. It’s actually one of the highest selling albums of all time by the biggest band in the world. The Joshua Tree is the album. U2 is the band.
It sounds like a cliche album to pick but I don’t care because it’s the damn truth. It’s like a thread that’s been enter woven into my life and I have been reminded of it a few times throughout my years.
I have my mom to thank for this one (and a bunch more too). She listened to it. Like me, she still loves it today. If one of the “big 3” songs came on the radio I know we couldn’t turn it off. In fact, there have been many times where I’ve listened to “With or Without You” over and over again.
“With or Without You” started playing one time when someone I thought I was in love with was with me driving to Las Vegas. She told me her friend once listened to the song repeatedly at that point on a trip they were on. I thought it was a sign. Turns out that weekend was the last we spent any time together and my heart was broken. I guess my life went on “without you”, and that’s fine.
Another time this song came on in the car was when I was younger. This time I was also in the desert. We were on a family vacation with some friends and everyone in the van was singing along without planning it. Nobody else ever said anything after but it was a moment I’ll never forget, totally cool.
I love that the “Where the Streets Have No Name” music video was filmed in downtown Los Angeles. That brings it come for me. And of course my favorite vacation spot hosted the video for “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”! Shot in downtown Las Vegas, it captures the energy that it once had before Fremont Street was enclosed.
The songs on The Joshua Tree reside in the Mojave Desert. You have to live in the southwest to know the kind of darkness AND beauty this desert holds. The images on the album jacket where taken there. In fact, the album was at one point going to be called Desert Songs. This Irish band somehow came to America and created a string of “American” albums in the 80s, capturing something truly special that not even they could ever recreate.
There is a “panoramic” sound to the entire album that’s symbolized on the cover. It tells you this is something big before you even hear the first note.
Simply put, I love these songs.
Meet Country 