U2 Album: “Joshua Tree [DVD]”

I must admit that I didn't have high expectations for this DVD. I imagined a lot of old interviews and video footage of the band and not much else. However, when I watched the DVD, I was pleasantly surprised. This DVD was made in the last two years...interviewing all of U2, Flood, Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno, Steve Lillywhite and Paul McGuiness. There is also an interview with designer Steve Averill and photographer Anton Corbijn about the sleeve work. Lanois, Bono and Edge sit down at the mixing console and pull out the old 2" recording tape to listen to the old mixes of many of the songs. I also found it humorous to watch Bono wince as he listened to some of his old vocal tracks from the album's recording. Edge even pulls out the guitar and plays along to the end of With or Without You. He also plays the original 4 track recording of "Streets" that he made. There are also a great deal of unique short clips of the band...most notably one of U2 performing "Mothers of the Disapeared" in Chile (with some of the actual mothers of the disappeared) a couple years ago. Yes, it is short, but still worth the time and money. The DVD doesn't cover all the songs, leaving out One Tree Hill, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wires and Red Hill Mining Town. It was interesting though to learn how songs like Exit and Mothers of the Disappeared were created. This DVD is a must for die-hard fans.

This rare, insider's look into the making of U2's classic release "Joshua Tree" was filmed after their most recent Popmart tour in their hometown of Dublin. This video gives the viewer a close up, personal glimpse into how that masterpiece was constructed. From Bono's no-nonsense, personal recollections to Edge's guitar demonstations and ancedotes, this video is like being in the studio with the members themselves. The video also includes in depth and detailed track-by-track analysis by the production team of Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno (who are also working on the forthcoming U2 release scheduled for later this year). Adam and Larry are also featured as well as Steve Lillywhite , and long time friend and photographer Anton Corbijn.

This video is a must have for all U2 fans as well as anyone who is interested in how a brilliant aural masterpiece such as Joshua Tree is conceived, contructed, and recorded.

The documentary opens with Elvis Costello (a legend himself) recalling the excitement of purchasing "Joshua Tree" for the first time. That excitement hasn't been recaptured since by any other band or by U2 themselves. As Bono relates, the sound of the "Joshua Tree" songs ("Where the Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "With or Without You") have become so familiar after constant rotation on the radio. But in its time, each song was an unheard-of soundscape. Nothing else in pop music had that intensity, depth, and confidence.The "Making Of" documentary is a decent one. Not stunning with revelation, but interesting to reflect on U2's signature days in light of the band's resurgence with the latest album "All That You Can't Leave Behind." It's also an opportunity to see behind-the-scenes gurus like Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno, and the Flood who would otherwise remain just names on the album liner notes for we non-industry folks. You start to realize that the band is a collaborative act. Like the Beatles, it's not just the four guys up front.The DVD isn't as slickly produced as "Rattle And Hum" (a post-"Joshua Tree" examination of U2). However, if you enjoy looking at scratch notes to an album that's become a legend, this does the trick.

"Classic Albums - U2: The Joshua Tree" is not like the other DVDs with the band's name on it. This is not a concert video, or a collection of their music videos. This is a feature length documentary (about an hour) on the making of the Joshua Tree album. Featuring interviews with members of the band, producer Daniel Lanois, and the band's manager, Paul McGuinness, the documentary offers some very interesting information on what went in to the making of such a timeless record: it offers some fascinating stories on the troubles the band faced switching from 6/4 to 4/4 time on "Where the Streets Have No Name"; you will hear some lost guitar tracks that never made it in to songs like "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"; and you will hear what the Edge has to say about his favorite guitar part on the album (the closing of "With or Without You"), or what Bono has to say about how interesting such an odd sounding song (at the time) became such an enormous hit.

If you are looking at this DVD expecting a concert film, check out "Rattle and Hum", "Elevation Live from Boston" or "Vertigo Live from Chicago" instead. If you want a collection of U2's videos, check out the DVD "U2: Best of 1990-2000". But, if you are simply curious about the making of such an amazing album, this DVD is well worth it, although you probably won't watch it very often. But certainly, if you enjoy well-made documentaries, and you love The Joshua Tree, this is a DVD well-worth looking in to.

i loved this dvd! ....i always get a kick outta learning new things about the greatest band ever! i found it refreshing to see bono so humble and to hear the original track versions in the raw!