While U2 has partially tied its desire to honor "The Joshua Tree" to the current political climate in the U.K. (Brexit) and the U.S. (Trump), for fans, it still amounts to getting to hear an album embedded in many listeners' psyches played live. Chances are U2 won't do another "in its entirety" tour. But that won't keep us from wish-listing a few more records for the treatment.
"War" (1983) _ Released when the boys were still bright-eyed, fist-pumping Irish idealists (though Bono would likely say he still is an idealist) and any aspiring guitarist could still learn Edge's signature riffs without needing a roomful of effects and pedals (seriously, his board has had up to 40 pedals!). The album takes the energy of its predecessor "October," and adds lyricist Bono's burgeoning political interests in tunes such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day," along with the catchy "Two Hearts Beat as One."
The album and its accompanying videos quickly became staples on that still newfangled MTV. The videos also added a bit of hipness to MTV, which aside from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" videos, was still relying quite a bit on videos from aging rockers. War turns 35 in 2018.
"Achtung Baby" (1991) _ Put together during a troubled time in the band after critics tsk-tsked the perceived self-important, navel-gazing of "The Joshua Tree" tour's concert film "Rattle and Hum," U2 did that U2 thing where it retained its signature sound while expanding on its musical palette. "Achtung Baby" loses much of the rootsy Americana and Irish (Irelanda?) influences for a more than current slab of alt-rock, a hint of the sounds of the industrial music The Edge was into at the time, and a dash of dance music.
Hit tracks such as "Mysterious Ways," "One" and "Even Better Than the Real Thing" have always been great concert moments and Bono could (briefly) resurrect The Fly persona he developed and explored during the subsequent massive, technologically wondrous Zoo TV Tour.
"All That You Can't Leave Behind" (2000) _ Sure, they could wait until 2020 and go back and tour their 1980 debut "Boy" featuring "I Will Follow." But it's hard to imagine 60-year-old Bono giving that entire album the youthful energy that made it interesting even when all the songs weren't quite there.
But with "All That You Can't Leave Behind," released at the turn of the century, U2 returned to the charts and found that late-era Bowie-esque sweet spot of giving listeners the familiar without simply retreading or rewriting past gems. The album's hits included the rocking "Elevation," the anthemic "Beautiful Day" and the gospel-influenced "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of." But aside from the singles, there's also the soul-laced "In A Little While," the soft-verse-loud-chorus ode to New York and the breezy "When I Look At The World," which has never been played live.
