Hot Press Joshua Tree Review

"Between the increasingly mercenary implosion of hard rock into a static vaudeville routine and the intervention of pop dance-floor values, rock has lost its lustre and mystique of genuinely redeeming passion."

Looking back on 1987 from here in 2020, this assessment of the rock landscape is interesting - or maybe not. It's probably required to bemoan the current state of rock at any given point. 

I'm not sure he was wrong, though. 1987 doesn't stand out in my memory as being in a time of peak rock and roll. Not that there wasn't good rock, only that if you pulled up "great years for rock" I don't think 1987 would be top of list.

Here's my theory. The baby boomers had a great run at rock, but by the late 80s I think their star was dimming. There was a transition time between boomer rock and the new rock landscape by Gen X, which was just around the corner.

Our guys are interestingly on the edge of the generations - I'd call them boomers but they are almost Xers. The youngest boomers, the oldest Xers.

So I see them as, with this lucky generational twist, having their foot in both camps. Sunday Bloody Sunday is Boomer rock. Zooropa is Xer rock.

A beautiful thing, that. And they were THERE in 1991 when it was all being reinvented. Nkt just riding along, but among thise that DID it.

<chef's kiss>

"It is also the second successive album where U2 strip away the skins of their previous styles. Only the opening 'Where The Streets Have No Name', 'In God's Country' and, possibly, elements of 'One Tree Hill' preserve previously identifiable hallmarks. Otherwise, The Edge's guitar has developed its own military tendency, homing in on the legacy of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, while the group's new commitment to songs finds both Bono and the rhythm section contending on dance-floors they never previously frequented, with complete confidence."

Whoa!! Lots in there!

Of the three songs he named as having hallmarks of their previous sound, I think IGC has no predecessor in the U2 catalog. And Streets and OTH, you could argue to me that they built on previous sound but why thise? If those are related, why not also BTBS and RTSS?

Edge's miltary tendency - was that not also apparent on... say... War?

Finally.. DANCE FLOOR?? THE JOSHUA TREE?? DANCE FLOOR? Whaaaa??

"Between the increasingly mercenary implosion of hard rock into a static vaudeville routine and the intervention of pop dance-floor values, rock has lost its lustre and mystique of genuinely redeeming passion."

Looking back on 1987 from here in 2020, this assessment of the rock landscape is interesting - or maybe not. It's probably required to bemoan the current state of rock at any given point. 

I'm not sure he was wrong, though. 1987 doesn't stand out in my memory as being in a time of peak rock and roll. Not that there wasn't good rock, only that if you pulled up "great years for rock" I don't think 1987 would be top of list.

Here's my theory. The baby boomers had a great run at rock, but by the late 80s I think their star was dimming. There was a transition time between boomer rock and the new rock landscape by Gen X, which was just around the corner.

Our guys are interestingly on the edge of the generations - I'd call them boomers but they are almost Xers. The youngest boomers, the oldest Xers.

So I see them as, with this lucky generational twist, having their foot in both camps. Sunday Bloody Sunday is Boomer rock. Zooropa is Xer rock.

A beautiful thing, that. And they were THERE in 1991 when it was all being reinvented. Nkt just riding along, but among thise that DID it.

<chef's kiss>

The Boomer vs Gen X thing has little or no relevance in Ireland or the UK, though I'd grant that they were influenced by Gen X 'culture' in the Achtung period.

I'd literally never heard those generational tags until using a forum with people from America on it!

I'd literally never heard those generational tags until using a forum with people from America on it!

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG

WATCH MORE TV

 

Quote from: an tha on May 12, 2020, 04:46:10 PM

I'd literally never heard those generational tags until using a forum with people from America on it!

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG

WATCH MORE TV

 

contredire c'est retablir l'equilibre

Quote from: MPare1966 on May 12, 2020, 04:55:37 PM

Quote from: an tha on May 12, 2020, 04:46:10 PM

I'd literally never heard those generational tags until using a forum with people from America on it!

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG

WATCH MORE TV

 

contredire c'est retablir l'equilibre

Devil’s advocate 

Quote from: laoghaire on May 12, 2020, 04:03:54 PM

"Between the increasingly mercenary implosion of hard rock into a static vaudeville routine and the intervention of pop dance-floor values, rock has lost its lustre and mystique of genuinely redeeming passion."

Looking back on 1987 from here in 2020, this assessment of the rock landscape is interesting - or maybe not. It's probably required to bemoan the current state of rock at any given point. 

I'm not sure he was wrong, though. 1987 doesn't stand out in my memory as being in a time of peak rock and roll. Not that there wasn't good rock, only that if you pulled up "great years for rock" I don't think 1987 would be top of list.

Here's my theory. The baby boomers had a great run at rock, but by the late 80s I think their star was dimming. There was a transition time between boomer rock and the new rock landscape by Gen X, which was just around the corner.

Our guys are interestingly on the edge of the generations - I'd call them boomers but they are almost Xers. The youngest boomers, the oldest Xers.

So I see them as, with this lucky generational twist, having their foot in both camps. Sunday Bloody Sunday is Boomer rock. Zooropa is Xer rock.

A beautiful thing, that. And they were THERE in 1991 when it was all being reinvented. Nkt just riding along, but among thise that DID it.

<chef's kiss>

The Boomer vs Gen X thing has little or no relevance in Ireland or the UK, though I'd grant that they were influenced by Gen X 'culture' in the Achtung period.

Point taken, the generations ate indeed not the same (though they are probably getting more similar as our cultures do).

Still, there was probably a post-war generation in Ireland, followed a generation's length by ankther generation that was different in many way from X but also dintinguished itself from the post war generation. (But highly affected by The Troubles, the Church, and other generational shapers). And it was affected by American rock music as well as English.

And there was a shift in rock in the 90s. I see heavily correlations behind the personalities of the two cited generations and the rock music of their eras. I won't bore you with the details.

Quote from: laoghaire on May 12, 2020, 04:03:54 PM

"Between the increasingly mercenary implosion of hard rock into a static vaudeville routine and the intervention of pop dance-floor values, rock has lost its lustre and mystique of genuinely redeeming passion."

Looking back on 1987 from here in 2020, this assessment of the rock landscape is interesting - or maybe not. It's probably required to bemoan the current state of rock at any given point. 

I'm not sure he was wrong, though. 1987 doesn't stand out in my memory as being in a time of peak rock and roll. Not that there wasn't good rock, only that if you pulled up "great years for rock" I don't think 1987 would be top of list.

Here's my theory. The baby boomers had a great run at rock, but by the late 80s I think their star was dimming. There was a transition time between boomer rock and the new rock landscape by Gen X, which was just around the corner.

Our guys are interestingly on the edge of the generations - I'd call them boomers but they are almost Xers. The youngest boomers, the oldest Xers.

So I see them as, with this lucky generational twist, having their foot in both camps. Sunday Bloody Sunday is Boomer rock. Zooropa is Xer rock.

A beautiful thing, that. And they were THERE in 1991 when it was all being reinvented. Nkt just riding along, but among thise that DID it.

<chef's kiss>

The Boomer vs Gen X thing has little or no relevance in Ireland or the UK, though I'd grant that they were influenced by Gen X 'culture' in the Achtung period.

In the Achtung period they were influenced by Gen Boomers. David Bowie, Kraftwerk...

"Between the increasingly mercenary implosion of hard rock into a static vaudeville routine and the intervention of pop dance-floor values, rock has lost its lustre and mystique of genuinely redeeming passion."

Looking back on 1987 from here in 2020, this assessment of the rock landscape is interesting - or maybe not. It's probably required to bemoan the current state of rock at any given point. 

I'm not sure he was wrong, though. 1987 doesn't stand out in my memory as being in a time of peak rock and roll. Not that there wasn't good rock, only that if you pulled up "great years for rock" I don't think 1987 would be top of list.

I have no idea of the accuracy of any of his assessments, but he certainly captures the fervor many felt for this album and this band at the time. I don't recall it being generational. Not until the '90's, at least ... that was definitely a younger crowd than me.