U2 'JOSHUA TREE' 1987 FIRST PRESSING * DMM * TRANSLUCENT BROWN 'SPECIALTY' PRESS

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U2 'JOSHUA TREE' 1987 FIRST PRESSING * DMM * TRANSLUCENT BROWN 'SPECIALTY' PRESS
U2  'THE JOSHUA TREE' LABEL: ISLAND RECORDS 90581-1  (7 90581-1) FIRST PRESSING, BROWN TRANSLUCENT VINYL, DMM, GATEFOLD SLEEVE PRESSED ON HIGH-QUALITY TRANSLUCENT BROWN VIRGIN VINYL DIRECT METAL MASTERING (DMM)  RELEASED: MARCH 9, 1987 RECORDED & MIXED AT WINDMILL LANE  RECORDING STUDIO ~ DUBLIN MASTERING & LACQUERS: MASTERDISK PRODUCERS: BRIAN ENO & DANIEL LANOIS SIDE ONE MIXED BY STEVE LILLYWHITE RECORD COMPANY: ISLAND RECORDS ~ ISLAND RNTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. PRESSING: SPECIALTY RECORDS CORPORATION ('SP' IN DEADWAX) RECORDING ENGINEERS: MARK WALLACE & MARY KETTLE ALBUM DESIGN:  STEVE AVERILL ~ 'THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT, LTD. ALBUM COVER PHOTOS: ANTON CORBIJN LABEL CATALOG NUMBER: ST-IL-876295 / ST-IL-876296 MATRIX (SIDE B): (Etched) ST-IL 876296-A DMM MASTERDISK SP 2-2 MATRIX (SIDE A): (Etched) ST-IL 876295-A DMM MASTERDISK  2-2
CONDITION:   VINYL: EX    JACKET: EX- TO EX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been going thru my large vinyl record collection over the past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 45 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
After all, we are just temporary 'caretakers' of these musical gems until the next owner and next collection takes them in.
This week on EBay I am offering up this rare 1987 First Pressing of U2's classic, iconic album 'The Joshua Tree'.
This is the original, early, 1987 'Specialty' First pressing on transparent brown, high quality, virgin vinyl.
This is my personal copy that I purchased 'new' back when it was first released, in the summer of 1987.
I've taken great care of this record for over 35 years now. It's been poly-line sleeved, inside and out, since I purchased it, stored properly in my collection, and it's still in fantastic condition. Clean and bright. 
Please read the full description of this album's content, it's recording history, and much more details on the record's condition below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should note up front that this pressing does NOT have it's original lyric sheet. Not sure what happened to it; I'm sure it's inside one of my other U2 records, but can't locate it. Other than that, it's a beautiful clean copy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joshua Tree is a powerful, uncompromising record with uniformly excellent songs. 
One of the best, if not THE best U2 album, a highlight of their career, and one of the best and most iconic records of the Eighties, a true Classic Album.
This is easily U2's best album, the band operating at the peak of their powers. This album flows incredibly well, and is one of the greatest pieces of music ever. How can you not love this album as a rock fan? 
Released in March 1987, U2's 'The Joshua Tree' quickly became the fastest-selling album in British chart history, even beating The Beatles and Michael Jackson. In the US, it was equally successful, topping the Billboard album charts, and, deservedly so, going on to win the Grammy award for Album of the Year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE SOUND ON THIS 'SPECIALTY' TRANSLUCENT PRESSING
This album sounds truly amazing. The mastering is outstanding; dynamic, punchy and full, with lots of overhead and clarity. Excellent separation and details on all the instruments, as well as on Bono's voice, all of which are experienced on a wide open, transparent soundstage.
This pressing has phenomenal! depth to the low end so Adam Clayton's Bass and Larry's drums come through full, powerful and crystal clear.
The Edge's signature, fiery, yet tasteful, guitar work jumps off the reord. His airy 'delay' style of playing sounds nice and crisp. It still amazes me how he is still able to convey more meaning and emotion, with fewer notes, than any other rock guitarist of his generation.
The sting of Edge's guitar has real texture, tone and bite.
The midrange pops, so Bono's passionate emotional vocals and lyrics sound up front and fantastic. Steve Lillywhite's mixing on side A, and producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno's experienced veteran production skills all team up to create an absolutely fantastic sounding recording.
The mastering and overall 'atmosphere' is outstanding, with perfect sound levels on everything. It's not overly polished like some late 80's records can be, and the fact that it's a DMM pressing, mastered directly to the metal plates, as well as pressed on high quality translucent virgin vinyl, gives it that extra, crisp, powerful punch with a dead quiet floor. Everything sounds immersive, rich and detailed.
As far as songwriting - performance - recording - mastering - pressing - this Specialty records First pressing of 'Joshua Tree' is simply a masterpiece of mastering and manufacturing, and easily one of the best sounding albums of the late 80's. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joshua Tree marks something of a conscious refinement of the band's earlier 80's sound. The band changed up its sound and broadened the range of its musical mix, adding touches of blues, gospel, and traditional Americana, weaved into the remnants of their post punk roots. It's as if the band finally took time to ponder the wide-open American spaces it had been traveling and touring through for years and applied those musical and cultural observations to its songs. 
For producers, they recalled the services of co-producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who opened U2 's music to new textures and treatments on 1984's "The Unforgettable Fire." 
The producers don't just stay behind the mixing desk. Brian Eno adds his DX7 synth/Keyboards in places and does some backing vocals, while Danial Lanois adds his 'Omnichord', some guitar & tambourine in places, and also does some backing vocals.
Mixing engineer and Producer Steve Lillywhite, who's touch had given the earlier U2 albums so much punch and presence, was tasked with mixing first four songs, side one, of the album.
The result is U2 's most cohesive and coherent musical statement to date, as well as its most ambitious.  ~~~~~~~~~~
The songs on this iconic U2 album include:
Where The Streets Have No Name I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For With Or Without You / Bullet The Blue Sky Running To Stand Still / Red Hill Mining Town  In God's Country / Trip Through Your Wires One Tree Hill  / Exit The Mothers Of The Disappeared ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'The Joshua Tree' opens with the stunning triple salvo of 'Where The Streets Have No Name, 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', and 'With Or Without You', the best 3 track opening oo any album of the late 80's
All 3 of these songs were released as singles, became hits, are are still compelling, timeless, U2 classics that retain their emotionally charged intensity, and haven't lost their impact, despite frequent radio play over the years.
Every track on side A of this album is an absolute classic and the first half of this album is pure perfection, the perfect album side.
Side B of this album is more intimate, but no less powerful, and really brings this record home with some great heartfelt songs and pure artistry.
The epic album opener 'Where the Streets Have No Name' is a song about a post-apocalyptic urban landscape and Bono's search for spiritual transcendence, healing and love, a theme that permeates this entire album.
Bono’s lyrics are genius. “I want to run/I want to hide/I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.”  The intro of this anthemic song is long, powerful and glorius and features producer Brian Eno getting directly involved, playing an organ.
In my opinion, it's the best song on this album, and one of the best songs U2 has ever made. ~~
'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' is a song about Bono's painful yearning and hunger for spiritual fulfillment. Bono later said "It's a song about searching for meaning or transcendence...the most interesting thing about it is that you don't find it. It's about the search." ~~~
'With or Without You' is steeped in religious imagery but Bono has also said that it was about personal 'tensions' due to the fact that he "was at least two people: the person who is so responsible, protective and loyal and the vagrant and idler in me who just wants to run from responsibility...That tension, it turns out, is what makes me as an artist.”
These are all fantastic U2 songs and even their constant radio rotation hasn't robbed them of their potency or effectiveness.  ~~~
'Bullet the Blue Sky' is a politically-inspired song about America meddling in Central America. The band was both in awe of, and horrified by, America's barbaric, clandestine, militaristic, political interventions in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and other places around the world at the time.
The song is a powerful, brutal and intense listening experience with some fantastic, electrifying guitar work from the Edge. Bono's vocals are more spoken than sung, adding a newscast-like narration to the song.
Although this song was seen as Un-American and wasn't loved by critics at the time of release, it has grown on fans & listeners, and has become many U2 fan's favorite track on the album, other than the obvious 'hits'. ~~~
'Running To Stand Still' is a cautionary, mournful song about the ravages of heroin addiction. It features the Edge playing some beautiful acoustic slide guitar. ~~~
'Red Hill Mining Town'. In this song, Bono confronts the ongoing problems with the British coal mining industry, the mid-80s UK miners strike, and the devastating effect closing small mines had on local town economies and families. The song features some nice backing by the Arklow Shipping Silver Band, one of the top brass bands in Ireland. ~~~
'One Tree Hill' is a softly haunting song about the band's sudden loss of their roadie and close friend Greg Carroll, who had been killed in 1986 in a motorcycle accident, while riding Bono's bike, and running errands for the band.
This First pressing has "To the memory of Greg Carroll 1960-1986" in small text at the bottom of the back cover. ~~~
"Exit" was inspired after Bono read Norman Mailer's book 'The Executioner's Song' about the life of Utah murderer Gary Gilmore and his execution by firing squad. It's a surreal experience to listen to with that booming bass and powerful dynamics just popping off the vinyl. ~~~
This fantastic album ends with the soft, hypnotic 'Mothers of the Disappeared', a hymn to human rights. The song is about the Mothers of political dissidents who went missing in Chile and Argentina, during those Country's Military dictatorships. Mothers and family gathered in the Plaza De Mayo in Argentina to protest and hold vigil for their return. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Joshua Tree' is a powerful, uncompromising record with uniformly excellent songs about love, hope, loss and longing. It was their most focused album yet, heavily influenced by spiritual imagery, Irish roots music and mythical America, all infused with powerful bluesy and folk influences.
When writing the songs for this new album, U2 took their rich new sounds, brilliant melodies, tensions and rhythms, and meshed it perfectly with Bono's hopeful/hopeless lyrics 
The songs on 'The Joshua Tree' expose instances of inhumanity and social injustice to a largely ignorant world. The songs are full of desperation. Bono's lyrics and impassioned vocals try to find sense and hope in that desperation. Hope that those pieces of broken lives can come back together again. 
Bono's lyrics are powerful, thought-provoking and urgent, but tempered with tenderness. They are mostly characterized by grace, introspection, and beauty, quite different from some of the lyrics of the band's previous recordings and a major leap for Bono as both a lyricist and a vocalist. 
When writing the songs on this album, Bono toiled over his lyric writing like never before, in an effort to make sure his words were poetically 'correct', accurate, detailed, and politically nationless for the weighty subject matter he sings about.
Throughout the album, much of Bono's songwriting takes the form of a universal spiritual quest or journey. Bono strives for faith amid a desert of doubt, for love amid despair, for a glimmer of light and hope amid the surrounding darkness.
His characteristically Irish passion and charismatic Christianity show up in the songs, especially on side two, songs with an emphasis on the forgotten people and forgotten places around the globe.
Sometimes his lyrics are mysterious and his goals are uncertain, perhaps even unreachable, but his search for the good, for something positive, that can quench his deepest thirst, has it's own value and rewards.
The songs on 'The Joshua Tree' have an undeniable beauty, but a savage beauty, as well as a lushness and grandiosity that gives them an almost cinematic quality. 
"All great music comes out of conflict in one sort or another," explained Bono  after completing this album. "In all of U2 's music, there's one theme running through it - it's love against struggle." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U2's HISTORY AND THE STORY LEADING UP TO 'JOSHUA TREE'
U2's long career all started back in 1976,  when drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a note on a message board in his Dublin highschool, looking for some like-minded musicians to form a new band.
As a result, Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton eventually came together and formed a scrappy cover band. Soon they were recording their own punk-influenced songs, strongly inspired by their Christian faith, Irish roots, and British bands like The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Buzzcocks.
Constantly touring the clubs, improving their songwriting and sound, they eventually broke free from the confines of Dublin. Their debut single, '11 O'Clock Tick-Tock', released in May 1980, along with their passionate live performances, allowed them to ride the post-punk wave out of Ireland.
Right from the beginning, U2 always had their sights clearly on conquering the vast musical market outside of the UK, especially the American market.
In December 1980, after a long UK tour promoting their debut album "Boy", the band did a brief, short run of live shows along the East Coast, introducing and promoting the 'Boy' album to American audiences.
I was living in Philadelphia at the time, and was fortunate to see the band at the tiny Bijou Theater, a small club at 3rd & Lombard, just before Christmas. A good friend of mine, a fellow music buff and record collector, had heard how great their live act was and insisted I go see the show with him, even paying for my ticket.
Although I had worked in radio and did some freelance music writing at the time, I had never heard of the band before that night and was totally blown away. The band played an amazing, powerful, emotionally-charged, intimate show in a tiny, 250 seat, not even sold out, club. There were probably 150 people there, but the band played their hearts out, and the sound was incredible.  That show made me an instant fan, and I wasn't alone.
Word quickly spread about how good the band was, their debut record 'Boy' started to sell well in the States, and U2 returned to America in March 1981 for a few more shows, including the Bijou Café again, and started to build their American fan base.
From the moment they started making waves in America with "Boy", U2's political and socially conscious lyrics, unique, powerful sound, and anthemic choruses made them quickly stand out from other bands in the post-punk scene.
U2 redefined the sound and spirit of rock and roll in the mid 80's by blending elements of rock, post-punk, and socially conscious politics, creating several diverse, challenging, and experimental, yet very accessible, albums.
Only a handful of bands had the energy and passion to light up both the stage and college radio in the mid 80's the way U2 did.
U2 followed up 'Boy' with several very successful albums, 'October', 'War' and 'Unforgettable Fire', and a few Top 40 hits, all of which created lots of hype, praise and publicity.
The group fed off that enthusiasm, criss-crossing America, touring as much as their schedule allowed. The more the band's fan base grew, the harder U2 seemed to work to make it even bigger. They were building legions of hard core fans.
By 1983, U2 wanted to capitalize on the success they were having with their tours and decided to release a live album “Under a Blood Red Sky”. 
The album was released at the end of 1983 and focused on their legendary June 1983 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, but is fleshed out with other recordings taken from the 1983 'War' Tour.
U2 has always been at the forefront of using the latest media technology to promote their music, and video footage of the Red Rocks show was released on television and to home entertainment systems as well.
The album and videos highlighted how great the band was live on stage, and ticket demand for their shows exploded.
As the band toured across America, they were both amazed and shocked by American culture, social issues and politics. Bono's lyrics and the band's songwriting started to incorporate more 'American' themes and topics.
U2's 4th album, “The Unforgettable Fire” was released in October 1984 and contained the hit single 'Pride (In the Name of Love)'. The song was inspired by the civil rights work of Dr. Martin Luther King, and became U2’s first top 40 single in America.
The song was very popular here in the States and demand for tickets increased even further. U2 went from playing theaters to packing larger arenas by the spring of 1985. As more people attended the shows, word spread further about what a great band and great live act they were.
By the summer of 1985, U2 were becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, but their amazing performance during the 'Live Aid' festival, watched live on television by Millions of viewers, took an already very successful act and pushed them to the next level. 
Of all the artists who appeared at 'Live Aid', none enjoyed quite the same “bump” in popularity experienced by U2. They went into the show as a successful band, but their performance definitely catapulted them to superstar status. 
Between the summer of 1985 and 1987, their popularity continued to grow thanks to several hit singles, heavy radio airplay, exuberant live performances, and the major push they got from heavy rotation on MTV.
By 1987, U2 were on the cusp of international stardom. 
U2 finally achieved that superstardom with the March 1987 release of 'The Joshua Tree', their true masterpiece, and the band's 'classic' album that U2 had been working towards over the course of seven years. 
On 'Joshua Tree', the band consolidated and refined all the best elements of their earlier sound and previous albums, then came up with a new, but familiar, group sound, and broadened their musical range, resulting in the album containing not just one, but two, #1 hits, the only chart toppers in their career, so far.
The album featured the hits "With or Without You" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" and explored themes of spirituality, politics, and American culture. 
"The Joshua Tree" was the pinnacle of their long and remarkable career, a significant leap forward in terms of songwriting, production and realizing their true potential, and showing how far the band had come from their primitive Dublin days.
This Masterpiece of an album achieved huge crossover success with mainstream audiences, but still retained the band's artsy alt-rock sound and biting political edge.
It became one of the best-selling albums of all time and solidified U2's status as one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
Some U2 fans say that 'Joshua Tree' was the band's best moment and best album, and that they went downhill afterwards. Others say that the band continued to get better, transform musically, and peak with 1991's "Achtung Baby".
The band then started to make a departure from their previous sound, incorporating more electronic and industrial influences, and experimenting with their sound. This alienated many older fans, but also secured many new ones.
As U2 moved on from 'Joshua Tree', some older fans couldn't tolerate Bono's 'The Fly' persona, his powerful un-suppressible Ego and strong political beliefs, the whole 'Pop' album and PopMart' tour, and were mad when 2014's "Songs of Innocence" album was 'forced' on them thru iTunes. Despite the controversy and backlash, 'Songs of Innocence' received critical acclaim and won that year's Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.
Fan's opinions also differ on the more recent U2 albums 'Songs of Experience' and 'Songs of Surrender'. Some say the band has achieved greater creative heights with these albums, others say the band has lost touch, and lost their significance. It's all a matter of personal taste and preference. 
In my opinion, it's really amazing how far U2 has fallen. They began to take themselves a little too seriously, driven by Bono and his ego. I, personally, started to lose interest after the 'Achtung Baby' tour, when Bono turned himself into a fruit fly. 
Despite Bono's later antics and Ego, one thing you can't deny is what a fantastic album 'Joshua Tree' was, and still is. 'The Joshua Tree' was the band's breakthrough into superstardom, their high water mark, an incredible record, and their finest moment. It belongs in every rock vinyl collection.
U2 still continues to release new music and tour extensively, captivating audiences around the world with their passionate performances. They have remained outspoken activists, using their platform to raise awareness about social and political issues. U2's fantastic albums, their influence on music, and their commitment to making a difference in the world can't be denied, earning them their place in rock history. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'The Joshua Tree' was U2's best album, a highlight of their career, an incredible record, and their finest moment.
If you 'still haven't found what you're looking for', this is an excellent, clean, First pressing copy of U2's 'Joshua Tree' on transparent brown virgin vinyl. A 'must have' for any fan and a true classic that belongs in any rock vinyl collection. One of the best and most iconic records of the Eighties.
You're not likely to find a better, cleaner, 'used' first pressing copy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the jacket, labels, inserts, and vinyl in my pictures.
This is my original copy of 'The Joshua Tree' that I purchased new, over 35 years ago, when it was a recent release. 
This record has been sleeved and stored properly for years, and is still in terrific condition.
VINYL: The vinyl is  fantastic. Clean and bright, with a nice glossy sheen. No obvious flaws, hairlines, scratches, dings or damage. It looks terrific, sounds great, and I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
This record is beautifully pressed on thick, heavy, high quality, translucent brown, virgin vinyl, with super sound to match. 
You can see from my photos how terrific it looks. Just like the day I purchased it.
LABELS. This pressing uses custom labels with images of the Joshua Tree on them. The labels are clean and bright; no dings, scuffs, writing or damage. The spindle holes are mostly clean and sharp, suggesting infrequent playing and my careful handling over the years.
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this still looks fantastic for a 35 year old copy. I tried to show details in my photos.
The album cover for 'Joshua Tree' features moody black and white photographs taken by Anton Corbijn. The pictures are set in Death Valley and feature actual Joshua trees that thrive in the harsh desert of the American southwest. The pictures were taken in the dead of winter and the band look mad because they were freezing cold and had to take off their coats for the shoot. They look miserable, because they were.
The images make a fitting symbol for the resilient, hopeful themes of the songs on this album. The album jacket was designed by Steve Averill, who had worked on all of the band's previous album covers. 
This is a Gatefold jacket. The inside of the gatefold is clean and bright, and the seam is fine.
This dark jacket is notorious for showing dings, scuffs, ringwear and fingerprints. This copy has been sleeved since new and is very clean. It's rare to find this record without some mild cover damage, but this one looks terrific.
This jacket has some very very mild, corner, 'bumping', from being stored and shifted around in my collection for 35+ years, but as you can see it otherwise still looks fantastic.
No names, marks, scuffs, ringwear or writing. The spine is straight, and there are no seam splits or other issues.
This copy is about as good a used copy of this classic U2 album as you're ever likely to find these days. 
Very nice, all original, and a real gem. I'm sure you'll be very happy to add it to your collection. It would make a great addition to any Classic Rock or U2 vinyl record collection.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare, and as described, and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it. A great, rare, original, excellent sounding copy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 50 years of vinyl record collecting. 
Over the next few months I'll be offering an assortment of these rare and collectable LP’s. Many of these records have been in my personal collection for decades. Some of them are quite rare and seldom come up for sale. Limited pressings, European imports, promos, fan club releases, live recordings, first pressings and other general rarities.
Keep an eye on my Ebay page, 'jjrbyrne' for more of these great rare collectible albums, EPs and 45 singles. 
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable and system to get a true picture of condition. 
Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest. I have had over 3,600 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for nearly 30 years, so please bid with confidence!
I'm a One-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love music, love collecting vinyl and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time listening, researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any record that I personally would not want in my collection.
As you well know, packing and shipping rare records requires special care and attention, therefore, shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $5.00 on this item. If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Media/Economy Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy!
I will gladly combine multiple records, or other items on my page, and make the shipping much less for you. I don’t inflate the shipping costs; they are what they are. I strive to keep them as low as possible. See my feedback for comments on my quality packing and shipping.
All items are packaged with sturdy cardboard mailers and appropriate padding. I take pride in my packaging and shipping and package all my records as if I were sending them to myself. I treat the records you win as if they were my own, and mail them the same way. 
All orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days of receipt. We package and ship our vinyl records with the greatest care, using proper packaging to ensure that your rare and collectible vinyl records arrive in pristine condition.
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far. I know I rambled on a bit, but can't help it. I have a passion for records. I hope this listing was entertaining and informative.   -- JOHN