You Plant A Demon Seed, You Raise A Flower Of Fire

The Joshua Tree
U2 (1987)

The fastest selling album in British history was released 35 years ago today.  The Joshua Tree would go on to sell over 25 million copies worldwide and propel U2 into superstardom.  In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it at #26 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The record begins with three consecutive songs which have each become anthems: Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, and With Our Without You.  It then punches you in the gut with an angry and powerful stand against the military actions that Bono witnessed in El Salvador - Bullet The Blue Sky.  It's a snapshot of blind human aggression that sadly continues to be relevant today.

The Joshua Tree is a album that everybody who loves and appreciates music should listen to in its entirety, uninterrupted, at least once in their lives.