Archive for Joshua Tree

A to Z Blogging Challenge Recap

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', 360 (2009), 360 (2011), A to Z April Challenge, Albums, Bono, Concerts, Elevation, Larry Mullen, Popmart, Songs, Tours, U2, Vertigo, Videos, ZooTv with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 1, 2013 by DeenasDays

I love blogging the A to Z Blog Challenge - blogging everyday in April, except Sundays, on a specific theme. I loved doing it last year, and I enjoyed it even more this year. I think I enjoy the challenge so much because I am one who likes to to lists things, rank my favorites. This year’s theme, in case you missed it was ‘My U2 from A to Z’ – about what aspects of U2 that has influenced me. It was fun, and it seemed I may have introduced a few new U2 topics. Just in case you were away from the internet in April, the following is what I wrote about: Achtung Baby, Bono, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Drums, Elevation Tour, First U2 Show, Get on Your Boots, Hallelujah Here She Comes and all B Sides from R & H and JT, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Joshua Tree, Kentucky Lexington Elevation 5.4.01, Larry Mullen Jr, Memphis Mullen, No Line on the Horizon, October, Popmart, Quest Field Seattle 360, Rattle and Hum, Storm Electrical, Three-Sixty (360) Tour, Unforgettable Fire, Vertigo Tour, War, X-Factor Fake U2 Audition, Yahwey, and ZooTv.

Larry hugging me

Larry hugging me

I also blogged the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z. I am not sure what I am going to write about U2 now since the new album and tour won’t be for several months, so if you have any suggestions please let me know.

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Rattle and Hum – my U2 A to Z

Posted in A to Z April Challenge, Albums, U2 with tags , , , on April 20, 2013 by DeenasDays

Almost 25 years ago, on November 4, 1988, exactly one month after my 16th birthday, I piled a bunch of my friends into my GMC Jimmy and drove to the movie theater to see the premiere of Rattle and Hum. People were dancing in the aisles. It was almost like being at a concert, not that I knew what a concert was actually like. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to go to concerts in high school, so I missed The Joshua Tree tour. Rattle and Hum the movie was my Joshua Tree tour. As if seeing U2 perform in concert wasn’t exciting enough, Rattle and Hum also showed me U2 recording in Sun Studio and touring Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Talk about my worlds colliding.

Rattle and Hum
Nov 4, 1988

I loved Rattle and Hum the album almost as much as The Joshua Tree. To me it was just an extension of it, sort of a Joshua Tree part 2. My favorites off of Rattle and Hum were and still are Heartland, Love Rescue Me, Angel of Harlem, and b-sides Hallelujah Here She Comes and A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel. I have never heard Heartland performed live, but I asked Bono about it once on the ZooTv tour. He agreed it was a great song, but skirted the question of ever playing it live. I was lucky enough to hear Love Rescue Me, or at least part of it, last summer at the 360 show in Salt Lake City in honor of Bob Dylan’s birthday.

I don’t think I can truly express how special Rattle and Hum is to me, and how crucial it was in growing my love for U2 – in my musical journey.

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.

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Joshua Tree – my U2 A to Z

Posted in A to Z April Challenge, Albums, U2 with tags , , on April 11, 2013 by DeenasDays

26 years ago U2′s The Joshua Tree, my favorite album, was released. It was March 9, 1987, and I was a freshman in high school. I heard With or Without You and liked it. I realized that it was by that same group who sang that song Pride I had heard before. But I had to check out and see what U2 looked like because at 14 it is very important to a have a crush on the band you like. I noticed a picture of U2 that a classmate had. Larry stood out right away as the attractive one and someone whose pictures would soon decorate my locker. I immediately bought The Joshua Tree. That summer, I remember walking along the beach in Ocean City, Maryland with my big boom box blaring I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, which became my favorite song and still is today. I noticed U2 because of With or Without You, but I fell in love with U2 because of Larry Mullen and I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.

Even though I had all of U2′s albums, The Joshua Tree was what I listened to constantly from 1987 to 1991 – along with Rattle and Hum. Besides I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, my favorites off The Joshua Tree are Red Hill Mining Town (I was obsessed with this song!), Running to Stand Still, Trip Through Your Wires, In God’s Country, and b-sides Luminous Times (one of my all-time top 5 favorite songs), Walk to the Water, Deep in the Heart and Spanish Eyes. I love the b-sides of The Joshua Tree as much as, if not more than, the songs that actually made it onto the album. The Joshua Tree was also all I watched for five years. I taped everything off MTV – the documentaries, the videos, the concerts, the award show appearances, and the interviews. My favorite is the the first U2 I ever taped off tv, the documentary Outside It’s America– I know it by heart because I used to watch it everyday.

Even though it has been 26 years, The Joshua Tree is still my favorite album. It is truly a part of me. I think because it was my first U2 album and all I listened to and watched for five years. It’s just so ingrained in me. Its songs are second nature to me. Like being home, they are comforting. The Joshua Tree changed my life.

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.

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I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – my U2 A to Z

Posted in A to Z April Challenge, Songs, U2 with tags , , , on April 10, 2013 by DeenasDays

My favorite song of all-time, U2 or otherwise, is I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, off my favorite U2 album The Joshua Tree. It was my first favorite U2 song and what solidified me as a U2 fan, along with Larry Mullen Jr. With or Without You introduced me to U2, but it was I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For that made me a fan. And 26 years later, I still have not found what I am looking for. But I love the journey, the quest for what truly makes me happy. Besides being a fantastic, spiritual and uplifting song, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is an amazing video – my favorite. It captures U2 during The Joshua Tree era in Las Vegas, my second favorite city. I cried when U2 played I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For at the second show in Anaheim on the 360 tour in 2011 because they hadn’t played it yet that leg. Even though I had heard it at lots of shows before, it was a special moment in Anaheim when U2 played I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. I find it interesting that Larry is on the cover of the single of my favorite song.

I have climbed the highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you.
I have run, I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.
I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in her finger tips
It burned like fire
(I was) burning inside her.
I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.
I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colours will bleed into one
Bleed into one.
But yes, I’m still running.
You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
Oh my shame, you know I believe it.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.
But I still haven’t found
What I’m looking for.

 

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.

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Hallelujah Here She Comes and all b-sides from R&H and JT – my U2 A to Z

Posted in A to Z April Challenge, Songs, U2 with tags , , , , on April 9, 2013 by DeenasDays

bsides

Some of my favorite U2 songs are the ones that didn’t make it onto their albums – the B Sides, especially the B-Sides from The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum. My favorites are Luminous Times, Walk to the Water, Spanish Eyes, Deep in the Heart, Sweetest Thing, A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel, and Hallelujah Here She Comes. Luminous Times is actually my second favorite U2 song ever. This song gives me chills every time I hear it, even though I have listened to it over and over again the past 26 years. The lyrics are so passionate and the way Bono sings them is so heart wrenching. I absolutely love it! My favorite part of Luminous Times, the part that really gets to me is, “I love you ‘cause I need to, not because I need you. I love you ‘cause I understand that God has given me your hand. He holds me in a tiny fist, and still I need your kiss. Hold on to love.” U2 has never played Luminous Times in concert. When I met Bono in 1992 on the ZooTv tour, I told him how much I loved Luminous Times and asked if they would ever play it in concert. Bono answered me by saying they were thinking of putting out a b-sides album. (Huh? That’s not what I asked.) Then before the 360 tour began in2009, Edge mentioned that they were thinking of playing some b-sides that they had never played before like Luminous Times - but unfortunately that did not happen.

 

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.

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Happy 24th Anniversary Rattle and Hum – Nov 4, 1988

Posted in Albums, U2 with tags , , on November 4, 2012 by DeenasDays

Twenty-four years ago today on November 4, 1988, exactly one month after my 16th birthday, I piled a bunch of my friends into my GMC Jimmy and drove to the movie theater to see the premiere of Rattle and Hum. People were dancing in the aisles. It was almost like being at a concert, not that I knew what a concert was actually like. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to go to concerts in high school, so I missed The Joshua Tree tour. Rattle and Hum was my Joshua Tree tour. As if seeing U2 perform in concert wasn’t exciting enough, Rattle and Hum also showed me U2 recording in Sun Studio and touring Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Talk about my worlds colliding.

Rattle and Hum
Nov 4, 1988

I loved Rattle and Hum almost as much as The Joshua Tree. To me it was just an extension of it, sort of a Joshua Tree part 2. My favorites off of Rattle and Hum were and still are Heartland, Love Rescue Me, Angel of Harlem, and b-sides Hallelujah Here She Comes and A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel. I have never heard Heartland performed live, but I asked Bono about it once on the ZooTv tour. He agreed it was a great song, but skirted the question of ever playing it live. I was lucky enough to hear Love Rescue Me, or at least part of it, last summer at the 360 show in Salt Lake City in honor of Bob Dylan’s birthday.

I don’t think I can truly express how special Rattle and Hum is to me, and how crucial it was in growing my love for U2 – in my musical journey.

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Luminous Times (Hold on to Love) – my spiritual journey with U2

Posted in my spiritual journey with U2, Songs with tags , , , on May 13, 2012 by DeenasDays

Luminous Times (Hold on to Love) is my second favorite U2 song, but I never thought of it in religious terms – until now. I recognize it as a song about Love, true love, the purest love. And God is Love – his love is the purest kind of love there is. Luminous Times says, “Hold on to love. Love won’t to let you go.” Love conquers all, in fact it is the only force that can overcome anything. 1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Love transforms enemies into friends.

Luminous Times says God is an essential part of the relationship between lovers – “I love you cause I need to, not because I need you. I love you ’cause I understand that God had given me your hand.” The two lovers help each other love God and because God is involved in their relationship, they are free of worry and full of hope.

Hey sister love
Hey sister sun
Hey oh my love
You turn me around tonight
Hey sister love
Save my soul
Hold on to love
Love won’t to let you go
Hold on to love
See the sunshine in her soul
Hey sister love
Hey sister sun
She come likes carnival
She is the big wheel
She turn my head around
She is the speedway
She is the slipstream
She is coming round
Hold on to love
Love won’t to let you go
Hold on to love
See the sunlight in her soul
She is the gun fire
She is the car crash
She is the avalanche
She is the thunder
She is the waves and
She pulls me under
I love you cause I need to
Not because I need you
I love you cause I understand
That God had given me your hand
Holds me in a tiny fist
And still I need your kiss
Hold on to love
See the sunlight in her soul

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My Favorite U2 songs A to Z

Posted in A to Z April Challenge, Songs with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 1, 2012 by DeenasDays

I had a great time in April blogging each day about my 26 favorite U2 songs in the A to Z challenge. So much fun in fact that I wanted to list my favorite U2 songs (each highlighted with links back to the original posts) in this one blog post with the addition of honorable mentions, so I truly include all of my favorite U2 songs. So here we go, my 26 favorite U2 songs from A to Z!

A is for Acrobat with A Room at the Heartbreak and Angel of Harlem as honorable mentions.

B is for Bad with Breathe as honorable mention for close second – “I’ve found grace inside a sound.”

C is for Can’t Help Falling in Love .

D is for Deep in the Heart with Desire and Discotheque as honorable mentions.

E is for Electrical Storm with Elvis Ate America as honorable mention for obvious reasons.

F is for (the) Fly.

G is for Gone and Get on Your Boots.

H is for Heartland with Hallelujah Here She Comes as honorable mention.

I is for I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For with In a Little While and In God’s Country as honorable mentions.

J is for Jean Genie.

K is for Kite.

L is for Luminous Times with Love Rescue Me and Love and Peace or Else as honorable mentions.

M is for Mysterious Ways with Magnificent as honorable mention.

N is for New Year’s Day with No Line on the Horizon and New Day as honorable mentions.

O is for October with Original of the Species and One Tree Hill as honorable mentions.

P is for Pride with Please as honorable mention.

Q is for (dancing) Queen - there are no U2 songs that begin with Q.

R is for Red Hill Mining Town with Rejoice and Running to Stand Still as honorable mentions.

S is for Summer Rain with Spanish Eyes and So Cruel as honorable mentions.

T is for Trip Through Your Wires with Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World as honorable mention.

U is for (the) Unforgettable Fire with Ultraviolet as honorable mention.

V is for Van Diemen’s Land.

W is for Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses with Walk to the Water as honorable mention for close second.

X is for Xanax and Wine  - the only U2 song that begins with X.

Y is for Yahweh.

Z is for Zoo Station with Zooropa as honorable mention.

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L is for Luminous Times

Posted in A to Z April Challenge, Songs with tags , , , on April 13, 2012 by DeenasDays

My favorite U2 song that begins with L is Luminous Times. It is one of my top five U2 songs, actually it is second behind I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Luminous Times, a b-side off The Joshua Tree, is the song that gives me chills every time I hear it, even though I have listened to it over and over again the past 25 years. The lyrics are so passionate and the way Bono sings them is so heart wrenching. I absolutely love it! My favorite part of Luminous Times, the part that really gets to me is, “I love you ‘cause I need to, not because I need you. I love you ‘cause I understand that God has given me your hand. He holds me in a tiny fist, and still I need your kiss. Hold on to love.” U2 has never played Luminous Times in concert. When I met Bono on the ZooTv tour, I told him how much I loved Luminous Times and asked if they would ever play it in concert. Bono answered me by saying they were thinking of putting out a b-sides album. (Huh? That’s not what I asked.) Then before the 360 tour began, Edge mentioned that they were thinking of playing some b-sides that they had never played before like Luminous Times.

Hey sister love
Hey sister sun
Hey oh my love
You turn me around tonight
Hey sister love
Save my soul
Save my soul
Hold on to love
Hold on to love
Love won’t to let you go
Love won’t to let you go
Hold on to love
See the sunshine in her soul
Hey sister love
Hey sister sun
She come likes carnival
She is the big wheel
She turn my head around
Turn my head around
She is the speedway
She is the slipstream
She is coming round
Hold on to love
Hold on to love
Love won’t to let you go
Hold on to love
Hold on to love
See the sunlight in her soul
See the sunlight in her soul
She is the gun fire
She is the car crash
She is the avalanche
She is the thunder
She is the waves and
She pulls me under
I love you cause I need to
Not because I need you
I love you cause I understand
That God had given me your hand
Holds me in a tiny fist
And still I need your kiss
Hold on to love
See the sunlight in her soul
See the sunlight in her soul

What is your favorite U2 song that begins with L?

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – my 26 favorite U2 songs. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog DeenasDays.

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U2360USA Day 30 – Palm Springs: Harmony Motel & Joshua Tree

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', 360 (2011), U2 with tags , , , , , , , on June 12, 2011 by DeenasDays

Day 30 of my U2 360 tour across America was another perfect day in Palm Springs! I went to Harmony Motel, Joshua Tree National Park, and Las Casuelas. I was supposed to make the pilgrimage to THE Joshua Tree, the one U2 was photographed with for my favorite album The Joshua Tree, but I realized that it was almost five hours north of Palm Springs. I knew it was in the Mohave Desert near Death Valley and was not in Joshua Tree Park, but I thought it was on the way to Joshua Tree National Park.

Since I couldn’t go to the real Joshua Tree where U2 was photographed, I went to the Harmony Motel, only an hour away, where U2 was also photographed. U2 stayed at the Harmony Motel while making The Joshua Tree album. It was a very small, retro motel – a far cry from the five star resort hotels U2 stay at now.

Harmony Motel

 

Even though I couldn’t see THE Joshua Tree, I could see many Joshua Trees at Joshua Tree National Park. It is the 75th anniversary of the park, which is located within 10 miles from the Harmony Motel.

Joshua Tree national park

 

After my U2 trip to Harmony Motel and Joshua Tree, I had lunch at Elvis’ favorite Palm Springs restaurant Las Casuelas. My friend Aaron from high school and his two friends, who are in Palm Springs for the weekend, met me there. We had great Mexican food and great conversation. It was a good time. I highly recommend the Enchiladas Rancheros. After lunch, I walked around downtown Palm Springs before returning to my wonderful A Place in the Sun garden hotel.

Elvis' favorite restaurant

my Palm Springs stuff

Please watch video of my perfect day in Palm Springs at Harmony Motel and Joshua Tree http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYKdkECj_-Q

Tomorrow I leave the fabulous Palm Springs for Anaheim, where I will spend the next six days including 2 back to back U2 shows at Angels Stadium.

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