Author Bradley Morgan joins me to dive into his fascinating book 'U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America'. We unpack the political underpinnings of the album, how the album has been recontextualised by the political environment of today, resisting nostalgia, how the members of U2 embraced the myth of America and then dissected it, the anti-cynicism of U2's music, how U2 appeals across political divides while foregrounding politics in their own music, their surprising late awakening to American roots music, the story behind One Tree Hill and Bradley’s pilgrimage to the site of the album cover photo.
Listen in the player above or download the episode by clicking here.
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My Favorite Album is a podcast on the impact great music has on our lives. Each episode features a guest on their favorite album of all time - why they love it, their history with the album and how it's influenced them.
Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist, concert promoter and photographer. He directed the the feature music documentaries Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts and Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road.
Produced and edited by Georgia Mooney.
If you've got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at myfavoritealbumpodcast@gmail.com.
LINKS
- Buy Bradley’s Book, U2’s The Joshua Tree: Plating Roots in Mythic America here.
- Bradley Morgan’s Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.
- Jeremy Dylan's website, Twitter and Instagram.
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