!["U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots In Mythic America"/Bradley Morgan [Episode 39]](https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0e7a41b611b6b6a03441a31a90473457.jpg)
December 11, 2021
"U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots In Mythic America"/Bradley Morgan [Episode 39]
Booked On Rock with Eric SenichAbout this episode
U2 planted the seeds for 'The Joshua Tree' during an existential journey through America. As Irishmen in the 1970s, the band grew up with the belief that America was a place of freedom and prosperity, a symbol of hope and a refuge for all people. However, global politics of the 1980s undermined that impression and fostered hypocritical policies that manipulated Americans and devastated people around the world. Originally conceived as 'The Two Americas', 'The Joshua Tree' was U2's critique of America. Rather than living up to the ideal that the country was "an idea that belongs to people who need it most," the band found that America sacrificed equality and justice for populism and fascism. This book explores the political, social, and cultural themes rooted in The Joshua Tree when it was originally released in 1987 and how those themes resonated as a response to the election of Donald Trump when U2 toured for the album's 30th anniversary. Morgan juxtaposes the band's existential journey through America with his own journey connecting with his Irish roots by becoming a citizen in the age of Trump and places U2's and 'The Joshua Tree''s relevance in context with the current political climate. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM, serves as a co-chair of the associate board at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and volunteers in the music archive at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Morgan has written music features for CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM's award-winning blog and discographies. Purchase a copy of "U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots In Mythic America" through Backbeat Books: http://backbeatbooks.com/books/9781493061181 Listen to U2's 'The Joshua Tree': https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rI5I1GNjT5iMgGqgBAvo1?si=1fb283628b324d0a Follow Bradley Morgan TWITTER: https://twitter.com/bradleysmorgan INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/chibrad1987 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/bradleymorganauthor The Booked On Rock Website: https://www.bookedonrock.com Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/bookedonrockpodcast TWITTER: https://twitter.com/bookedonrock INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bookedonrockpodcast Support Your Local Bookstore! Find your nearest independent bookstore here: https://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: thebookedonrockpodcast@gmail.com The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” & “Nasty” by Crowander ( https://www.crowander.com )