U2: Bullet the red, white and blue sky: Why U2’s The Joshua Tree still resonates, 35 years on

On this day in 1987, U2 released what would become the bestselling album of their career. But their examination of the gap between the American dream and the reality under Reagan is just as relevant today, writes Kevin E G Perry

In the spring of 1985, U2 fell in love with America. An extensive tour in support of their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire, took them not just to landmark shows at major venues like New York’s Madison Square Garden but also to the towns and cities spread across the American heartland. They travelled in tour buses borrowed from country stars, complete with decorative cow horns. As they drove, they read the works of Southern Gothic author Flannery O’Connor and macho journalist Norman Mailer. They ....

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