U2 – The Joshua Tree

This is a fantastic release. Sound-wise its top notch. Quiet and click/pop free. So often with big deluxe boxes like this I play the extras maybe a couple of times, then they go back in the box, forgotten. Not with this. The live album is wonderful. Perfect track listing. Must have been a great night out ! The remixes are also quality and I’ve stuck them on - don’t laugh - a minidisc for easy peasy playback (Note to self : do the same with the live album).
The extraneous stuff - prints, lovely big book with all the text you’ll ever need, are fitting for a big ol’ box like this. I’m sat with it next to me now and yeah, this is how deluxe reissues should be done imo. Everything in the box relates to TJT. No wrong tracks or songs from a different era of U2. Its The Joshua Tree packed into a beautiful box.
If I have one gripe its the outer box. It is a lovely thing but you will have to go careful how and where you store it. The surface of it is such that I can imagine it wouldn’t take much to scuff the surface. I wipe mine over every now and then with a barely damp cloth just to whoosh it up a bit.
Anyway, I suspect everyone that wants this already has it. But if you’re sitting on the fence about whether to buy or not, well I say Get your wallet out. I’m not even a big fan of TJT. It would be number 5 in my Top 5 U2 albums. However, there is no way I can find fault in this release.
Oh how I wish The Unforgettable Fire was accorded the same treatment ! I would be all over that.

My copy is flawless (except for a split seam on the main album gatefold). Interesting to me no one has mentioned Chris Bellman's mastering - the choices, to me, are interesting. The bass is *almost* nonexistent. I am listening to this right now immediately after listening to the CSNY Deja Vu deluxe box set, and while that album was never considered a great recording, the dynamics are *way* better than Joshua Tree. That being said, this pressing smokes my old CD, the soundstage and detail are fabulous, you just gotta crank up the bass 4 or 5 notches to really make With or Without you sound right. All the extras are fabulous. Killer box.

I think a lot of old timers just see GZ and just draw unfair conclusions. GZ are not what they once were, check out their releases over the last year and you'll find them hugely improved across the board. I have had his edition since it was released and mine is perfectly good quality with very little surface noise. I love this boxset, the extra content is so worthwhile for a fan, this is what a boxset should be. I just wish they'd have done the Anniversary Achtung Baby version like this.

Finally pulled the trigger on this and bought a gently used copy, basically new and it was 100% worth it. The box is so damn beautiful it’s unreal. I wish the pictures in the book were in color and mot B&W but they still look amazing.

The actual records themselves have really good mastering. I’m sure it’s not the absolute best mastering for the main album, but it’s still great. That live LP kicks ass as well, mixed and mastered to perfection. Do yourself a favor and buy this before they’re astronomically priced, I’m lucky i got mine at a fair price after it went out of print!

Phenomenal package all around. The box sleeve is so beautiful and high quality. There is so much content it’s amazing… I listened to the album last night… and it’s the best I’ve heard TJT sound by orders of magnitude. Splitting the album on 2 LPs + the remaster have brought depth and transcendence to this album that eluded me on the single disc OG copies I’ve acquired previously. The soundstage and dynamics are top notch and the discs are dead quiet…. the fade outs on With or Without You, Running to Standstill, and Mothers of the Disappeared are stunning beyond description. I can’t wait to experience the live LP and bonus tracks. Acquire this box and cherish it, it will be a timeless gem in any record collection.

I dragged my feet on this boxset for years. I already had a very nice QRP pressing of the album which I know all too well. I'm also generally not into boxsets as they are often bloated with the same material remixed, repackaged, reboxed, etc. And any "new" material is often a one-and-done listen. However, I ended up pulling the trigger as I noticed it was getting harder to find one of these. And so far am I glad I did! I know they try to sell you on the packaging, but this is a thing of beauty. Lovely, solid slip-case with a sort of matte-textured finish and large gold foil Joshua Tree (smaller one on the back side). As for the music, what I have heard so far is great. My pressings too are dead quiet. I really wanted the B-sides and so also happy about that. The live album is a great snapshot of U2 at their peak. Downside: a bit of warping on one of the live album and Joshua Tree discs. I did a blind A/B of this pressing vs my QRP and the QRP was more punchy and dynamic. Four folio pictures are beautiful and a nice little edition to the set. The hardcover book, though nothing too special (B&W photos by The Edge of the Mojave Desert) is still nice, they are a bit all the same. But I will say, if a big fan, this is a very cool look back at candid shots of the band just before they would explode onto the world. If you are on the fence, might I suggest going for it. I can't imagine you'd be disappointed! I know udiscover music still has them available which is where I got mine. Wait till they have a sale- I got 25% off for Labor Day.

Brilliant edition. Mine is dead quiet and sounds fantastic, absolute silence in quiet ages of songs like "Running so stand still". I typically not a fan of re-editions but this one is pretty good sounding. The concert is Just awesome and tom drums on "With or without you" sounded like thunders on my hi-fi system. Beautiful package and book. Highly recommended.

I'm not typically a fan of remixes but the remix LP is fantastic.
Also, the live recording is absolute fire. Everyone in the band executes their role to perfection during this performance.

My LPs are in great condition, sounds great. Nice package as well.

I have this edition and I see a lot of people complaining about noise. All my lps play absolutely fine. The only place where I would find noise is at the end of some sides in the run out when there is no music just before the needle lifts. All the vinyl when playing music is perfect.
The one thing I would say that’s bad is that the book containing the photos taken by the edge are all upside down in my edition. Then again I paid less than £50 for my edition from amazon.