10 Close Calls In Rock History
6. U2 Almost Loses The Joshua Tree
After making an incredible impression off of the back of the Unforgettable Fire, U2 really had an axe to grind going in to record the Joshua Tree. While they were still in business with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the desire to expand their sound got even greater this time around, with the Edge getting more and more outlandish with his guitar effects. Though Where the Streets Have No Name is a good indicator of how everything worked, it almost didn't see the light of day at all.
During the production meetings for the song, just getting the intro was painstaking on its own, being in a different time signature and requiring just the right settings to make it sound as amazing as it does. Things ended up going so poorly in the studio that Eno eventually wrote out the entire arrangement on a chalkboard, guiding the band with a pointer as to how the song was to be played.
Tensions ended up getting so bad that for a moment Eno contemplated erasing the entire song and starting the project over from scratch, not wanting to deal with the pressure of it anymore. Although these Irish lads eventually summoned up the strength to complete it, no one ever wants to endure the moment when recording turns into music class