10 Famous Rock Albums That Were Almost Called Something Else
2. U2 - The Joshua Tree (Almost Called “The Two Americas”)
Rather than plants on which people called Josh are grown, Joshua trees (scientific name yucca brevifolia) are an extremely tenacious form of flora native to the desert areas of the Southwestern United States.
U2 came across one whilst shooting the cover for their upcoming fifth album. Bono was taken by the tree's religious connections, as it took its name from the biblical prophet, and decided that it should also be used as the record's title.
And when Bono says something, you make it happen!
The band were in the desert because they wanted an image that showcased the contradictory nature of the United States; life flourishing in a harsh and unforgiving landscape. They were location scouting when they came across the tree, which resulted in a complete change in what the album was going to be called.
Originally, it was going to be named either The Two Americas or The Desert Songs, in reference to those aforementioned themes of civilisation in a tough environment.
Rather than those blunt, on-the-nose descriptions, the band opted for the far more subtle option and, in doing so, paved the way for their best-selling album ever.