You've Never Heard U2's 'The Joshua Tree'?

Note: This is a recurring series in which we ask our unimaginably young interns to review classic albums they've never heard before. Our current intern at All Songs Considered is Will Butler.

by Will Butler

I've never been a real U2 fan. But any time I tell someone this, they invariably ask, "Well, have you heard The Joshua Tree? And when I tell them no, they're incredulous. So maybe this is the missing link.

I start with the cover. The black-and-white photo of the band members and U2 insignia are simple and interesting without being distracting. I'm a big fan of a black album cover: Like a black-and-white photo, it leaves more to the imagination, which I think is good for first impressions.

Hit the jump link to read more.

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11:22 AM ET | 01-27-2010 | permalink

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You've Never Heard 'Loveless'?!

Note: this is a recurring series in which we ask our unimaginably young interns to review classic albums they've never heard before. Our current intern at All Songs Considered is Meg Ruddick.

by Meg Ruddick

I started working on this review with almost no knowledge of the band or legendary album. The only thing I knew was that My Bloody Valentine was one of the pioneers of shoegazer music. Who's in the band, where they're from, when they made the album and basically everything else was a mystery to me. So I listened to Loveless twice before poring over the album's lengthy Wikipedia entry to learn more about My Bloody Valentine and this classic record.

Listen to "Sometimes" from 'Loveless'

My conclusion? I liked the album, but I didn't love it. It just didn't take hold of me the way I wanted it to. Admittedly, I had really built it up before hearing it, based on rave reviews from Robin Hilton and, well, everyone else. But, I guess I just didn't get it.

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4:20 PM ET | 12-15-2009 | permalink

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You've Never Heard 'Back In Black'?!

Note: this is a recurring series in which we ask our unimaginably young interns to review classic albums they've never heard before. Our current intern at All Songs Considered is Meg Ruddick.

by Meg Ruddick

AC/DC's Back in Black is basically what I expected it to be: Every song is a fist-pumping ode to sex, booze, teenage rebellion and, of course, the devil. Today, the music is a bit of a rock 'n' roll cliche (and ridiculous), but it must have been fresh and fun back in 1980.

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11:14 AM ET | 10-15-2009 | permalink

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