Great U2 programs tonight on VH1 Classics

What a rare treat is being aired tonight on VH1 Classic: U2's "Rattle and Hum," followed by the "Classic Albums" review of U2's "The Joshua Tree." I'm in bliss.

I remember flying down the backroads of eastern North Carolina listening to early U2 on pop radio, probably WDLX out of little Washington, when it was still a great pop station. Sunday, Bloody Sunday. What great chords -- Edge's guitar chords and Bono's vocal cords, too. Man, o man.

Unfortunately, in college, I was given a roommate one semester who were obsessed with U2. Went way too far, and made me sick of hearing the band for a while. And fortunately again, they changed course again and I fell in love again -- to the point that I looped some of their songs on cassette and would go running to it through the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park on the weekends. The music itself is cathartic, redemptive.

And the treatment that "The Joshua Tree" gets from the "Classic Albums" series is characteristically beautiful. The first two editions of "Classic Albums" that I saw were on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," back-to-back against Phil Collins's "Face Value," and the Pink Floyd review remains my favorite of the series, though I've caught several since then. The series does a great job of both satisfying and further piquing my curiosity about the tricks worked out in the studio during production of these albums, and I enjoy very much hearing the artists talk about the art itself.

In the Pink Floyd edition, I especially enjoyed -- it sent chills down my spine -- hearing David Gilmour singing, and accompanying himself to, the reprise of "Breathe." I'm a great fan of Roger Waters too, but time hasn't been kind to Waters's voice. Gilmour, on the other hand, possesses still the same strong sound he had when the album was first released. It's a gift.

Tonight, though, I'm learning things about "The Joshua Tree" all over again, and it's beautiful. I think it's one of the greatest collaborations between a band and producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, who've both worked with Peter Gabriel, too.