Van Diemens Land~U2

This song is for “Real” U2 fans everywhere…The Edge’s Van Diemens Land

http://www.dmarkette.com/van

Van Diemens Land from The Great Album/movie Rattle and Hum Rattle and Hum is the name of both an album and a companion motion picture recorded by Irish rock band U2. Both were released in 1988. The album, which was made following the band’s 1987 Joshua Tree Tour, is a mix of live recordings, covers, and new songs. To a greater extent than their previous album, The Joshua Tree, the band explores roots rock, and incorporates elements of blues-rock, folk rock, and country. The accompanying documentary film documents the band’s Joshua Tree Tour of the United States and the band’s experiences with American music. Although the album and motion picture were intended to represent the band paying tribute to rock legends, some critics accused U2 of trying to place themselves amongst the ranks of these artists. In popular culture: Van Diemen’s Land was mentioned in a number of Irish folk songs as it was often the destination of Irish rebels convicted by the British. In the modern era, the Irish rock band U2 featured the song “Van Diemen’s Land” on the 1988 album Rattle and Hum. Van Dieman’s Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania. Landing at Blackman’s Bay and later having the Dutch flag flown at North Bay, Tasman named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt in honour of Anthony van Diemen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies who had sent Tasman on his voyage of discovery in 1642. Between 1772 and 1798 only the South East of the island was visited. Tasmania was not known to be an island until Matthew Flinders and George Bass circumnavigated it in the Norfolk in 1798-99. In 1803, the island was colonised by the British as a penal colony with the name Van Diemen’s Land, and became part of the British colony of New South Wales. In 1824, Van Diemen’s Land became a colony in its own right. In 1856 the colony was granted responsible self-government with its own representative parliament, and the name of the island and colony was changed to Tasmania.

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