U2 Announces New ‘How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb’ Album
· Ultimate Classic RockU2 has announced the release of a new album titled How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb comprised of previously unreleased songs from their 2004 album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
The album, which will be released on Nov. 29, arrives a week after a remastered 20th-anniversary edition of the original LP. The new work will be available as an exclusive for Record Store Day Black Friday and as a digital release.
You can listen to two songs from the album, "Picture of You (X+W)" and "Country Mile," below.
The remastered version of the Grammy-winning How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2's 11th album, will now include a bonus track, "Fast Cars," originally on only the CDs issued in the U.K., Ireland and Japan.
"The sessions for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb were such a creative period for the band, we were exploring so many song ideas in the studio," the Edge notes in a press release announcing the release of the new album. "We were inspired to revisit our early music influences, and it was a time of deep personal introspection for Bono who was attempting to process - dismantle - the death of his father.
READ MORE: When U2 Aimed Big on Third Album, 'War'
"For this anniversary edition, I went into my personal archive to see if there were any unreleased gems and I hit the jackpot. We chose 10 that really spoke to us. Although at the time we left these songs to one side, with the benefit of hindsight we recognize that our initial instincts about them being contenders for the album were right, we were onto something.
"What you’re getting on this shadow album is that raw energy of discovery, the visceral impact of the music, a sonic narrative, a moment in time, the exploration and interaction of four musicians playing together in a room … this is the pure U2 drop."
What's on U2's 'How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb'
The 10 songs uncovered in the band's archives are being released for the first time. Other songs from the sessions - such as "Smile" and "Xanax and Wine" - have appeared on official releases over the years and aren't included here.
A demo for "Luckiest Man in the World," known as "Mercy" at the time, leaked around the release of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 20 years ago. Its appearance in a studio session marks its official debut.
The remastered How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb will be released as a vinyl 8LP Super Deluxe Collectors Boxset (Limited Edition); vinyl 2LP; exclusive D2C 2LP Black & Red Ink Spot Vinyl (Limited Edition); 5CD Super Deluxe Collectors box set (Limited Edition); CD; and Exclusive Red & Black Cassette (Limited Edition). How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Re-Assemble Edition) – featuring both How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb - will be available as a dual digital release. More information can be found on the band's website.
You can see the track listing for How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb below. You can also watch a trailer for both upcoming releases below.
U2, 'How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb' Track Listing
1. Picture Of You (X+W)
2. Evidence Of Life
3. Luckiest Man In The World
4. Treason
5. I Don't Wanna See You Smile
6. Country Mile
7. Happiness
8. Are We Gonna Wait Forever?
9. Theme From The Batman
10. All Because Of You 2
40. Journey, 'Frontiers'
Journey followed up the No. 1 Escape (the album with the eternal "Don't Stop Believin'") by sticking pretty close to the formula. "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" was the arena anthem; "Faithfully" was the "Open Arms" rewrite designed for slow dances. By the time they made a new record three years later, the cracks were showing.
39. Iron Maiden, 'Piece of Mind'
The fourth album by metal titans Iron Maiden works as a bridge between The Number of the Beast and Powerslave, two of the London band's best LPs. Some essential parts of the group's sound begin to come together on Piece of Mind, including the addition of drummer Nicko McBrain. "Flight of Icarus" and "The Trooper" are essential Maiden.
38. Echo & the Bunnymen, 'Porcupine'
Echo & the Bunnymen's troubled third album was initially rejected by their record company, which gave a thumbs-up after strings were added to several songs. The addition presents extra layers of depth to the tracks, already some of the strongest of the Liverpool band's career. "The Cutter" particularly holds up.
37. Billy Bragg, 'Life's a Riot With Spy vs. Spy'
British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg's debut album didn't sound like a whole lot of other music in 1983. The LP contains only seven songs and runs just 15 minutes. And besides Bragg's voice, the only other sound heard on Life's a Riot With Spy vs. Spy is his guitar. But songs like "A New England" announced a strong new force in folk.
36. Depeche Mode, 'Construction Time Again'
Depeche Mode was still a couple of albums away from the genre-defining records that led to even greater success at the end of the '80s going into the '90s. But their third, Construction Time Again, starts to assemble the pieces: dark synth-pop laced with the industrial-inspired backdrops of Martin Gore. "Everything Counts" was the linchpin.
35. Yes, '90125'
90125 didn't start life as a Yes album. After the band's breakup following the tumultuous Drama tour, Chris Squire and Alan White formed a new group; when singer Jon Anderson joined the sessions, Yes rebooted. Their 11th album was a hit, complete with the only No. 1 single of their long career, "Owner of a Lonely Heart."
34. Huey Lewis & the News, 'Sports'
The third album by Huey Lewis & the News provided a soundtrack for a year: Five hit singles - including "Heart and Soul" and "The Heart of Rock & Roll" - dominated radio as the band showed off the chops they'd picked up on the road leading to their commercial success. The follow-up, Fore!, from 1986 was huge, too.
33. Van Morrison, 'Inarticulate Speech of the Heart'
It's easy to lose count of Van Morrison's albums over the years, especially in the '80s when many of them were unjustly neglected. While there's nothing to really distinguish Inarticulate Speech of the Heart from his other records of the period, its consistency is noteworthy. The Celtic theme running through the LP is highlighted in the great "Irish Heartbeat."
32. Tears for Fears, 'The Hurting'
Like Tears for Fears' follow-up hit Songs From the Big Chair from a few years later, their debut, The Hurting, is a loosely tied concept album about childhood abuse and depression. Cloaked in synth-pop that emphasized the pop, the LP's standout tracks - "Mad World," "Pale Shelter" - find comfort among the pain.
31. X, 'More Fun in the New World'
X was slowly moving away from the heartland punk that made them one of the best bands of the late-'70s/early '80s Los Angeles scene. Produced by Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, the fourth album More Fun in the New World took a more worldly approach to themes. The tighter, more accomplished musicianship of the band members expanded, too.
30. Randy Newman, 'Trouble in Paradise'
Newman's previous album, 1979's ambitious Born Again, was both a critical and commercial bomb, so he returned to the wry, smart territory on which he built his name for his seventh LP. "I Love L.A." became a surprise hit, and a duet with Paul Simon, "The Blues," met in the middle of the singer-songwriters' respective strengths.
29. Big Country, 'The Crossing'
The debut album by Scottish quartet Big Country was fueled by "In a Big Country," a Top 20 song with a sound as expansive as the land of the title. The initial pull was guitars tuned and powered to replicate bagpipes, but Stuart Adamson's passionate vocals and the songs' appealing hooks never let up.
28. Culture Club, 'Colour by Numbers'
Culture Club, and their controversial singer Boy George, were just picking up steam when their second album arrived as a fully formed soul record by the new wave guard. Stuffed with five hit singles - "Karma Chameleon" gave them their only U.S. No. 1 - Colour by Numbers led the flood of British artists who stormed the charts thanks to MTV.
27. Eurythmics, 'Touch'
Released 10 months after the breakthrough Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Eurythmics' third album doubles up on the soul hinted at in their earlier work. "Who's That Girl?" and "Here Comes the Rain Again" kept the hits coming for the duo, whose icy synth-pop warmed up considerably here. They got even more soulful the next time.
26. Lionel Richie, 'Can’t Slow Down'
Lionel Richie had long abandoned the booming funk of his Commodores days by the time he released his second, radio-polished solo album. The Grammy-winning Can’t Slow Down is stacked with hit singles: "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Hello" both reached No. 1. Steve Lukather's guitar solo in "Running With the Night" helped spread the album's appeal.
25. John Cougar Mellencamp, 'Uh-Huh'
Mellencamp started stating his independence on his seventh album, the first to use his real last name. "Jack & Diane," from his previous LP, revealed some depth to his songwriting; Uh-Huh went all in. "Crumblin' Down" and "Authority Song" flexed his rock muscle, but "Pink Houses" is where he rivaled peers like Bruce Springsteen.
24. The Replacements, 'Hootenanny'
The second album by Minneapolis' punk misfits begins to peel away the bluster of Paul Westerberg's songwriting to reveal a more sensitive soul than he first let on. There's still much messing around on Hootenanny - the title track finds the band members switching instruments - but "Color Me Impressed" and "Within Your Reach" hint at what's to come.
23. Lou Reed, 'Legendary Hearts'
The previous year's Blue Mask marked a comeback of sorts for the always contentious Reed. Legendary Hearts works as a sequel to that '80s highlight, a love letter to his wife with songs so spare - they were recorded with a core quartet - their intimacy borders on primal. He'd have to wait until the next album for a commercial boost, though.
22. Pink Floyd, 'The Final Cut'
The follow-up to The Wall is a continuation of the 1979 album's story, with Roger Waters again surveying his past to get through the present. Some songs were left over from The Wall; others were conceived for the new project. All are dominated by Waters, who all but edges out his Pink Floyd bandmates. Essentially a Waters solo album, and his last with the band.
21. Genesis, 'Genesis'
Genesis had been on their way to their pop makeover, but their 12th, self-titled album is the one that pushed them further into the mainstream. Lead single "Mama" is easily one of the oddest singles to ever chart, but much of Genesis pointed to their commercial future, with "That's All" hitting the Top 10. Old fans were given the two-part, prog-lite "Home by the Sea."
20. Paul Simon, 'Hearts and Bones'
Between his two best solo records - Still Crazy After All These Years and Graceland - Paul Simon released his most underrated LP. The One-Trick Pony soundtrack (from 1980) shook loose some creative stasis, but Hearts and Bones, planned as a Simon & Garfunkel reunion album, finds comfort in a safe zone, intimately scarred.
19. Motley Crue, 'Shout at the Devil'
Intentional or not, Motley Crue's second album was the warning shot for hair metal - equal parts sleaze and melody conjoined on a record that rarely lets up. "Looks That Kill" was a tentative introduction to the mainstream, later fine-tuned on LPs like Dr. Feelgood. Shout at the Devil is Crue at its peak and a genre on the cusp of acceptance.
18. Billy Idol, 'Rebel Yell'
Like so many other artists in 1983, Billy Idol was a music veteran who benefited from MTV exposure. It also helped that his second album - mostly co-written with guitarist Steve Stevens - features his best and most consistent set of songs. The slippery title track showed one side; the haunting ballad "Eyes Without a Face" unveiled another.
17. Violent Femmes, 'Violent Femmes'
Milwaukee trio Violent Femmes helped shape college rock in the early '80s with their self-titled debut album. They also re-defined folk-rock in the process, filtering age-old traditions through a punk lens. Gordon Gano's strained vocals and the band's streamlined acoustic delivery of his songs twitch with sex and anxiety.
16. Elvis Costello and the Attractions, 'Punch the Clock'
Elvis Costello enlisted hit producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley for his eighth LP, a deliberate aim for the pop charts. He was rewarded with his first U.S. Top 40 single, "Everyday I Write Book." Costello has since dismissed much of Punch the Clock, but its era-ready pop and occasionally smart songwriting ("Shipbuilding") holds up well.
15. Dio, 'Holy Diver'
The late Ronnie James Dio knew the value of melody. That's what makes the debut album by his namesake band a metal classic as well as a template for the genre's spinoff music of the '80s. "Rainbow in the Dark" is the peak of Holy Diver's powers, a flawless meld of synths, guitars and Dio's extraordinary vocals.
14. New Order, 'Power, Corruption & Lies'
New Order's first album, Movement, sounded like a band looking for a new identity - not surprising since they were still picking up the pieces of Joy Division after the death of singer Ian Curtis. Power, Corruption & Lies is where New Order becomes New Order, a synth-pop classic that provides the link between post-punk and the wide-open '80s.
13. Tom Waits, 'Swordfishtrombones'
Up until Swordfishtrombones, Tom Wait was a boozy Los Angeles singer with a knack for words and melody, and beloved by some of the industry's heaviest hitters. Then he got weird. Collaborating with musicians playing metal tubes and banging on objects traditionally not found in songs, Waits turns the corner and becomes one of the era's most vital artists here.
12. Metallica, 'Kill 'Em All'
Metallica's debut helped set the template for metal moving forward, especially thrash, which they practically invented with Kill 'Em All's 10 songs. A slow starter, the LP's significance became more clear as the decade went on. "The Four Horseman" and "Seek & Destroy" set new standards. Nothing was the same after this.
11. ZZ Top, 'Eliminator'
ZZ Top's makeover received a huge boost from MTV, which aired in heavy rotation the stream of clips the band released to promote the album. It helped that the songs were good. By adding new layers of sound - synths and electronic drums mostly - to their Texas boogie, "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Sharp Dressed Man" made them unlikely stars.
10. U2, 'War'
The U2 album where the band started developing its signature sound, War coincided with the quartet's rise across the world. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" revealed their political side, while "Two Hearts Beat as One" covered more personal matters. By the end of the decade, U2 would grow to gargantuan heights. The seed is planted here.
9. Talking Heads, 'Speaking in Tongues'
Since forming as minimalist art punks in the mid-'70s, Talking Heads extended their sound with each album. Speaking in Tongues, their fifth, adds backing musicians on synths, violins, saxophones and various percussion. The expanded set was carried over onstage, brilliantly documented in the concert film Stop Making Sense.
8. Madonna, 'Madonna'
Rooted in synth-pop, new wave and disco, Madonna's debut LP didn't strike anyone as something special. But then she became one of the biggest and most powerful artists on the planet, and everyone realized just how special Madonna, and Madonna, were. The now classic songs are plentiful; the energy and excitement of the emerging star are palpable.
7. David Bowie, 'Let's Dance'
Bowie's career was filled with comebacks, but none was as big as the one from the '80s. Let's Dance - guided by co-producer Nile Rodgers and aided by Stevie Ray Vaughan's stinging guitar - returned him to the top of the charts (the album hit No. 4, the title track No. 1) and made him an arena-packing superstar ... again.
6. Def Leppard, 'Pyromania'
Def Leppard, with a big assist from producer Mutt Lange, finally applied their love of '70s glam to their third album and suddenly had a hit on their hands. The hooks are as big as the music on tracks such as "Photograph," "Rock of Ages" and "Foolin'." Pyromania helped pave the way for Hysteria, the inescapable follow-up LP that arrived in 1987.
5. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, 'Texas Flood'
Dallas-born guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan was having quite a year, providing scene-stealing solos on David Bowie's Let's Dance and releasing the debut album by his band Double Trouble. Texas Flood didn't so much rewrite the blues as update it for a new generation. The mix of originals and covers originally performed by his influences is seamless.
4. Eurythmics, 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)'
Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart dropped the wallpaper new wave of their earlier band the Tourists on Eurythmics' 1981 debut, In the Garden. The follow-up is where they find their voice. Propelled by the title track hit single, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) is simultaneously icy and warm, cool pop anchored by the soulful Lennox.
3. Cyndi Lauper, 'She's So Unusual'
Cyndi Lauper's first shot at success - a little-heard band called Blue Angel - fizzled out to no notice, so she rebooted as a solo artist with a wild streak that mirrored her always-boiling-over music. Some of the best songs on She's So Unusual came from outsiders - Prince and Jules Shear, among them - but she co-wrote "Time After Time," a new standard.
2. R.E.M., 'Murmur'
Nothing sounded like R.E.M.'s debut when it was released in the spring of 1983. Soon college rock playlists were overrun with bands that sounded like the Athens, Georgia, quartet. From Michael Stipe's mumbled vocals to Peter Buck's chiming guitars, Murmur reshaped the musical landscape, setting the stage for indie rock.
1. The Police, 'Synchronicity'
The Police's fifth and final album almost pulled the band apart before they even made it. Anchored by Sting's darkly personal songs, Synchronicity is both the culmination and an expansion of their career. "Every Breath You Take" stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks; Synchronicity was on top of the album chart for 17. One of the decade's most significant works.