It is hard to believe, but it has been twenty years since U2 released their highly acclaimed How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Released on November 22, 2004, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb arrived with a mass of excitement. A heavier Rock sound than 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind, no one can forget songs from that album like “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” or “Walk On” which seemed to be amply more profound with the heartache everyone was feeling after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Arriving four years later, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb came with hope, energy, and massive praise.
Now in 2024, U2 fans get to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb along with a remastered edition in various formats. Furthermore, U2 has also put out How to Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb. Arriving on November 22, 2024, breaking down each option, the twentieth-anniversary edition of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is available as an 8LP Super Deluxe Collectors Boxset, a 2LP vinyl, exclusive D2C 2LP Black & Red Ink Spot Vinyl, 5CD Super Deluxe Collectors Boxset, standard CD, and exclusive red & black cassette. The digital releases include HTDAAB remastered (twelve tracks) and HTDAAB & HTRAAB (twenty-two tracks).
Then there is the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (Re-Assemble Edition); which features both How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb, available as a dual digital release. However, if you are someone who still values physical formats, the new How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb will be exclusively available in physical format for Record Store Day Black Friday (November 29, 2024) as a limited edition black & red marble single LP vinyl, but also as a standalone ten track digital release.
Offering an extensive mix of options, the titles of both albums are indeed an attention-grabber in terms of shock value. While we understand what How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb meant twenty years ago, it still stands strong against the newly titled How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb. Looking deeper, these albums act as a reflection of the turbulence that jars the human psyche in this social media-dominated world.
With that in mind, most are probably most curious about How to Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb; which contains reworked material that was never released and now has been enhanced by the splicing and rearrangements of U2’s musical scalpel. Unquestionably an iconic band, U2 spent some time in seclusion as they reflected amongst themselves and collectively decided to emphasize to the world in this release that ‘timing is absolutely everything.’ We all understand this concept which is often associated with Bishop T.D. Jakes at a gut level… because what works for us now may not necessarily have worked in the past.
What is unique about what is referred to as the shadow album, How to Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb is chock full of enjoyable lyrical poetry over ten tracks. Making music together for nearly five decades, you have the signature voice of Bono, the kickass guitar riffs of The Edge, with Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., who keep the heartbeat strong with their rhythmic percussion. Seeming like this Irish band was destined for success, as usual, Bono weaves his emotionally expressive vocals in between and around the acoustical arrangements in these new songs.
You have “Picture Of You (X+W)” with gritty, playful guitar riffs, energetic beats and evocative vocals. Bombarded with this catchy choral vibe, it is one in which you could slide across the floor with your arm raised pretending to execute an air guitar and drop to your knees at the end. This is while “Luckiest Man in the World” features a psychedelic intro where Bono expresses the vulnerability of intertwined souls in love and the importance of cherishing time in the moment. The sense of heartbeat can be felt throughout the piece. It invokes a feeling of nostalgia and desire for the ultimate love.
Meanwhile songs like “Country Mile” have a mesmerizing interplay of vocals and acoustics in the introduction that induces the mind to pause and inhale the words as if they were sticks of incense. It induces a trance-like state where vapor seems to coalesce to form vivid images and the rhythmic music boosts one’s mood perseverance with the repetitious recitation of I.
Then “Theme From Batman” is another energetic track that uses instrumentals to convey excitement and a sense of adventure. The resonance of the bells and the amplification of the string vibrations of the electric guitar. There is also “All Because of You 2” which is a remastered track that is poignantly more high energy with raucous vocals that are memorable and reflects on the impact that a significant other has on one’s outlook in life and an inner reflection.
Overall, How to Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb embraces the provocative Wayne Dyer quote –
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.“
U2 was driven to work on reconceptualized tracks and reanimate those left unfinished to present to the world… and they did an amazing job. Alone, How to Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb is a compelling album. They achieved their goal with a skill that can only be achieved by the combination of maturity and mastery of craft.
So, should you seek the Record Store Day Black Friday LP release of How to Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb on November 29th. Absolutely! Beyond that, with both Deluxe Collector’s Editions of both releases, U2 delivers a musical smorgasbord of delectable favorites and a handful of newly minted samples tossed in worthy of an auditory review. As we get closer to the holiday season, don’t be Grinchie – make sure to gift your musical aficionados a keepsake that will never gather dust on the shelf. Well worth the time and a great way to celebrate two decades, Cryptic Rock gives How to Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb and these How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb twentieth anniversary releases 5 out of 5 stars.
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