The How to of
U2
You are going to be reading
a lot of this in about a month, so we're getting in early:
U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is going to be hailed
as one of the best albums they've ever made.
Bono, for one, is most excited, and
when he makes the claim "This is our first album!"
it's easy to see where he's coming from.
While All That You Can't Leave Behind
-– where did that four years go? -– was a wonderful
record, this one finds the Edge in a very frisky mood. Wall
of Edge? Tower of Edge? This time it's more like the Himalayas
of Edge.
"You can never tell what he'll be into,"
Bono explains. "It might be keyboards. Larry will go,
'We'll never get a rock song out of him!' "
No such problems on this occasion.
A sneak preview reveals 11 tracks that capture the essence
of early U2 while still creating something that's vital
and fresh, still with a sense of adventure.
Songs like "Miracle Drug" and
"City of Blinding Lights" recall the rush of early
albums Boy, October and War. "Love and Peace or Else"
couldn't make itself more plain -– "Lay down
your guns or else" -– before Edge's monster riffs
take hold.
Others get the slow-shimmer treatment,
with Larry Mullen giving his toms the full Mo Tucker Effect
(that's Mo Tucker of the Velvet Underground) on "One
Step Closer."
Hit singles? Loads of them, it seems, but
look out for "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own,"
which starts off with acoustic guitar before kicking into
gear with a super-catchy falsetto section in the chorus.
Bono wrote the song after the death of his father.
Anthems? All over the shop, and the album
concludes with two songs destined to be stage favourites,
"Original of the Species" and "Yahweh"
(which, translated from the Hebrew, is "God").
Millions will be waving their arms along with them on next
year's world tour. Did we say "world
tour"? You bet. What's more, we're assured Australia
is in the frame, probably for indoor shows about this time
next year. About time.
The album will be released in several formats,
including one with bonus DVD and tunes (including the Edge's
banjo version of the new single, "Vertigo"!),
and a deluxe edition with 48-page booklet, DVD and an extra
track, "Fast Cars."
U2-ologists will have to be fast to treat
themselves with that for Christmas, with just 15,000 being
shipped in Australia.
The band continue their relationship
with Apple, cutting a deal with the computer company to
sell custom iPods promoting the new album.
Sources close to the group say the U2 edition
of the digital music player will come preloaded with the
album, along with portions of the band's 25-year catalogue.
The Courier-Mail, October 22, 2004 http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/
Noel Mengel
© Queensland Newspapers, 2004.
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