U2 have announced a 20th anniversary reissue of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which will be accompanied by a “shadow album” titled, How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb, featuring previously unreleased songs from the original recording sessions. The two albums will receive a dual digital release on November 22nd, with How to Re-Assemble receiving a standalone physical release on November 29th
How to Re-Assemble consists of 10 songs selected from the early 2000s recording sessions. Five are previously unreleased: “Treason,” “Evidence of Life,” “Country Mile,” “Happiness,” and “Luckiest Man in the World,” the latter of which leaked online under the working title “Mercy.” The remaining tracks — “Picture of You (X+W),” “I Don’t Wanna See You Smile”, “Are We Gonna Wait Forever?,” “Theme from The Batman,” and “All Because of You 2” — were remastered for the album. Stream “Country Mile” and “Picture of You (X+W)” below.
Get V-U2 Concert Film Tickets Here
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (20th Anniversary Edition) will also be available in a variety of physical formats beginning November 22nd, including on vinyl, cassette, and CD (pre-order here). Deluxe vinyl and CD collectors box sets are available here.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
He continued, “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 ten 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.”
The Edge concluded by describing How to Re-Assemble as capturing “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.”
Though U2 has finished their residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere, you can relive the experience with an immersive concert film titled V-U2 now showing at the venue. Tickets are available here.
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (20th Anniversary Edition) Artwork:
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (20th Anniversary Edition) Tracklist:
01. Vertigo
02. Miracle Drug
03. Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own
04. Love and Peace or Else
05. City of Blinding Lights
06. All Because of You
07. A Man and a Woman
08. Crumbs from Your Table
09. One Step Closer
10. Original of the Species
11. Yahweh
12. Fast Cars
How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb Artwork:
How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb Tracklist:
01. Picture of You (X+W)
02. Evidence of Life
03. Luckiest Man in The World
04. Treason
05. I Don’t Wanna See You Smile
06. Country Mile
07. Happiness
08. Are We Gonna Wait Forever?
09. Theme from the Batman
10. All Because of You 2