Editing How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (section)

==Writing and recording==
Heading into ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'', U2's guitarist [[the Edge]] said the group felt it was the appropriate moment to explore their early musical inspirations.<ref name="rs-20th-ann">{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/u2-new-album-atomic-bomb-the-edge-interview-1235152643/|title=The Edge Looks Back on 'Atomic Bomb,' Ahead to U2's Next Album|website=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=11 November 2024|access-date=27 November 2024}}</ref> U2's lead vocalist [[Bono]] said in a 2005 interview, "I went back and listened to all the music that made me want to be in a band, right from the [[Buzzcocks]], [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], [[Echo & The Bunnymen]], all that stuff. And what was interesting is, that was what a lot of people in bands now are listening to anyway. So in a funny way, it made us completely contemporary."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Dan|last=Martin|title=The Gospel According to U2 – Part Two |magazine=[[NME]] |date=5 January 2005}}</ref> U2 also wanted to make a concerted effort to revisit the same creative approach from their formative years: the ethos of the band members playing together in a room, with just guitar, bass, and drums. The Edge said: "The limitations that that creates are an interesting challenge because you have to do it with just those instruments, and dynamics become a hugely important part of the creative process."<ref name="rs-20th-ann"/>

===Sessions with Thomas===
Rather than repeat themselves after their previous record, ''[[All That You Can't Leave Behind]]'' (2000), U2 were seeking a harder-hitting, more guitar-driven rock sound in response to the success of the album's single "[[Beautiful Day]]".<ref name="rs-20th-ann"/> As a result, they hired producer [[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]], who had worked on some of their favourite records, including ''[[Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols]]'' by the [[Sex Pistols]] and early works by [[Roxy Music]]. The Edge said that he wanted Thomas to put the same stamp on U2's record that he had done on ''Never Mind the Bollocks'', "[[The Beatles (album)|The White Album]]" by [[the Beatles]], and ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]'' by [[Pink Floyd]].<ref name="irish-times-20th-ann">{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2024/11/23/the-album-that-nearly-finished-u2-the-story-of-how-to-dismantle-an-atomic-bomb-and-its-new-shadow-lp/|title=The album that nearly finished U2: The story of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and its new 'shadow' LP|website=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ed|last=Power|date=23 November 2024|access-date=27 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="record-collect-20th-ann">{{cite magazine|title=Reconstruction Time Again|magazine=[[Record Collector]]|first=Rob|last=Fitzpatrick|date=December 2024|issue=564|pages=78–85}}</ref> U2 began recording with Thomas in February 2003;<ref name="dropsbomb">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/u2-drops-bomb-20041230|title=U2 Drops Bomb|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=David|last=Fricke|date=30 December 2004|access-date=20 December 2016}}</ref> the Edge said the sessions were intended to have a "visceral band sound", and that he wanted a guitar tone like [[Steve Jones (musician)|Steve Jones]]'s on ''Never Mind the Bollocks''.<ref name="record-collect-20th-ann"/> To get into the desired creative mindset, the group continued their "power hour" tradition that began years prior with their long-time producer [[Daniel Lanois]]; several times a week, regardless of what they were working on, the band set aside time to improvise new material together, often producing two or three new song ideas. The Edge said this generated intrigue around the new pieces of music and used "the right kind of chaos where a radical element will be the thing that we'll all jump on to work with, whatever it might be".<ref name="rs-20th-ann"/>

The Edge said that in retrospect, the group struggled with Thomas at the production helm. They had begun with a lot of basic song ideas that were "out of focus", which they sensed Thomas was not accustomed to. The Edge said when it came to realising their "visceral band in the room" approach, U2 "over-emphasised [their] songwriterly methodology and didn't trust enough the raw energy of what a band can do".<ref name="record-collect-20th-ann"/> He thought they had made progress with Thomas, but upon listening to rough mixes of their material, they realised that their desire to musically "push the chaos further" was being tempered by Thomas's instinct to rein them in, and that the songs sounded "too polite".<ref name="rs-20th-ann"/> Late in 2003,<ref name="irish-times-20th-ann"/> the band visited [[Associated Independent Recording|AIR Studios]] in London to record [[overdub]]s with a 20-person string section "to give a few songs some lift". Bassist [[Adam Clayton]] called the session the moment "the wheels came off"; he sensed the musicians' lack of enthusiasm for the band's music, saying: "We could read the room. And they were not going, 'Wow, guys, this is really happening!'"<ref name="dropsbomb"/><ref name="sodajerker">{{cite podcast|url=https://www.sodajerker.com/episode-279-the-edge/|title=Episode 279 – The Edge|work=Sodajerker|first1=Simon|last1=Barber|first2=Brian|last2=O'Connor|date=1 January 2025|access-date=12 January 2025}}</ref>

After nine months of work, the band had completed an album's worth of songs. In October 2003, they met in Dublin to review their work. Bono and the Edge believed it was good enough to release; Bono said, "All we needed was the assent of the [[politburo]] and the record would have been out for Christmas." Clayton and drummer [[Larry Mullen Jr.]], however, disagreed with their bandmates and voted against releasing the record.<ref name="mystways-time">{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,782116-1,00.html|title=Mysterious Ways|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|first=Josh|last=Tyrangiel|date=22 November 2004|volume=164|issue=21|pages=80–83|access-date=9 October 2020}}</ref> Mullen said that the songs "had no magic",<ref name="mccorm317">McCormick (2006), pp. 317–321</ref> while Clayton said, "When it comes to signing off on a project, you ask questions like, 'Have we got a first single to open the campaign?' Frankly, we were missing more than just a first single."<ref name="mystways-time"/> Clayton and Mullen also felt that ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' had been overpraised, and they considered "Beautiful Day" to be the only hit single that the album generated. Clayton thought that if U2's goal was to continue to be the world's biggest band, they needed three or four hits from their album that could attract new fans.<ref name="mystways-time"/>

[[File:Steve Lillywhite during interview.jpg|thumb|[[Steve Lillywhite]] ''(pictured)'' took over as producer of the album after U2's dissatisfaction with their work with [[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]].]]
The group brought in their long-time producer [[Steve Lillywhite]] to mediate the disagreement. After they played him the album, Lillywhite assessed that it felt like "it had the weight of the world on its shoulders. It certainly wasn't any fun." After lengthy discussions, Bono and the Edge were convinced that the album needed more work. Bono thought their songs were good but admitted "good won't bring you to tears or make you want to leave your house and tour for a year".<ref name="mystways-time"/> Without making any firm decision on the album's producer, the group decided to undertake recording sessions with Lillywhite and see where it led them.<ref name="rs-20th-ann"/>

===Sessions with Lillywhite===
The band began recording with Lillywhite and his assistant [[Jacknife Lee]] in Dublin in January 2004.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 266</ref> The Edge says that the group quickly fell into a much more organic creative process with Lillywhite, with he and Lee reworking songs and encouraging better performances from the band.<ref name="mccorm317"/> One of the first tracks on which Lillywhite made an impact was "Native Son".<ref name="record-collect-20th-ann"/> While Bono was away for a few days, Lillywhite suggested the band record a better [[take]] of the song. After Bono returned and attempted to record vocals over the new backing track, he quickly decided that the lyrics no longer suited the song and that he would need a new lyrical and melodic approach; this ultimately led to the song's evolution into "[[Vertigo (U2 song)|Vertigo]]".<ref name="rs-20th-ann"/>

Lillywhite and Lee ultimately worked with the band for six months.<ref name="mccorm317"/> Several other producers received credits on the album, including Lanois, [[Brian Eno]], [[Flood (producer)|Flood]], Carl Glanville, and [[Nellee Hooper]];<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Bombs Away! U2 Sets Sights on Top of Charts|magazine=Billboard|first=Melinda|last=Newman|date=27 November 2004|volume=116|issue=48|pages=1, 64}}</ref> Bono acknowledged that the involvement of multiple producers affected the record's "sonic cohesion".<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 329</ref>

A demo version of the album (guitarist the Edge's copy) was stolen while the band were having their photo taken for a magazine in France in July 2004. It contained unfinished versions of several songs that made it onto the album.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3897987.stm|title=Police hunt for 'stolen' U2 album|publisher=BBC News|date=15 July 2004|access-date=9 August 2011}}</ref> The band publicly announced that if those tracks were leaked online, they would release the album immediately via the [[iTunes Store]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/u2-498-1361806|title='Vertigo' Early?|date=23 July 2004|website=[[NME]]}}</ref> Several months later, the finished album was leaked online,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/u2-514-1362722|title=U2 Album Leaks Online|date=8 November 2004|website=NME}}</ref> but the band did not release it earlier, despite previous comments.<ref name=earlier>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/u2-512-1362463|title=U2'S 'Bomb' Will Not Drop Early!|date=9 November 2004|website=NME}}</ref>

In late 2004, "Mercy", an unreleased track taken from the ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'' sessions, surfaced on the Internet through a fan who had been given a copy of the album containing the extra track. The track is of less than standard audio quality, but managed to become a favorite on fan websites. It was cut from the final release, but was described by ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' as "a six-and-a-half-minute outpouring of U2 at its most uninhibitedly U2-ish".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=U2 Walk on Water!|magazine=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]|first=Adrian|last=Deevoy|date=November 2004|pages=112–120, 122}}</ref> The lyrics to the song can be found in the booklet for the Special Limited Edition. A significantly revised version of the song was performed during the European leg of the [[U2 360° Tour]]; it made its live debut on 12 September 2010 during the second [[Zurich]] concert,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.u2.com/news/title/mercy-in-the-rain-in-zurich |title=> News > Mercy in the Rain in Zurich |publisher=U2 |access-date=10 April 2012}}</ref> and was officially released as the opening track on the band's ''[[Wide Awake in Europe]]'' vinyl-only live EP that November.