U2 is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their eleventh album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, in style. Tomorrow, the group is set to share Vertigo: Live From Chicago on YouTube, a full concert from their massive 2005-06 Vertigo Tour. The concert took place in Chicago’s United Center in May 2005.
The band has been looking forward to the anniversary of the album for much of 2024. Back in September, they shared that they would release the companion, “shadow album,” How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb, consisting of new, previously unreleased tracks from the original recording sessions of the album. However, one song, “Luckiest Man In The World,” may be a bit familiar to die-hard fans; back before the album was released, it leaked onto the internet under the title “Mercy.” There is also a selection of five remastered tracks from U2’s vault, including “Are We Gonna Wait Forever?” and “Theme From The Batman.” How To… is due out next Friday, November 29.
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was an immediate success for U2, topping charts in 34 different countries, including the United States. The album also saw the band return to a more guitar-oriented sound, reminiscent of their earlier works. That said, Bono was certain that the intricacies of the sound were a new frontier for the band. “The latest is an ode to innocence, as it’s been remembered, with the thought that you can get back to it. There’s nothing in U2’s catalogue that sounds remotely like ‘Vertigo.’ It’s completely fresh,” Bono told The Chicago Tribune when the band visited the city in 2005. At the time, the artist mused on some of the criticism the band had gotten in the preceding years for adopting a more pop sensibility. Bono was undeterred by the criticism. “Our definition of art is putting your head above the parapet, and be ready for the custard pie. I happen to love the taste of it,” he reflected.
Order the 20th anniversary edition of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.