An Album Filled With Love And Emotion: U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Uno, dos, tres, catorce!

We've all been there at one point in time. A place where things are blasting around us like a hurricane, where we can hardly stand up against the pressures of life, and where love and peace are so hard to find. U2 likes to call this Vertigo.

Lights go down, it's dark, the jungle is your head, can't rule your heart.

It's dark. Life throws things at you when you least expect it, and even if you are expecting it, it's still tough. U2 makes no attempt to hide the dark, or the battle that goes on in your mind when this dark hits. Tracks like the melancholy ballad Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own and the heartfelt, atmospheric One Step Closer show Bono reflecting on his father's passing, while other tracks such as Love And Peace Or Else and Crumbs From Your Table show U2's heartfelt commitment to peace, and to stopping the carnage of the AID's epidemic.

A feeling's so much stronger than a thought, your eyes are wide, and though your soul, it can't be bought your mind can wander.

Love. It's what pulls us back from life's disappointments and tragedies, and what is left when all else is gone. A Man And A Woman shows this love perfectly, as Adam Clayton's bass glides underneath Bono's soulful voice, and Edge's Latin flavored acoustic guitar playing. "I could never take a chance, of losing love to find romance, in the mysterious distance, between a man and a woman," Bono sings speaking to his wife Ali, who has stood by him through all the hard times in his life. True love is something truly special, and even though every human longs to have it, it escapes one's grasp easily.

Hello, Hello! I'm at a place called Vertigo, It's everything I wish I didn't know, except you give me something I can feel.

Emotion. Something that has always been a crucial part of U2's sound and vision is the emotion with which they portray the various subjects of their songs. Who can forget the outpouring of emotion on With Or Without You or One? On How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, Miracle Drug, floats in the mind of the listener over what is now U2's trademark, atmospheric guitars, before delivering a climax of energy and passion in the bridge. Bono weaves a story of a mother looking at her sick child, and telling the child that she would give it all up for a miracle drug to save the child. "The songs are in your eyes, I see them when you smile, I've had enough of romantic love, I'd give it up, yeah I'd give it up, for a miracle drug."

The night is full of holes as bullets rip a sky of ink with gold, they twinkle as, as the boys play rock and roll, they know that they can't dance, at last they know.

Rock and Roll. If 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind marked U2 return to music in the new century, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb marks U2's return to rock and roll. While All That You Can't Leave Behind had its moments, most of the album was a more toned down release. That changed as The Edge whips up some of his more rocking riffs on songs like the dizzying Vertigo and addictive All Because Of You, showing folks that U2 is not falling into the AC trap, but can still rock. All Because Of You in particular starts off with a squealing blast of feedback before Larry Mullen Jr. kicks in with the drums placing tight rhythm for the rest of the band to follow. It's great to hear Edge throw down a great solo, before the bridge, as well as Bono throw in some weird vocal noises. It's like all the energy that was lacking from All That You Can't Leave Behind has come back, and U2 sounds more confident than ever.

I can't stand the beats, I'm asking for the check, a girl with crimson nails has Jesus round her neck, swinging to the music, swinging to the music.

Beauty. There's just something beautiful about well played music, and it has the chance to touch people in ways unimaginable. I know U2's music has touched me in ways I can't explain, and wouldn't want to if I could. Bono wrote Original Of The Species for Edge's daughter, and through it's quiet drumming and lilting piano, it carries the weight and emotion it was intended to. Bono even throws in a few subtle jabs at his ego as the song continues showing that even rock stars sometimes have to learn to laugh at themselves, "Some things you shouldn't get too good at, like smiling, crying, and celebrity, some people got way to much confidence, baby." A touching piece which sounds even better in concert, with Edge just playing the piano, and Bono's voice unfettered by guitar.

All of this, all of this can be yours, just give me what I want and no one gets hurt.

Everything. Everything that makes a good song seems to be present in City Of Blinding Lights, a song Bono wrote dedicated to New York and the World Trade Centers. Starting off with a building intro, soon it accelerates into a gorgeous guitar riff from the Edge, as the bass and drums fly underneath like a car driving under the bright lights of New York City at night. The chorus is just a moment of pure joy, with Bono shouting, "Oh you look so beautiful tonight!" Just when you think the song is winding down, it launches in an energetic bridge with Bono declaring, "Time won't leave me as I am, but time won't take the boy out of this man." The youthful energy present on U2's debut album, Boy, shows itself in a more mature and polished form throughout How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, and is long overdue.

Hello, hello, we're at a place called vertigo, lights go down and all I know, is that you give me something, I can feel your love teaching me how, your love is teaching me how to kneel.

God. It seems that throughout U2's long career they has always been a thread of hope and grace running through their music, due in large part to the band's faith in God. Also in all their album's there has always been reference's to God and Jesus, whether they be I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For's bold declaration of faith in the cross and the kingdom come, or Mofo's looking for baby Jesus under the trash. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is no different, in fact, may be one of U2's most spiritually laden album's ever. A lot of this may have to do with the album's final track, Yahweh. Yahweh, an inspirational and tender ballad, has Bono crying out to God to bring the dawn as Edge's guitar swirls away in the background, and the album ends with these final lyrics, a testament to U2's enduring faith: "Take this city, this city should be shining on a hill, take this city if it be your will. What no man can own, no man can take, take this heart, take this heart, take this heart, and make it break."

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is a great album, and holds a special place for me, as it was one of the first great albums I have come to own. A year and a half later, it still resonates inside of me, from the rocking energy to the somber ballads. One thing is sure U2 has crafted an album of emotion, love, beauty, and ended it pointing back to the God that has allowed them to keep making music for all these years. An essential album in any U2's fan collection and a great pickup for anyone just getting in to them. Thanks for reading.

Album Highlights: Vertigo, Miracle Drug, City Of Blinding Lights, and Yahweh.

Final Rating: 4.5(I have to round up, just because of the significance it has in my life.)