The Stories Behind U2's Album Names

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Yeah, the Joshua Tree name came from the day of the photoshoot, where they were in the desert, and they saw the vastness and isolation before them closely resembled the themes of their current nameless album, and named it the Joshua Tree.

How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb has to do with love. As the Michael W. Smith story will tell you, Bono said "love, with love." With love and peace in the world, we would have no need for atomic bombs. thus, the presence of love would dismantle them.

Achtung Baby was another one they had a hard time naming. I've heard the story about the line in The Producers, and Bill Flanagan also addresses it in his book "U2 at the end of the world", although I don't remember what he said exatcly, lol.

if you guys want to listen to the joshua tree promo interview, her'es the link =) http://www.u2source.com/node/109
 
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"40"

10 minutes to write
10 minutes to record
10 minutes to mix
10 minutes to playback

(That's what I was told, not sure if its true?)
 
Yeah, and according to an interview with the producer, "40" was completed more or less in less than half an hour.

So what are your favorite titles?

For me it's: Achtung Baby, HTDAAB, and TUF
 
Snowlock said:


nope. Just pick up your nearest manual for an electrical device that is in english and german. The english side says either caution or warning and the german say achtung. Perhaps it means a mixture of both. But caution/warning is definately a component of the word.

Ya. When translating the Geman language its not a word for a word translation. In Germany one german work can mean many english words.
 
I had also heard that "Achtung Baby" was just a title to throw people off about the album. "Its a heavy mother, its our heaviest album with the least serious title. Where miserable bastards." BONO~

It goes along with the idea of breaking the "old" image of the band and shake peoples heads up a bit.

Also with the Joshua Tree they were inspired by it mostly not because of the religous aspect of it but the thing that they noticed the most was that particular tree in the desert. Joshua Trees grow in bunches and it is extreemly rare that you see them by themselves. But they found one and that became the cover and thier inspiration. They wanted to capture that open landscapes of the U.S. and it was a good symbol.
 
gherman said:
I had also heard that "Achtung Baby" was just a title to throw people off about the album. "Its a heavy mother, its our heaviest album with the least serious title. Where miserable bastards." BONO~

It goes along with the idea of breaking the "old" image of the band and shake peoples heads up a bit.

Also with the Joshua Tree they were inspired by it mostly not because of the religous aspect of it but the thing that they noticed the most was that particular tree in the desert. Joshua Trees grow in bunches and it is extreemly rare that you see them by themselves. But they found one and that became the cover and thier inspiration. They wanted to capture that open landscapes of the U.S. and it was a good symbol.

It breaks my heart that it fell down a few years ago :(. I guess it would be about 5 years ago now... wouldn't it be funny if it fell down a few days before Achtung! Baby was released! Holy Fookin Metaphor!
 
In addition to some previous posts:

HTDAAB
-death of Bono's father, Bob, was "like a bomb going off" Bono was trying to dismantle it AFTER it had already gone off..to no avail. "Going in the desert..." is a biblical reference, not an Iraq reference.

ATYCLB
-experiences are like luggage some you have to take along for the trip, sometimes you can start with a clean sheet (also lyics for Walk On)

Pop
-sound of something unexpected ("to make a popping sound")

Zooropa
-ZooStation-> ZooTV-> 2nd european leg of the tour: Zooropa

Achtung Baby!
-(lyrics from the Fly)
spoof on everything: watch out baby (here we come) also a warning that it contains a fresh start for U2, and that the album is very heavy. The Berlin experience obviously led to this, recorded at Hansa Studio's (Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed) Suggested viewing "Christiane F, Kinder from Bahnhof Zoo", suggested listening Lou Reed's Transformer +any Bowie album.

Rattle & Hum
-"In the locust wind comes a rattle & hum" ('Bullet lyrics, reference to warplanes/choppers in El Salvador/Central America)

Joshua tree
-Anton Corbijn took them for a photo shoot in Joshua Tree national park, Bono also liked the bible references.

Wide awake in America
-loosely related to "Bad" lyrics

Unforgettable Fire
-title for the central piece in a photo/art display about the atomic bombs on Japan. (BOMB-JAPAN-NOW)

Under a Blood red sky
-NYD lyrics, reference to the Red Rock settings (though the album was mostly recorded in Germany,@ Lorelei)

War
-war between people(s)...relationships...pretty broad

October
-reference to Autumn/Fall = death (leaves falling down etc.) Like Pop/Mofo, the central song is about Bono's mom passing away (October/Tomorrow)

Boy
-Stories for Boys, album is written from the perspective of a boy growing up (suggested reading: James Joyce "portrait of the artist as a young man")
 
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