U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - New Boxset Review & Unboxing

[@KevinniveK2112]

There was a deluxe edition of the album when it first came out that included Fast Cars as a bonus track and had a hardbound book with all of those art prints in it. It also included a DVD with a mini documentary of the making of the album which was cool. They probably should have included that DVD in this set for completeness. As far as what we do get in this set, I think it’s great. A little cumbersome, but great. Would have been better if all of the CDs came in their own sleeves for car listening. But I’ll probably just listen to it in Spotify when I want to hear it.

[@richardhenle2650]

Great unboxing, I actually early on was not getting this set because I didnt want another live album and remixes and when the shadow album was also a record store day item I looked at what I was spending on RSD stuff and then all these releases that have been coming out, so early on I wasn't going to get the box but ordered it mid October. I like the way they did the box, I am a fan of the larger size for CD sets my issue early on was getting that bigger book and artwork was strictly for albums, and buying vinyl I dont mind but not box sets of vinyl like these mainly because of $$ but also the fact that many have demos and you dont know quality and how often you will go back to it, so my vinyl buying normally is for newer stuff not archival sets. I do agree I was surprised the visual of the show wasn't in the box but I do have it separately as Vertigo 2005. I do like how the BOOK of photos and all is a separate thing from the lyrics and all that, I know most do it the other way around and I don't mind it but I do like it better this way. Again with U2 you will always get a varied degree of responses on their music, some hate everything after Joshua Tree some think this is their last good album etc....for me it's always been a strong record in their catalog, but again I find a lot of things in their catalog very interesting that people dont like, like "No Line on the Horizon" being a really strong album to me, and also Songs of Innocence I feel they have great stuff all over their catalog.

[@derrickvaneeden1149]

Can’t wait - my copy is in the mail🎉

[@BrendonSnyder]

Cool! Enjoy it when it arrives.

[@8ogdan701]

The Joshua Tree tour done again + The Zoo TV done again (aka the Sphere thing) + an album of old songs done acoustically + a "new album" with binned ideas from a previously released album = basically only recycling old ideas in the lack of new ones - this has been the U2 of the last 7 years or so.

[@vintagevinylvets1187]

Wow, time flies! Loved this album when it came out. Thanks for showing this set off Brendon, definitely will pick this one up. Our only complaint is that it seems there were some genuine missed opportunities on this set.-Danny & Beth🎧

[@adamjohn3089]

Brendon, this was a great unboxing. Thank you my friend.

[@jkos2537]

Nice unboxing video! I love the box, luckiest man on earth was the studio version I was looking for, and didn’t disappoint. It was called Mercy previously and only available as a live version. Pictures of you is another demo, which was previously available as Xanax & Wine, hence the (X&W). The live section was already available on DVD before, would have loved a different date, but who knows, there will probably a 25th and a 30th year edition. For those not really into cd’s and vinyl, iTunes has the first 2 cd’s available as digital download for sale. All in all, happy there are only 3 versions this time, with a 4th This Friday! Instead of the previous release in 27 formats!

[@ChrisNorwood3]

Definitely want to give the shadow album a listen. I do have a gripe with U2 though. I follow them on Spotify because I like them, they're a great band. And I usually want more material from artists, but they are putting out way too many remixes of individual songs to the point it's flooding my algorithm. I don't need 99 Trillion bad remixes of every single song in their catalogue released every day forever, lol.

[@BrendonSnyder]

Then don’t use the algorithm to listen to music. Can’t help if the band has that many remixes from songs over the years. Personally I dig the remixes. It’s an alternative way to hear one of their songs. I’ve bought all of their remix albums that they released through their fan club back in the day. Glad to be getting remix discs along with their later era albums.

[@mariosjpaulo]

love the t-shirt

[@DanielRice-t2p]

I ordered the CD Box Set from Japan. The 8 prints folder in mine is also too tall, hard to pull out and also banged up a little at the top of the folder like yours. Ugh! Thank you for the video!

[@DanielRice-t2p]

FYI... If you rotate the folder of prints 90º, it fits perfectly in the box...

[@StephenBiesiada]

Brendon, a great video, U2 review awesome , I will have to get this, I’ve been a fan from the first day they came, hard to believe 20 years, their concerts are fantastic well Brendon Thank You see you on the next one, Steve

[@stevedaughertyjr1184]

How to dismantle an atomic bomb is my favorite u2 album by far.

[@BrendonSnyder]

Then you should really enjoy the shadow album How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb. It’s very good.

[@michaelrogers8126]

I think this is their last great album. I saw them on this tour. Fantastic show !

[@BrendonSnyder]

I really like No Line On The Horizon which came out after How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

[@tjbullitt]

I think Achtung baby was their last good album. After that it seemed Bono started taking himself serious and the music suffered compared too their earlier albums.

[@mike-qk1vf]

great review brendon. im gonna start saving. i have ordered the black friday lp how to reassemble an atomic bomb. mike from canada

[@mikes.7900]

Surprised there's no blu ray audio with an atmos mix, seems to be the norm with these premium boxed sets

[@thedreamcatcher72]

Thanks Brendon you just cost me €125 😂 I was on the fence, but you swayed me. This album "All that you cant leave behind" and "No line on the horizon" were the last great output from the band for me. Still love 'em though.

[@johndelaurentis9294]

Great episode on one of my favorite bands! Looking forward to getting this one eventually. I have the 2004 mini-box of this album that has the CD, a DVD, and a 48 page book that contains the prints you showed (I think all of them) and a bunch of other drawings. I agree I would have liked to see a disc of B-sides/outtakes rather than all the remixes. I have the Achtung Baby box, which has everything in it as a 6 CD/4 DVD set.

[@seanrobertson379]

Great video, Brendon. As far as U2 albums go, it's not my favourite but it's still pretty good. For me, it just doesn't have the staying power like All You Can't Leave Behind. U2 know how to make a decent boxset though, which makes it tempting. I do wish they included a Blu-ray video or a live recording of the songs from this tour. Just my personal preference.

[@suartgilmour4540]

Im a big U2 fan, have just about everything. But this just seems like packaging for the sake of it. Of the 'shadow' album, only 4 songs are actually new - Evidence, Teason, Country Mile and Happiness. Wait Forever and ....Smile were both B sides that have been improved a bit. Luckiest Man was originally called Mercy, and a live version of it was on a US ep. The remixes are nice to have but hardly essential. And could they not have chosen a live show at a different date than the original DVD, that most fans are already familiar with? And I don't understand why the album itself requires a remaster. It sounded fine 20 years ago. So all in all, as a U2 fan (honest, lol), it's great to have half an album of new songs, but I just downloaded the shadow album and I dont need the rest. Each to their own, of course, and thanks for the unboxing video. Stuart

[@philosophicalsounds.2111]

Great review Brendon. I agree this boxset is great but it could have been amazing based on what U2 has in the vaults. Native Son (early version of Vertigo) and Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (Alternate Version) which were included in the Complete U2 digital boxset that came with the U2 Ipod should have been included here - maybe on the shadow album. They are easily found on KZbin but they play an important part in the development of this album so omitting them is a big miss. U2 also could have switched the Chicago concert for Milan 2005 which was also fully recorded (audio/visual). A portion of this concert was included in the Best of U2 released in 2006. Vertigo Tour moved to stadiums in Europe (they exclusively played arenas in North America) so it would have been nice to have a professionally recorded concert from this leg. Original of the Species (Single Mix) would have been nice on the remix disc and possibly the original version of Mercy that was leaked 20 years ago (before they changed it this year to Luckiest Man in the World for this boxset). Still, it is great to have a boxset from this period (warts and all). Cheers.

[@Chalskimusic]

Hey Brendon, great boxset. Gotta mention, if you wish the out side spine to be the one with the writing and title then the bomb symbol would be your front cover. To me the front cover is always to the right hand side of that title spine...... right?

[@thomaswery3087]

Brendon do you have the other box sets of U2? This one looks really good

[@BrendonSnyder]

Yes. I even linked reviews of the other boxsets in the description.

[@thomaswery3087]

@@BrendonSnyder thanks Brendon think I'm going to have to invest in this one have the others also.

[@fabiansilen6850]

Treasure is so different than the original HTDAAB material. But so cool. As for the origial album I have to say it includes some of the best Bono lyrics ever for me. "Some things you shouldn´t become to good at. As smiling, crying and celebrity.

[@ericmiller1881]

I really want the 2cd option 😭😂🤦‍♂️. Or even an LP of the extra album. Oh well

[@jkos2537]

@@ericmiller1881 You can buy the second cd on vinyl this coming FrIday as the Black Friday, record store release.

[@BrendonSnyder]

As I said, RSD this Friday they are releasing the shadow album as a stand alone LP.

[@ericmiller1881]

@BrendonSnyder sorry I missed that. Good to know 👍. Thanks!

[@inmyhouse11]

Hopefully a Motorhead album ranking is coming as you got the Lemmy beard going on , just need the muttonchops

[@BrendonSnyder]

Lemmy didn’t have a beard

[@trevensasstheautisticman]

I have a couple of songs from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb on DVD: 1. Vertigo 2. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

[@HaakonOdinsson]

Nice looking boxset, not really a fan, but I do like Joshua Tree, and appreciate the bands longevity, skill and camaraderie. All the best 🫡 Edit: in my haste I forgot to agree with you regarding the spines on boxsets, I’m the same

[@deeoosee]

Can’t believe it’s been twenty years on this album! Despite the many albums that they’ve sold, they are still highly under appreciated in the music community I think. All band members still active, experimentation throughout the years etc.

[@BrendonSnyder]

I don’t see the band as being under appreciated at all. They have been recognized in every way shape and form whether by the critics, the fans, charts, album sales, and more. I think they’re one of those bands who actually is universally seen as a great band.

[@Stonecutter334]

Unfortunately bands that express any social conscience instantly get a ton of hate. Not sure when it became cool to hate people or performers that actually try to help others or the planet but im gonna say 2016 here in the usa is when hate became a thing again. Wonder why?

[@michaelwills1926]

@@Stonecutter334I don’t know about hate but whining about a particular guy became a thing in 2016 for sure.

[@rafalmeidas]

I also disagree, they've been praised massively and in my opinion overrated. I'd stick with the Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum music they did on those albums.

[@ronfarney6477]

Wow that's gud taste you wearing a Duran Duran t shirt oh yes you got great taste I'm a die hard Duranie since 1981 🎉🎉🎉still era nearly 44 years in Feb in 2025 and I'm also a U2 fan brilliant awesome amazing 🎉🎉🎉

[@shanerennie846]

It’s a shame they tied the live show to this box set. Great video once again.

[@AndyTempleman-ot6lu]

Great review. I am a huge fan of u2 but did not really like a lot of this album when it came out. I am on the fence about this box set. Will see.

[@tapanim6576]

😎👍

[@matg5760]

I'll be comparing this to swifts anthology version of her current album! Dueling 11th album anthologies!!!

[@BrendonSnyder]

What? 🤷‍♂️

[@FrankNardulli]

Remember when U2 used to make new music ? Pepperidge Farm remembers

[@brucybabyy7355]

i find them pointless now

[@BrendonSnyder]

What do you mean? They still make new music.

[@FrankNardulli]

@ really? When every 10 years?

[@BrendonSnyder]

Frank do your homework….Songs Of Innocence (2014), Songs Of Experience (2017), Songs Of Surrender (2023). That’s 3 albums in 10 years.

[@brucybabyy7355]

@BrendonSnyder do you rank them with their best. I listened to those I can't remember any song from them.

[@kennethhardbargeriii2798]

That was the last U2 cd 💿 I picked up in 2004 .

[@BrendonSnyder]

Then you’ve been missing out

[@benboyer7218]

Let me know when it hits the bargain bin

[@BrendonSnyder]

Won’t be happening. It never does for the U2 boxsets.

[@thesabotagemachinesmusic]

@@BrendonSnyderNo kidding. So glad I picked up the Achtung Baby one a few years ago. It’s going for about a grand now.

[@pmbeirne]

unfortunatly this was a complete failed album by U2 and it shows compared to their earlier releases . nice video presentation though .

[@BrendonSnyder]

Really? That’s why it sold 10 million copies? Yeah I didn’t see it as a failed album and I don’t think the world does either.

[@touringband]

I’ve played this more than Joshua tree. It’s a great album. And the supporting concert was brilliant. Cheers

[@robphilpott43]

Can’t agree with that, it’s an album full of great songs.

[@dang75790]

I give U2 credit. They made a career out of maybe one good song 😂

[@BrendonSnyder]

Are you kidding?

[@dang75790]

@BrendonSnyder not at all. You can enjoy them. I find them boring and lacking talent.

[@thesabotagemachinesmusic]

@@BrendonSnyderHas to be a joke! U2 is one of the greatest.

[@cyclingjack]

Polish up the edge? Not sure he agrees 😅

[@philipsantoro1207]

Why Are Bands Mysteriously Disappearing? (Rick Beato}

[@BrendonSnyder]

What are you talking about? Where do you think U2 went? They just put a new album out last year. They’re always doing cool releases like this one. And they just did their Vegas residency. Seems they are very much front and center.

[@philipsantoro1207]

@@BrendonSnyder Hey they are front and center watching Wayne Newton.

[@Markeebee100]

Weird as I always found it to be one of their weakest albums. 2 or 3 great tracks and the rest was very average. Interestingly though, I like a lot of the shadow album. I think if they'd have taken the best tracks from both; use Luckiest Man, Pictures of You (not Fast Cars!) and Treason perhaps and dumped a few from main album it could have been great. Of course it's a matter of personal taste and I'm sure many would disagree with me!

[@BalderBorador]

I have 4 questions: Did you color your hair & beard? What is the album on the Gold Record Award? Last, what does your girlfriend/boyfriend think of your addiction to CD's?! Do you have a pierced tongue? 👅

[@jdiona]

Good album but not a classic. It has good songs but it contains a lot of filler. But it’s their really last good album. From then on , just a landsliding till the abysm. Better than the previous one.

[@TomJarmusz-bb5yy]

Why waste time and $ on a over rated band

[@BrendonSnyder]

Because they’re not overrated…they’re rated exactly as they should be. They’re amazing, plain and simple. Just because they’re not your cup of tea does not make them overrated. It just means you don’t like them.

[@dang75790]

Yeah, definitely overrated and bono is a creep.

[@westsidecater]

Brendon, where do you find the sales figures for albums?

[@BrendonSnyder]

Wikipedia

[@brucybabyy7355]

you may want to play it quik. countries with nukes are itchin to use them...

[@BrendonSnyder]

🤷‍♂️