It wasn’t something the quartet took lightly. That made it an unconventional choice for U2’s first single from The Joshua Tree, the introduction to a new approach to the band’s sound. “It was mad… Something like ‘With or Without You,’ it’s a very odd-sounding song … it kind of whispers its way into the world and this odd guitar part that’s played on Edge’s Infinite Guitar. “Looking back on it now, I can see it was so out of step with everything around,” Bono said. With a minimalist beginning and Bono starting the song in an intensely low register, the song wasn’t just different for a radio hit, but among the other tunes U2 were recording. I mean psychotic restraint, and that is the thing that rips your heart out, not the chorus.”Įdge was only too happy to demonstrate that restraint on the Classic Albums documentary for The Joshua Tree, which also includes U2’s frontman reminding fans about how strange “With or Without You” sounded to many people in the late ’80s. Everyone in the room is, ‘OK, Edge, let’s see if you can let off some fireworks here.’ Three notes – restraint. The song breaks open and comes down, and then comes back. “The song is all one build to a crescendo. “It was self-clear early on that this was a little bit special,” the singer told Rolling Stone. Bono was just as knocked out by the addition. Many axe-men would point to a dynamic solo as a highlight, but the Edge likes the gentle arrangement of chiming chords that appears at song’s end. Those sighing, soaring notes might be the most distinctive noises on the song, although the guitarist has claimed his favorite part of the tune is what he does on the finale. He did two takes and those are the ones in the ultimate mix of 'With or Without You.' Beautiful sounds, stratospheric.” “I asked Edge just to play a little something with it. “For ‘With or Without You’ we had the rhythm and the chords then we were testing Michael Brook’s Infinite Guitar invention,” Lanois told Mojo in 2008. He sent Edge one of the guitars – created with the idea of being able to sustain notes infinitely – and he tried it out on “With or Without You.” The Edge’s major contribution was his use of the “Infinite Guitar,” an instrument that had been designed by a collaborator of his, Michael Brook. Eno added those twinkling keyboards, Clayton discovered the soothing bass tones, Mullen found the right spot for his drums to explode. He had written the lyrics about his dual role as a rock star and a husband when he visited the South of France for the first time, and felt he was expressing something pure on “With or Without You.” His friend, Gavin Friday, agreed and helped Bono rearrange the track in the studio.įriday was convinced it could be a hit the other guys began to come around too. None of it seemed to work, so U2 and the producers were about to give up on the song.īono was the lone hold-out, and the song meant a great deal to him personally. On the advice of co-producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the members tried to add something new to the track by playing louder, harder or adding electronic touches. all thought the song was stuck in a loop. By the time sessions for U2’s next album really began in 1986, all of the members besides Bono had grown tired of the simplistic sounds of “With or Without You.” Guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr.
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