U2 – From The Ground Up – Edge Picks from U2360

Mastering notes from Pete Maher:

This album was the follow up to the U2 – U22 album. It was recorded live on the 360 World Tour with each song being hand picked and selected by The Edge. There’s some real gems on this one and out of the two albums is my personal favourite. Song crossfades were once again held together by the Chicago crowd and my approach was to keep it tight, warm and loud! The track below highlights this ..

Working with U2 is similar to working with an independent label. They are passionate and respectful and in control of everything they do. They continue to break new ground with each release and for this reason alone they are truly unique. To top it off, they are the only band in history to still be together after thirty five years with the same original line up and same manager. Not even the Stones can boast that one!

Notes actually do mean something. They have power. I think of notes as being expensive. You don’t just throw them around. I find the ones that do the best job and that’s what I use. I suppose I’m a minimalist instinctively. I don’t like to be inefficient if I can get away with it. Like on the end of “With or Without You“. My instinct was to go with something very simple. Everyone else said, “Nah, you can’t do that.” I won the argument and I still think it’s sort of brave, because the end of “With or Without You” could have been so much bigger, so much more of a climax, but there’s this power to it which I think is even more potent because it’s held back… ultimately I’m interested in music. I’m a musician. I’m not a gunslinger. That’s the difference between what I do and what a lot of guitar heroes do.

—The Edge, U2 (1991)