"CALM" - 5 Seconds of Summer

Album

U2 Related Content:

"Best Years" (Studio Version) - 5 Seconds of Summer (Featuring The Edge) (03:10)

Additional U2 Related Content (Some Versions):

"Best Years" (Calm Remix) - 5 Seconds of Summer (Featuring The Edge) (09:18)

Full Track Listing:

Regular Edition:

Red Desert (03:49)
No Shame (03:13)
Old Me (03:07)
Easier (02:38)
Teeth (03:26)
Wildflower (03:41)
Best Years (03:10)
Not in the Same Way (03:26)
Love of Mine (03:26)
Thin White Lies (03:02)
Lonely Heart (03:24)
High (02:56)

Deluxe Versions:

Easier (Live from the Vault)
Teeth (Live from the Vault)
No Shame (Live from the Vault)

Background Information

The Edge adds his guitar to the song “Best Years” on the 2020 album release from 5 Seconds of Summer, CALM. The song is track seven on the new album, runs 3:10 in length, and is one of the songs that was composed with producer Ryan Tedder, who has worked with U2 on Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. The song was not part of the preview tracks for the album, and the full version will only be released when the album is available. 5 Seconds of Summer are signed to Interscope Records. The band formed as teenagers in Australia in 2011, and are known for their hit “Youngblood.” The album title, CALM is an amalgamation of their names, Calum, Ashton, Luke and Michael.

Luke Hemmings, lead singer of the band discussed the track on Apple Music, “The first demo was just one guitar and my vocal. Me and Ryan Tedder wrote the bulk with the vocals on our own, and then we had The Edge from U2 play the guitar on the bridge. That was awesome. The song is a beautiful love note-something I felt I needed to get off my chest. That’s the best way songwriting can be: cathartic.” Michael Clifford, guitarist with the band, spoke with the Toronto Sun about The Edge (and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine) joining the band on the album, “Our producer is respected in the rock community and he’s friends with all of those guys and he really backed our band. I think he was working on the Ozzy Osbourne record (Ordinary Man) at the time and he said, ‘Hey, I’m working with 5 Seconds of Summer and they’re massive fans of you guys. Would you be down to play a little session in a song?’ Both of them said sure, so it was cool to get that support. Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with some of our biggest inspirations in music, so this is just another bucket-list thing that we’ve checked off.”

Michael Clifford spoke about the song in the CALM Digital Commentary album saying, “The next song we’re about to play is our song called “Best Years”. This is one of my personal favourite songs off the album. Me and Calum have this running joke that he wants to play “Best Years” at my wedding. I don’t know how I feel about this but Crystal loves the song and I love the song so why not? Let’s go ahead and do it. We have The Edge playing on the bridge and the guitar solo in this song. I don’t know if I could get The Edge to come to my wedding, but if I could then maybe that could actually convince him to come to my wedding, and let them play the song.” (The CALM Digital Commentary album is a digital album that includes the band discussing each track. There is no additional U2 material, and the music tracks that are included are the same edits on the main album.

In an interview on radio with Ash London the band spoke further about it. “Actually on “The Best Years” The Edge from U2 plays on it. It’s actually him playing on it! That was Andrew Watt. He did “Youngblood” with us and this whole album. He [Andrew Watt] was recording on Ozzy Osbourne’s new album, so it was at the time that guests were coming in, Elton John, Tom Morello, blah blah blah. Tom Morello is playing on “Teeth.” Tom Morello and the Edge. They actually liked doing it. They are so cool with it. We didn’t have to give them a big pay day or anything. They really enjoyed the band. Maybe their kids liked the band. That’s an actually bigger point, they actually wanted to do it!”

The album was initially released in a number of different formats:

12-Inch Pink Vinyl (Available through 5SOS direct) (0250877999)
12-Inch Black Vinyl
12-Inch Blue Vinyl (Available at HMV (UK) and independent Record Stores)
Boxset including standard CD, hat, photo cards and patch pack (0874818CA)
Cassette: Neon pink (0858557CA)
5-Inch CD (0858556CA)
5-Inch CD, signed with Calum Cover
5-Inch CD, signed with Ashton Cover
5-Inch CD, signed with Luke Cover
5-Inch CD, signed with Michael Cover
Bundle with CD, and four cassettes, one featuring each band member, with cassettes in blue, purple, white and grey.
Deluxe 5-Inch CD (Available as a Target Exclusive in the USA, and through various retailers elsewhere.)
Digital Versions

A set of four remixes were also released through the Calm meditation / relaxation app on March 26, 2020. This includes a remix of the song “Best Years”.

Since the initial release a number of other formats of the album have also been issued. Some of these contain the remix included in the Calm meditation app. These include digital versions of the album through the 5SOS official store. These can be bought as stand alone digital albums at a quality of 320kbps, and if you buy the Luke edition, you get the remix that Luke did of “Best Years” at that same quality. These digital versions are also bundled with some physical releases in the store (such as cassettes, but again you would need to find the Luke edition to get the remix, and there is one edition for each band member.) Finally, on July 3, Polydor will release four picture discs, one for each member of the band. And the “Best Years” remix will be available on the physical picture disc when you buy the Luke edition. (The other three versions will each feature a different bonus remix, but none of these are “Best Years”.)

Liner Notes

Best Years:
Written by: Luke Hemmings, Ali Tamposi, Andrew Wotman, Nathan Perez & Ryan Tedder.

Vocals: Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin
Guitar: Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Happy Perez, and watt. Additional guitar: The Edge
Bass: Calum Hood
Drums: Ashton Irwin and watt.
Keyboards: watt
Background vocals: Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Happy Perez, Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, watt and Ali Tamposi
Programmer: Happy Perez and watt.

Produced by watt. Recording engineer: Paul LaMalfa, Michael Freeman and Geoff Swan. Mastering engineer: Dave Kutch. Mixing engineer: Mark “Spike” Stent.