"Artificial Horizon" - U2

Fan Club Album / Album

Track Listing (CD and Vinyl):

Track Listing (Download with Purchase of Vinyl):

Background Information

Artificial Horizon was the seventh album released by U2’s fan club, and the fifth since the establishment of U2.com as the digital iteration of the club. In a first, the album was also made available for sale commercially—but only in a vinyl format. The CD remained exclusive to the fan club. The disc was housed in a standard card sleeve that fit, along with an 8-page booklet, inside a larger card sleeve emblazoned with the album artwork.

The compilation was first announced on September 24th, 2009, at the same time that the 2010 European tour dates were revealed for the U2360 Tour. This was the earliest a fan club CD had been announced by U2.com. Aside from the title, very little information was revealed about the CD until an e-mail on December 15, 2009, announcing that the gift would not be sent to subscribers until early 2010. An e-mail a week later, on December 22, was the first announcement of the full track list of the album. On February 26, 2010, an e-mail was sent announcing that the CD was shipping, with the first reports of the CD arriving in subscribers’ mailboxes popping up on March 10.

Up to this point Artificial Horizon was thought to be a subscriber-only package in the vein of previous fan club releases. But a week later, on March 17, U2.com announced a limited pressing of Artificial Horizon on double purple vinyl that would be available to order until May 14, 2010. Unlike the CD, which was issued as a gift to paid subscribers, the vinyl version was sold to the general public. It was the third time that a “fan club only” release had been made available for purchase in another format by U2. Both Melon and Hasta La Vista Baby! were included in the digital box set The Complete U2 (this happened several years after their fan club debuts) but only as part of the full digital bundle, not as individual releases.

The CD and vinyl featured the same track listing, which was a compilation of 13 remixes from throughout the band’s career. Only three of the tracks had been previously unreleased. These included “City of Blinding Lights (Hot Chip 2006 Mix),” “Get on Your Boots (Fish Out of Water Remix),” and “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (Live U2360 Remix).” The latter track was actually a live performance (modeled on two different remixes of the song by Redanka and Dirty South), recorded on July 27, 2009 at Croke Park in Dublin. This same recording would later appear on the vinyl-only EP “Wide Awake in Europe.”

Purchasers of the vinyl format of Artificial Horizon were also given access to a fourth previously unreleased song, “Unknown Caller (Snow Patrol Remix).” This track was a download only, and did not appear on physical formats of the album. Upon placing an order for the vinyl, customers were given immediate access to the download.

The remaining tracks on Artificial Horizon had been released previously, although some were rare and had not appeared on CD. “Elevation (Influx Mix)” was available on the “Elevation” single. “Fast Cars (Jacknife Lee Mix)” was released on the “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” single and also had featured on the prior fan club compilation Medium, Rare & Remastered. “Vertigo (Trent Reznor Remix)” was released previously on the EU DVD single and the Japanese CD single of “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own.” “Magnificent (Fred Falke Radio Mix)” had been included on the single for “Magnificent.” “Beautiful Day (David Holmes Remix)” had initially appeared on the Australian version of the “Stuck in a Moment” single. “Staring at the Sun (Monster Truck Remix)” was released on the “Staring at the Sun” single. “Happiness is a Warm Gun (Danny Saber Remix)” was taken from the “Last Night on Earth” single. “Get On Your Boots (Justice Remix)” was released on the “Get On Your Boots” single. “If God Will Send His Angels (Grand Jury Mix)” was previously released on the “MOFO” single as well as on The Best of 1990-2000 & B-Sides compilation. “Staring at the Sun (Brothers in Rhythm Ambient Mix)” made its CD debut on Artificial Horizon, but had originally appeared on a “Staring at the Sun” promotional vinyl that was issued in advance of the release of The Best of 1990-2000 & B-Sides.

Liner Notes

Project manager: Jeremy Joseph
Album Co-Ordinator: Candida Bottaci and Declan Gaffney
Compilation Mastering: Scott Sedillo at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Audio Post Production: Cheryl Engels at Partial Productions.

Elevation (Influx Mix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono. Original production by Danny Lanois and Brian Eno. Remixed by Leo Pearson. Additional production by Johnny Moy. Remix engineer: Richard Rainey.

Fast Cars (Jacknife Lee Mix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono with The Edge. Original production by Steve Lillywhite. Additional production and remix by Jacknife Lee.

Get On Your Boots (Fish Out of Water Mix):
Music and lyrics by U2. Original production by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois. Additional production and remix by Declan Gaffney and Matt Paul.

Vertigo (Trent Reznor Remix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono with The Edge. Original production by Steve Lillywhite. Remixed by Trent Reznor. Mix engineered by James Brown. Programming by Keith Hillebrandt. Additional engineering by Leo Herrera. Assisted by Brett Bachemin and Dustin Mosley.

Magnificent (Fred Falke Radio Remix):
Music by U2, Brian Eno and Danny Lanois. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge. Original production by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois. Remix and additional production by Fred Falke. Keyboards: Fred Falke.

I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (Live U2360 Remix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono. Recorded by Alastair McMillan at Croke Park, Dublin, 27th July 2009. Mixed by Declan Gaffney. Assisted by Russel Fawcus. Remixes by Redanka and Dirty South. “Beshino Az Ney/Windfall” performed by Sussan Deyhim, courtesy of Venus Rising Records. “Relax” and ‘Two Tribes”, Gill / Johnson / O’Toole.

Beautiful Day (David Holmes Remix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono. Original production by Danny Lanois and Brian Eno. Additional remix production and remix by David Holmes. Programming by Jagz Kooner. Engineering by Phil Mossman at Echjoplex, London. Additional Keyboards: Darren Morris. Additional guitar and bass guitar: Phil MOssman. Additional drums: Zac Danziger.

Staring at the Sun (Monster Truck Remix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and the Edge. Original production by Flood. Remixed by The Sonic Morticians. Produced by Butch “The Embalmer” Vig and Danny “Necrophiliac” Saber. Engineered by John “Carcass Humper” X. Sound engineers: Wes “Grave Robber” Johnson and Jonathan “Grave Digger” Burtner.Remixed at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles.

Happiness is a Warm Gun (Danny Saber Mix):
Words and music by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Performed by U2. Original production by Flood. Remixed by Danny Saber. Discipline and Perversion by John X. Mixed by Tom Lord-Alge.

Get on Your Boots (Justice Remix):
Music and Lyrics by U2. Original production by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois. Remix and additional production by Justice.

City of Blinding Lights (Hot Chip 2006 Remix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono. Original produciton by Flood. Additional production and remix by Hot Chip.

If God Will Send His Angels (Grand Jury Mix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and the Edge. Original production by Flood, Howie B. and Steve Osbourne. Remix and additional production by Gerald Baillergeau AKA Big Yam and Victor Merritt AKA Vino for Grand Jury Productions.

Staring at the Sun (Brothers in Rhythm Ambient Mix):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and the Edge. Original production by Flood. Remix and additional production by Brothers in Rhythm for Therapy Music and Management.

Unknown Caller (Snow Patrol Remix): (Download Only):
Music and lyrics by U2, Brian Eno and Danny Lanois. Original production by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois. Remixed by Snow Patrol. Produced by Johnny McDaid.

Artwork

Sleeve Design: Shaughn McGrath.

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