'We got tough on our songwriting': The Edge talks U2's 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' 20 years later

It seems like a blink of an eye, but it was 20 years ago that U2 dropped its 10th studio album, "All That You Can't Leave Behind."

It was "kind of an innocent time," lead guitarist The Edge says. "You know, it was pre-9/11. It was free of this sort of strange shift into political tribalism that we have seen happening since so, yeah, it does seem, in some ways, like it was yesterday, but so much has changed."

To mark the anniversary, members of the iconic Irish rock group – Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. – are rereleasing the album on Friday, 20 years to the day since its debut. All 11 original tracks have been remastered, and fans will find a bonus track, "The Ground Beneath Her Feet."

"It's the most complete U2 record," The Edge (real name David Evans) tells USA TODAY. "From beginning to end, you feel like there's not one moment where you're like, 'This is filler.' "

The special release includes a new, 51-track deluxe box set that comes with a 32-page hardback book.

More: Bono releases new song dedicated to the coronavirus caregivers and those 'still singing'

"All That You Can't Leave Behind," which featured megahit "Beautiful Day," served as a course correction of sorts for U2. The release followed "Pop," an experimental album that saw the group walk away from the sound they'd become known for and pivot to the dance and alt-rock genres. Reviews were mixed and sales were disappointing, at least by U2 standards. Yet, it was "a very important moment for us," says The Edge. "We tried consciously to get out of our comfort zone and experiment with forms that were really at the forefront of music culture at that time that weren't really naturally part of what we did."

Three years later, at the tail end of the millennium, U2 returned to its rock roots. "All That You Can't Leave Behind" received rave reviews and spent 94 weeks – nearly two years – on the Billboard 200 list, peaking at No. 3. In all, it earned U2 seven Grammys, including record of the year and best rock album.

Rolling Stone called it a "masterpiece," awarding four out of five stars: "The album represents the most uninterrupted collection of strong melodies U2 have ever mounted, a record where tunefulness plays as central a role as on any Backstreet Boys hit."

The Edge calls the album's release "a portentious moment," a moment that resulted from members of the band spending time "thinking about the future and assessing the past."

"There was a lot of reflection going on in the band," he says. "That was the album where we got serious about songwriting. We got tough on our songwriting. We worked very, very hard."

Enduring hits from the album include "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of," "Elevation" and "Walk On." But none can top "Beautiful Day," which lives on today, 20 years later, in a variety of TV shows and advertisements.

The Los Angeles Times said "Beautiful Day" had been "embraced by radio stations more than any U2 song in years," adding that the song's success was due, in part, to the fact it "was graced by the glorious textures of Edge’s guitar."

Crafting the song took time, The Edge says – more time than most.

"It's a piece of music we just started playing together in the studio," he said. "From the beginning, we instinctively felt there was a song in there, but it took quite a while. As often happens with U2 songs, once it really starts solidifying, you sort of have to get out of the way and let it be what it is.

"The final piece of the puzzle was literally me walking into the studio one day and I had this backing vocal idea. I asked for a microphone, I jumped on a mic. I just started singing this little harmony over the chorus and then (co-producer Daniel Lanois) grabbed another mic. Basically, the two voices cascaded around the chorus line. And that sort of really sealed the deal."

The remastered version, included on Friday's album and box set releases, will be the "best-sounding version" of "Beautiful Day," he promises.

Since "All That You Can't Leave Behind," U2 has dropped four additional albums: 2004's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," 2009's "No Line on the Horizon," 2014's "Songs of Innocence" and 2017's "Songs of Experience." When might we see something new from the group? Stay tuned, The Edge says.

"We're always working on new material and songs," he said. "Where and when those are made public, I don't know. We're holding our breath to see what transpires over the next few weeks and months because it's such a crazy time, but I remain very optimistic."

One way the group has stayed busy is by focusing energy on their new SiriusXM channel, U2 X-Radio, which launched in July. Located on Channel 32, it features round-the-clock U2 content, including music and interviews.

More: Bono, Chris Rock kick off new U2 X-Radio channel on SiriusXM, featuring 24/7 U2 content

U2, like other musical acts, has been off the road because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down venues worldwide. That halt put an end to a five-year cycle of touring. The Edge is finding a silver lining, though.

"I don't get to hang out at home much," he says. "It's something that I really enjoy. I'm a bit of a homebody anyway when I'm not on the road. I feel a little guilty because I've actually dealt with it pretty well. I've just been working on new music and other sorts of creative projects and making the best use of the time."

The Edge says watching the pandemic and resulting quarantine unfold has been "really fascinating."

"The amount of sudden change people have had to take onboard ... it's not something you think you could do, but we've done it," he says. "It speaks to me about our capabilities to respond quickly to a crisis and to adjust our behavior to suit a new situation, and I'm actually taking some kind of comfort in that realization. That's a nice takeaway for me."

Follow Gary Dinges on Twitter @gdinges

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Edge talks U2's 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' 20 years later