Achtung Baby

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Achtung Baby
Studio album by U2
Released 19 November 1991
Recorded October 1990 - September 1991
Genre Rock, alternative rock
Length 55:27
Label Island
Producer Daniel Lanois (principal producer), Brian Eno (assisting producer), Steve Lillywhite
Professional reviews
U2 chronology
Rattle and Hum
(1988)		 Achtung Baby
(1991)		 Zooropa
(1993)
Singles from Achtung Baby
  1. "The Fly"
    Released: 21 October 1991
  2. "Mysterious Ways"
    Released: 24 November 1991
  3. "One"
    Released: March 1992
  4. "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
    Released: 8 June 1992
  5. "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"
    Released: August 1992

Achtung Baby is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2, released on 19 November 1991. Stung by criticism of their previous album, Rattle and Hum, the band changed their direction musically by incorporating alternative rock, electronic dance, and industrial influences into their music. Thematically, it was a more introspective and personal record; it was darker, yet more playful than the band's previous work. The album and the subsequent multimedia-intensive Zoo TV Tour were a crucial part of the band's 1990s reinvention, as they also replaced their earnest public image with a more ironic one.

Seeking inspiration on the eve of German reunification, the band began work on Achtung Baby in Berlin's Hansa Studios in October 1990 with producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. Conflict arose within the band over the quality of the material and their musical direction. Weeks of slow progress, tensions, and arguments subsided after the improvised writing of the song "One", which turned out to be a breakthrough moment for the album sessions. The majority of the album's work was completed after recording moved to Dublin in 1991, where they recorded at three different studios.

Commercially and critically, Achtung Baby has been one of the band's most successful albums. It earned almost unanimously favourable reviews and produced the hit singles "One", "Mysterious Ways", and "The Fly". The album has sold 18 million copies worldwide and won a Grammy Award. In 2003, Achtung Baby was ranked number 62 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Contents

[edit] Background

U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree brought the band critical acclaim, great commercial success, and high exposure, but it was the beginning of a backlash. The band were accused of being grandiose, over-earnest, and self-righteous. The criticism increased with the release of Rattle and Hum the following year, which was called "misguided and bombastic" and "pretentious" by critics.[11][12] The album's intended homage to American music legends was interpreted as the band placing themselves as peers of the likes of Bob Dylan.[13][14][15]

Despite their level of success, the criticism affected the band and they were dissatisfied with their live performances. Drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. said "We were the biggest, but we weren't the best".[16] They described their collaboration with blues musician BB King on the album and 1989's Lovetown Tour as "an excursion down a dead-end street", one that was misunderstood by audiences.[17] However, lead singer Bono said that listening to black music had helped the band "get the groove ready for Achtung Baby" and that listening to folk music had helped him develop as a lyricist.[17] During one of the last Lovetown Tour concerts, Bono said that it was "the end of something for U2" and that "we have to go away and … and dream it all up again". Following the tour, U2 had began one of its longest breaks to date, which included a two-year break from public performance until the start of the Zoo TV Tour.[18]

In reaction to the criticism, U2 began to search for new musical ground.[19] The song "God Part II" on Rattle and Hum was written after a realisation they had pursued the "retro nature of the songwriting" and "nostalgia" to an excess. It has a more contemporary feel that Bono said was more in line with Achtung Baby's direction.[20] More hints of change were two 1990 recordings in which the band used electronic dance beats and hip-hop elements for the first time. They recorded "Night and Day" for the first of the Red Hot + Blue releases, and Bono and guitarist The Edge contributed to the original score for the Royal Shakespeare Company's theatrical version of A Clockwork Orange. Bono later said that this early experimentation was "preparing the ground for Achtung Baby".[21] Ideas not deemed appropriate for the play, including guitar riffs and keyboard parts, were put aside for the band.[21] This period saw Bono and The Edge work more closely on songwriting at the exclusion of Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton.[21]

Bono had written material during the Lovetown Tour of Australia and in mid-1990, the band recorded demos at STS Studios in Dublin that later evolved into "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses", "Until the End of the World", "Even Better Than the Real Thing", and "Mysterious Ways". These undeveloped tracks were taken into the studio for the Achtung Baby sessions.[22] The band wanted the new album to be "forward-looking" and a "complete about turn", but they did not know how to achieve this.[23] The beginning of the Madchester movement in the UK left U2 confused about how they would fit into any particular musical scene.[22]

[edit] Recording and production

Buzzwords on this record were trashy, throwaway, dark, sexy, and industrial (all good) and earnest, polite, sweet, righteous, rockist and linear (all bad). It was good if a song took you on a journey or made you think your hifi was broken, bad if it reminded you of recording studios or U2…Sly Stone, T. Rex, Scott Walker, My Bloody Valentine, KMFDM, the Young Gods, Alan Vega, Al Green, and Insekt were all in favour…And Berlin became a conceptual backdrop for the record. The Berlin of the Thirties—decadent, sexual and dark—resonating against the Berlin of the Nineties—reborn, chaotic and optimistic…
—Brian Eno, on the recording of Achtung Baby[19]

U2 returned to production team of Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, who had produced the band's 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire, which was one of their most audacious shifts in musical style.[14] Lanois was principal producer, alongside engineer Flood.[19] Eno took on an assisting producing role at various intervals.[19][24] The "oblique" strategies of the Lanois-Eno team contrasted with producer Jimmy Iovine's direct and retro style on the previous Rattle and Hum album.[14]

The band saw "domesticity as the enemy of rock 'n' roll" and that album work required them to get away from their normal family-orientated routines. A new Europe was emerging and Berlin, at the heart of the reuniting continent, was proposed as a source of inspiration to move towards a more European aesthetic.[12][14][25] The band chose Hansa Studios, located near the recently opened Berlin Wall, as their recording location. It was where Eno and David Bowie had recorded albums in the so-called "Berlin Trilogy" in the late 1970s, and where Bowie and Bono's idol Iggy Pop had recorded The Idiot.[22] The band arrived in Berlin on 3 October 1990 on what was the last flight into East Berlin the day before German reunification.[22] Expecting to be inspired, the band instead found the mood in Berlin to be "depressing", "dark and gloomy".[23] The collapse of the Berlin Wall resulted in a state of malaise in Germany, and the band's dilapidated hotel and the Hansa Studios' location in a former SS ballroom added to the "bad vibe".[23]

The band did not find the situation in the recording studios to be much better, as they disagreed on what direction to take musically. The Edge had been listening to dance music and industrial bands, such as Nine Inch Nails, the Young Gods, and KMFDM. In contrast, Mullen was listening to classic rock acts Blind Faith, Cream, and Jimi Hendrix.[12][21] Bono and The Edge advocated new musical directions based on the alternative rock and electronic dance music to which they were listening. Clayton and Mullen, on the other hand, were more comfortable with a sound similar to U2's previous work and did not understand the new direction.[12][23] The Edge's interest in dance club mixes and drum machines made Mullen feel his contributions were being diminished.[23] Lanois was expecting the "textural, emotional, and cinematic" U2 of the The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree and did not understand the "throwaway and trashy things" that Bono and Edge were working on.[12] Compounding the divisions between the two camps - which they called the "haircuts" and the "hats" - was a change in the band's long-standing songwriting relationship. Bono and The Edge were working more closely together writing material at the exclusion of the rest of the band.[21] The Edge also wanted to go towards a more personal style of writing, as the band were interested in the works of Roy Orbison, Scott Walker, and Jacques Brel.[26]

At the instant we were recording it, I got a very strong sense of its power. We were all playing together in the big recording room, a huge, eerie ballroom full of ghosts of the war, and everything fell into place. It was a reassuring moment, when everyone finally went, 'oh great, this album has started.' It's the reason you're in a band - when the spirit descends upon you and you create something truly affecting. 'One' is an incredibly moving piece. It hits straight into the heart.
—The Edge, on the recording of "One"[27]

The band went to Berlin hoping their existing ideas would become completed songs, but they found they were "under-rehearsed and under-prepared" and that the ideas were not evolving into "fully-fledged songs".[23] Bono and Lanois, in particular, had an intense argument that almost came to blows during the writing of "Mysterious Ways".[28] For the first time, the band could not find consensus during their disagreements and felt that they were not making progress. Mullen thought it "might be the end" of the band.[23] In December, a breakthrough was achieved with the writing of the song, "One".[27] When The Edge combined two chord progressions that he was playing on guitar, the band found inspiration and quickly improvised most of the song at Lanois' encouragement. It provided a much needed reassurance for the band and re-validated their long-standing full-band "blank page" approach to writing and recording.[27][29]

The band returned to Dublin for Christmas, where they talked about their future as a group and all recommitted to the band. Although the three-month Berlin session had delivered just two songs,[30] The Edge said in retrospect that working in Berlin was more productive and more inspirational than the output had suggested. The band had been removed from a familiar environment, providing a certain "texture and cinematic location", and many of the musical ideas that band had recorded in Berlin would be revisited with success in Dublin.[27] In April 1991, tapes from the album's earlier Berlin sessions were leaked and bootlegged, about which Bono said, "There were no undiscovered works of genius, unfortunately, it was more just gobbledy-gook."[31]

In early 1991, U2 set up studio in the seaside manor, "Elsinore", in Dalkey, which they rented for ₤10,000 per month.[32] Dublin audio services company Big Bear Sound installed a recording studio in the house with separate recording rooms on the two floors, along with video cameras and TV monitors set up to document what was happening in both spaces.[33] The house, which the band nicknamed "Dogtown" after a pair of large dog kennels outside the house,[34] was within walking distance of Bono and The Edge's homes.[35] Writing and recording there proved to be much more productive than in Berlin. "Lady With the Spinning Head", which was released as a B-side, was troublesome, but it inspired three separate songs, "The Fly", "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" and "Zoo Station".[35] It was at "Dog Town" that Bono conceived his character, "The Fly" after U2's wardrobe manager Fintan Fitzgerald gave him a pair of oversized black sunglasses, which he wore them to lighten the mood in the studio.[36] The character would be a featured part of the band's upcoming live performances on the Zoo TV Tour.

Finishing their work at Elsinore in July,[37] Eno, Flood, Lanois, and previous U2 producer Steve Lillywhite mixed the songs at Windmill Lane Studios.[38] The different producers were asked to mix the same songs, and the band picked the version they preferred, or even picked aspects of each and requested they be combined.[39] The band pushed the deadline to complete the songs with work on the album concluding in late September. Additional recording and mixing continued up until the last few days, which included last minute changes to "The Fly" and "One".[40] Once the lyrics and the mixes were finalised, the album had come closer to a more traditional U2 sound.[12] The final night was spent devising a running order for the album.[40] The following day, The Edge travelled to Los Angeles with the album's tapes for mastering.[40] Upon the completion of Achtung Baby, the band viewed the album as a "watershed" that ensured their creative future.[40]

[edit] Composition

We're at a point where production has gotten so slick that people don't trust it anymore... We were starting to lose trust in the conventional sound or rock & roll - the conventional sound of the guitar, in particular - and, you know, those big reverb-laden drum sounds of the 80s or those big, beautiful, pristine vocal sounds with all this lush ambience and reverb. So we found ourselves searching for other sounds that had more life and more freshness.
—The Edge, explaining the band's motivation for seeking a new sound[41]

The band frequently referred to the sound of the completed album as "four men chopping down the Joshua Tree".[42] While Bono's vocals were centre-stage in melody and mix during the band's 1980s work, his voice on Achtung Baby was more elusive and featured him singing in different characters.[43] The Edge's guitar moved from the bright and echoing trademark sound to a muddier and, at times, industrial sound. The rhythm section was given a more prominent role in the mix,[43] and hip-hop-derived beats are on half the album's tracks. The guitar-heavy songs mix harder textures and new effects, along with dance music influences akin to young English bands of the time, including the Happy Mondays and Jesus Jones.[44] The work of singer-songwriter Gavin Friday, Bono's friend since childhood, was cited as an influence on the "new U2".[45]

Thematically, U2 deliberately "stepped off their soapbox" of political and social critique of their previous work, and the album was a more introspective record, with a number of songs exuding confusion and loneliness.[46] Compared to the youthful exuberance on much of their 1980s work, Achtung Baby was a more direct and complex examination of pain in personal relationships and covered love, sexuality, spirituality, and faith, in addition to betrayal.[47] At the same time, it was more flippant and overtly sexual than the band's previous work.[48] Achtung Baby sought to recover some of the Dadaist characters and stage antics that the teenage U2 had dabbled with in the late 1970s but had been pushed aside for more literal themes over the course of the 1980s.[49] While the band had been outwardly opposed to the materialism of the 1980s, Achtung Baby and the Zoo TV Tour examined and flirted with those values.[50]

During the album's recording, The Edge separated from his wife of six years and mother of his three children, the pain of which strongly influenced the album, which is particularly evident in Bono's lyrical contributions.[51] Bono cites the enjoyment of his first child born in 1989 as a major influence on the album, as was his wife's second pregnancy during the album's 1991 recording. While no previous U2 song had used the word "baby", it appears 27 times on Achtung Baby and is one of the reasons for the album title. Bono says babies are also behind the line of the opening track "Zoo Station": "I'm ready, to say I'm glad to be alive" / "I'm ready, I'm ready for the push…".[22]
"Zoo Station" (1991)
The opening song's distinct introduction was meant to provoke listeners to think "This record is broken" or "This can't be the new U2 record".[52]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

"Zoo Station" announces the band's reinvention as the album's opening track. With distorted vocal tracks and industrial percussion, the lyrics suggest new appetites and anticipations.[53] The song's introduction of distorted guitars and crashing percussion was intended to sound like the record or hi-fi was broken, or that mistakenly it was not the new U2 album.[35] Similarly, "The Fly", with its industrial sound and distorted vocals and guitar, was chosen as the album's first single because it sounded nothing like U2.[54] Bono wrote the lyrics in character as "The Fly", stating the song "was like a crank call from Hell… but [the caller] likes it there."[52]

Distinct guitar effects characterise many of the album's other songs. "Mysterious Ways", known for its funky guitar riff and danceable beat, began as an improvisation over a drum machine, with the band only liking Clayton's bass line.[52] After The Edge introduced a new effects pedal to the song, the song's writing progressed.[52] The final product is what Bono calls "U2 at our funkiest... Sly and The Family Stone meets Madchester baggy."[52] "Acrobat", which is played in a 12⁄8 time signature, features The Edge playing a distorted tremolo. Lyrically, it is one of the most personal songs on Achtung Baby with Bono acknowledging personal weakness, contradictions, and inadequacy.[26] Bono cites the track as one of his favourite U2 songs, although he was not satisfied with the recording.[55] "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" is another song about a relationship under strain and with unease over obligations.[56]

"Even Better Than the Real Thing" 's title and lyrics were "reflective of the times [the band] were living in, when people were no longer looking for the truth, [they] were all looking for instant gratification".[52] The album's closing track, "Love Is Blindness", was written during the Achtung Baby sessions and in Australia during the 1989 Lovetown Tour.[57] Bono had struck up an acquaintance with Frank Sinatra and "Love is Blindness" shows cabaret influences.[58] The song was played as the final or second last song during the Zoo TV tour. "So Cruel" also shows cabaret influences and Bono cites Scott Walker as an influence. Written acoustically and comparatively quickly by U2 standards, the song originally sounded more traditional than what the band had in mind for the album. Engineer Flood keyed Clayton's bass part off Mullen's playing of an Irish bodhran, which combined with overdubs gave it a more unusual sound.[59] Thematically, it deals with unrequited love, jealousy, obsession, and possessiveness. [60]

Bono's inspiration for "One's" lyrics was a combination of the band members' struggling relationships, the German reunification, and a letter he sent to the Dalai Lama turning down an invitation to a festival called "Oneness"; Bono's note read "One, but not the same", a line he would incorporate into the song's chorus.[27] "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" began as a rough demo that the band recorded in 1990 and attempted to improve during the formal Achtung Baby sessions. However, the band always found themselves revisiting the original demo.[52] The song's lyrics describe a couple who are experiencing a quarrel.

"Until the End of the World" is lyrically one of the most serious songs on the album, as it is written as a conversation between Jesus Christ and his betrayer, Judas Iscariot.[52] The song's music originated from a guitar riff that Bono wrote for a demo called "Fat Boy" and The Edge revisited after the band met filmmaker Wim Wenders, who was looking for music to use in his film Until the End of the World.[52] "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World" is lyrically one of the least serious songs on the album. Dedicated to the Los Angeles bar The Flaming Colossus, the song describes a drunken stagger home.[61]

[edit] Release

Island Records and the band refused to make advance copies of Achtung Baby available to the press until just a few days before the release date, preferring instead to have fans listen to the album before reading reviews. The decision came amid rumours of tensions in the band, and it was compared to the Hollywood practice of withholding review copies of films from the media before release whenever a movie has received poor word-of-mouth press.[62] On 19 November 1991, U2 released Achtung Baby, its first album in three years, and the first of all new material in over four years.[24] The band maintained a low profile during recording and upon the album's release, avoiding interviews and letting critics and the public make their own assessments.[14] Instead of the band participating in an article with Rolling Stone magazine, U2 asked Eno to write one for them.[63]

The album's title, "Achtung Baby", in German means "Attention, baby!" or "Watch out, baby!", and was used by the band's sound engineer Joe O'Herlihy during its making.[14] He reportedly took the phrase from the Mel Brooks film The Producers,[40] although the phrase actually said in the film is, "Auf Wiedersehen, Baby". According to Bono, it was an ideal title, as it was attention-grabbing, referenced Germany, and hinted at either romance or birth, both of which were themes on the album.[40] Alternative titles considered included Man (in contrast to the group's debut album Boy), Fear of Woman, and Adam, for which Adam Clayton was photographed naked.[12][40][64] All three titles were rejected out of the belief that people would see it as "another Big Statement from U2."[64]

An initial photo shoot for the album sleeve and publicity shots was done in the vicinity of the band's Berlin hotel in late 1990.[65] They commissioned their long-time photographer, Anton Corbijn for a photo shoot in Tenerife in mid-February 1991, as they felt the Berlin winter shots were not indicative of the spirit of the new album.[66] For the Tenerife shoot, they dressed up and mingled with the crowds of the annual Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to present a more playful side of the band.[67] It was during this time, as well as during a four-day shoot in Morocco in July, that the band were photographed in drag.[68] Additional photos were taken in Dublin in June, including the photo of a naked Clayton.[69] The content of these photos was intended to confound expectations of U2,[40] and the full colour of the images was in stark contrast to the serious black and white imagery used for the previous three albums.[70] The resulting front of the album sleeve is a 4x4 squared montage of 16 images, as the band could not decide on a single image to use.[40] On the U.S. CD and cassette sleeves, Clayton's private parts are censored with a black "X" or a four-leaf clover,[71] while vinyl editions feature the photo uncensored.[72] In 2006, Bono said that it was still his favourite U2 sleeve artwork.[73]

[edit] Singles
"The Fly" (1991)
Sample of "The Fly", which was chosen as the first single because its hip-hop beats, distorted vocals, and hard industrial edge sounded nothing like the traditional U2 sound.[74]

The track, "The Fly", was selected early on to be the first single, and was released on 21 October 1991, a month before the album. Its danceable, industrial sounds signaled to fans that the band were moving away from their trademark sound. The song and its music video were a showcase for Bono's new persona, The Fly, known for his leather-clad fashion and dark, wraparound sunglasses. The song was released as U2's second #1 single in the U.K.

"Mysterious Ways" followed as the album's second single on 24 November 1991, days after the album's release. The song reached #9 on the Hot 100, making it the band's fourth highest charting single.

The third single, "One", was released in March 1992. It reached #7 in the UK charts, #10 in the US charts, and #1 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks and the US Modern Rock Tracks charts. The song has since become regarded as one of the greatest songs of all-time, ranking #36 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and #1 Q's "1001 Greatest Songs of All-Time".[8] In a 2007 VH1 countdown, "One" was #2 on its list of "Songs of the 1990s".[75]

The fourth single, "Even Better Than the Real Thing" was released on 8 June 1992, and "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" followed as the fifth and final single in August 1992.

[edit] Reception

Few bands can marshal such sublime power, but it's just one of the many moments on Achtung Baby when we're reminded why, before these guys were the butt of cynical jokes, they were rock & roll heroes – as they still are.
—Rolling Stone's Elysa Gardner, describing the song "One" in her review of Achtung Baby[9]

Upon its release, Achtung Baby received strong reviews from critics. Rolling Stone magazine, in its four-and-a-half-star review said that U2 had "proven that the same penchant for epic musical and verbal gestures that leads many artists to self-parody can, in more inspired hands, fuel the unforgettable fire that defines great rock & roll."[9] The review said that the album, like its predecessor Rattle and Hum, was an attempt by the band to "broaden its musical palette, but this time its ambitions are realized".[9] Entertainment Weekly gave the album an "A" and called the album a "pristinely produced and surprisingly unpretentious return by one of the most impressive bands in the world".[6] Steve Morse of The Boston Globe echoed these sentiments, stating that Achtung Baby "not only reinvigorates their sound, but drops any self-righteousness. The songs focus on personal relationships, not on saving the world."[4] Morse praised the album, stating "Clanging, knob-twisting sound effects run through the record, as does the metallic, head-snapping guitar of David (The Edge) Evans, who has never shone this brilliantly."[4] In its five-star review of the album, Q called Achtung Baby the band's "heaviest album to date. And best." The review praised the band and its production team for making "music of drama, depth, intensity and, believe it, funkiness".[8] The New York Times praised the album for featuring "noisy, vertiginous arrangements, mostly layers of guitar, that eddy around the melody or tear at its edges" that still "maintains its pop skills".[7] The review concludes, "Stripped-down and defying its old formulas, U2 has given itself a fighting chance for the 1990's."[7]

On the North American Billboard Music Charts, Achtung Baby topped the Billboard 200 chart, selling 295,000 copies in its first week. The album went to #1 on the UK album chart, while peaking at #2 on the US album chart.[76] It sold 7 million copies in its first 3 months,[77] and subsequently, 18 million copies worldwide.[78] At the 1993 Grammy Awards, Achtung Baby won a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal", while also earning Lanois and Eno the award for "Producer of the Year.[76] The album was also nominated for the "Album of the Year" award.[76]

Achtung Baby has since become regarded as one of the greatest albums in rock history and is frequently cited on lists ranking the best rock albums.

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Entertainment Weekly United States Best 25 Albums of the Last 25 Years[79] 2008 3
Entertainment Weekly United States 100 Greatest CDs of All Time[80] 1993 28
Hot Press Ireland 100 Greatest Albums Ever[81] 2006 19
Q United Kingdom Q Readers All Time Top 100 Albums[82] 1998 15
Q United Kingdom The Music That Changed The World: Top 20 Albums from 1980–2004[83] 2004 3
Rolling Stone United States The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 2003 62
Spin United Kingdom 100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005.[84] 2006 11
Time United States The All-Time 100 Albums[85] 2006 -
VH1 United States 100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll[86] 2001 65

[edit] Zoo TV Tour

Main article: Zoo TV Tour

U2 launched the Zoo TV Tour in support of the album on 29 February 1992. Lasting almost two years and spanning five legs and 157 shows, the tour was an elaborately-staged multimedia event, designed to instill a feeling of "sensory overload" in its audience.[87] The stage design featured Vidiwalls, 36 video monitors, numerous television cameras, 176 speakers, and 11 elaborately painted Trabant cars, several of which were suspended over the stage with spotlights inserted into headlights. Songs were complemented by a myriad of bewildering visual effects, random video clips from pop culture, and subliminal messages flashing on video screens. The tour marked a shift from the earnest performances that typified the band in the 1980s to ones that were intentionally ironic and self-mocking. During a break in the tour, the band recorded and released their next studio album, Zooropa, in 1993. In 2002, Q magazine called the Zoo TV Tour "still the most spectacular rock tour staged by any band."[88]

[edit] Track listing

All songs written and composed by U2, with lyrics by Bono and The Edge. 

# Title Producer Length
1. "Zoo Station"   Daniel Lanois 4:36
2. "Even Better Than the Real Thing"   Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno, Lanois 3:41
3. "One"   Lanois, Eno 4:36
4. "Until the End of the World"   Lanois, Eno 4:39
5. "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"   Lillywhite, Lanois, Eno 5:16
6. "So Cruel"   Lanois 5:49
7. "The Fly"   Lanois 4:29
8. "Mysterious Ways"   Lanois, Eno 4:04
9. "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World"   Lanois, Eno 3:53
10. "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)"   Lanois, Eno 5:31
11. "Acrobat"   Lanois 4:30
12. "Love Is Blindness"   Lanois 4:23
55:27

[edit] Charts and certifications

Album

Country Peak position Certification Sales
Australia 1[89] 5× Platinum[90] 350,000+
Austria 2[89] Platinum[91] 30,000+
Brazil Gold[92] 50,000+
Canada 1[93] Diamond[94] 1,000,000+[94]
Finland Gold[95] 34,900+[95]
France 37[89] Platinum[96] 300,000+
Germany Platinum[97] 200,000+
Netherlands 39[89] Platinum[98] 80,000+
Switzerland 3[89] Gold[99] 25,000+
United Kingdom 2 4× Platinum[100] 1,200,000+
United States 1[101] 8× Platinum[102] 8,000,000+
  • United States: #1 for 1 week
  • United Kingdom: #2 for 1 week, 87 weeks on chart
  • Switzerland: #3 for 2 weeks
  • Austria: #2 for 2 weeks
  • Australia: #1 for 1 week

Songs

Year Song Chart peak positions
CAN
[103]		 IRE
[104]		 UK
[105]		 US Dance Air US Hot 100
[106]		 US Hot Dance US Main Rock US Mod Rock
1991 "The Fly" 16 1 1 - 61 44 2 1
"Mysterious Ways" - 1 13 - 9 - 1 -
1992 1 - - 42 - - - 1
"One" 1 1 7 - 10 44 1 1
"Even Better Than the Real Thing" 3 3 8 27 32 35 1 5
"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" 5 4 14 - 35 - 2 7
"Until the End of the World" 69 - - - - - 5 4

"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

[edit] Personnel

U2
Additional personnel
Production
  • Producers – Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno, Steve Lillywhite
  • Engineers – Brian Adams, Robbie Adams, Paul Barrett, Flood, Joe O'Herlihy
  • Assistant engineers, mix assistants – Robbie Adams, Shannon Strong
  • Mixing – Robbie Adams, The Edge, Brian Eno, Flood, Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite
  • Digital editing – Stewart Whitmore
  • Mastering – Arnie Acosta

[edit] Video

Achtung Baby: The Videos, The Cameos, and a Whole Lot of Interference from Zoo TV

In May 1992, U2 released Achtung Baby: The Videos, The Cameos, and a Whole Lot of Interference from Zoo TV, a VHS compilation of nine music videos from the album. Running for 62 minutes, it was produced by Ned O'Hanlon and released by Island/Polygram. It included three videos each for "One" and "Even Better than the Real Thing." In between the videos were clips of so-called "interference" comprising documentary footage, media clips, and other images, similar to what was shown at shows during the Zoo TV Tour. The release reached a certification of Gold in Canada.[107]

The compilation's track list is as follows:

  • Interference
  • "Even Better Than the Real Thing" – directed by Kevin Godley
  • Interference
  • "Mysterious Ways" – directed by Stéphane Sednaoui
  • "One" (Version 1) – directed by Anton Corbijn
  • "The Fly" – directed by Ritchie Smyth and Jon Klein
  • Interference
  • "Even Better Than the Real Thing" (Dance Mix) – directed by Ritchie Smyth
  • "One" (Version 2) – directed by Mark Pellington
  • "Even Better Than the Real Thing" – directed by Armando Gallo and Kampah
  • "One" (Version 3) – directed by Phil Joanou
  • "Until the End of the World" – directed by Ritchie Smyth

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Achtung Baby - Overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:br61mpe39f2o. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  2. ^ Gray, Christopher (2001-03-30). "Review - U2: Achtung Baby". Austin Chronicle. http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid%3A81288. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  3. ^ Easlea, Daryl (2007-04-18). "Review of U2 - Achtung Baby". BBC Online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/bqw6/. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  4. ^ a b c Morse, Steve (1991-11-15). "U2 bounces back". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/ae/music/packages/U2Fleetcenter/album_review_achtung_baby. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  5. ^ "U2 - Consumer Guide Reviews". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=u2. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  6. ^ a b Wyman, Bill (1991-11-19). "Achtung Baby: music review". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316330,00.html. Retrieved 2009-03-06. 
  7. ^ a b c Pareles, Jon (1991-11-17). "U2 Takes a Turn From the Universal To the Domestic". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/17/arts/recordings-view-u2-takes-a-turn-from-the-universal-to-the-domestic.html?scp=2. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  8. ^ a b c "U2 - Achtung Baby". Time Pieces. http://www.timepieces.nl/Albums-U/U2_Achtung_Baby.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  9. ^ a b c d Gardner, Elysa. "U2, Achtung, Baby". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/u2/albums/album/116432/review/5941852/achtung_baby. Retrieved 2009-03-06. 
  10. ^ Hartwig, Andrew (2005-01-14). "U2 - Achtung Baby". Sputnikmusic. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=285. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  11. ^ Gardner (1994)
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Fricke (1993).
  13. ^ McCormick (2006), p. 211.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Graham (2004), p. 43.
  15. ^ Gardner (1994), pp. xxiii-xxv.
  16. ^ Fricke (1993)
  17. ^ a b McCormick (2006), p. 213.
  18. ^ de la Parra (1994), pp. 138–149.
  19. ^ a b c d Eno (1991)
  20. ^ McCormick (2006), pp. 204, 207.
  21. ^ a b c d e McCormick (2006), p. 215.
  22. ^ a b c d e McCormick (2006), pp. 216, 221.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g McCormick (2006), p. 221.
  24. ^ a b Gardner (1994), p. xxv.
  25. ^ Flanagan (1995), p. 7.
  26. ^ a b Stokes (1996), p. 108.
  27. ^ a b c d e McCormick (2006), p. 221, 224.
  28. ^ Stokes (1996), p. 104.
  29. ^ Flanagan (1995), pp. 6–11
  30. ^ Stokes (1996), p. 98.
  31. ^ The Origins and History of Salome
  32. ^ McGee (2008), p. 134-135.
  33. ^ McGee (2008), p. 135.
  34. ^ McGee (2008), p. 135.
  35. ^ a b c McCormick (2006), pp. 224–225.
  36. ^ McGee (2008), p. 135
  37. ^ McGee (2008), p. 135.
  38. ^ Graham (2004), p. 45; Flanagan (1994), p. 19.
  39. ^ Flanagan (1994), p. 19.
  40. ^ a b c d e f g h i McCormick (2006), p. 232.
  41. ^ Everett, Walter (1999). "Music, Contexts, and Meaning in U2". Expression in Pop-Rock Music: A Collection of Critical and Analytical Essays (Studies in Contemporary Music and Culture). Routledge. pp. 45-48. ISBN 978-0815331605. http://books.google.com/books?id=tAA73ebsa0sC&pg=PA45&dq=Hansa+Tonstudio. 
  42. ^ Paulsen, John (20 September 2005). "Deep Cuts: U2: Part I". bullz-eye.com. http://www.bullz-eye.com/music/deep_cuts/2005/U2_part_1.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-09. 
  43. ^ a b Graham (2004), p. 44.
  44. ^ Gardner (1991)
  45. ^ Graham (2004), p. 54.
  46. ^ de la Primm (1994), p. 139; Gardner (1992)
  47. ^ Graham (2004), p. 46, Stokes (1996), p. 100.
  48. ^ Light (1993)
  49. ^ Stokes (1996), p. 95.
  50. ^ Graham (2004), p. 46.
  51. ^ Fricke (1993); McCormick (2006), pp. 216, 221; Gardner (1994), p. xxv; Flanagan (1994), p. 12.
  52. ^ a b c d e f g h i McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). U2 by U2. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7. p. 224–225, 227, 232.
  53. ^ Graham (2004), p. 47; Stokes (1996), p. 95.
  54. ^ Flanagan (1995), p. 30; Graham (2004), p. 49; Stokes (1996), p. 102.
  55. ^ McCormick (2006), p. 228.
  56. ^ Graham (2004), p. 50.
  57. ^ Graham (2004), p. 44., Triple J November 1993.
  58. ^ Graham 2004, p. 45
  59. ^ Graham (2004), p. 45; McCormick (2006), p. 228; Achtung Baby: The Videos, The Cameos, and a Whole Lot of Interference from Zoo TV (Video May 1992).
  60. ^ Graham (2004), p. 49.
  61. ^ Graham (2004), p. 50; Stokes (1996), p. 106.
  62. ^ Browne, David (1991-11-15). "U2s "Achtung Baby" reaches record stores". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316187,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  63. ^ McGee (2008), p. 135.
  64. ^ a b Bailie, Stuart (1992-06-13), "Rock and Roll should be this big!", NME 
  65. ^ McGee (2008), p. 133.
  66. ^ McGee (2008), p. 134.
  67. ^ McGee (2008), p. 134.
  68. ^ McGee (2008), p. 134.
  69. ^ McGee (2008), p. 136.
  70. ^ McGee (2008), p. 138.
  71. ^ U2.com
  72. ^ McGee (2008), p. 138.
  73. ^ McCormick (2006), p. 234.
  74. ^ Flanagan (1995), page. 30; Graham (2004), page. 49; Stokes, Niall (1996). Into The Heart: The Story Behind Every U2 Song. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. pp. 102. ISBN 0-7322-6036-1. 
  75. ^ "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". VH1. http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/127762/episode_featured_copy.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-01-02. 
  76. ^ a b c "U2.com - Achtung Baby". U2.com. http://www.u2.com/discography/index/album/albumId/4009/tagName/studio_albums. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  77. ^ de la Primm (1994), p. 139.
  78. ^ "Achtung Baby - MP3 Download". LiveNation.com. http://www.store.livenation.com/Product.aspx?cp=13281_16771_16246&pc=MUDD327. Retrieved 2009-09-08. 
  79. ^ "Gift Guide: 25 Classic CDs". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20210099_22,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-02. 
  80. ^ "Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest CDs of All Time". Acclaimed Music. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/eweekly.html. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
  81. ^ "Hot Press - 100 Greatest Albums Ever". Acclaimed Music Forums. 2006-04-20. http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3172289350&frmid=0&msgid=610386. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
  82. ^ "A Selection Of Lists From Q Magazine". rocklistmusic.co.uk. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#QReaders. Retrieved 2009-01-02. 
  83. ^ "Music That Changed The World Q lists - The Music That Changed the World". Rock List Music. 2009-09-11. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#The Music That Changed The World. 
  84. ^ "Spin 100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005". spin100.blogspot.com. 2006-12-30. http://spin100.blogspot.com/. Retrieved 2009-01-02. 
  85. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (2006-11-13). "The All-Time 100 Albums: Achtung Baby". Time. http://www.time.com/time/2006/100albums/0,27693,Achtung_Baby,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
  86. ^ "VH1's '100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll' Ranks the Beatles' 'Revolver' at #1 In All-New Special, Premiering January 15-19 at 10:00 P.M. (ET/PT)". prnewswire.com. 2001-01-05. http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-05-2001/0001397649&EDATE=. Retrieved 2009-01-02. 
  87. ^ Hot Press, "Closer to the Edge (pt. 1)", 4 December 4 2002. Edge says: "… we got the idea of taking images, taking TV as an idea, and putting screens on stage. That started us down that road …"
  88. ^ Q Magazine, "10 Years of Turmoil Inside U2", 10 October 2002.
  89. ^ a b c d e "U2 - Achtung Baby". Hung Median. http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=U2&titel=Achtung+Baby&cat=a. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  90. ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 1998 Albums". ARIA Charts. ARIA. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-1998.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  91. ^ IFPI Austria
  92. ^ Brazil Certification (Manual search)
  93. ^ "Search Results: Achtung Baby". RPM. 1991-12-14. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3&q1=Achtung+Baby. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
  94. ^ a b "CRIA Certification Results: U2". Canadian Recording Industry Association. 2000-12-01. http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php?page=3&wclause=WHERE+artist_name+like+%27%25U2%25%27+ORDER+BY+cert_date%2C+cert_award+&rcnt=81&csearch=60&nextprev=1. Retrieved 2009-11-17. 
  95. ^ a b "Kulta - ja platinalevyt" (in Finnish). IFPI Finland. http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/kultalevyt/haku/?q=U2&national=0&type=album. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  96. ^ "Les Certifications". Disque en France. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-259165.xml?year=1996&type=12. Retrieved 25-09-11. 
  97. ^ IFPI Germany
  98. ^ NVPI
  99. ^ "Swisscharts.com". The Official Swiss Charts. http://www.swisscharts.com/search_certifications.asp?search=Achtung+Baby. Retrieved 25-11-2009. 
  100. ^ "Certified Awards". The British Recorded Music Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 25-11-09. 
  101. ^ "Achtung Baby - U2". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/u2/achtung-baby/17562. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  102. ^ "Top 100 Albums". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTop100&action=. Retrieved 25-11-09. 
  103. ^ "Search Results: The Fly U2". RPM. 1991-11-30. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3&q1=%22The+Fly+U2%22. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
    "Search Results: Mysterious Ways U2". RPM. 1992-02-01. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3&q1=%22Mysterious+Ways+U2%22. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
    "Search Results: One U2". RPM. 1992-05-09. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3&q1=%22One+U2%22. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
    "Search Results: Even Better Than the Real Thing". RPM. 1992-09-19. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3&q1=%22Even+Better+Than+the+Real+Thing%22. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
    "Search Results: Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses". RPM. 1992-12-26. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3&q1=Who%27s+Gonna+Ride+Your+Wild+Horses. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
    "Search Results: Until the End of the World". RPM. 1992-03-07. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3&q1=%22Until+the+End+of+the+World%22. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
  104. ^ "Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Charts. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2009-11-24.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.
  105. ^ "U2 singles". Everyhit.com. http://everyhit.com/. Retrieved 2009-11-24.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.
  106. ^ "U2 songs". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/search/?Nty=1&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&Ntk=Keyword&Ns=FULL_DATE%7c1&Ne=125&N=129&Ntt=U2. Retrieved 2009-11-24.  Note: Songs must be searched manually
  107. ^ "CRIA Certification Results: U2". Canadian Recording Industry Association. 1992-12-01. http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php?page=2&wclause=WHERE+artist_name+like+%27%25U2%25%27+ORDER+BY+cert_date%2C+cert_award+&rcnt=81&csearch=40&nextprev=1. Retrieved 2009-11-17. 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks		 Billboard 200 number-one album
December 7, 1991 – December 13, 1991		 Succeeded by
Dangerous by Michael Jackson
Preceded by
Soul Deep by Jimmy Barnes		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
December 1, 1991 – December 7, 1991		 Succeeded by
Dangerous by Michael Jackson
Achtung Baby track listing
"Zoo Station"  • "Even Better Than the Real Thing"  • "One"  • "Until the End of the World"  • "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"  • "So Cruel"  • "The Fly"  • "Mysterious Ways"  • "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World"  • "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)"  • "Acrobat"  • "Love Is Blindness"
v • d • e
U2
Bono • Adam Clayton • The Edge • Larry Mullen, Jr.
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtung_Baby"