Achtung Baby

U2 is a solid "meh" from me every time I hear them. I think "meh" translates to 2.5. Rounding down because the only song I really like is 'One.' That shit still holds up.

Не интересно

Production on this album is super hit or miss, bass and guitar are pretty great across the album, drums and vocals are a bit meh. Some cool sound design choices on this, plays with the idea of being atmospheric a couple of times. But overall no commitment to any one style of experimentation leads to a messy and overall boring album. Stand out tracks are: One is anthemic and uplifting, with incredible guitar and probably the best vocal performance on the record. Drums are a tad washed out in the mix though. Worst tracks are: So Cruel, with one of the most annoying piano leads of all time and the production is grating by the end. The Fly is genuinely horrible, the lyrics suck the vocal effects are painfully bad, the production is overblown and there’s some really annoying backing percussion that sticks out like a sore thumb once you notice it. 2/5

Boringgggg

Bleh. I remember buying this at a church rummage sale. I was so excited to have my own U2 tape. There was a man in his 40s who offered me (I don't remember what) an immense amount of value for the album. It meant something to him. I listened to the tape a few times. I should have taken the trade. 30 years later, listening to Achtung Baby only reinforces that. The worst thing that can happen to U2 is people listening to other music. Unlike the Beatles who borrowed from other genres and created something unique, U2 has only stolen from other genres to create a regrettable regurgitation of noise. 'One' is the saving grace of this album.

Some really classic U2 songs on this album but its the same as the band has always been to me their hits are great and I love hearing them. Then they have a lot of songs that sound kind of same-y that I usually skip and this album has a lot of those kind of songs so not a very high score from me even if One and Mysterious Ways are good enough to listen to on repeat a few times.

This started strong, but by the time that "Hey sha-la-la-la" showed up in the lyrics to the fifth song I knew that the creativity was spent. The rest of the album was pure filler and forced emotionalism.

better than expected. many of the songs started off with some pretty cool instrumentals that went absolutely no where.

Next. Not a fan of U2 as we know.

I was a big fan of this album when first released and I really remember being desperate to see the live tour with the flying trabents. Listening to it again now it feels like the dictionary definition of bland. It just washes over me with the exception of "One" which I still have a soft spot for.

Just okay

Comparison is the thief of joy. This is worse than War, even if One and Wild Horses are alright. In generally I just think this album is bland

The last time I had to listen to a U2 album for this project, it was The Joshua Tree and I gave it 1 out of 5. I'd never felt the need to listen to a U2 album before and it turns out I don't care for them. I don't like Bono's voice. I don't like the MOR-ness of it all. It's not my cup of tea. With Achtung Baby, however, I have a little experience of it already. It came out in 1991, when I was a teenager with an interest in music and who was watching lots of music videos on TV shows. I remember that I rather liked the singles from this album at the time; "One" is schmaltzy but I liked the video with all the buffalos in it; I remember "Mysterious Ways" had a belly dancer behind a sort of waterfall effect, and "The Fly", which is probably my favourite, made sense of Bono wearing those big fly-like glasses. "The Fly" probably is / was my favourite tune because I love the gnarly crazy guitar sound. (It goes: "BA-WAH GER-NAH GER-NAH WER-GAH!") And it is the Edge's interesting guitar noises which I find most interesting about U2 generally. A lot of the rest of the album just has his usual jangly delayed sound, and I don't particularly care for it either way. Maybe that's why the rest of the album is boring as shit. Or maybe it's the song writing. Or maybe I just don't like U2. I find myself desperate to skip every song and get it over with. Anyway, I like a couple of songs, sort of, it's a shame Bono's singing is on them... actually, I like the guitar part on a couple of songs... so I'll give this two stars - which is double what they got last time - and they can think themselves lucky that's it's not possible for me to give 1 1/2. Congratulations lads!

I’ve been to more U2 shows than I care to admit (don’t ask), and still have to say that this band is boring AF. Meh amount of stars.

Boring

Not as bad as I thought it would be. I’ve heard a few of the songs before and there were a couple of others that I liked. Not something I would go back to but not the worst.

the songs before ‘one’ were dreadful. and all the ones after have been good and what i expected - not great but not shit.i however hâte ‘the fly’. i’ve finished it, it got better but i thought U2 would be better than this… middle of the road boring in my opinion.

Whatever, more nah than yeah

More like poo2 ENOUGH WITH THE CLAPPING BONO

Ахтунг! Переоценённая группа! Ахтунг бэйби!

Leaves a bad taste in your mouth, as it turns out.

I did not enjoy this

I don't hateeeee it but a lot of it was just very meh and sounded similar to the rest of it. There were no songs stuck in my head or that I needed to repeat except for one love (but that's not theirs). It's not an album I needed to listen to but because U2 is so universally big and despite their album songs of innocence being forced upon every iPhone user... I'm still not a fan

Sorry to the great nation of Ireland but I think U2 is corny and mid

I made it halfway through One. I don't want to listen to this.

The level of not caring is immeasurable

not a fan but it wasnt ass

I’m sorry but I hate U2.

Not my jam

U2 used this album to try buying back their credibility after the painfully pretentious "Rattle and Hum". Now they were a full-on worldwide sensation. The hits just kept coming and the mainstream begged for more. This, of course, made them uncool. They became everyone's little sister's favorite band and even the most conservative parent groups approved of them. Popes, presidents, and the media all showered U2 with praise and medallions recognizing their global citizenship. But, was the music any good? It was fine, I guess. Minus one whole star because they should never be forgiven for that time they (and Apple) forced us all to own a digital copy of "Songs of Innocence." Some scars should never heal.

I liked two songs or three... I was bored while listening

Achtung Gravy

idk them like that but i don’t get their thing

this was somehow very generic but also hard to listen to. the album is best explained in the song mysterious ways when bono sings “It's alright, it's alright, alright”

I never did listen much to U2, and now I am vindicated as to why. Snoozefest.

Most generic rock music imaginable, as expected from U2.

Awful

Felt like one long song

Definitely overblown but not awful/

U2 sucks. What a bunch of cry singing. Joshua Tree is ok and probably belongs on this list, this is mostly just bono crying on every track.

Never really been a fan of U2, I have liked a few songs over the years but have never looked for their music or thought it was all that fantastic. We will see how this goes.

2/5

Docking multiple stars for extreme pretentiousness, extreme boredom and lack of anything cool.

Not for me

Not too sure what an “achtung baby” is and this album didn’t explain it very well. Also I didn’t really like the music. Mid album + confusion = 3/5

Another u2 album. And this time it's a 30th anniversary edition. There is no way I'm sitting through over 2 hours of the most over rated band of all time. I did listen to a good portion of it though and it hasn't changed my opinion. They are where they are through fortune and timing. There are 100's of 1000s of equally tallented bands and musicians out just as deserving of the success this lot have had. I don't actively dislike their music I just don't place above many pub bands I have seen. So can't give it a 1, it'll have to be a 2

The only thing I know about these guys is that they gave me an album that was impossible to remove during my brief stint as an iPhone owner. I tried every trick in the book to delete the thing and it would be back in my library flashing it's smarmy, homoerotic cover at me the following week. Oh, yeah. This isn't that. It's vaguely within the key of music I'd enjoy, but it reeks too much of the decades that precede it. Can't say I'm a fan.

If Coldplay was trying to do a lackluster Muse imitation

Had to force myself to keep listening. Not the U2 sound I prefer.

I think I could probably erase U2 from my brain, and my life wouldn’t change at all.

No thanks

Boring Bono

U2.5 stars

I really tried to listen to this out of fairness (and because I love Brian Eno), but I gave up.

Some nice songs

First couple of songs really show songwriters who've run out of ideas, trying to make up for it with wrapping underwritten, unfinished and ultimately uninteresting vamps in what they think are interesting or experimental arrangements (they're not) and an overinflated-ego-frontman vibin' over them. It does get better. One obviously a standout, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses pretty good. Acrobat is a favorite. But there is so much filler here - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms ... doesn't go anywhere, nor does So Cruel. The singles The Fly, Mysterious Ways are so blatantly "90s" - trying to incorporate "modern" sounds and beats, but ultimately fail - U2 is not a band that grooves. Upon research, people like David Bowie, Scott Walker, Einstürzende Neubauten, Sly & Family Stone are mentioned as inspirations & Brian Eno being in the studio, which all sound like a recipe for a brilliant outcome. But it just all sounds so forced and affected.

There are some U2 albums that are essential listening. This isn't one of them.

More innovative than their early pop stuff but still not a great fan.

2e U2 album, de eerste werd echt een beetje gered voor mij door de grote hits aan het begin. Die hits zijn hier niet, dus ja... Dan komt Bono zijn unieke stemgeluid meer naar voren, en daar ben ik dus echt geen fan van. Het album is gewoon totaal niet mijn smaak, het klinkt kleiner dan de arena rock die we kennen van U2, maar eigenlijk trek ik de arena rock dan toch beter, want dan hoor je Bono minder. Tsja, ik geef het niet 1 ster, want dan vind ik het echt verschrikkelijk en dat is niet zo, ik haat het niet actief, maar ik hoop sterk dat dit het laatste U2 album is op zowel deze lijst als dat ik uberhaupt ooit nog hoef te horen. Ik ben op een gegeven moment andere dingen gaan doen in de hoop dat dit album dan sneller voorbij was. Maar voor mijn gevoel kwam ik 2 uur later terug en stond er nog steeds U2 aan... TLDR; Muzikaal ok, Bono moet zn smoel houden; 2 sterren. FAVO: Mysterious ways

Achtung Baby is rubbish, U2 are mostly crap anyway but this has one song of redeeming quality in One and the rest of it is utter dirge. Scrapes a 2 because of One.

Just cringe innit. U2 holds no nostalgia for me so it's just quite dull and cringe to me. Quite persistent paternalistic lyrics I think too, which grate. Why do men always sing about weeping women?

So, I finally got a chance to see U2 on the Zootopia tour. We had a big group going. Tickets were expensive. But we were all psyched, cause they were known to be one of the best live bands. They kept us waiting in the rain for three hours, played maybe 45 minutes, and then left. One of the worst concerts I’ve ever seen. The disappointment was so profound, I stopped listening to them entirely. There’s no reason this record needs to be on this list. Unless the point is to show what it sounds like when a band totally sells out. Then, yes, this is a perfect example of a good band evolving into absolute mediocrity.

U2 has always been among the top bands that annoy me. And not just because they forced their album onto my iPhone that one time. First of all, Bono and Edge, with their mononyms are kind of cringey. Second of all Bono always sounds like he’s pandering or trying too hard. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ll say that there are some good tunes here, in particular the hits of “One” and “Mysterious ways”, which were soundtracks of the long car rides of my childhood. Nothing I’ll be coming back to here.

Borign

Other than the singles, I was bored by this album. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

This album produced no strong feelings on my end. The album equivalent of an unseasoned water chestnut. 2/5

So painful.

Once again, an album inexplicably on this list. Should we listen to U2 because they're popular? This is boring, boring, boring. Not quite lowest common denominator stuff, but there's something for everyone and no-one on this dog's breakfast of an album. The mystery of U2's appeal continues. Bono's crooning and mooing over the proceedings is especially irksome.

Their usual over dramatic blah. Mysterious Ways is awesome

Dit album moet breken met hun verleden. Het zou dus heel anders moeten zijn dan bijvoorbeeld War, wat we eerder geserveerd krijgen. Muzikaal merk je wel iets. Ik zou zeggen dat het soms wat meer richting Depeche Mode gaat. Iets elektronischer, iets vager, iets gevarieerder. Allemaal met de nadruk op 'iets'. Uiteindelijk zet U2 haar handtekening met de zang. Met af en toe een kleine uitzondering, is die zang nu niet heel anders. En als ze dan echt wilden breken met het verleden. Waarom zijn het dan juist de minder elektronische, minder vage nummers die tot single zijn verheven?

I know repeated listens can yield delightful treats, but I’ve tried to get to know this album a few times over the years, yet nothing about it ever sticks out to my ears! Every song seems a long slog of sameness. Nevertheless, it’s never too terrible.

Oof. 2 U2 albums back-to-back. Still, at least this was better than War, so I'll give this 2 stars.

U2.. This will be a hard listening experience

U2 is a band I always hear people say is overrated, and they have never really managed to enter my listening sphere. I don't think I can name a single song of theirs aside from 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' and only because we had to analyze the text of that one for school. I've never listened to a full U2 album, and I don't think I've been missing out. At least this album hasn't convinced me so. "In my dream I was drowning my sorrows/But my sorrows, they learned to swim" from 'Until the End of the World' is a pretty cool line, but the delivery is just so flat, not depressed or sad. Just flat. That I can't enjoy it for what it is. I simply don't believe it. Also it doesn't seem to be an original line. Frida Kahlo said something very very similar at some point Standouts One 2/5

Not bad but a little too mainstream pop rock for me?

- Ich bin kein U2 Fan. Überhaupt nicht. Hab das nie verstanden, warum die SOO big geworden sind und vor allem blieben. - Das Album ist für mich eine Absicherung meiner bisherigen Meinung. Träge, zu lange Soli, zu lange Intros, zu lange Outros, total vorhersehbare Songstrukturen, wie ich finde sehr ähnliche Vocal-Parts. Außerdem fehlt mir in deren Songs häufig einfach so ein Spannungs/Dramaturgie-Bogen. die plätschern alle immer so vor sich hin. - Vielleicht höre ich das auch alles aktiv hinein, aber kann ich auch nichts dran ändern. U2? No, thank you. 2/5

- Mischung aus Guilty Pleasure und lässt mich absolut kalt.. schwer zu beantworten

Why is this on this list?

U2 is vastly overrated. One is a very good song. The rest is meh.

Until the End Of The World++ Manque l'énergie des premiers albums.

Biiseissä on potentiaalia mut Bonon revittelylle on kyl lämpene yhtään

Heti, kun ekassa biisissä alko laulujan ääntelyt, muistin taas mikä U2:ssa olikaan vikana. So Cruelin kohdalla oon todella kyllästynyt tähän levyyn. 2/5

✅ love is blindness is a good song¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Still resent U2 for that stupid album that I couldn’t get rid of from my iTunes for ages. This album is fine. 4/10.

Listenable but mid as hell

Even the more enjoyable songs annoy me

Fuck U2 I’ll never forget when they auto uploaded their shitty new album onto everyone’s iTunes, then released a douchey non-apology apology video when everyone got mad at them. Like they’re the custodians of music. This album feels very generic.

I feel towards U2 the way a lot of people feel about Coldplay. They’re so middle of the road inoffensive pop rock. Nothing here to get excited or passionate about, but nothing to really dislike either. Which I kind of dislike

I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but U2 always have something pretentious about them that makes them unappealing to me. It is as if they are actually a band of aliens that didn't make it on their home planet and said to themselves: "Fuck it, we'll move to planet earth and play human music!"

Lynn? Are those your mums cataract glasses? 2.0

Achtung kurwo! I was very surprised rating 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' by U2 three stars. I was wondering that maybe all the time I'm too harsh to them. But no, this album is garbage to me. For entire record I thought that band is playing in one room and Bono is a fucking mile away from them, music and singing don't match. And I had to write it again, their music is so bland like a sheet of paper without writing. Painful listen.

Didn't grab my attention and somewhat cringey lyrics.

This is exactly where U2 became boring beyond all compare. Bono is not insufferable, only because I managed to suffer this.

Something about the production bothers me. It's muffled, or the instruments aren't as distinct as I'd like. The weird pseudo industrial sound they're going for sounds dated. The bigger problem is I just don't like most of the songs. One is sappy, and the rest are largely unmemorable to bad. Favourite track: Acrobat. First U2 album on the list, I hope it gets a lot better than this.

An okay album, the only song that stood out was Even Better Than The Real Thing.

Meh. Very forgettable

I’m still pissed at them for forcing that album on us a few years ago (you couldn’t even delete it and it wasted space on my iPhone). This one has a few hits though.

Est-ce que si ça passe à la radio je change de radio ? Non. Est-ce que j'irai l'écouter sur Spotify ? Non plus...

"Why isn't everyone trying to sound like U2? It's not a very cool thing to do Why would you want to sound like U2? Just press record and play it straight through"

I get why some people like them but I personally don’t. Far too slow for me.

2 U2 albums in a row and I’m tired of it already. Bono is an excellent singer and the edge is a creative player. But this stuff is boring.

It all sounded a but generic and samey to me.

Idk how this band is so fucking popular

Better than some of the past options for sure.

BONNNOOOO!! Emphasis on the NO. Couple songs I know on here but not enough to make up for number 2.

Lots of hits, Bono is still a big turd. Fly somewhere else in your private planes and lecture me about environmentalism some more9

They all sound the same.

Look I might still be traumatized by that time a U2 album just appeared in my (and everyone's) iTunes library. They didn't ask or anything, it just showed up for free. Nice thought, I suppose, but I didn't like it.

Best Song: Mysterious Ways. Something about the groove, the lyrics, and the weird singalong quality of this song makes it feel like white gospel music. Worst Song: Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World. A perfect encapsulation of U2's penchant for coming off as preachy, desperate, and whiny. "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle". Bono you make me sick. Overall: Music made for melancholy moments in sitcoms. Fake emotions melodramaticized. Meh.

Hate to be that guy but my god I just don't understand the success behind U2. I'm actually very open to hearing more records to better understand what makes this one of the largest bands of all time. It mostly has to be a case of them being super popular and Europe and not fully transitioning as strongly over here in Canada. Similar to our version of Tragically Hip. Like take the song "One" off this album for example. It has 500m streams on Spotify, 10x higher than any other song on this album, and their THIRD mostly played of all. I was ready to hear a banger I already knew and just didn't know the name of. Nope. I honestly do not recognize this song. Which is odd because I'm for sure more familiar with lesser streamed songs, "Beautiful Day", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and "Where the Streets Have No Name" to name a few. Update: As I'm writing this review, the song "Mysterious Ways" comes on from this record, and I immediately know it, and it "only" has 80 million listens. Now I REALLY don't know what's going on. I'm sure I've heard "One" at some point in my life, but that's my point - so much of this stuff is utterly forgettable that it made no impression on me. I don't know. I can't tell if my tastes leaning towards favoring rock music over other styles of music are helping or hurting my enjoyment of U2. Like this isn't an 80s hip hop album or some World Music record where I don't really share a perspective on. It's a genre of music I should subjectively like but I can't for the life of me find one redeeming aspect to it. Plainly put - boring. Maybe one day...

Objectively this sounds like good music but when I listen to it... It just doesn't do anything for me. Like drinking water. High 2.

some songs and pretty much all of the singing sound like very generic alternative rock. overall the album seems to have no desire to create anything either fun or just interesting to listen to. if Mysterious Ways wasn't decent this would probably deserve a 1/5

boring

This was another tough album to get through. I liked the song “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” and “One” was familiar in a good one. Nothing remarkable about the album though and couldn’t finish.

Until the end of the world is good Like piano in so cruel Like mysterious way Overall nothing is amazing or terrible really

Helloooo hellooooooo At times, a bit dull/bland rock, but some genuine shining moments of creative intensity and approach

It’s an unpopular opinion but I feel like this album sounded like a high school kid ate too many weed gummies and decided to recite poetry with a white noise machine in the background. Occasionally profound but mostly forgettable

Pretty okay 4/10

Wow, tout aussi médiocre que les deux autres avant

Æji, þetta er 90% uppfyllingarefni.

It was a bit meh when it first came out, and it’s still the same now, couple of good tracks, the rest is just filler

Boooooring. Sauf /One/ mais du coup on voit pourquoi ils en ont fait le single de l'album, c'est au dessus du reste assez soupesque.

IIt used to be you could go to someone's place for the first time and go through their music collection - CDs or Records on shelves. There were some people who had a penchant for collecting the less interesting work of interesting bands. This collection is starting to feel that way. From Boy through Unforgettable Fire this band was producing some of the most urgent, intimate, moving, emotional music in the world. But then it appears that CEO Bono got a taste of the big time. Joshua Tree and especially this album always sounded to me like whoever was making decisions regarding the bands "direction" had decided that being the biggest selling band in the world was all that mattered. Reminds me of the Rolling Stones' albums from the 80s and 90s. The Edge's work is amazing - in everything. But the urgency and intimacy are gone; replaced by...the Manchester Sound?? U2 chasing the Manchester sound reminds me of Coke abandoning its original formula to chase the Pepsi flavor profile. And all in service of pumping out silly radio/stadium friendly anthems. Bores me; and to tears when I think of how Sunday Bloody Sunday makes me feel.

This album slaps until bono starts singing

Non proprio il mio genere, troppo cantilenante e voce distorta. Alcune canzoni piacevoli

Better than The Joshua Tree. I just can't vibe with their music for some reason. Not bad, though. Fav tracks: Love Is Blindness, Until The End Of The World, Acrobat

I really don't like the smugness in bonos voice. The music behind it was ok

I have an irrational hate for this band. This shit is just the most generic and boring music ever made. I'd send it down to the depths with ACDC and Aerosmith (God do I want to) but at least they have variation and some experimentation even if it does bore me into anxiety.

This album sounds like the soundtrack to a 90s romcom. Not necessarily a bad thing, but to my 90s-baby sensibility it sounds super dated and cliché. Bono's style of singing got exhausting by track 5, which is unfortunate because all the track thereafter were on the longer side. I think I would've liked this album if the songs were solely instrumental. Tracks that stood out upon 1st listen: 4 - Until the end of the World; Would I revisit this album: No

It's crazy that U2 made such a great album with Joshua Tree - and yet almost everything else they've done afterwards is unbearably boring.

Anytime I hear Better Than the Real Thing, I think Garth from Wayne's World at the VMAs

I like some U2 records, but this one not so much. I think this is their take on the Madchester sound that had been around for a couple of years already. It's neither groundbreaking nor very good IMHO. Favorite song: Ultra Violet.

plictisitor, nu l-am terminat

Well, as I already have mentioned when reviewing Joshua's Tree, I'm not a fan of U2 and I find them overrated. Achtung Baby is even worse. There is song One, which is quite okay, but the rest of the album is just incredibly boring. On the positive note, this record was perfect for an afternoon nap - with such an uneventful music I slept like a baby. I don't think 1/5 would be fair, but it has to be lower note than I gave to their first album, which was 3/5. So the final rating is pretty clear.

i know my dad is gonna throw hands with me in heaven over this but girl i do not get U2. love is blindness is a great song but the white stripes cover is better. one and wild horses are okay. they used to play mysterious ways at work all the time so that song makes me physically nauseous to hear

I think U2 popularity is due to them being very 'unabrassive' or different. Kind of a lowest common denominator thing. Sounds like something a white middle-class Dad would listen to to make himself feel 'hip' and 'with it'.

Faux-originality; the Tracey Emin of the music world.

Another one from U2 that lacks anything resembling a heart or soul. I’ll admit I’m negatively biased towards “One” and “Mysterious Ways” due to death by radio play, but every other track on here is just as guilty of feeling like it was crafted by a focus group for #1 straight line status. The Edge tries to inject some cool and creative guitar tones into the mix, but any kind of creative energy is completely annihilated by Bono and his genetically-modified corporate radio voice that somehow embodies the concept of smarm in sound waves.

Never listened to a U2 album before I don't think. This just all sounds so generic and safe. Yawn. Really didn't do much for me Forgettable. Won't be going back I guess one and mysterious ways are quite good tracks but still wouldn't choose to listen to them

Bloody boring. I give it a point because "One" is a masterpiece. "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" was decent too. Otherwise this is the definition of milquetoast to me.

I don't enjoy U2. The vocals, while iconic just don't sound good to me.

I have a strong disdain for Bono. He’s got this airy tone to his voice that irks me, and short of a couple songs on this where I like the song instrumentally and lyrically, U2 can go away.

There's some great pop songs here and the production is oh-so-glossy and polished, but U2 just leave me a bit cold. I think I used to own this album back in the day and it was just one of those albums I wouldn't ever think to listen to, as it's just lacking something special. Also, it really tapers off in quality for the last three or four tracks.

- Heard this before - Like The Joshua Tree, but I really don't like this one - Don't really get how this is considered a similar level, I genuinely think this is just a bad album that shouldn't be on the list - However, One is actually a really good song so I can't give it 1*

not bad but boring and generic rock

Kinda ass men idk?

Sukks

An ok album. Not a scratch on Joshua Tree and earlier work. I feel like this is where they started to go inside themselves abit

Didn’t finish tbh and don’t rlly want to…kinda boring but I’m probably biased bc I hate U2 for reasons I don’t fully understand

Nobody actually cares about U2. Everybody claiming to be a "U2 fan" is a government plant. Bono isn't even real. His voice was made using speech synthesis and the guy on stage is a Serbian chap named Stanislav Jebović. Look it up. I know for a fact that the album cover was created after the guy who makes the artwork came to Bono with 16 concepts and told Bono to pick one, and Bono was like "I don't fucking know man. I don't work here. Just put them all on there somehow." Best U2 album I've heard so far. 2/5

Mediocre to a fault.

Meh.

Är väl nytänkande och välgjord, men näe. Har nog haft min dos.

Nope still don't like U2

Sometimes list makers are wrong but I guess I'll listen anyways. U2 reminds me of cabbge. The excessive use of audio effects makes the songs take up space and seem like they'll leave you full but instead leave you hungry. Could Bono sound any less enthusiastic than on Even Better Than The Real Thing?

One of the most overrated bands. I didn't hate the album, but I sure didn't enjoy it.

U2 are boring and annoying (see:Ultra Violet)

Kind of boring but I didn’t hate it.

Would have rather listened to shoegaze. Bono sings like. He just ran a mile. That saturated chorus effect they keep using, blah, blah, no, stop. Every element of production was underwhelming in almost every song. Everything was soft, nothing stood out. Nothing was memorable other than the popular mysterious ways, but maybe that's only because I'm already familiar with it. I wasn't upset at it, I just was... quite disinterested. And disappointed.

This wasn’t it

Terribleness incarnate

The start of the decline. Obviously no album with One on it is actually bad. But it's not great. You can tell that they've started wearing shades and leather and thinking they're the shit. Idiots. Not as good as Achtung Bono by Half Man Half Biscuit, which is far more deserving of a place on this list.

It is meh. Its classic pop rock which I'm not really into and most of the songs were boring and weren't gripping at all.

I auite enjoyed early U2, but I’d pretty much given up on them by the time this album was released. The only 2 tracks zi knew from this album before today were One(hard to avoid) & Mysterious Ways, which I quite liked. I just listened to the whole album & there’s nothing there that I’ll ever listen to again. I’m bewildered as to it’s high rating with the critics. It did give me a real laugh though - Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses? Were they serious? Prince could get away with that sort of lyric, but not Bono. Disappointing listen for me.

For one (lol) reason only, I need to highlight Achtung Baby for at long last allowing me to realize why U2 don't really elicit any meaningful reaction from me: it's Bono. No, not his obnoxious persona or politics, as I'm one to separate art from artist in a majority of instances, though he does come off as a special and pretentious brand of prick. No. It's his voice that really irritates me. It's so breathy, warbly and imprecise, as if he's intently circling around every note he sings without ever quite hitting it. It's so distracting to me that all the technical skill in the world couldn't really make me interested in most of these songs, and I'm sure it can be found in spades on this LP. I think Brian Eno's involvement is the saving grace here; probably what makes this album sound more ethereal than it should (a good thing).

Kind of boring to me. The signer seams to have very limited tones making each song too similar. The doomsday feeling of the song is a little to heavy for me. Just not my bag.

absolutely biased here. i’ve never liked u2, and this doesn’t do anything to change that for me.

I don’t know why this was so boring. It seems like it should be more interesting.

Well, you know, they're U2. So you know you're gonna get big pompous choruses, tryhard vocals and The Edge's schtick. If you're a fan it's not a bad thing I guess, but I think I only liked two tracks on this and they were the last two. Everything is big with U2, but it's really annoying to me, there's something fake, or should I say distant, with Bono's presence, almost like if he was concentrating hard to play a rock star instead of being one. Anyway, I'm not a fan and I actually prefer Zooropa over this one.

Truth is, it's not very good for how "big" this is supposed to be

Boring one from U2

The previous albums I listened to using this at least stuck with me. 'Aqualung' by Jethro Tull stuck with me. 'Berlin' by Lou Reed REALLY stuck with me. 'Revolver' by the Beatles stuck with me. The only thing this album stuck with is my Apple Music 'Recently Played' list. I'd call it musical wallpaper paste, but wallpaper paste actually adheres to stuff.

Ugh.

I'm just not meant to be a U2 fan. The Edge's playing and Bono's singing just make me feel empty, in a bad way.

Honnêtement très ordinaire

This is lame, boring, and cringe. The album cover is garbage too.

Not a fan

hate u2

Juu juu voimaballadia. Melkein kaikki U2 kuulostaa samalta paitsi hitit (jotka on hyviä ja maailmaasyleileviä). Ei voi inhota, ei rakastaakaan.

Ugh, U2. I tried, I did

Many will say this is U2's best album, and that's all well and good for them. U2 very rarely hits for me, and a vast majority of this album didn't hit. It felt like it dragged, and it was a chore to get through. However, Mysterious Ways is on this album, which was a mega hit for them, and is an okay song in my book. I liked The Fly as well, which edged closer to my tastes. Otherwise, this was meh to me.

Very "meh" to me. Nothing much stands out.

U2 doing the whole rock and dance thing that was popular in the U.K. Underground at the time. Not only did they do Joy Division but badly, they also did a New Order and Stone Roses but subpar as well. “The Fly” and “Mysterious Ways” are the most interesting and listenable tracks. “One” seems to be the schematic that many Brit bands, Coldplay and after, from which drew their sound. Not the biggest fan of U2, their best is “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”, on the Batman Forever soundtrack. 30th Anniversary version has some very annoying remixes on it, including a really bad version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love”. Bono is the worst, but I do have love for the rhythm section.

This album does not belong on this list. Instrumentally it does not offend me, but it does not stand out as exceptional. Of note is Eno’s involvement to help salve the festering wound of a bloated but injured industry darling, trying to recapture something fleeting in earlier days. Bono’s approach in particular make it difficult for me to listen to. I have a hard time understanding the argument that anyone would need to hear this album before leaving this life. If I ever have to listen to Bono whisper in my ear again I might leave this life before making it through this ridiculous list.

Had a few gems but overall not that exciting.

Don´t like this "reinvented ourselves" U2

Upalim ovo prvi put u kolko mjeseci s namjerom da poslušam i budu i ovi. Jedina razlika ovog albuma i otvorenog je sto otvoreni ima bengera tu i tam, jebiga takav dojam mi je ostavio.

It's U2. I'm never going to be a fan of these guys. I can see why folks enjoy them, but I can't help but feel like I have to scrub the pretentiousness off me after listening to this.

I didn't hate it, I thought it was fine enough. Not something I'm going to listen to anytime soon. 2.5/5

I was suprised by how many songs I knew off of here, whether that be songs I knew as Johnny Cash songs or just didn't know were U2. Sadly, while I do like this more than Joshua Tree, still nothing I care for whatsoever. I just don't get the appeal of U2. I suppose at least everyone was right and they do sound different between albums. Not good, perse, but different, made it less monotonous.

Didn't absolutely hate this. Pretty inoffensive as far as U2 goes. Annoying? Yes. Overlong? Yes. Self indulgent to the point of being masturbatory? Of course. But not unlistenable.

Stor rock, ikke for mig

I don’t think anyone can really deny the importance of U2 throughout the 80s. Their arena rock sound had become stale by the time the 90s rolled around. Alternative rock was on the rise and U2 was outdated. This album was their attempt to reinvent themselves to keep up with the times. Although there are some bright spots on this record, overall it is a bit stale to me, and pretentious at times. It is a lot of meandering ‘90s alternative rock with some forgettable tracks. If the album was closer to ~35mins, cutting out a few tracks, it would be much better.

Never been a big U2 guy

Never have been a U2 fan.

It was ok. I might revisit in the future but for now it was enjoyable. First Listen?: Y Fav. Tracks: Until the End of the World, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horse Rating: 2.4/5

2/2 yous

Some songs that are decent/catchy overall meh for me

É o caso de se ouvir uma única música, o hit que gerou versões impressionantes, "one".

Boring

Eh

it's not nearly as bad as you think it will be. that being said, it just feels corny as hell and i can't believe people made this band famous lol worth hearing once, but will never listen to this again.

I’ve listened to the album before and the album is OK but yesterday was my birthday and after a few tracks I couldn’t take it anymore so I put on August Burns Red instead

I always hated U2, primarily because my older sister and her chums loved them. That's what you're meant to as a teenager right? So I tried to listen with objective ears after all these years. However it's absolute cods arse, a collection of overproduced dirge, middle of the road arseness masquerading as something shiny and intersting. But is in fact broken and boring, pah.

I don't hate this as much as I should. It's perfectly fine benign middle of the road stuff.

sooo boring

Eh, a few big songs on here and some fun guitar work but didn't hold my interest very well.

Man, I really don't want to listen to U2, a band I've always disliked. I tried to put aside my preconceptions and listen with an open mind. But nah, I can't help hearing my distaste for Bono in every note. It feels like mediocre rock music dressed up in self-importance. Or a veneer or creativity covering crass commercialism. It doesn't help that I know this album was them switching to alt-rock as a response to being panned for co-opting roots rock. If I was listening without preconceptions, maybe I wouldn't hear those things. But it's impossible to say for sure because I just fucking dislike U2, okay? It's not offensively bad though. 2*

Kan ikkje sei at det er dårlig musikk. Men har aldri vært en U2 fan heller. Kjedelig. Veldig U2.

kjedelig + for love is blindness sjølv om Jack White sin versjon er bedre 2

Bit bleh.

I've never been able to stand U2. They take themselves so seriously it's hard for anyone else to. Absolutely no joy or humor in their music. Plus I can't handle Bono's faux progressive nonsense.

The beginning of the end of U2.

boring

this is not good at all. I sorta like Mysterious Ways, but that's the *only* saving grace on here. I dislike this quite a bit. 2/5

I just can't really stomach a whole album of U2 sorry.

As ever, they're impossible to suss out. If I could suss them out, I might say that's because they still hadn't sussed themselves out, hence this dense, syrupy, snoozey, dance (apparently) thing. Heavy-handed and clean as a whistle, yet utterly un-sussable. I can't suss it out. Can you? I can't. (Okay, I'm done here.)

Some good tunes but weak production and not much variation.

The core issue is that the band is doing an overall presentable job and I enjoy the instrumentals quite a lot, especially early in the album, but then HIS vacuous howling enters a song and just destroys the peace.

Enjoyed it, wasn't bad per se; not really my thing though. I don’t super love the semi-upbeat, feel-good pop-rock aspect of the album. A lot of it kinda felt like generic filler, but I kinda liked a couple tracks, like Acrobat. Wish they spent less time making boring cheesy songs. U2 has some rockin tracks in their catalog, but this album didn't have much of that. People say the Edge is a great guitarist, but i don't really hear much technical skill from him, at least on this album. My dad likes this band so I feel like it’s rude of me if I don’t love it lol.

Eh. Better then I thought it'd be. Still not for me.

Komplett subjektiv

note terrible songs start to sound the same

One of U2 better albums, I prefer the songs on Joshua Tree, can see why this is on the list, but wouldn’t chose to listen to it.

I fell asleep. Proper, serious, full 8-hours no-stirring hibernation. Maybe I was just tired. But I still struggle with U2 for one major reasons and several others of varying import. Yes, Bono is self-righteous and insufferable, but is that just one variation of the rock star complex, a complex I don't mind in, say, Jim Morrison or Dave Lee Roth? Yes, using Christian imagery to describe romantic scenarios is a centuries-old cliché, but so what? It does seem sincerely meant. Yes, One and Mysterious Ways have lost all impact they may have had, but can you blame the songs just because they were enormously overplayed, and shouldn't you try and listen with fresh ears? However, the major problem is that Achtung Baby is dull. Dull in conception, dull in execution, dull in presentation. I understand Achtung Baby is vaunted heavily (admittedly by an always-fawning press), but that just poses the further question: for whom is this album? (Yes, I decided to be exacting there.) The supposed innovations (including dance rhythms, for instance), were already old-hat by 1991 (weren't they contemporaries of New Order?; it doesn't help that their dance incorporations are really safe). If the listener doesn't appreciate the sentiment behind the bigger songs of the album, the whole just becomes an hour of quite samey, quite unengaging, quite dull music. The playing is competent, but that just adds to the sense that this album is product, not art. Oh, one innovation worth noting: U2 attempted a more jovial, irony-infused stance on this album. But in retrospect, it doesn't really come across. U2 embracing irony seems more an exercise in guile rather than a conceptual leap. It's not so much a change in direction as a Tory MP donning a baseball cap for a photo op at Alton Towers. Refreshing sleep, though.

It's not to my taste. Though the sound is iconic, it doesn't excite me, and I find the lyrics overdramatic to the point of being boring. I'm not that familiar with U2 and didn't know this was their SEVENTH album. I guess their previous effort was widely panned. So I do appreciate their ability to be self-critical and challenge each other and come up with something they were proud of.

It's just ok. I would have scored 2.5 if I could. Some inspired songs in there, but nothing to write home about.

I will have another relisten because I met a fan who put Pop and this album as his top two! But for now, I just don’t dig the sound of the album.

Enjoyed this album more than Joshua Tree. I still don't get anyone being excited about U2. Maybe they have so many imitators that this sound just feels bland now.

There isn't a single U2 album you must hear before you die, certainly not one released after the 80s. This album is definitely better than All That You Can't Leave Behind, the other album I've gotten from the list so far, but that's not saying much, since that's one of the worst albums I've ever heard. I can't believe I used to own this tripe.

I like the sound but Bono sucks

wut… the edge, again, holding this group together…

I want to like U2, they just make it so difficult sometimes! After an epic start it nosedives into Bono at his most indulgently awful, punctuated by a few decent singles.

Don’t like it

Blech. This is not my favorite of U2 albums. 2/5

BORING ALBUM

Not as bad as I expected but I still dreaded the play through

Das übliche U2-Gedödel (Delay-Gitarre von The Edge, Schreiei und Gequäke von Bono). The Fly, Mysterious Ways und natürlich One sind ganz ok auf einer eher faden Platte, die zum Ende besser wird. Das sind keine 3 Sterne.

No es una cuestión de discriminación por ser quien son, sé que muchas veces U2 y Bono cargan con mucho estigma por temas extra música. Y muchas veces he dicho que son una gran banda independientemente de todo lo demás. Pero este disco nomás no. Tiene una rolota que a todos nos gusta, pero de ahí en fuera se hace plano y soso.

Never liked U2. a listen to thi album has done nothing to change that. mediocre

One is still great even though I guess I've heard it hundreds of times. There are some good songs I guess just listened to too much of this kind of music it doesn't really move me

yes

Playing during NMS saved this from a 1 star

Sin comentarios

I never understood the hype around U2. I mean, they're just not really good. The songs just aren't very interesting, or inspiring, or emotional, or technical, or anything of note, really. It's not that it's super bad either, but I really don't understand why they may be worth listening to at all. And for that, at almost an hour this album drags on for way too long. I did like Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses. But that's the only track that stood out somewhat.

Man U2 really sounds like old-school faggot stuff. Like, AIDS gay stuff

Another U2 album noooooooo. Sans Brian Eno on production and a whole 5 minutes longer than The Joshua Tree, I had a feeling I wouldn't like this one any more than The Joshua Tree. And in a lot of ways, that's true! But the extra edge on this album that helps make it more compelling. Unfortunate that it's all I can say that's good on the album. It all just comes across as a snoozefest and I can't be bothered to engage with it more than that.

Niet waar ik van houd :(

This wasn't great for me. I think Emily hit it on the head with her generic rock comment. No modifiers just straight up and down rock that was made to be inoffensive to everyone so therefore its lacking in ingenuity. I'm catching up on hella albums so I'll keep it short. I kinda liked Bono's vocal effect on the opener, it sounded like that early Beck style. After that I was pretty disinterested but not put off but the rest of the album.

dookie,

It has "One" but the bad version :(

This was ok. I am not a mega U2 fan but I can appreciate what this is. I really loved that Warren Haynes cover

me 2, I don't like it...

I came into U2 incredibly biased. I grew up with dad telling me they were cheesy and bad, and in the era when Bono was self righteous with weird purple glasses. I know lots of people like U2, but I’ve never met someone who says they’re a fan? On first listen I hated this album. It wasn’t bad, just so excessively mediocre and blending in to the background. On a second listen I heard a few solid tracks like white horses and One, but still wasn’t sold. Apparently this was a shift for U2, maybe I’d like early stuff better. This soft rock just doesn’t cut it for me. 2.5, rounding down cuz I feel I give too many 3s and am just feelin feisty

2.5 | Nunca he sido muy fan de U2 pero se que tienen una buena cantidad de canciones que me agradan (a pesar de todos los problemas que pueda tener con Bono como persona). Esperaba más de este disco, realmente los que conocía bien son Joshua Tree y War, que se me hacen tremendamente mejores que este. One es una excelente canción, eso no lo va a quitar nadie. Me parece que en este disco se empiezan a convertir cada vez más en esa banda que se dedica a rock de estadio prefabricado y empieza ese sonido que aquí se atisba, en el All That You Can't Leave Behind suena bastante decente y que últimamente los ha hecho una banda repetitiva y que no tiene mucha relevancia musicalmente. De hecho aquí se empiezan a notar una cantidad de canciones que suenan al Pop y eso me hace dudar sobre el por qué la gente se sorprendió tanto cuando salió ese disco; se nota aquí ya una influencia hacia ese lado. En general la verdad ese sonido medio de Manchester como el que ya nos ha tocado, rock pop genérico muy de los 90s no me emociona mucho. Mysterious Ways bastante buena, One excelente... el resto para mí totalmente olvidable. Ah, excepto por Zoo Station que tal cual se me hace mala y terrible manera de abrir el disco. 2 canciones y el resto del disco simplemente no me emociona, creo que sus discos anteriores fueron mucho mejores y a partir de este entran en un bache del que salen con All That You Can't Leave Behind... para después volver a decaer bastante; pero eso es otra historia.

U2 is always going to be just fine for me. They're just fine.

Leí que es el álbum con el que se reinventó U2 pero creo que para ser más comercial ($$$) que para crecer. O al menos es lo que creo por qué me gusta más el Joshua y el war. Además recuerden que fueron producidos por Brian Eno así que podemos catalogar a U2 como música de elevador

Has some moments that I enjoyed, but after a while it just becomes MOR white noise. Some cool production moments. However, it sometimes feels like a cynical attempt to cash in on Bowie's Berlin era majesty, just with none of the white-hot creativity.

Sha la la shut up again Bono your songwriting is seriously cooked. A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. To be fair this was way better than All That You Can't Leave Behind. Still not great though.

I'm probably too young for this to resonate. Boomer rock, but it's positive at least. I don't really care do u...2 stars

Not the best U2 i've heard.

Obviously "One" is a good song, but I just don't like U2.

Whiny and pretentious

U2 in their prime. Still not enough for me. A handful of decent tracks but nothing to blow your socks off

After getting off to an incredible start with their first two records, U2 has continually struggled ever since to find a convincing way forward, trying on one ill-fitting set of clothes after another. After finally turning their back on their arena rock phase, *Achtung Baby* finds the band accessorizing their sound with industrial bits, wah-wah guitars (wow, now *that's* forward-looking) and wacky vocal effects. It's not a good look for them - all of embellishments can't make up for the weak songwriting which sounds like the product of a band that has exhausted its core creativity.

Låter som ett långt sample track från musikprogram. Tänk vad mycket tid The Edge lade på sitt gitarrljud bara för att få det att låta skit. Kan tycka u2 är rätt hyfsade ibland men detta. Och alla låtar bara lunkar på? Basmannen är väl den enda som kommer undan med hedern i behåll. "Few bands as far into their career as U2 have recorded an album as adventurous or fulfilled their ambitions quite as successfully as they do on Achtung Baby, and the result is arguably their best album." säger TiVo-texten på Qobuz. Smaken är som baken –shajt

Absolute trainwreck of a record. This marked U2's transition from a band with great songs and a recognizable style to a cringe and trend-chasing mainstream monster that only normies listened to.

Self important claptrap.

Don't like Boner.

I don't think I'm a fan of how Bono sings, honestly. I liked the music on it's own, but it was made worse by his vocals for me.

Not particularly compelling, very bland and generic and almost 0 variety through the album. Also I can't stand bono's voice

now at first glance i'd call this okay. but it's just so close to being okay it actually ends up triggering a profound sense of uncanny valley. nothing but soul-annihilating sound slop on here. fuck this album. fuck u2. fuck 1001 for subjecting me to an hour of this. also im drunk

Bono has to be stopped in the past before his future can be written like this

The first album that I could not get through. Generic, boring and lacks identity not a fan. Saved zero.

Meh

Love early U2 but not sure I really enjoyed anything from this album forward that much, usually would skip the channel. Songs are done well but I dont feel it.

Só me apetecia furar os ouvidos por ter de gramar este album outra vez.

Achtung Baby is the one where U2 went to Berlin and tried to become a different band. They got the leather. They got the irony. They got the industrial textures. Bono is still Bono. You cannot Berlin your way out of being Bono. The Edge plays guitar the same way on every song and has done for forty years: delay, shimmer, echo, arpeggio. Strip the effects and apparently there's just nervous plinking underneath — there is footage. A forty-year stadium career built on one pedal. His name comes from Bonavox, a hearing aid shop in Dublin. Bono Vox. Latin for "good voice." He has been Bono ever since. I think about this. 1/5.

Similar to Coldplay, and equally hard to listen to. Somehow even more infuriating because they sometimes put out good moments like a passable guitar riff or atmospheric verse, only to destroy any spark by detouring into totally forgettable choruses or cringeworthy parts. No thanks. 1/5 - very weak

1. zoo - 1 2. real - 1 3. one - 2 4. uuorld - 1 5. horzez - 1 6. cruel - 1 7. fly - 2 8. uuayz - 1 9. throuu - 1 10. violet - 1 11. acrobat - 1 12. love - 2

bono please stfu

So much worse than the real thing; a dumpster fire of meaningless, overproduced fecal matter.

Isn't U2 a boy band. Idk man. Let's hear this. Sounds mid as hell tbh. Lotsa noise. Yeah idk I don't like this. We're taking a break from British white guy 70s rock to branch out and explore Irish white guy 90s rock. How groundbreaking. Like I just don't like the way it sounds I'm sure it was the shit but it's not all that. This bono individual is not a good singer. This kinda sucks. Favourite: Ultraviolet Least favourite: Zoo Station

How this band got so popular will forever be a mystery to me. Nails on a chalkboard

The Fly and Mysterious Ways remind me of the time when I spent my time at my grandparents house in the summer vacation. Both tracks were singles in Belgium back in those days. I recorded the BRT (now VRT) Top 30 every week on cassette. Those 2 tracks are the only decent ones on this shit album. All the other tracks are boring as hell. Especially One. That's one of the most crappy songs I ever heard in my life. 1/5

Bono you are just so whiny.

It's just all so earnest. I'm not enjoying the U2 we're getting on this list at all.

wtf are these lyrics

Actually not that bad, but me and Bono have beef

This sucks, it feels like watching a person in their midlife crisis trying to be hip, sexy and mysterious and failing miserably to be any of that, terrible sight to imagine, awful sound to listen to.

I hate u2

basically elevator music, everything sounded the same I completely tuned it out. it ended and was playing suggesting songs and i don't know how long that was going on before I checked how many more songs I had left to go

I hate U2

Not a fan

When this first popped up I thought, yuck I hate u2…. And 2 songs in I’m looking hard for a skip album function. AND it’s 2 discs…. There’s no way I’ll make it through. The familiar songs are the most annoying.

shite

Dude, U2 succkkksssss boooooo

Bono's singing pisses me off. Can this asshole sing about something other than relationships for once? The lyrics are somehow both the most melodramatic, limp-dick stuff I've ever heard and sexual in the most eye-rolling, teenage boy sense of the word. The following lines are from the same song: "When I first met you, girl You had fire in your soul What happened to your face Of melting snow?" "And you can swallow or you can spit You can throw it up, or choke on it" Is this album for white suburban moms or frat bros? I don't like the term coworker music but I don't know how else to describe this.

U2 is so boring, but this is the best Eno project so far.

This stinks. U2 speaks solely in the language of cliche. The songs and their structures are predictable, the lyrics are corny and unoriginal. I’m not asking for rock and roll to always be innovative and groundbreaking, but I feel like these songs were copied out of the textbook.