1001 Albums Generator
Achtung Baby by U2

Achtung Baby

U2

1991
3.29
Rating
27197
Votes
1
6%
2
17%
3
34%
4
27%
5
16%
Distribution
Genres: Rock Styles: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Synth-Pop, Downtempo, Acoustic, Ballad

Reviews (page 12 of 13)

Pas mal !

I imagined myself a 20-year-old in 1991 (when in fact I was a newborn baby!) and I could see how this album was rocking.

It's not just U2 now. It's me2.

55555555 О#уенный альбом https://www.instagram.com/p/CKPQtA_LivE/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

so bad. Especially did not like the filter on his voice

There are enough hits here that one knows from just being on the same block as anyone with a radio that the album almost auto gets three stars. But it is like a Coca Cola, good at commercials, you crave every so often, and it is bad for you if you constantly go for it.

i love this album.

Decent but not amazing

Generally liked this album. Represented a bit of a change in U2's sound, moving from melodics to more distorted rocky vibes. "One" is obviously a gem, "Until the end" is fab too. Giving this a three, it would probs be a 3.5 but I want to leave headroom for the albums I love love haha

One is a FUCKING BOP, also mysterious ways.

Great album! Minus 4 for the tax evasion

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.

still not forgiven scorsese

Didn't really get going for me until the later half. The Fly was the first great song. It's alright overall, though I'm sure it would hit harder if I was more familiar with U2's discography.

7/12/2022 - ALBUM #166 Today's Album: "Achtung Baby" by U2 - After a while of not reviewing albums, this album marks a serious turning point for the way that I consume music. On the first listen, not even looking at the release date of the album, I thought U2’s Achtung Baby sounded like generic, popular 90s alt-rock and none of the songs really capturing my attention. However, after a few months of continuing to digest music from the generator without reviewing, I realized on revisiting this album just how influential it is in creating the sounds of one of my favorite musical genres. This album offers a ton in terms of hit potential, with each song having a pretty straightforward verse-chorus structure. However in this case, that doesn’t really strike me as a negative because it draws my attention towards the sonic and instrumental experimentation, as well as the solid vocal performances on display throughout this project. The song Zoo Station shows this perfectly within the first 5 minutes of the album, with fairly heavy sonic experimentation and some really interesting percussion. Each proceeding song somehow feels like it is both an extension of the song before it, but still stands as a unique sonic venture within the album. Probably the most experimental track on the album is The Fly, which offers probably the hardest-hitting song on this album. I think it perfectly balances it’s harsh guitar effects with a catchy chorus sung in dreamy falsetto vocals. The track One is also a beautiful and heartbreaking track that is emblematic of what I consider to be U2’s central sound, which expresses this mixed feeling of inspiration and sorrow that somehow rocks super hard. Mysterious Ways is probably the most popular track from this album and for such an accessible and straightforward track, I think U2 does a great way of giving the track a ton of flare both sonically and through Bono’s vocal performance. What I enjoyed about this project was that there were a few songs that followed that U2 cookie-cutter template, but there were also a variety of tracks that took a more subtle approach to the songwriting. There also weren’t many moments where I was super turned off by the sound of this album. There are definitely some moments that aren’t as sonically engaging as I would have liked given this is an alt-rock album, but considering this was released almost a decade before many of my favorite albums from the genre, I have to cut this album some slack and just enjoy the innovation that this album was for it’s time. Overall, this is a great album that offers more highlights than not and could probably serve as some excellent road-trip music. The way this album juggles relaxing, rocking, tear-jerking, and inspiring moods (sometimes simultaneously!) is simply impressive. Give this one a listen if you can go without more elaborate song-structure in favor of some relaxing, yet engaging alternative rock. Highlights: Zoo Station, Even Better Than The Real Thing, One, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, So Cruel, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Love is Blindness Score: 8/10 Foundational alt-rock album with many great songs

Need to investigate more.

This was pretty good

One of the easiest 5 stars on this list. Top 2 U2 album alongside The Joshua Tree, and a perfect studio follow-up even with a reinvention of their sound that would usher them through the 90s. My personal favorite is "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" but lots of other excellent songs on there. People getting caught up the unoriginal anti-Bono/U2 trope... it's a shame considering how great this one is. 9/10

This is the seventh album from Irish rock band U2. It is one of their most successful and award winning albums. The band toyed around with blending alternative rock, EDM, and industrial sound effects together with their normal style of music to create something interesting, dark, and new sounding for the band. This album was the unofficial anthem of 1991, appearing on almost all of the "Best of" lists. It was certified double platinum in the US only a month after release, and is currently 8 times platinum. U2 has reflected on the album and gone on record stating that if they hadn't tried something new with this album, then they may have disbanded entirely, letting each member move on to do their own thing. I loved the danceability of this album, but also appreciated that it still had the alternative rock style that made U2 famous in the first place. This is a very good U2 album and I'm glad I had the chance to listen to it.

It opened quite promisingly, 'Zoo Station' had a good drum sound and interesting processed vocal and 'Even Better Than The Real Thing' sounded fairly psychedelic with it's wash of guitars and keyboards. I've never really been a fan of 'One' (it's just too corny) and the record never really regained my interest after this. There were some euphoric sounds but the lyrics are just trite and the music tries hard to be exciting but ends up sounding fatigued. By 'So Cruel' I'd had enough of Bono's voice and off it went. So there we go, I tried to endure a whole U2 album but failed. I won't lose any sleep over it. x

I’m not a U2 fan, but some of this was pretty good

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.

Fuck off Bongo

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

I think that culturally, we're all a bit tired of U2 - well, mostly Bono, and probably because of that iPod thing, ramming some album down everyone's throats. That aside, with Achtung Baby, it's a mix of killer and filler. The standout tracks are great: "Even Better Than the Real Thing", "One", "The Fly", and "Mysterious Ways" - they're all very well produced. The rest of tracks feel boring in comparison.

Some of this is truly great (One) others less good but overall very good

3.5/5 sounds like Oasis did a summer abroad in the Outback, but a little more buttoned up.

Hard to review U2 in 2022 without removing 6*s for Bono. I remember how big this was back in the day. Still mostly holds up.

Stinky U2

Meh, was expecting better.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Barmy

sooo boring

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

Molto belle le prime due, ma One è su un altro livello.

Not my favorite U2, but obviously has some great songs.

Acid test for a five-star album laden with hits. What does it sound like when you don't play any of the singles? A 30 minute album with 'Zoo Station' 'Waiting for the end of the world' 'Love is Blindness' 'trying to throw your arms around the world' and so on would still be in my top three of U2 albums ever. So yes, all the accolades and more.

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*

Not a big fan of Bono & Co, but this shit is a masterpiece

On voit la tendance qui se dessine de pousser plus loin l’exploration en studio. C’est encore très rock comme album, comparativement à Zooropa qui suit.

Ah, cet album là du groupe me parle plus. La production est vraiment superbe. Je trouve qu'il y a plus d'exploration sonore. J'aime beaucoup. Mysterious Ways est probablement dans les premières, sinon la première chanson du groupe que j'ai aimé alors qu'elle jouait beaucoup à la radio. J'aimais ce son de guitare. Cet album, je vais y revenir.

ZOO STATION - Öppning för detta album med U2. Vad är det där för effekt på rösten? Jag vet inte men jag tycker om groovet. Måste ha texten framme för att höra vad Bono sjunger om. Refrängen är bra med alla swells. Det är inte riktigt så mycket som händer i låten. Det duger väl. EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING - The Edge har här ett ganska gött riff. Bono är ju bara en av de bästa på att skriva bra melodier. En oktav stämma som är okej antar jag. ONE - En av U2's mest kända låtar. Ett vackert budskap tillsammans med kraftfull musik som för alla oss samman som ett. Refrängen är min favorit med låten. One love, one life. Men jag måste utforska mer av denna platta nu. UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD - Djungeltrummor... Tarzan is that you? Edge har en riktigt nice gitarr tone. Overdrive med mycket delay/reverb. Jag vet inte. Inte den bästa. WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES - Denna låter som ett anthem i de första sekunderna. Hoppas jag har rätt. Jepp, I was right. Den här är mixad som att de är på en arena inför 50 000 åskådare. Mycket delay och reverb. Nice stick, byter ackord till mycket moll så det bryter av. Gött. SO CRUEL - Groovy. Tycker det är lite tråkigt pianospel med bara några få toner. Synthen används mycket att ha en spirituell påverkan. Att få det att låta större. Helt okej låt. THE FLY - Konstiga ljud, helt okej riff. Jag vet inte om jag diggar detta. Nej, jag tror inte det. MYSTERIOUS WAYS - Groovy, det är alla deras låtar. Wah wah på guran låter bra. Djungel george vill veta din position. TRYIN' TO THROW YOUR ARMS AROUND THE WORLD - BALLAD DAGS! Vad jag har väntat. Rätt msyig ändå. I like. ULTRA VIOLET (LIGHT MY WAY) - Låter som en riktig sommarlåt fast detta album släpptes i hösten 1991. Sommar behövs varje årstid haha. Pretty good. ACROBAT - Näst sista låten nu. Fan vad det går fort. Vad är detta för låt, det låter legit bra. Edge med sköna gitarrslingor. Damn. Hoppas det slutar tillräckligt bra. LOVE IS BLINDNESS - Dags för avslutningen. Orgel? Hmm. En lugn låt. Ville ju ha en pampig avslutning. Aja. Okej den blir lite pampig i slutet men inte tillräckligt. Helt okej album. 3 av 5

Excellent top notch

Pretty good, I think not U2's best though.

I sort of lost touch with U2 after the Joshua Tree, but this is an album that bears repeated listening. I should give it more time.

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

This is the most U2 I've heard at a time, and I quite enjoyed the meal. The quieter ballads were totally average, but the rest of the tracklist had me eager to return. From a distinctly Berlin sound, the blueprint for the indie rock which defined my earliest music taste. I hear this album's echo in Gang of Youths now, with no reduction in my esteem of either.

Bit bleh.

Zooropa is my most listened to as it's the one in my wife's CD collection. I had a friend who was a big U2 fan so I never really felt a need to dig too deep. All that to say this was ok, sounds like U2, some good moments, some meh moments. Fave: The Fly

It's just really good. Every track is a banger.

Good U2 album

My favorite song on the album also perfectly sums up my feelings on the album. It's alright, it's alright, U2 moves in mysterious ways. Some of the other songs were good but I've never been a big U2 fan. This album didn't change my mind but enjoyed the tunes.

Totally forgot about the existence of U2, I guess it was a matter of time until they showed up on here. I've always enjoyed their hits, not sure if I've listened to any albums as a whole (especially not the cursed iTunes freebie one). There are a couple classics on here, but overall it wasn't anything too special. I'm sure they've got better projects. Favorite tracks: Mysterious Ways, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, One. Album art: A pretty disengaging collage. I say disengaging because, as was the case for Exile on Main St. I don't find myself interested enough to really look at these pictures. A collage like this feels lazy. 3/5

3.5. "One" is fantastic but it's kind of eh overall. 100% downhill after Joshua Tree.

im not the biggest fan but i have some favorite songs on here so 3/5

This album was on every walkman/discman and radio in the early 90's and I hadn't heard it since. Some of the tracks are great and better than I remember, but the production and drum tracks are so steeped in the era that the whole album feels stuck in 1991.

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.

Polished, listenable, but mostly bland.

I really liked this album. The only thing is that is dragged on a bit too long for me, especially with the final few tracks. Favourite track is Mysterious Ways.

Big nostalgia vibes from my teenage years with this record, and big hits with songs like ‘One’, ‘…Wild Horses’ and ‘Mysterious Ways’ still getting regular radio air play today. Less preachy then some of their earlier albums, but with a harder guitar sound and more adventurous sonic palette (by their standards), ‘Achtung Baby’ is probably U2’s most consistent album.

Bland big arena three chord garbage

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with U2, and this album is no exception.

I’ve listened to a U2 song aeons ago and quite frankly couldn’t tell you what it was. That’s how abysmal that song was for me and also how I feel about this album. Unmemorable.

I recently watched a documentary about the making of this album, so it's fun to sit down with it today. It is also never a bad time to hear a U2 album. I cannot stress enough how cool this album sounded when it came out. It’s still one of the most creative and memorable albums U2 ever made, arguably their best. U2 had made some great albums up to this point, but I don't think anyone expected that they could pull off an album like this. The band stretches creatively in a completely different direction, embracing more of the dance pop sounds that were popular at that time, more vocal and musical distortion, and darker subject matter. The lyrics are more introspective and personal. But there’s also a cynicism in these songs that was unexpected from this band. It shows the band’s capacity for growth and substance. It's a big part of why we still talk about U2 30 years later. What a fantastic album. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): One, Until the End of the World, Love Is Blindness, The Fly, So Cruel, Even Better Than the Real Thing, Ultraviolet (Light My Way), Acrobat, Mysterious Ways, Zoo Station, Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

The upbeat songs with the industrial feel and loud guitar stand out. Despite wanting to not sound like 80s U2 other songs definitely do sound like U2, which isn't so bad for songs like One or Acrobat (a particularly strong song towards the end). Zoo Station, Even Better..., The Fly, Mysterious Ways are fun, but they're fairly throwaway as intended by Bono and The Edge. It's a thoroughly important LP for U2's transition into the 90s supergroup, but fortunately also an enjoyable album even if it contrasts with the American influenced Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree and Rattle & Hum.

I have a complicated relationship with U2. I was a fan of their first two albums as a youngster but found War to be little more than ham-fisted chest-beating and anyway, you sort of had to take sides in those days between them and the Bunnymen and I knew which side I was firmly on. But then they released this - easily the best album of their career - and I was back on board for a few years. It tails off noticeably towards the end but the first two thirds is magnificent. And, really, what have the Bunnymen done that's truly great since 1987?

Love this album and a turning point album for U2. Love this album.

The beginning of the end of U2.

Better then i expected. Still not a U2 person, but it was ok.

I guess I'm just not a fan of U2, either. It's alright, nothing to write home about, though. Some of the guitar sounds are pretty interesting, but overall this is just not something I'm going to go back and listen to.

Oh man, I wore this CD out. I think this was just past their peak of popularity and I am not sure they ever thought of anything interesting to do after this.

It was fine. Didn't have my favorite U2 songs on it but definitely didn't mind it.

I hate to admit it but I just really like U2 Hadn't listened to this particular album in its entirety before, so there were a few tracks that were new to me! It probably doesn't stand up to Joshua Tree but still very good.

ACHTUNG BABY! Alles Lookenspeepers Das Albummaschine ist nicht fuer gefingerpoken und mittengrabben, its feur gute listenphonen. Bono croonerferken, das easy lovenmaking mit offensbergers. Nine! Carefulen, das accidenten schnappen der springewerk, blowenfusen, und poppencorcken mit spitzensparken. Ist night fuer gewerken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren keepen hands in das pockets--relaxen und hearingphonen whilen watch das blinkenlights. Vergessen Sie nicht, Schutz zu verwenden.

I wonder how many pairs of the Fly sunglasses Bono had. Dude wore them non-stop rain or shine for a couple years, it seems. And I think that was my real first exposure to Bono and U2. I may have heard some "Joshua Tree" on the radio, but I was too young to appreciate it. The Fly Bono was U2 to me for a while. Looking back now, I can see why they wanted to reinvent themselves, and respect artists who work hard to not just pump out the same record over and over. But "the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree," as Bono called "The Fly," is kind of sad. Listening back to "Achtung Baby" now though, it seems less of a departure than it probably felt like in 1991. I listen to it now knowing the full scope of U2's career, and the progression of alternative rock and stadium rock in the three decades since. And it's pretty decent. It's not my favorite U2, but it's also not my least favorite - I like most of it (especially "Mysterious Ways"). Despite not liking Bono as The Fly. Or liking any other incarnation of Bono really. Quite unusual how their music somehow transcends their gregarious and oxygen-sucking lead singer for the most part in my mind.

There is a range of goodness on this album. One and Mysterious Ways are well known for good reason. There are one or two other tracks I like almost as much. There are 4-5 decent tracks and 2-4 clunkers I’d skip right over.

Good but not their best.

Meh. Pretty generic Pop/Rock album. What bothered me the most is that I grew tired of Bono's voice by end.

A fantastic album. U2 dreamed it all up again and have another album on par with the Joshua Tree

This does not appeal to me. It felt pretentious while listening to it. Most of the songs aren't anything special; they were all bland. They're all about a person or someone else, but it still felt like they were trying to preach something at me. This was not an enjoyable experience.

I don't like U2. I don't know why I even listened to the whole thing.

I generally like U2, no doubt they are talented, but this album was kinda boring aside from Love is Blindness

"durr Bono is the world's biggest shit durrr". Yeah ok edgelords, get it out of your systems. U2 is overrated but this is probably their best album. The radio hits are genuinely good songs, esp. mysterious ways. The rest is decent enough, just a bit too long. If they'd trimmed about 15min off this I'd have given it a four. 3/5.

Zoo Station - what in the parted buttocks is wrong with the production of this? It sounds like a concert bootleg from someone with a tape recorder in the khazis. Muffled, echoey, generally unpleasant to listen to. The next track - one I vaguely remember from the 1990s - is by a sheer fluke of coincidence called "one", and it is shit. Bono's voice is grating, incapable of holding a note and generally reminiscent of a third rate pub singer. Now we move on to "to the end of the world" and I don't want to think that the bass is hitting some resonant frequency where it's overpowering, but the guitar's soaring pomposity makes me think they've spent too much time listening to Ride, and the overpowering bass is actually deliberate. I can't finish it because it hurts my ears. The first forty seconds of "who's going to ride your wild horses" is enough to convince me that this album is going in the bin. Byeeee!

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

Great rock album. "One" is a classic that I still enjoy. "The Fly" has a really cool harder vibe with some fiery attitude on the guitar and "Mysterious Ways" carries the vibe further. Production is rock solid.

A few years ago, I would have had a similar response to U2 that I did with my Coldplay “review” yesterday. But I have warmed up to them a little bit. They’re strong, distinctive musicians, and Bono has pipes for days. I still don’t really love U2, though, but I can respect how this was a necessary change in sound for them, and proved that they don’t always have to be so self-serious. That’s cool, and Brian Eno’s production is still rightfully massive. Still, I don’t have a whole lot of use for the tempoless dredge that a lot of this offers. I much prefer Mysterious Ways to One, basically. C-? Idk

Pretty cool! A very interesting art rock album.

U2 by and large doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but this is a pretty fucking decent rock album. The Edge has style for days and the rhythm section does a lot of heavy lifting and regularly nailing it. The songwriting is really smart and they do have some solid hooks. Sure, Bono is annoying but I can tolerate it. “The Fly” was a real surprise to me, I don’t recall this band having any bite in their repertoire but this is cool. I’ll never forgive them for putting an album on my phone, but for this, I’ll put a lil shine on their name. A pleasantly surprising 3.

Such a great album. Different beast to Joshua Tree, but brilliant in its own creative way.

This is my favourite U2 album. I generally find them a bit bombastic and earnest, a bit too polished and devoid of swing. But this is the record where they discovered noise, irony and even a modicum of funk. I love industrial music, so the noisy, industrial production style really appeals to me. And, despite the deliberately trashy presentation, there are some really strong songs here, including One, which I would argue is the greatest song they ever wrote. I saw U2 once in the early 2000s, and I was surprised at how closely Bono stuck to the vocal arrangements from the records, occasionally throwing in snippets of other songs to try and keep things fresh (with mixed results), but I really got the impression that, despite his great pipes, he doesn't think on his feet particularly quickly in a musical sense. I suspect in the studio he works really hard until he finds the best performance, and that is then locked in forever. But when he sang One, I felt that this was a song he deeply understood musically and it was not just a replaying of the record. His performance was much more fluid and in the moment. While not as hard-edged as a lot of the records I was listening to when this came out (Einsturzende Neubauten, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, etc etc), this had the advantage of having really great songs at the core (which you would certainly not accuse Skinny Puppy of. The only late 80s, early 90s industrial band with really great songs was Nine Inch Nails). I listened to this record a lot, and each track still stands up. The songs are less global, worthy and important, and much more human and morally ambiguous. There is a quite a bit informed by the Edge's divorce but also reflected in the band's own near-divorce. It was a bold swing at a real change and one that paid off for them, extending their career that had perhaps run out of obvious places to go. Interestingly, having heard some of the demos, I suspect a LOT of the greatness of this album comes down to the production and mixing team, of Eno, Daniel Lanois, Flood and Steve Lillywhite, who took some pretty half-baked ideas and edited and mixed them into an amazing record. Lanois can record, Eno can edit, Lillywhite can mix, but for my money, the real secret sauce is Flood. This is Flood starting to move into the big time, from the alternative bands he had worked with previously. The band threw everything and the kitchen sink on tape, but it is the editing and mixing that really lifts this (and I think Flood's influence can be clearly heard here).

I would give this a 0 - I hate U2 !

5/10 I’m not a big fan of U2, this wasn’t bad but it sounded very monotonous to me

7/10. Pretty good.

Honestly enjoyed it more than I expected. Might be because I was listening to it in the car. 7/10

8/10 Best Song - One

Drummer Larry Mullen Jr agreed with lead vocalist Bono that U2 was musically unprepared for the enormous success of 1987’s The Joshua Tree. ‘We were the biggest, but weren’t the best.’ So, they took the course suggested by the French author and Nobel Prize winner Andre Gide that ‘One cannot discover new oceans unless one has the courage to lose sight of the shore’ and bravely set sail on this creative, entertaining, and enlightening LP, 'Achtung Baby.' The listener is immediately confronted on the opening track with a more industrial sound than the U2 of past LPs, including heavy effects on Bono’s vocals. ‘I’m ready for what’s next,’ announces Bono, forcing us to decide whether we are too. It’s hard to imagine the courage it took for them to do this, rather than live out the rest of their career rehashing the old hits and repeating the same formula that brought them past success. Allow me a little license here, but this seems to be their version of The Beatles’ 'Rubber Soul' and 'Revolver'- still The Beatles we know and love, yet not exactly; growing like a child in the midst of puberty to emerge into something new. Larry Mullen Jr, and bassist Adam Clayton don’t appear to have changed all that much on this LP, but they were never really the primary creative drive of U2 anyway, no disrespect intended. To further the comparison of The Beatles, like Ringo, they are fine players, and provide the necessary stability for Bono and the Edge and all this new, carefully managed industrial sound to roam high and low, far and wide. And both, lead guitarist and vocalist, surely do stretch their legs on 'Achtung Baby.' I think this might be the Edge’s finest guitar work, at least as good as his playing on 'The Joshua Tree.' His guitar solos on ‘Until the End of the World,’ and ‘Love Is Blindness’ are just perfect. He gets a little edgier on ‘Acrobat,’ with its creative interplay against the drum’s cadence. And, the gorgeous mellowness he achieves on ‘One,’ is like melted chocolate cascading down one of those desert fountains. Bono’s vocals, of course, are heartfelt, filled with authenticity and integrity. There’s no doubt he lives, or at least sincerely tries to practice what he preaches. Of course he’s human (what else could he be, a fly?), subject to err as we all are, but he’s certainly no hypocrite. He’s one of Jesus’ forgiven sinners partying in paradise with the rest of the happy thieves, rather than remaining outside in righteous indignation. And sweet Lord above, Bono can compose not only a great tune but also lyrics that draw near to the 20th century’s greatest lyricist, Bob Dylan. ‘And I’d join the movement if there was one I could believe in. Yeah, I’d break bread and wine if there were a church I could receive in; ‘cause I need it now (‘Acrobat’).’ Or- and I promise to stop, because nearly every song contains quotable lines and I’ll end up occupying way more space on this review than I already am- ‘You say love is a temple, love a higher law… You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl. And I can’t be holdin’ on to what you got when all you got is hurt (‘One’).’ One final thought: it’s easy to perceive many of these songs as Bono working through a personal relationship that once worked, but does no longer, and now its time for something to change. (As the mystery writer Rita Mae Brown famously suggested in her 1983 book, 'Sudden Death,' ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.’) But might 'Achtung Baby' also be heard as U2 working through its relationship with each other as a band, as well as the one they share with their adoring fans who at times worship them as deities? Again, a very Dylan-esque (and Neil Young-ish, too) move- brave, risky, and ultimately liberating. And there are consequences to this kind of growth, some costly. But the gift they offer to us is priceless. I didn’t care much for this LP when it was released, but I was wrong, and short sighted. Blind, but now I see. (4/5, only because tracks nine and ten were not quite on par with the rest of the LP. If we were allowed decimals, and my math is correct, I’d call it a 4.8)

Es U2. No me ha gustado tanto como otros, pero es U2

pretty good, honestly better than I thought it was gonna be at least - 8/10

I really liked U2 in their early days, in fact I bought and played The Unforgettable Fire nonstop for weeks, and I still love that album. For some reason, I lost interest in them after that. I think that if a band became really popular it used to turn me off, like they were sellouts. Kind of a dumb attitude I admit, but I was young! Anyway, I've obviously heard a lot of this album before just given the popularity of several of the songs, but listening to it with fresh ears and an open mind, this is an outstanding album. 4 stars.

Before they became completely irrelevant U2 did this. And we all saw that it was good. And on the 7th Day Bono rested and decided to become a cunt. 4/5

It's fine. I don't particularly care for U2 but it's cool to hear what they used to sound like.

Remember when itunes gave us all that free U2 album no one wanted... Too bad it wasn't this one

This is a weird one. I feel like I have never really given U2 proper shrift because they were already so big by the time I learned of them that I didn’t really care, I just assumed they were good. They’re not - at least not this album. Maybe the music really is bland and generic but what I think really happened is U2 was so massively influential that so much music after them bore a resemblance. So looking back now it’s an artificial blandness, which gets a solid 3/5. “Meh.” - Nellie

Always enjoy U2, Love ‘One’ but not my favourite album of theirs

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

Not bad you two

First listen: This is good, I just have no strong feelings about U2 either way. Second listen, high: Is this the best album ever? Y/Y? 3.5

Not a big fan of U2, but if I had to listen to a U2 album this would be the one. Critically acclaimed and loved by fans, it contains many of their best known hits, I didn't feel a need to turn it off.

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.)

u 2 again

I don't hold this album in the same regard as I do The Joshua Tree, but it's a good listen. I'm not a U2 hater, but I'm not obsessed with them either. They've just got some good jams and they make my ears happy sometimes.

Some good tunes but weak production and not much variation.

Not as bad as I remember

Didn’t really enjoy it all that much, with the exception of “One” which, with the benefit of not having heard it in ages, I found beautiful.

I literally can’t stand U2. Meh

Never been a big U2 fan. Enjoyed the Edge's playing, but never the group as a whole. This record, at certain points, sounds very loose, like a jam session that happens to be going well. Bono has a lot of effects on his voice but none make me enjoy it anymore. Hard zone out on a good portion of this record. Favorite tracks: "One", "Ultra Violet"

Perfect!!!!!

“Music of drama, depth, intensity and, believe it, funkiness.”

Sounded like nothing else when it came out, holds up very well, with tiptop production

I respect the risk of reinventing their sound here, even if a lot of the time it didn't pay off. It is unfortunate that "experimental" for U2 ends up just sounding like a retread of what other groups have done a little better. Still, it isn't bad; in fact it is really, really good in some parts. It just really underperforms in a lot of other parts, unfortunately, and it is definitely overhyped. I mean, best album of all time? The song One being massively overrated? it doesn't help the pretentious image they have lol.

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.

Production sounds great, songs sound like they were written for arenas but not strong enough to warrant 5 stars.

Solid but not spectacular. Has some good songs but certainly not the best U2 album. The famous songs like One and Mysterious Ways clearly the best. 3/5

just not my favorite U2. think this album is over-rated.

-Totally cool bassline and jam in "Until The End Of The World" -"Zoo Station," "Even Better Than The Real Thing," "Until The End Of The World," and "The Fly" are nice heavier, hard-rock, kinda-Muse-esque songs -"Ultra Violet (Light My Way)" is the first song that was a bit boring. Just a little slow and not as intense as the others

Joa, eher mittelmäßig, auch wenn zum Teil sehr gute Momente dabei sind.

Man hört in jeder Faser das Stadion heraus, das hiermit zu füllen ist. Ich höre aber durchaus viel zu viele einfache und recht langweilige Rock-Songs, so vielversprechend sich vieles im Anfang gibt. 2.9

Not my type of music, but it still had some great parts. Favorite Songs: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Acrobat

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.

Haven't listened to this record before but of course I've heard some of the big singles (who hasn't?). I've always been kinda meh on U2. I recall buying "All That You Can't Leave Behind" back in the day and I think I've made various attempts to listen to some of their earlier work but they have never really clicked with me - more of the same on this record. This band has always seemed to be trying way too hard to be relevant and the attempts at including electronic sounds to this record feels that way too. And for some reason I find the production this record to be almost unlistenable. Everything sounds a bit muffled. Having said that, on occasion I did enjoy some of the guitar tones and obviously a few of the songs do stand out since they are just so well known. Most of the not well known ones are pretty forgettable though. Kinda on the edge (no pun intended) between 2 and 3 stars for me.

Solid album. Not super memorable for me, but I of course like the song One. The whole vibe is very 90s so ya know I love that part!

When Achtung Baby came out, I was impressed by how different this album sounded from the previous work from U2. I had listened to tracks from each of U2's albums prior to Achtung Baby, and at least 4 out of the 6 prior albums in their entirety. This album made me excited to see what U2 was going to do next. I like each track on this album. My favorites are "Mysterious Ways", "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses", "One" and "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World". I think I may need to round up to a full 5 stars.

A U2 album I don't actually hate. While I didn't mind a few singles this was never a band I got I to as a teenager, they were just never as interesting as they wanted to be. Maybe that was part of their appeal and what hated then and still to this day. This album grew on me. It took hearing One as a single to finally hook me. I had avoided it at first, not by choice but it being late `91 as music lover I was spoilt for choice. Achtung Baby and it's follow up Zooropa we're a welcome relief after Rattle and Hum and Joshua Tree. This was Bono and the gang at their most adventurous and most fun. All the posturing of the previous albums was replaced with... Well more posturing, but of a different kind Give me MacPhisto any day over a low-rent Southern Preacher wannabe. And the music is good. It is a really nice distillation of alternative music at the time. I can hear Young Goods, Pixies, MBV and many others buried in the sound of this album. While Achtung Baby never converted me to a fan it is still 30 years on an enjoyable listen

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

Komplett subjektiv

I can rest assured that everyone who made this album and listened to it will one day die.

note terrible songs start to sound the same

Effectively bouncing between styles and moods, this is a great album that stands among U2's best.

meinlaust, ekki þeirra besta verk

Pretty good. I had gone off U2 but this album reminded me of why I liked them before.

Their best album, and it's not even close. The band was in need of something of a reinvention, which in U2's case meant making sure the songs didn't sound like they were about God. Or at least not come off as self-righteous. And for Bono Vox, that's asking a lot. "One" is Bono's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", destined to be covered ad nauseum for years to come. My favorite song here is "Trying To Throw You're Arms Around The World", and 22-year old me was delighted to hear them play it when I saw them on their Zoo TV Tour in support of this album in Ames, Iowa. Every song here is a banger, and proof that Bono is capable of magic when he doesn't take himself so seriously. R.E.M.'s "Automatic for the People", Nirvana's "Nevermind" and this masterpiece were all released within a 12-month time frame. During the same time frame, both Robin Yount and George Brett collected their 3,000th hit, and a large black woman walked up to me and said, "You got a fine ass. You could fry an egg on that ass" waiting in line to get into a bar. What a great time it was to be alive.

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.

Fuck yes!

Is it OK to like the music of U2 if you don't like U2? I hate that this is so slick and well produced and genuinely good...

no thank you

2021.12.14

Great playing, but not my genre

Great album!

Great tracks on this album

Good stuff.

You know, it'll be really good to give The Joshua Tree this treatment. Oh, Zooropa is better. Don't care what anyone says. But this is good

everything felt like it belonged in a movie to me, dont know if for that reason or not, but it resonated with me less on a personal level. i enjoyed the clean sounds and how perfectly complete everything sounded, but it wasnt exactly music my soul would think about tomorrow

first time listening to a u2 album front to back. probably wouldn't have done it unprompted. no rough edges here. clean as hell. i love the incorporation of electronic music. powerful and funky. i learned to appreciate u2 today.

i like it

Vanilla as fuck!

// Favs: – Score: Decent 3

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.

This might be the first album on the list that gets a nostalgia anti-bump from me! My first serious girlfriend used to like U2 - it must be over 2 decades since I've listened to a full album by them... It was fine, I guess. The high points for me are when it started to sound similar to the Passengers side project they did with Brian Eno, which I much prefer to straight U2.... Fave track - "Mysterious Ways" maybe? idk

1991. One, Until The End Of The World

Las cuatro o cinco primeras canciones de este CD le dan cierto rollazo

Liked this more than I expected. A bit rougher than I thought from only knowing One - still not at the over-polished soulless place they'd reached by the end of the 90s. Fav new track: Mysterious Ways

Toda una revolución de un gran grupo. Guitarras con mucha melodía y una gran voz. Algunas canciones, realmente buenas.

Interest sound and textures. Not a fan of the lyrics - or the voice idk. Cool guitar riffs!! Like it 👍🏼 Favourite tracks: The Fly, Mysterious Ways

Bello mi è piaciuto fes

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 easy to forget how good U2 actually were at one point

Some brilliant songs but also some filler

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

It’s pretty good.

Their best album, beats Joshua Tree by a hair.

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.

High school for me. Been a while that I listened to the album in full play through. Forgot how much of a giant it is, still really good after all this time too. Every single song hits me with massive memories. Some good some bad, but still a ride I’m glad to take.

A pretty good album. 2 RS

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

This is boring and toothless. God its the softest rock conceivable.

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

3/5 didn't make the cut

🤷‍♂️

I don't like Bono. Anyway, having said that, this is a pretty good album. As much as I hate to admit it, this is one of U2's better offerings. I thoroughly enjoy most of the songs but this is not at 5-star status.

. It has become fashionable lately to bash Bono and U2. Based on their music, this is entirely unjustified. Their back catalogue consists of beautiful, classic songs - Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You and I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For are songs which join the canon of 20th century standards, alongside the best works of Cole Porter, Smokey Robinson and Lennon & McCartney - and Achtung Baby continues to showcase Bono and The Edge’s skill in creating brilliantly written pop rock. Who’s Going To Ride Your Wild Horses, The Fly, Even Better Than The Real Thing and Mysterious Ways are full of catchy hooks, big sounds and swelling, emotional moments. The stand out track - to rank alongside their very best - is One, a moving track about the end? the start? of a love affair, told simply - not a moment is wasted, no instrumentation too much - pitch perfect. Perhaps the album as a whole doesn’t hold up as a complete, satisfying listening experience but the quality remains high and if you have been bashing Bono give this a fresh listen and a fair hearing.

There’s a lot to this album and I definitely need to listen to it again. Some of the lyrics are a bit on the nose, but the music itself is very interesting. It is darker and more filled out than U2’s previous work.

Right on the fence here

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

Good gravy I love this album. I expect a 5 star. I haven't listened to it straight through in a decade, though... so we'll see. But I'm stoked.

Very middle of the road rock

Just cannot dig U2. Gave up after three tracks. I know people love them, but I just…don’t.

Some good tracks, and I understand U2's following and why people like it, but I just can't stand the lyrics. The music is amazing and the tones used are some of the best in the industry, but the lyrics are so off-putting and pretentious. I'm not U2 hater, I like their hits decently enough, but it's not for me. 2.5/5, round up to 3/5 for the music.

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

BORING ALBUM

great album great songs, overal amazing u2 sound

I appreciated how different this album was from the rest of U2’s discography. It was much more alternative and heavy that their other more pop-sounding music. It wasn’t amazing but it wasn’t bad either. Fav songs: mysterious ways, even better than the real thing

I can't stand U2 normally. Stadium rock posturing. However... this album definitely has something about it that I kind of like. Best Tracks: Zoo Station; Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses; The Fly

U2 has lately become a band I respect more than like. It started with this album. I liked the earlier stuff better.

They got everything right with this post-Joshua Tree reinvention. It may have gotten dull with subsequent releases, but this one is great. Probably the last U2 album I care about.

Before starting the 1001 albums journey, Achtung Baby was one of my favourite albums to listen to. Its also probably the only u2 album that's equally balanced throughout, with the usual like Joshua Tree or All You Can Leave Behind being much stronger in first side and weaker in the second. Although the 80s were great to them, to me, the 90s was the best u2 era. You have a perfect album like Achtung along with the underrated but great Zooropa and Pop. Its a shame they haven't been able to put out anything near interesting and consistent since the 2000s. Since I already know the album well enough, I decided to listen to the deluxe tracks instead and was suprised by its quality. You do have some duds like their cover of Paint it Black and Fortunate Son, but there are also quality numbers like Lady With the Spinning Head and the Temple Bar Mix of Horses. About half of them were truely great. The guitar sound on this is fantastic, really crunchy on Zoo Station and The Fly, delicate on One and groovy on Mysterious Ways. The rhythm section is great throughout and the vocals have a fantastic range from baritone to falsetto. Overall a great album and one I wish I could have experienced when it came out.

On my first listen - this is a classic.

This is brilliant. It loses a star for being made by U2.

Surprised me how much I liked this. Brilliantly produced, with some classics

Their career high point. A huge leap on from the Joshua Tree. The album belongs to the Edge and the guitar sound throughout this is just brilliant - an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven't listened to this album in 15 years, and listening back to it, I'm surprised at how essential it still sounds. Particularly because U2 have become utterly irrelevant in recent years..... but this album stands out as being a classic of its time. A reinvention that kept the band at the top of their game

The best U2 album by some distance. It contains elements of all the band's eras from their guitar effects-driven sound of the 80s, through to arty electronic and industrial influence of 90s, and 00s anthemic stadium rock. The main focus, however, is their emerging 90s style (Actung Baby to Pop), which is my favourite U2 era. A fair few stone cold classics on here: One, Even Better, End of the World, Wild Horses, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Ultra Violet. 4/5.

Didnt think I'd like as much ...after not listening for a while. Some top tracks ...obviously 'one's.. light my way..zoo station..the fly ...mysterious..wild horses ..and more

U2's other perfect album. This album completely reinvents U2 from the traditional arena rock that reached its peaked in Joshua Tree. But just like Joshua Tree, U2's innovation and creativity sets it apart from anything else from the era. Now there is influence from the prior shoegaze and Madchester movements that dominated the UK in the years prior, but there truly is nothing else that ever had or will sound like this album. And yet U2 still delivers a product that can appeal to the pop audience... it just takes a few listens to really get into. "Zoo Station" is the perfect intro that slaps us immediately with the new sound, with the industrial sound and distorted vocals and guitar riffs (you can really see the influences here). The next song is another amazing track and is probably the best blend of their new style and the U2 pop we're used to, which explains why it's the 4th single. The third track "One" is one of their most famous songs, and yes it is a great song. I'm just not into that kind of song. Next two songs are again amazing. Love the subject and production of "Until the end of the world" and "... Your Horses." I also love how the guitar goes from complete distortion to a gradual clarity in the latter song. Next song "So Cruel" is pretty good, but I'm not crazy about it like the others, probably since it's less exciting and also the longest track at nearly 6 minutes. I do really like the production value, especially starting at the 2 minute mark. Also love the emotion in the vocals that align so well with the instrumentals. Next we have my favorite track, "The Fly." Note this was their lead single. Not "One" or "Mysterious Ways" which would have appealed to pop audiences and old fans... but this lunatic piece. When this single dropped on radio and MTV, everyone blew their shit. Between the industrial sound, distortion, and darker tone, this was nothing like they had ever made, and a perfect message about what this album would be about. I absolutely love the sound. The next track is their other famous funky pop track, "Mysterious Ways," which you are likely to hear on any modern rock station. You can dance to it. You can sing to it. I love where the song turns around the 2 minute turn with the amazing Eno production touch. Next track "Tryin to throw..." is the weakest of them all, and is one of the flaws preventing this from being absolutely perfect. Album picks up again with "Ultra violet" which goes back to their Joshua Tree roots and has an optimistic message in contrast to the grim undertones among the rest of the album. Next track "Acrobat" uses an Irish time signature and has my favorite lyrics. The last track "Love is Blindness" is also a tad bit weak, but it's slower pace makes it the best canididate to close off this masterpiece. As you can tell, I absolutely love the album from front to end, which just one really boring track, and the others with all sorts of highlights that expose the zenith of U2's talent and creativity. I'm not sure how influential this album was due to how different it was to the other rising genres out there, but it stands out as a work with its own identity, standing the test of time 30 years and on.

U2 is so overrated. I just don’t get the appeal.

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

Kind of a weird experience listening to this. I haven't listened to this album in a long time and I was expecting it to be really good. Instead even the songs I like weren't as good as I remembered them.

Not bad but a bit same-ish

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.

easily a 4. Actually gets better after one. and the middle section is underrated genius. Big part of growing up too.

I know U2 get meme'd a little bit, but this album is unironically great. Cohesive sound and great writing. I also love the cover. I can see how this is a highlight for them.

of course I am going to love U2 but it is not their best work/album it was a little rusty at times and not their best work but I do love U2

I never know how to feel about this band. I'm old enough to remember nearly all of their releases...I tried hard for Unforgettable Fire (1984), then again with Rattle n Hum/Achtung Baby (1989-1991)...and one last gasp for All That You Can't Leave Behind (2002)... Is it possible to both acknowledge that an album is probably excellent but that you just don't like it? I remember buying this upon release and maybe just *believing* I liked it based on so many hits... to be fair, the music is definitely a "new" sound for U2 compared to much of their previous work...those clean delayed guitars, space/reverb which were all so prevalent. I guess I do appreciate if not like that aspect of change. On this disc right away we hear elements of techno, distorted guitars, loops... and as a result many of these songs are quickly catchy...but at the same time boring. Notably I'll point out "One" which can probably safely be called a classic song, if not their best then in the conversation and builds to an inspiring climax. Why is this never among my favourite albums or bands? I don't fully know - on Achtung Baby the drums sound like hitting wet paper, that's definitely a turn-off. I'm not enveloped in the sound of this album, despite it having a richness of content. If there's one thing alone though - it's the vocals. I think I'm not a fan of vocalist Bono, and more specifically from roughly this album forward. Allowing for the obvious that albums are recorded as multitrack and layered over and over.... it still always sounds too obvious with U2 and Bono, like the music is a distant accompaniment and Bono is in a small room crooning way way too close to the microphone. He never feels a part of the action - there's nothing inherently bad about it...it's just distracting to me on almost every song. This is a terrible review, I just don't know how to put it - U2: a band I want to like, I like some songs, bits of a few albums, but I've never said "hey i'm in the mood for U2". Listen to this album to get a very accurate slice of the early 90s in the rock world. I'll give big points for creativity especially in the guitar category but it's not my thing. 6/10 3 stars.

Don’t understand the hype.

Superó mis expectativas.

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.

How do you follow The Joshua Tree? This is how. You expand your sound. You get out of your comfort zone a bit. The songs on Achtung Baby feel more personal and sound more energetic. Only thing is I personally don't care for is the last 2 songs. Other than that, great album!!!

Yeah sorry I'm not listening to this one. I can't. I FUCKING CAN'T. NO.

good vocals, sometimes good instrumentals. idk didnt listen to the lyrics

I didn't really listen to it in depth. It was alright.

Just a shame Bono is the way he is

Pretty together.

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

Good solid album with some standout hits

3/5 - Some standouts, but it felt... too uniform?

Too long of an album (26 songs - 2hrs) Not quite my cup of tea music-wise Some good classics though (mysterious ways and even better than the real thing for example)

really good album. already heard. 4.5 because it isn't new but definitely worth revisiting every once in a while

Mostly enjoyable to be honest. Standout tracks being one and ultraviolet

Overrated

What more can be said about U2. Its a good album.

I actually never heard much from U2. I just know the well known songs and otherwise can only remember the iTunes incident. Beginning slaps hard actually. I really like it. It gets a little meandering from the middle though. But I enjoy the 90's Donnie Darko vibe from it. All in all, pretty good but it got some lengths. Way better than expected though.

Some good songs but hard to listen to the rest.

Isn’t Bono the world’s largest shit?

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

I liked this album. U2 is a great group.

Singles are great, the rest not so much

I've had an odd interested-not interested connection with U2 since I first heard them in the early 80s. I'm back to appreciating them again, especially the Edge's innovative guitar work that does not get the respect he deserves. He's an incredible musician who knows how to pull in one's ears. This is a solid album.

Playing during NMS saved this from a 1 star

Better than I remember. Still prefer their early stuff more, but this is pretty good.

Sin comentarios

bon c'est u2 quoi, ça dépasse pas mes attentes ça reste cool mais sans plus la voix de bono saôule un peu au bout d'un moment 7/10 ? Fav : one forcément. Oh et Acrobat, une bonne surprise on sent bien l'influence sur arcade fire par exemple (ex: so cruel)

Um álbum que me surpreendeu pela positiva, tinha uma ideia muito negativa sobre os U2 mas este álbum mostrou que a minha ideia preconcebida não estava totalmente correta. Nota :6/10

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

Great stuff!

After the WAR LP I lost interest in U2 so was one of the few who had no time for Joshua Tree. I thought they had started to simply repeat previous formulas. Actung Baby is a welcome step away from their past. And the hits are quite good. eg the rhythm guitar on One is mind blowing. 

One of the best bands of all time. Bono is a top geezer and The Edge wears a lovely little hat.

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.

Fuck off Bono. Fun Fact: Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant chose this album title from a shortlist of 16 including Achtung Adult and Achtung Teenager.

I am delighted to confirm that U2 are not my U. This album supposedly marks one of the greatest reinventions in rock history. So well done U2 on leaving your post-punk roots behind and reinventing yourselves as a bland, beige proto-Coldplay.

Niet waar ik van houd :(

Nothing stand out super strongly, it would be okay if it came on shuffle some how for most tracks as a change of pace but wouldnt seek it out nor would want it coming up too often

Alright.

I’ve never been much of a U2 fan, but was pleasantly surprised by Achtung Baby. A lot of pop hits on this one, and the fillers were also listenable. The kind of album I would not intentionally play, but wouldn’t complain about it either. Overall good, but of course included what I consider to be some typical U2 nonsensical lyrics. This album isn’t a #1, but I certainly see it as a solid #2. I also liked the bonus material on the Spotify edition. 3.5 stars. Rounding up!

Es un buen disco de la banda con unos cuantos hits. Han envejecido mal, pero la banda tiene muy buenos discos

I don't like u2 much and I particularly don't like this version of them

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.

U2 is the McDonald's of rock.

I stopped following these guys in ’80 when they moved to more of a soft rock style with songs like “I still haven't found what I'm looking for”. Many of the tracks on Achtung have promising opening guitar riffs and I like the Edge’s playing throughout but songs like “One” and “Mysterious Ways” sound formula to me.

Quite good, some songs I knew already

a little long but still good

I have an aversion to HUGE stadium rock groups that take themselves too seriously and songs that are overplayed so I have to check my bias when rating this album and pretend that I'm listening to it for the first time instead of the kazillionth. So on that basis I must acknowledge that there a quite a few good songs on this album. The Edge's guitar on Zoo Station and Until the end of the world are notable and I grudgingly acknowledge that One is a pretty good song.

Always thought there were a few good tunes on this but less so than i remember

It has "One" but the bad version :(

Nein. It’s like 4 session musicians all contributed their required piece to a contracted recording. The cohesion, lustre, charisma, and taste of steamed lettuce.

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

u2 doesn't do it

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

my favorite U2 album, after this one all went downhill

I liked this one better than I thought I would given what U2 I've heard previously, but I'm not coming back to it to listen to again and again. It's well polished and it sounds good, but there was nothing here that really hooked me.

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.

Not the best U2 album, but has one of my fave songs on it, "One". Lots of cool guitar effects from The Edge, and some good energy to the rest of the songs. Highlights: -One -Mysterious Ways