Achtung Baby

Un gran disco de U2, con canciones que me encantan como Even Better Than The Real Thing, One, Until The End Of The World y Mysterious Ways.

Pop Perfection.

Classic

I wore this CD out in 1991. A truly great band finds a way to peak again after an incredible and career-making album like The Joshua Tree. Their early albums were also killer, but it was TJT that took them to another level. On this album Bono came up with his alter ego, MacPhisto. U2 reinvented themselves for this album and tour. Great rock album from beginning to end. My song rankings…. 12. Love Is Blindness - The least memorable song on the album. 11. Acrobat - Don’t let the bastards get you down. Nuf said. 10. Until The End Of The World - Solid track. 9. The Fly - cool song. 8. Zoo Station - Sweet Guitar 7. So Cruel - A song full of yearning. 6. Even Better Than The Real Thing - Honestly, this could be higher. Hard to choose from this point forward - except for number 1. 5. Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World - “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”. Fits this song perfectly. 4. Mysterious Ways - Killer guitar and lyrics. 3. Ultra Violet (Light My Way) - Bono does great lead and harmonizing vocals on this one. 2. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - Love the pace and tempo of this song. 1. One - Who would have thought a song about breaking up with your band would be so earnest and emotional? Love, Love, Love U2 and this album.

I believe this is one of their best albums.

At the risk of becoming the U2 Defender in this project, Achtung Baby is a hell of an album. Coming out of the 80s, where their search for something real and true ended with the most earnest disaster of all time - Rattle and Hum - U2 took the longest break of their career. When they reemerged with Achtung Baby, they looked, sounded, acted like a different band. The beating (and bleeding) heart is still there at the core, but they found a way to both accept and skewer the notion of their own megastardom. For most of the 90s, they existed in a sort of Max Headroom-surreality, until another high profile disaster - 1997's Pop - set them back on their more earnest, "normal" track (where they've stayed since). But the two good albums from this period of reinvention, Achtung Baby and Zooropa, are weird and fun and exciting and might just be their two best albums. I'd give this 4.5 if I had the option, but absent that, I'm gonna round up and say this, more than anything, is The Essential U2 album.

It's a near perfect album for me. High enough at least to be rounded to five where there's no 4.5 (though it's closer to 5 than 4.5). A band redefining themselves in the face of changing culture brings forth some amazing rock songs and some equally touching music. There is force, momentum and heart all through this album and to me is likely their best.

Timanttisia biisejä.

Great

I was just watching a show about U2 and the Zoo TV era. This is a really great album. It holds up and I like it more than the other albums they made around this time. It’s probably my age that says that since my wife is way more into Joshua Tree. I call it peak earnest Bono.

One, So Cruel, Who's gonna ride.

Pretty damn great! Zoo Station, Even Better Than the Real Thing, One, Until the End of the world, wild Horses, So Cruel, the Fly, Mysterious Ways, 4.5

Look, I get hating U2. I was there for years, having come up when they were the lamest, most overblown, self important thing on Earth. That's where they stand today. But they had a run of pretty solid albums. Eno and Lanois bring out the best in them. Sure, they're basically Coldplay but a huge hit is that for a reason. This album holds up better than it should, even though it runs it's course as all of their albums do. There's not really a skippable song though.

Every song a banger. Their best work

This whole time, I thought I didn’t like U2. This was really something else

A favorite album of mine! I Live U2!!

I’m ready for the laughing gas. What a great album. This one brings back memories too and it’s been a while since I listened. Easy 5 stars for me

One, So Cruel, Who's gonna ride.

U2 was never my fave but I loved 2 albums. This was 1. I am struck by Bono’s voice in this album. Pure emotion that touches my heart every time.

One of my favorites in San Francisco in 1991

This album holds a special place for me. Had the cassette and it was on replay, only U2 got my angst and drama. Perfect!

Well, folks, here it is: my favorite album of all time.

Absolutely one of the best ever

Banged

Excellent

Full of beautiful masterpieces - they spent the time in my hometown which was awesome in Berlin in the early 90s

Less preachy worth some great hooks.

epic reinvention

This is one of their best albums by far. Consistent in vision throughout certainly top two in their post-big break era. There’s a reason why it spawned a few massive hits. But the rest of the album holds up just as well.

Super klasse

Classic

Most of their stuff is great. This is no exception. I'd listen to this one again.

Stellar album, there's not a weak song in the whole list. Though tracks like One and Mysterious Ways are popular hits, slight darker vibe tracks like Acrobat and Love is Blindness are even better. The music is engaging, the Edge's guitar work is impressive in the different types of emotions it can evoke; while Bono still is one of the most convincing vocalist in translation emotion into his delivery.

U2 weird band. Zooropa and Achtung Baby are brilliant and what the made after is so boring that you hoped they stopped after Zooropa to lay on the beach for the rest of their lives. Even the sickening music of later Coldplay is better than that! Achtung baby is an amziang trip The Grunchy Zoo Station , the beautiful One and So Cruel, the poppy the Fly and Mysterious Ways and their best song ever, Love is Blindness with the Edge on steroids. 5 stars.

One of my favorites, and my first real concert. "One" is still a beautiful classic.

Excellentalbumn

1991. I love Bono’s vocals. This is a great album. The songs all sound like they belong together. Similar rhythms and style. Mysterious Ways, One, …Wild Horses. All good

Standouts: Mysterious Ways, One, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Until the End of the World, Fly, So Cruel, Others: Ultra Violet, Zoo Station, Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around the World, Acrobat, Love is Blindness. 4.5

U2 was part of my top three favorite bands in high school & at the beginning of college. I still have this worn out CD & revist it every now and then. What a rock pop trip down memory lane. 5 stars.

Everyone hates Bono yet this is a fantastic album. Every track is great. This is U2 at their absolute best.

I listened to the hell out of this album when it came out, but after a while I stopped listening to U2. It sounds great to me now, better than I expected. Until The End of the World still gives me chills. I still love this album.

You cant deny it has some tunes on it. Their most accesible

Context gets lost when an album has been out for 30 years. For those who weren’t around it’s hard to overstate what an incredible achievement Achtung Baby is. 4 years earlier U2 created a phenomenal album that made them the biggest band in the world and then completely reinvented themselves. For the most part everything that made U2 U2 is gone on Achtung Baby. The delayed guitar and soaring stadium rock anthems are gone replaced with gritty, industrial beats, distortion and noise. Gone are the overwrought lyrics (mostly) replaced with darker more personal songs. Hearing the The Fly in 1991 when it was released to promote the album was shocking. It was like Bono was singing with another band. The Edge is the clear MVP on Achtung Baby. His guitar doesn’t sound anything like previous work but you can still instantly tell it’s him. Achtung Baby is start to finish U2’s baby album 9.3/10

"Achtung Baby" is the seventh album by Irish rock band U2. After criticism of their previous album and film "Rattle and Hum," U2 sought influences of alternative rock, industrial and electronic music for their new album. They employed producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno and started recording in East Berlin after the Germany reunification. They struggled with personnel conflict during that time and ended up finishing the recording in Dublin. The lyrics were darker and more introspective than their previous more anthemic work. Commercially, the album hit #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. It did received mostly favorably reviews and even moreso respectively. Bells, tinny electronic drum beats and a distorted guitar open up "Zoo Station." Is this U2? The music kicks in with layered Bono vocals. We get even more layered Bono vocals in "Even Better Than The Real Thing." A whirly Edge guitar which goes into a more typical Edge guitar. People looking for instant gratification. The song that reinspired the band during their recording "One" starts slower. Layered guitars. One of Bono's best and emotional vocals. And, one of their best songs. No pun intended. Two people going through their struggles. And in the next song, "Until the End of the World," Bono goes the opposite way and gives an almost deadpan and emotionless delivery which is perfect. An echoing guitar and darker rhythm section. Maybe, my favorite song on the album. The first song I heard from this album was "The Fly." It was so different than the previous U2. An echoing guitar. Layering of an industrial drumbeat and percussion. Bono whispering and portraying a character calling from hell. They go a bit funky in "Mysterious Ways." Great, great bassline. More layered percussion. Bono elevating and idolizing a female. Another great deep cut is "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)." An orchestral into which transitions into an echoing guitar and more standard rhythm. Catchy music and chorus. The intesity builds throughout the song with Bono's vocals. The album closes with Love Is Blindness." A darker, slower and emotional song. A church-like organ intro. A prominent bass. An industrial, interesting time signature percussion. The guitar gets more chaotic throughout the song. About a failed relationship/ marriage which the music captures just right. An unorthodox ending to a U2 album. This is U2's best album. They take risks with the dance, dark and industrial beats. And it works. From song to song, Edge's guitar is different and unpredictable. Bono's lyrics are interpersonal and not at all pretentious. Every song is worth a listen...I had trouble not mentiong all the songs. I also really liked their next, to some extent under appreciated, "Zooropa" and half of the following "Pop." And then. Well, yeah, and then. I thought this might sound dated today but it didn't at all. An album defintely worth going back to.

I have heard it before. Love it.

It was only 91 when U2 showed everyone what the 90s were going to sound like (outside of grunge, which is kind of a large caveat, but still...). Achtung is no Zooropa, but it is the U2isest U2 has ever achieved. Not a lemon in the bunch (get it?).

Good album

i dont really know what to put here but i just kinda liked it a lot i cant think of specific things i just really enjoyed it

One, So Cruel, Who's gonna ride

A brilliant album that took a few listens to love, but it's still in my rotation 30 years later.

HL: “Zoo Station”, “One”, “Until the End of the World”, “So Cruel”, “Mysterious Ways”, “Love is Blindness” the first U2 album I properly listened to, but the final one on this list Every U2 I’ve had on this generator, I’m surprised how much it holds up for me. And I’m already a fan! As their premier 90s album, it contains some clearly of-its-time elements like the dance rhythms in “The Fly” and “Mysterious Ways”, but there’s still echoes of their 80s sound, like in “Wild Horses” & “Acrobat”. I remember not being crazy about the odd industrial buzzes and loops like in “Zoo Station” and “Until…” when I first found this CD (and often they have no bearing on the actual song’s content), but call them byproducts of a band willing to push themselves & experiment (before settling right down with All You Can’t Leave Behind) August 17, 2023

ngl - easily one of my favourite albums ever. As soon as I saw this was the album, it was time to crank up the volume and let Larry's heavy boot reverberate around my skull. Yes, they became bloated pompous stadium rockers, but this album was an absolute masterclass. "Waves of regret, waves of joy. I reached out for the one I tried to destroy". Indeed.

I went through a strong U2 phase in college when they released The Joshua Tree. Recently I had the opportunity to revisit that album during a trip to that national park. But today I realize that is the only U2 album I can remember listening to in its entirety. I’m not sure why that was the case. I didn’t realize what a shift Achtung Baby was a scant 4 years after The Joshua Tree. Remarkable how they were able to make such different albums that both sound so great. Listening to this today I was surprised to discover that I actually prefer this album to The Joshua Tree.

Perhaps the most important album of my life. Christmas Day, 2009. I just got my first iPad Touch and my mind was racing with the possibilities. What should I buy from the iTunes store? What will my tastes lead me to and become? Alas... having become familiar with U2 at some point of my life, now was the time to dig deeper and this album's cover grabbed me from first sight. Little did I know it was the start of a love affair that's lasted to this day. I believe that, if it weren't for Achtung Baby, I wouldn't be the music fan that I am today. It has opened me up to so many sounds, so many bands, so many possibilities and it is all because of this album. The fact that it was willing to dare, put on a mask and make merry with a masquerade, all the while wielding many emotions so vast that the heart could only wonder when it'll break and become overwhelmed. It speaks to the power that this album has and I've been bowled over many times over the years to know. U2 had become one with the darkness and, not only weaponized it, it taught them how to move, how to converse with irony, how to be insincere and, most importantly, how to be at peace with being rock and roll stars. To shed one's skin and move along with another is an act of bravery and, with Achtung Baby, U2 showed that they were more than what people thought they were and brought on intrigue and excitement for a new decade. Achtung, yall!

Easily the greatest U2 album, should not be dismissed just because they spent the best part of 3 decades treading water later. I frequently try to dismiss them but every time I have occasion to stick this on, I am pulled back in and reminded just how good they were, briefly. I love the start, that industrial guitar effect, and the factory-esque clang of the drums as they crash in. Always sounds great. And Zoo Station as a song is a great kick off. Brian Eno is all over this. Yes he also did Coldplay, he's not infallible but this is superb. It's still got big, crowd pleasing ballads like Joshua Tree, but hell, they were good at it at this point, and there is still unsettling distortion around the glistening pop of ..Horses. It's also got a crazy lead single in The Fly which it's not an exaggeration to say sounds not unlike Nine Inch Nails for a whole minute before the chorus comes in to smooth things over. Lead single. For U2. This time crucially, and unlike Joshua Tree they don't run out of songs when you flip the record over. The singles are great, sure, but the real strength of this one for me lies in the album tracks. My least favourite songs here are Mysterious Ways and ...the Real Thing and they are by no means bad. Until the end of the world is brooding, Ultra Violet is epic and uplifting, So Cruel is gorgeous. Acrobat is one of my favourite U2 songs of any album, it fucking rocks. I wish they'd made even one other record of as consistently high quality as this one. But they didn't. I still frequently get goosebumps listening.

Superb

W Album 9/10

Great!!!

Vraiment bon, je ne connais pas beauocup U2 et je n'ai jamais vraiment été intéressé à cause du chaneur principale, mais bon je dois leur rendre que leur musique est tr`s bonne. 5

Många fina låtar.

não é por nada que os loco são mainstream, muito agradável o som

Such music. Much bono. How about that fly eh? Wow. I'm not under duress at all. You'd think that going to Ireland and one of my fellow boneyard brethren being a big fan of this album would influence this review and score but you're dead wrong. Wow.

One of my all time favourite albums. Look at some of the biggest albums in ‘91 and there’s nothing really like it and it’s a dramatic shift from Joshua Tree. Pretty much ever song is great.

I like the guitar effects on this album a lot - really interesting, out-there stuff, especially on The Fly (which is among my favourite U2 tracks, as is One). The sound of this album appeals to me slightly more than the traditional Joshua Tree style, and I respect the reinvention between the two. Like The Joshua Tree, there is a drop in quality beyond the singles, but, like The Joshua Tree, the other tracks did grow on me nicely after a while. 4.5 stars. It probably doesn’t deserve it, but I’m gonna round up. I think it’s because I listened to a lot of these tracks when I was about 13 and still feel an affinity today.

Some all time great U2 songs here! This is a band I used to not enjoy that I've come to love

Esse álbum é bom demais, um dos favoritos da vida!

C’mon man give these guys a break. These tracks rule. I kinda love how contrived they are lol. Some history: I saw this band in 2004, we drove to Minneapolis with friends and my brother bought us beer because he was the only one who was 21. Dashboard Confessional opened. U2 played Vertigo once during the set and AGAIN for encore! no Mysterious Wayz? they did us dirty. I genuinely enjoy Edge’s playing (even though it’s a bit delayed). I love to find contextual things in life so I can sing “even better than the real thing!”. I [illegitimately] used One in a scene of a movie that I made years ago and it never got copyright flagged bc it was only the part where he screams “LOVE IS A TEMPLE”. I have some memories tied to a lot of these songs so they’re good imo

True Masterpiece. And superb production.

Own on Vinyl

I'm ready for the laughing gas

Classic.

Each U2 album an atmosphere and set of anthems we know like a multiplication table. With this new sound, they go it right again. Even if you see it as a product like Madonna, this was on very Heavy Rotation on cassette my car. So good to listen to it in order. My brain still knows it this way. Resolution: listen more to the favourite albums of youth. They press the buttons so well. Enjoyed that.

This is my favourite U2 album. I generally find U2 a bit bombastic and earnest, a bit too polished and almost completely 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 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 best 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 (with mixed results) to try and keep things fresh, 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 generally 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 nearly 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 good songwriting was Nine Inch Nails). I listened to this album a lot when it first came out and is still probably the first U2 album I would pull off the shelf (a close tie with Joshua Tree). I listened to this record a lot, and each track still stands up for me. The songs are less ambitious, global, worthy and important, and much more human and morally ambiguous. There is a quite a bit informed by the Edge's divorce, and 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. Bono is still annoyingly full of himself, but the more self-reflective approach on this album tones that down just enough to be palatable. Interestingly, having heard some of the demos, I think 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 crafted 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 into something special (and I think Flood's distinctive work can be clearly heard here). I am noticing how often Flood's name turns up on records from the late 80s and 90s on this list. He gets my Most Valuable Player award.

An absolute classic. Love this record.

the other best U2 album. start to finish hits

Loved this album when it came out, haven't listened to it for a while, good to hear it again.

Amazing album. This band is always putting out great, powerful, relevant, creative music. Much like Radiohead, they are constantly reinventing themselves. One of the most creative guitar/vocal combos in popular music, and the bass and drums are always flawless both live and in the studio.

I was unfairly cynical about this album when it first came, but over time the singles and Zooropa wore me down and then seeing the magnificent spectacle of the Zoo TV tour near its end won me over completely. Maybe a couple of the tracks are better as their single mixes (get at least the 2CD version if you can), but it's a five star classic for me.

As obnoxious as U2 can be and has been. They have created some amazing music and this album is proof. Frank Sinatra said the song One is the greatest love song ever written, and its my second favorite song on this album. Favorite Track: Until the end of the World Who is this music for? People who like good music. When do you play it? When you're getting it on. Or not getting it on.

Great album I haven't heard in a while. Listening to Bono's book so now was a good time to revisit this one.

One of the greatest records of all time, if not the greatest. This album paved the way for so many bands, as well as creating a new sound for the 90s alternative scene to hear. This album is perfect. 1,000/5.

A personal favorite

Okay this rules

My favorite U2 album. It’s packed with great songs. There are plenty of the dramatic and cinematic songs U2 is best known for, along with songs that lean more toward alt-rock and even a dash of funk. “Mysterious Ways” is my fav U2 song too. Excellent album cover - captures the energy of the music.

I'm surprised this is the first U2 on this list! Unless I'm mistaken? I think U2 are great. I think some of their hits are some of the rest rock songs of all time. This album has all of the elements that make U2 great- good groove riffs, super tight performances, heartfelt vocals, outside-the-box guitar playing, and hooks. "One Love" is a great song that anyone who is a fan of any genre can listen to and say "hey yea I know that chorus!" "Mysterious Ways" is a song that I am tormented with that is genuinely stuck in my head on repeat when I hear it for like a year after hearing it so I'm cursed now until 2024. Overall I think it's a high 4/5. It's close to being a 5 but it's just shy of that "legendary" mark that I've been reserving for the 5's.

This is good stuff. Such an easy and enjoyable listen. Had never heard some of these but can’t pick out a bad one

I loved this album when it came out and I still love it. It was the next chapter for U2 after The Joshua Tree. Great songs.

I enjoyed listening to this one. Same feelings as when I listened to Joshua Tree. Maybe I like U2 after all.

Classic

Timeless classic - perhaps not as good as The Yoshua Tree or The Unforgettable Fire -but probably shared number 3 with Boy and War in the top 5 of Best U2 albums.

the bomb

amazing album with a ton of great standalone tracks and defined the tone of the early 90s singlehandedly. Absolutely one of the best albums of all time. 5/5

One, So Cruel, Who's gonna ride

Geweldig. U2 die zichzelf opnieuw uitvond en met deze plaat kwam. Staat geen slecht nummer op. Alles klopt.

Welk een toeval. Dit weekend draaide ik dit album en zei tegen Arjan: hoe kan het dat we deze nog niet zijn tegengekomen in de 1001 albums? En, als ie voorbijkomt, krijgt ie vijf sterren. En daar was ie ineens! Wat een strakke plaat is dit toch.

Love this album - brings back good memories.

Ok, so I’ll admit that U2 has some issues. Bono can come off a bit arrogant and cringey, and U2 sometimes act like they think they are more important than they are… But man, they put out some great albums. Achtung Baby is maybe my 3rd or 4th favorite album of theirs (behind Joshua Tree and War at least), and it’s still incredible and easily a 5 star album for me. The song writing is phenomenal and the album has such an awesome feel to it. Love it.

banging

Wow, this still holds up!

In 2005(?) I saw Pearl Jam in Toronto. The whole night Eddie Vedder was making jokes thanking U2 for opening for them, as they had done concerts the previous 2 nights. At the end of the concert, they started playing Keep On Rocking in the Free World and a guy in a cowboy hat came out on stage and was dancing along. We at first thought it was Neil Young (we were sitting at the farthest seat at ACC, now Scotiabank Arena). Neil Young though had just had brain surgery so no doctor would have cleared him. We then realized it was Bono. To my recollection, Eddie sang the first verse and corus alongside Bono, then Eddie passed the mic to Bono to sing the next verse. I don’t think Bono knew the lyrics to the song because he just started rambling sort of in time to the music? Then continued dancing. Great night overall. This album is amazing. Not their best but an amazing and worthy follow up to one of the greatest records of all time.

In my opinion, one of the greatest's U2 albums. I love it since the first song until the last one. "The fly" is my favorite. The sound of Achtung Baby is the opening of the 90´s for U2, leaving behind their 80's style.

Classic

Another classic albums I had forgot about , loved every track

La gran reinvenció del rock, i una de les obres capitals dels '90, i del rock com a génere. Com una banda ja en aquell moment veterana i mondialment coneguda van ser capaços de renéixer amb aquest punt àlgid de creativitat, renovació, experimentació ben entesa, inspiració en cota màxima, és un misteri dels temps. Però així ho van fer, donant llum a una obra immortal

I never get tired of hearing this album. Solid.

Just an incredible album.

An album that changed music for me as a youth. It’s good to hear it again.

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

i love this album.

One is a FUCKING BOP, also mysterious ways.

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

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.

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

Excellent top notch

Classic

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Legends

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.

Fuck yes!

2021.12.14

i like it

It’s pretty good.

Their best album, beats Joshua Tree by a hair.

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.

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.

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.

On my first listen - this is a classic.

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

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.

A considerar primero, que no hay una canción de este disco que no me guste. Quizá The Fly es la que menos, y creo que tiene más que ver con el personaje que Bono creo para cantarla. Luego también, este cumple 30 años y sin embargo casi todo suena como algo que podría estarse oyendo hoy, bastante alejado a las otras cosas que nos ha tocado oír de finales de los 80 o principios de los 90. También el detalle de ser el séptimo disco de una banda (que por cierto ahora llegan a 14 discos) que ya tenía para ese entonces un sonido reconocible y una legión de seguidores, y sin embargo, este disco se distingue muchísimo en todos sentidos de los anteriores: el sonido de la guitarra característico the The Edge casi no está presente; las letras de Bono dejan de ser políticas y socialosas y ahora finalmente habla de cosas personales; hay sonidos industriales, electrónicos, disonancias, gritos, efectos y muchas cosas que el U2 de antes no tenía en absoluto. Y con todo ese cambio, es de hecho un sonido que terminaron también por apropiarse y se sigue oyendo en los siguientes discos. Finalmente, tiene al menos dos de mis canciones favoritas de la banda: Ultra Violet y One, que además creo que podría ser mi balada favorita de la vida (descontando las de The Beatles que se cuentan aparte). Ya como nota, hace 10 años, que el disco cumplió 20, le hicieron un tributo con coves muy buenos incluyendo a NIN, Garbage, The Killers, Jack White, etc. Muy recomendable, se llama Ăhk-to͝ong Ba͞y-bi

Like I mentioned in my review of ‘The Joshua Tree’, during the time after that album and before this one, I parted ways with U2 (let’s keep it simple and blame the Rattle and Hum movie). Though I maintained a soft spot for them, I was discovering far too many types of musics at that time to have considered spending any of my meagre funds on ‘Achtung Baby’. As it turns out, U2 were listening to and being influenced by much of the new more innovative sounds that I was now focused on, and the irony is that what they did on this album could have been exactly what was needed to draw me back in. I was way too far gone though and it was years later when vinyl was at it’s deepest nadir (prior to its renaissance) that I came across a copy so cheap I didn’t think twice about my then current feelings on the band. Of course I was already familiar with ‘Achtung Baby’ by then; I’d need to have been living under a rock to have avoided it or the rest of their 90s output that it spawned. My steadfast determination to stay away was challenged right from the start because lead single “The Fly”, for most the first inkling of their new sound, was the biggest impact decision they could have made. It’s a bit of a trick though because while the whole album is a leap, the rest has trailing roots linking to the past more than “The Fly” but it was then and remains a major banger. So it’s perhaps less of the brave new world that ‘Zooropa’ would have been had it come first, but regardless of the presentation, the songs at the core of this album are relentlessly impressive. It genuinely is an “album”. What I find interesting is while the music is more dayglo than before, Bono’s delivery is regularly rather reserved. We tend to think back on this era with the singer in his larger-than-life Mephisto character and assume everything is over the top, but outside of some powerful choruses and regular soaring vocal hooks, he uses a quiet authority delivering his message.

good album, really really enjoyed "one"

Solid album. Top songs: Zoo Station, One, So Cruel, Acrobat.

I am more familiar with One when featuring Mary J Blige, and this was a pleasant surprise! Great album, I'm going to have to go back through U2's history and listen to some more of their stuff.

Some really famous songs on here

Solid album.

3.5, need to listen to again and will probs go to 4. Love acrobat tho

Še en U2! (Mislim, da 2 komada poznam?) Kuuul začetek ("Zoo Station" - je mišljen Berlin? Lol, na tej točki se spomnim naslova albuma - duh!)! "Even Better Than the Real Thing" mi je isto všeč. O, ja, "One" je ta komad, k sm mislila. "So Cruel" pa "The Fly" sta mi bla oba huda. "Mysterious Ways" je tud ta, k se ga spomnim. "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" mi je kr kul. Sam mal manj "baby, baby, baby" bi loh blo. Fino!

Good.

Ik heb me geamuseerd!

Сара 4 Марко 4-------

I’d been wanting to listen to this. Cracking record with greta singles

So many hits - such a shift from Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum. 4/5

Лучший альбом U2 по моему мнению. но вряд ли 5 звед. Да, конечно здесь есть великолепная One и неплохая Mysterious Ways. В остальном альбом чуть выше среднего.

wow this was a pretty good album. idk u2s sound so i didnt get the shocking experience the fans got when it dropped. i aslo wasnt alive in 1991 so. it was very good !! i loved zoo station, even better than the real thing, one, so cruel and Fly. however, after Ultra Violet it kinda stopped being good. like the songs after UV were okay but they sounded more like movie songs, not songs id lsiten to. i think Fly is my fav in the album, i really liked the songs I really liked So Cruels bassline Also I feel like the album was so energetic at the start and near the end it dropped in its energy, it got slower and quieter Also i liked acrobat but it was very much movie music, if it was in a movie id LOVE it but in my liked songs? no thanks

An enjoyable album but not as good as a number of their earlier ones. It does however have one of my favourite U2 tracks on - Until The End of The World, originally written for the Wim Wenders movie or the same name.

Lots of familiar songs. My sister listened to this album when we were younger so it brought back memories. There were a couple really good songs and even the rest were easy to listen to.

This album just barely creeps into 4 territory. Bono and Spector are both artists who could have been told “no” more, and there are a lot of ideas here that just didn’t quite seem worth fleshing out. That being said a lot of these songs really grew on me the more I spent time with them.

I’m of the opinion that The Joshua Tree is the only true masterpiece from U2. This is a fine album with some amazing production. I just like it not love it for some reason.

What can I say, it makes me nostalgic.

Probably the most important album for setting the sound of the 90s, so much popular music was using this blueprint

me encanto

This album was a shift not only for U2, but also for guitar rock in general. Magnificent. 4.5/5

I thought one or two songs were the decent rest I of it was questionable

Enjoyable

This was released around the time of German reunification and almost 15 years into U2's career as their 7th studio album. Bono drew ideas from 2 failed marriages of friends, including that of bandmate, the Edge. The album name and colorful, multi-picture sleeve was chosen to confuse the public as the material was certainly darker, with themes of broken love, loneliness, and tragedy. Rich arrangements and Bowie's influence come through to intensify deeply introspective and personal themes. A phenomenal album benchmarking a high point in one incredible band's career.

Still not my favorite album by U2 but it's close. 4/5

Loved listening to it again. Great non-singles, not listen ti the full album in ages

Fun album. It's got some bangers on it, including the singles like One and Mysterious Ways (which is probably my favorite track). The rest is decent-to-good. It's not my top U2 album, but I did enjoy it.

Pretty good above average U2 album. Solid 4.

Ok

Bono loooooves reverb and tbh I’m kind of here for it. I actually enjoyed this all the way through, which is kind of unexpected. I wish i could give this a 3.8 but a 4 will do. Fav song: The Fly

I know a lot of people dislike U2 and think they are overplayed and over done and they probably are but I like them and I liked this album. It was rough around the edges and some songs felt a little blah and forced (So Cruel, Acrobat and Love is Blindness) but it tracks with the trouble they were having while writing the album. They have a sound that is their own (you know its U2). Its not just Bono's vocal but the guitar, drums, everything is uniquely them and I always really appreciate that about a band.

I listened to this album alot as a teenager. I remember listening to it on my walkman while riding trains through Europe with my German Grandmother. It feels like U2 decided to make a more "dancey" album or something. It has more pop than their previous music. Zoo Station, The Acrobat, and The Fly are some of my favorite non-hits on this album. One is still a beautiful ballad. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses is great. I like Real Thing but I can't help think of a CocaCola commercial when I hear it. Did Coke use this song? No! I looked it up. Never happened. They offered U2 millions of dollars to use it but U2 declined. Rock on!

I really like U2 and there are a lot of great songs on here, but I've enjoyed their other albums a bit more than this one, so this doesn't reach 5 territory for me. Mysterious Ways and One are my fave hits on here, but overall I wasn't as emotionally struck as I've been with them before.

Good album! I've come to really appreciate U2 over recently. Oddly none of my favourite U2 songs on this one but still a solid album.

What do you do when the whole world thinks they’ve sussed you? By 1991, U2 had become critically exhausted. Not physically exhausted - though Berlin and the sessions hardly helped - but symbolically exhausted. The signs had stabilised too completely. The delayed guitar. The endless vowels. Bono as stadium conscience, forever pointing toward some distant moral horizon while Anton Corbijn photographed cacti in reverent monochrome. Even people who liked the band increasingly felt they understood the mechanism. What makes Achtung Baby extraordinary is that the band themselves seem painfully aware of this. The album is not a triumphant reinvention so much as an argument held in public about whether U2 can continue to exist at all. You can hear old instincts constantly bursting through - the yearning, the uplift, the huge emotional declarations - while Eno and Lanois keep smearing, compressing and destabilising the signal. Bono fights the urge to become Bono. Edge vandalises his own cathedral guitar sound. Adam and Larry keep trying to hold together a functioning rock band while the upper layers dissolve into mediation, distortion and performance. The opening of Zoo Station announces the crisis immediately. This is not the clean, declaratory U2 of old. The sound itself feels compromised - all smear, abrasion and uncertainty. The old emotional language no longer arrives cleanly. Throughout the album, lyrics, delivery and emotional meaning cease to align in the old rock-critical sense. Devastation arrives wrapped in glossy surfaces. Groove appears, but Bono cannot comfortably inhabit it. Desire and irony coexist in the same vocal line. Even the moments closest to “classic U2” - One, Wild Horses, Ultra Violet - sound worn, hesitant, unsure whether the old gestures still function. That uncertainty becomes the album’s deepest subject. Acrobat practically states the thesis outright: “What are we gonna do now it’s all been said?” The answer, quietly, is performance. Pose. Acrobatics. Theatricality not as evasion, but as survival strategy. This is where the album unexpectedly shares ground with Transformer: the discovery that sincerity and performance are not opposites. Bono’s masks - The Fly, the shades, the slogans, the mediated personas - do not destroy the feeling. They become the only way the feeling can survive under conditions of overexposure and spectacle. And that is why the record now feels prophetic. Not because it predicted technology itself, but because it understood the emotional atmosphere that was coming: unstable selves, mediated intimacy, performance bleeding into identity, truth arriving through contaminated channels. The old desert truth is gone by the end of this album. Everything is artifice now. Yet the longing somehow survives anyway. That is the strange achievement of Achtung Baby. It is not a confident album in retrospect. It sounds uncertain, compromised, exhausted and self-questioning. A band trying to work out, in real time, whether human meaning can still survive once the signal itself has become unstable.

Everybody seems to prefer Joshua Tree, but I actually like this album better.

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Great - A wild departure from their recent work while maintaining the wide open feel that made The Joshua Tree so good. I think people nowadays tend to forget how good U2 were before it went downhill. Zoo Station is a great opener that lays out the new direction clearly. Even Better Than The Real Thing is very good and One is a tremendous song. I love the chorus of Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses. The Fly is gnarly. Every song is really, really strong.

8/10… irish rock / 90s alternative / *1991

U2’s last good album

I think what makes U2 great is their ability to make a couple of bangers basically each album. I don't think they're exceptionally great otherwise, and I don't think that "One" carries this album enough for me, personally. A lot of the other songs are pretty solid, though, enough that I don't dislike this album. That sounds pretty negative, but I think it's just because the Wikipedia blurb and the reviews on this site set me up for some big expectations with this one. I never really got U2 hype, and still don't fully, but this album is pretty good. It never really wows, but it doesn't disappoint either. Favorite Song(s): One, Mysterious Ways

I’ve heard this before and I used to own it on tape. I have not listened to this probably since the mid 90s. This album had maybe five or six singles that were completely inescapable in 1992, on MTV and pop and rock radio and also on college radio, and most of those are still bangers. U2 had already gotten completely up their own asses by this point in their career, the last album was a double record and had a movie accompanying it, and this was supposed to be taking a less serious approach to their music and poking fun at rock stardom, which made them even bigger stars and sent them even further up their own asses with the multimedia stadium rock tour that they’re still doing today apparently. Putting all that aside, my god these songs are good. I want to hate them because of how much U2 annoyed me throughout the 90s and beyond, and their later work is truly not very good, but they were still writing great anthemic rock songs here and I can’t deny that. They could have dropped a few songs toward the end that aren’t great and extend the album a little too long, although they’re not bad.

Pleasantly surprised by this one. One of those massive bands I wrote off as not for me. There are some shoegazey stuff here and there. Some great songs, some great singing. More complex than I expected.

Growing up I thought this was the superior album to Joshua Tree but in my old age I think I am mistaken. There's a lot to love on here, as it was U2 trying to modernize its sound for the 1990s after ending the 80s with the disjointed Rattle and Hum project. But despite more electronic Eno/Lanois influence and some harder riffs, this is still unmistakably a U2 album. Zoo Station sets the tone early but the next song is just a worse version of it. The highlights on here (Zoo Station, Who's Gonna Ride, The Fly, Mysterious Ways) are incredible, but the lows (Even Better, Throw Your Arms, Ultraviolet) seem like worse versions of songs already on the album. There's some Bono preachiness that's to be expected on here, and overall I had fun relistening to this, but if you trimmed this to 8-9 songs it would be a classic.

It’s a U2 albums.. idk what else to say. Masterpiece, i hope Love is Blindness made it onto a james bond soundtrack

Nunca han estado en mis favoritos...pero son U2. Del album hay un par de canciones que se pueden escuchar en bucle....y las mas extrañas omitir sin remordimientos.

U2! Yes!

Right up my alley here, though I've never listened to U2 on my own terms. I like it a lot though, will likely be relistening!

Damn...there are some great tracks here. I haven't listened to any U2 after October. Kind of got tired of the whole greater than thou earnest anthemic shite. My bad...this was good. 4 "happy to have heard this" stars.

Stunning album - near perfection. I saw them live at Wembley on this tour - it was on another level.

still like sunday bloody sunday more but cool!

U2 2.0. This is not War. Now I prefer 80’s U2, but back in the 90’s I was ready for this change. Still a good album by a great band. Downgraded to 4, because more historically important than awesome album.

underrated

This was good, kind of dark, and I liked it a lot.

U2 was always the most prominent black hole is my musical experience. Sure i knew the singles and the album names, but until i started this journey I had not listened to a complete album by the once loved, now hated band. It's good, of course it is. The early 90s sound snd production has a certain nostalgic charm for me. The singles are strong and the rest of the songs are solid, if nothing special on first listen. A few will go on the playlist.

4.something, fun mix of happy and melancholy

I like U2 and this was the last album of there's I listened to. I like it. Not as much as War but it's fine.

not a big u2 guy as i think i stated but def fw this sound more than their previous work they do what they should have done and abandon not only their sonic direction, but also their kind of high horse attitude for a more honest and intimate one that plays on their favor imo i used to think that the edges sound was weird effects and a ton of reverb but he delivers some pretty neat guitar parts over a dirty tone on this thing, the production and sound desing also stand out with clear influences from their electronic and alternative contemporaries

One of the things I appreciate about this exercise is being forced to listen, for better or worse, to albums or artists you had dismissed out of hand. So it was with U2. While I was a big fan of their early work, I was put off by the over-earnest, ascetic turn signaled by Rattle and Hum, and the singles from Achtung Baby (such a ridiculous title) suffered from inescapable airplay at the time. By 1991, I had moved on from U2. Finally listening to the full album, then, is a pleasant surprise. U2 clearly spent their musical hiatus in-between albums updating its sound, playing with elements of the Madchester scene, especially, and employing plenty of studio effects. At the same time, the core elements remain: the Edge’s signature chopping guitar, Adam Clayton’s bass, and their predilection toward moving, anthemic songs, this time with a more inward lyrical focus.

ok

Favorite track(s): Zoo Station, One, The Fly, Mysterious Ways

Zooropa, Secured future, experiments One Who's going to ride Mysterious ways

Not my first U2 choice, again, more of an 80s U2 person, but this one’s pretty good.

sue me

U2 – Achtung Baby (1991) On Day 127, I dove into U2’s big 90s reinvention. I enjoyed the album for the most part, and it definitely had some moments that were high-level. However, it felt a bit weaker in some spots with a few filler songs that prevented it from being an immaculate front-to-back experience. "Zoo Station" and "One" were definitely cool highlights, but "Love is Blindness" was the real standout for me. The production is great and the technical chemistry is there despite exploring new sound, but because of those weaker moments, it lands as a decent 4/5.

4, liked this way more than I expected too. Note on Iggy pop last review, that should have been a 4, had to knock some off cus it kinda aged a little in the content

This is known to be U2s best. Not a big fan of their's, but I agree. This is good.

I read a while back that this is the U2 album for true U2 fans. It's pretty good! But honestly, I think I prefer their poppier stuff - it's hard to see U2 as anything but a big arena pop rock band. Also, is this lame to say? I've always been a little turned off by The Edge and his obsession with effects/tone. Feels like he's hiding something. I honestly prefer Billy's tone on Siamese Dream (just read that he played most of the guitars on that album and not James Iha). Anyway, still a fun listen, but not on my wall of greats.

Not bad honestly, might listen to again. Alt rock stuff

I’m not a long-time U2 fan, so I don’t really know what they were trying to change or achieve with this album. However, thanks to The Edge’s distinctive guitar sound, it still very much sounds like U2 to me. My favorite track on the album is The Fly. Its darker, more distorted sound is quite far from the band’s general image, and it fits my taste much better. It also reminded me a little of Muse in terms of atmosphere and intensity. Overall, it’s a varied and interesting album, with moments that feel very different from what I expected.

Zoo station - 3 Even better than the real thing - 5 One - 5 Until the end of the world - 4 Who's gonna ride your wild horses - 3 So cruel - 3 The fly - 3 Mysterious ways - 5 Tryin' to throw your arms around the world - 4 Ultra violet (light my way) - 3 Acrobat - 3 Love is blindness - 4

> the Beatles This band gets way too much hate

I like some U2 here and there. Overall, I enjoyed this album - well produced with nice variation between tracks. 3.7/5.

I was lukewarm to it at first, but it kinda grew on me by the end.

Great record! Found a few gems on this that I had never heard before—adding them to my list of favorite U2 songs (“So Cruel,” “The Fly,” “Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World”) Also, it’s absolutely criminal how much better than the original Jack White’s cover of Love Is Blindness is. It’s almost mean how much better it is. If I were Bono I would have gone into hiding after that cover was released.

muy buen disco con algunos temas muy conocidos suena bien. 8/10

Never been a huge fan, but to be fair it’s a very good album all tracks are strong “one” being my standout

I love u2 but this isn’t my favorite of their albums

I enjoyed the listen, and "One" is just a top song in my opinion. Fave U2 album from this list so far!

While it’s not their best album, it’s still pretty damn good. The main tracks are great, with a few that fall off for me. And how good is “One”?! Highlights: “One”, “Myserteous Ways” and “Ultra Viloet”

It's a good album. It's not my favorite U2 album, but I think it does deserve it's spot here. There are other albums that are probably more deserving of the space on here, but still, it's an underrated gem.

I like this a little less than I like War HOWEVER this is still an amazing album. I think one is the best song on this album due to the buildup within the song, the musical complexity and the power and emotion in the vocals and lyricism.

Un classique album de U2, très bon overall, un plaisir de découvrir des morceaux cachés par les hits de l'album.

mid

Si me gustó

Really good band, the sounds, it brings a lot of memories. My older sister used to listen to them. It was great.

7/10

сегодня узнал, что love is blindness - это песня u2, а не джека уайта... альбом хороший, 4ка

it was a pretty good album

Ready for the 90s, ready for the new millennium, ready for some awkward wedding dances (how did any of those couples not listen to the actual lyrics before choosing this as their first dance?) 90s U2 didn’t really do it for me, but I appreciate the ambition to not just churn out The Joshua Tree for the rest of their career

lowkey vibes

After the highs of The Joshua Tree (discounting the live’ish Rattle and Hum) I was disappointed with this album. I still played it regularly and saw most of it being played live on their Zooropa Tour but it never hit the nail like their early albums. Even though it was touted as a new U2 sound and beginning I much preferred U2 Mk1. And as it turned out U2 Mk3. It was these later albums which eventually persuaded me to mothball this album and apart from the numerous hits on it played on the radio I have largely ignored its existence until today. The result was that it was like reuniting with an old friend. From a distance I can now tell it was a radical rebranding which it has taken me 35 years to realise. Can’t ignore my initial prejudices though so not quite 5 stars but a lot of humble pie eaten. 4/5 25/3/26

Another old familiar one. After the disappointment of Rattle & Hum, my U2 fandom had waned. I think I bought this album BITD, but it was the last one. I liked it. But I was skeptical of another U2 style change, and apart from "Until the End of the World" and "One," I didn't think it was great. Listening now, I still see it as a transitional album (to the Zoo stadium glam thing that I was just not at all interested in), but I like it much better. There's good new sounds and textures that I really appreciate. Noisy, rumbling, and distorted elements that work really well with the shimmering Edge guitars. I still think "Until the End of the World" is the actual great track here, but I can appreciate "The Fly" now, too. "Zoo Station" kicks it off really well, a new sound, but with a backing vocals that throws back to October and Boy era U2. "Mysterious Ways" sounds great, there's really no duds at all. I'm a sucker for Lanois-Eno production for sure. 4.5. Torn between rounding up and down. Does it belong on a list of 1001? probably yeah. It's a huge album in many ways

I liked 2 songs. Nice listen

U2, et band jeg alltid har hatt en grunnleggende skepsis til. Dette alt-rock-albumet er derfor en positiv overraskelse. Mye bra her. Top 3: Until The End Of The World, So Cruel, Zoo Station

I love U2. For me, the first 4 songs of this album are great (I love Zoo Station) and Mysterious Ways is great, but the rest of the album is mid

Solid

easy to listen to

A very good album that deserves much more recognition. I get it, you don’t like Bono because he’s sanctimonious, you’re still upset because an album you didn’t like showed up on your iPod in 2014, you don’t like the Edge because he doesn’t play three minute long classic rock guitar solos - but I really don’t understand how anyone can listen to this album from front to back and give it one star. This is a really solid album with some strong songwriting, and I like the ambient atmospheres the band creates using different instruments. For me this isn’t quite as good as Joshua Tree, especially on the second half, but still a great album that deserves to be on this list.

For me this was the last truly good album by U2. This is where they started to move away from their punk and blues roots, and move into something more experimental, something that didn't seem to fit them quite as well. With more than a few outstanding tracks, this is definitely a strong four and a half stars from me.

Great guitar tones. Great bass playing. Some great hooks on here too. It can be a bit monotone and maybe Bono is not the greatest vocalist ever, but it is what it is. I prefer U2's post-punk era, but this is still very good.

Good but Joshua Tree is the better album

This ended up being far more entertaining than I remembered. Maybe I do enjoy U2 outside of Joshua Tree after all... 7/10

Album 1072 of 1089 Achtung Baby - U2 (1991) Rating : 4 / 5 U2 is one of those bands where you pretty much know what you're going to get going in. Over the years their sound has evolved a little here and there, but the core of what they do tends to stay fairly recognizable. Listening to this album, it still feels very much like U2 doing what U2 does. One thing that stands out here is the production. The album sounds big and polished, with layers of guitars and textures that give it a fuller sound than some of their earlier work. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois helped shape that atmosphere, and it shows throughout the record. As usual, there are several of those big, anthemic-style songs U2 is known for. Sometimes those land really well, sometimes they feel like they’re reaching for that same stadium-sized moment they’ve hit before. A few of the tracks definitely stand out more than others. Songs like One and Mysterious Ways are probably the best examples of the band hitting that balance between strong songwriting and big production. Overall, it’s a solid album. It doesn’t necessarily reinvent the band’s sound for me, but it delivers the kind of polished, dramatic rock music that U2 has built their reputation on. Sometimes the interesting part isn’t discovering something totally new, but hearing how a band continues refining the sound they’re known for. This one fits comfortably into that category.

nostalgia for an elder millenial, but doesn't stand up on (immediate) repeat

I've gone around saying "The one U2 album I still like is 'Achtung Baby' - I even saw them on this tour. So let's see if I'm just making that up, since to be honest it's been 30 years since the last time I listened to it. Yeah, I still like it. "Zoo Station" opens with interesting electronic stuff, and "Until the End of the World" is a favorite since of course I loved that movie and saw it several times. And "Wild Horses" and "Acrobat" are bringing back some memories from the early 90s, hoo boy. So yeah that listen was memorable - there are some songs on here that are important to me. However, I was also reminded that I've always been annoyed by a couple of them, like "Even Better than the Real Thing." And Bono's voice gets tiresome by the end. But anyway, while I probably won't go back to listening to this a lot like i did in the early 90s, I'm glad I got to revisit it today.

Patchy, as I find all of their stuff. But yeah the fly, wild horses, zoo station, mysterious ways all very good.

Taas näitä nuoruuden levyjä. Vaan itselleni tärkein U2:n levy, suurin osa kappaleista mainioita, ainoastaan Tryin’ to throw your arms.. ei jaksa kiinnostaa.

37 albums and only two female artists. 😤😩

Top tier vibes, bad roofie-ing reference

Det tok sin tid å orke å høre ferdig? Ikke at æ tror æ mislike U2, men æ e tydeligvis ikke så begeistra om man ser bort fra de åpenbare sangan? Jaja, greit nok e det jo uansett.

I really enjoyed this rock band, they are also doing modern albums too :)

Pretty good

It's a great album, solid throughout, great production and has a couple of my favorite U2 songs on it. However, for some reason I find it a little difficult to love.

One of my favorite records of the 90’s. There’s just so much going on in here that I love. Favorite track is Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.

i liked it alot more than i thought i would

Mysterious Ways has always been one of my top five favourite U2 songs. I used to LOVE U2. I saw them in concert twice around the Vertigo time period. Then I got sick of them and the only thing I could think of was people being mad that they automatically added their album to iTunes. This album introduced me to some songs I have never heard. I especially liked So Cruel.

It's a solid album. I feel like it might be just a bit better if a song or two were dropped. That said, even beyond the major songs of note here (One and Mysterious Ways), other songs like Zoo Station and Even Better Than the Real Thing still make this a good listen

As a firm non-fan of ballad-y rock music, I was surprisingly not turned off by the beginning songs of this album. Likely because the weather is nice today so I'm more amenable. Good thing I'm not a professional music critic. The slow, characteristically 90s love songs were vibey(although they are something I typically do not enjoy listening). I think I was mostly drawn to the weird instrumentals that diversified my listening experience. I could not begin to pick apart all the tools they used(i know exactly nothing about music production), but I actually went back and relistened to some of the songs because my brain really, really liked how everything harmonized. (Esp acrobat) The first half of the album was slower to get into, but I was bopping along to the second half.

4.0 I dont think I ever listened to the full album before, although there were alot of singles on the radio back in the day. Takeaways -> Zoo station, Adam Claytons bass tone ( I thought the production on a whole has awesome, guess thats why you pay the big bucks) and the more I listen to the Edge, the more I like his playing, he mustve got into some freaky deaky stuff in Berlin

Heard of U2 of course, but never really got into their stuff... until now. Favorites: Even Better Than the Real Thing, One, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, The Fly, Ultra Violet (Light My Way) Thoughts: I actually really liked this album as I listened to it. I don't now why I never liked U2 before. Probably because Apple shoved them down my throat once and I decided U2 = bad. DEF WORTH A LISTEN!!

Familiar and some good stuff on there.

One of the last incredible U2 albums. Experimental, but accessible. Huge tour with this one. Nearly essential

Catchy album with a well-executed theme of bad love, great basslines, and riffs. Love Is Blindness is definitely underrated. While it’s a solid record, it can feel a bit monotonous at times, though I’m aware of the era it came from.

This rules. Will listen again and again

like rem u2 peaked just before they became superstars, still this has some solid tracks and wild horses is a stone classic

I was a big fan of U2's sound up until Achtung Baby. Boy, War, Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree are 4 of my fave albums of all time, and I really liked Under a Blood Red Sky EP and Rattle & Hum too. Mysterious Ways was a big change in their sound, and not one I liked - a bit tinny, is the only way I can describe it. Since this album, there's only been a handful of songs that have really hit that elite level from their 1980's albums. That being said, after another listen, it's a very good album overall with quite a few hits, and still better than most. 4/5. Best Song: One

8/10

Wow, a U2 album on this list that doesn't suck complete ass? Looking at you, All That You Can't Leave Behind Yeah Bono is a dick, but putting that aside - this album was an enjoyable listen, mainly because (unlike U2's later material) it actually felt like it had something to say. The dark & introspective themes present throughout gave the album a level of grit that feels completely missing from the band's later (bland, tasteless) offerings.

havent quite finished this yet but brilliant! recognised so many songs, really enjoy

Need an additional listen

Pretty solid album. 3/12 songs saved. 1 on personal playlist. I liked

Great stuff from the lads. I will say the different tracks did start to bleed into one another for me; I'd be hard pressed to identify any of them afterwards, but I enjoyed listening to it.

I was familiar with the song One because of Shinedown's cover and I had heard mysterious ways as well before. I liked Acrobat.

polarizing back in the day, this has aged pretty well. Set the blueprint for shoegaze and radiohead.

Very strong album. Best from U2. Loved it at the time. One is the absolute standout, but so many others are great. Superb energy, fantastic musicianship and wonderfully creative.

Shockingly good. Perhaps their best? Almost every song a banger, but my favorites: "One" "Love is Blindness" "Mysterious Ways" "Until the End of the World" "So Cruel" ' Favorite Lyric: If you wanna Kiss the Sky, Better Learn How to Kneel (On your Knees Boy)

Lacking in standouts but overall actually a bit cool. 7/10

Talvez se eu tivesse 50 anos e fosse meio preconceituoso seria melhor. Mas até que é bem interessante

nice alt rock

I love U2, but it’s not my fav album

Comfortably the best of the latter-day U2, maybe their most creative and varied album.

Oh a german band? Oh no there are Irish So far I really enjoy it actually also the Berlin vibes there is something about the writing as well

I never really understand why folks liked U2. Then I listened to this album.

I’ve been listening to a lot of U2 so this was great!! Not as good as the Joshua tree in my opinion but still a great album!! I particularly liked who’s going to ride your wild horses but all of the songs slapped. Bono can’t be topped

ça fonctionne bien

J'aime beaucoup aussi, c'est très classique mais ça marche bien même écouté en shuffle sans faire exprès

Top songs: Until the End of the World Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

Super gas, high emotional peaks love the instrumentals and vocals

3.75 - once again great music but not necessarily my taste

need to listen closer but enjoyed what i heard, good sound and my first time (outside of the forced download for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) I listened to U2

basic rock album

Honestly really good, you go Bono

'One' alone makes this a three star album, the rest of the tracks have enough to bring it up to a four.

Hadn't heard this one in probably a decade, I thought it held up really well. Very easy to listen to, and brought back a lot of memories. I saw the Zoo TV tour a couple of times and that was a pretty transformative experience. I read a little bit about the backlash to Rattle and Hum - I really enjoyed that one back in my teens but had no idea about all the critical hubub. Interesting to see the pivot, confirmation I guess that U2 are great image marketers.

Didn’t think I was a U2 fan but this was pretty good

it’s good , adequate reminds me of thrifting as a kid some funky bad boys in the mix okay

This must have been quite a departure from the stadium anthems of The Joshua Tree. A brave change in creative direction and showed they could do more than big singalongs. Which is an ironic thing to say about an album that contains One! I didn't find this super accessible in general.. maybe that's why the retrospective critics reviews are stronger than the contemporary ones. I liked it but maybe a few listens are needed to really get it

Thoughts before listening: I have never been a U2 fan. I mean they have been ubiquitous throughout my life with multiple songs I enjoy, and I had a really fun time seeing them do Joshua Tree at Bonnaroo. However, overall they just don't quite do it for me. Achtung Baby came out when I was 10 so this is the first U2 that I was exposed to. In my mind its the band trying to add elements of the 90s alternative and dance scenes to their typical stadium rock approach. I am sure that I will recognize most of this album. Review: So I basically nailed the description of this album (although AllMusic calls it a marriage of 70s Bowie and the UK Madchester scene), with this definitely being a harsher, more distorted version of U2. I like some of this although I found myself getting bored eventually. "One" and "Even Better That the Real Thing" are very good hit singles. "Mysterious Ways" is an annoying song however. I am enjoying some of the deep cuts on this like "Until the End of the World", "Acrobat", and "Love is Blindness". That being said, I just don't think I'm a U2 guy even though I did give Joshua Tree 5-stars. I wanted to give this album 3-stars, but I have actually added 6 of the 12 tracks to my playlist which means I must enjoy this more than my cynical anti-U2 sentiment would lead me to believe. I'll give this 4-stars putting it right behind Joshua Tree and tied with War.

I really enjoyed this one musically - I thought it was an underrated headphone album and aside from some of th lyrics was a great listen

Classic 90s U2. Bombastic, with lyrics that border on the cringeworthy

i really enjoyed this album and see myself listening to it again in the future. has a great sound and strong lyrics.