Reviews (page 8 of 12)
This one is pretty disappointing. Not bad by any means, but it’s got a real generic sound that loses the edge of U2’s previous albums. “Love is Blindness” is a major exception to this, and is easily the strongest song here.
Actually liked a lot of these
-"lebendig" klingede Drums - Oft geile Harmonien in den Vocals - aber irgendwie nicht viele mindblowing ideen -> wirkt dann doch manchmal generic - Die guten Stellen sind die an denen die Emotionen glaubhaft rüber kommen - generell aber geil gemixt
U2 is not my favorite band so while this is a good album, it is not one that I enjoy.
I had heard most of this album down the years, without liking it much - but I was pleasantly surprised on this listen by how strong and tender "One" and "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" are. "Mysterious Ways" is decent, too. Much of the rest is standard-issue U2, which I don't connect with.
For years I have wondered why I'm not a U2 guy... I think it's because it's all pretty self serious in a way that i find alienating. And I'm as dramatic of a twat as the next fella. I know this album is well made. I connect with that... but the music itself sort of leaves me cold. I am sure hearing One for the first time felt really special. But now it just feels like wallpaper.
Previously rated: War (4/5) All That You Can't Leave Behind (3/5) **************************************** A few decent songs here, One, Mysterious Ways, Wild Horses being the best. The music lacks bite though. It has The Edge, but no real edge to it.
Didn't hate it but didn't love it. I guess that pretty much sums up most of U2's music?
Decent
Meh
it was fine. better than the real thing was a solid stand out
3.2 U2 is niet echt een band dat ik tof vind, maar wel gewoon prima muziek
Pretty bang average. Something you throw on and it's fine- you don't hate it but you don't love it. Mysterious Ways and One are big hits though and more enjoyable than the rest but perhaps that's just my familiarity with them. 5.25/10 (2.625/5)
An ok album, maybe I'm just too late to the party.
gyh
3.5/5
Fairly inoffensive, but not something I’d actively listen to
You know what U2 aren’t half bad. Or at least they were good before I was born. This one not as good as Joshua Tree etc, but I still enjoyed it. Simpsons: Yes
It was alright but I probably wouldn't bother listening again.
I have nothing bad to say about U2. I have nothing good to say either really.
It is good quality but you only need to listen to one song.
Pretty ok. Nothing standout, but something I could see listening to more. 3/5
I dunno, couple of hits I recognized, but not a huge fan of any of it. Felt very spacey and almost improvised.
All my life I was convinced I hated U2 -- the whole "we're forcing an album on you and it's weirdly hard to get rid of" thing didn't help. I'm unfortunately realizing I might have been wrong... I'm sort of liking this lmao If it drops the ball though I'm finding Bono. Nevermind "Even Better Than the Real Thing" makes me want to take a nap Roxy — Yesterday at 8:24 PM Heartbreaking: The Coolest Girl You Know Things U2's "One" is a wonderful song Roxy — Yesterday at 8:38 PM There's actually this interesting thing going on; it's really like an on-and-off switch between the songs I love, and then the stuff that just sounds like the stereotypical image of U2 in my head. Literally, every song my opinion flip flops. Like, to look at my pre-emptive ratings: It's really just slingshotting between two extremes, lol Bumped So Cruel up to a 2.5 (high praise for sure), but my point still stands
Solid album, even if U2 is in the fringe of the spectrum of music I like.
Nothing to write home about in my opinion, it is listenable. I think this embodies an error of music I don't quite care for. 3/5
I could see this having shook the earth upon release, but its tricks don't fully work for my ears.
Some great songs, never a big fan
It was ok - I was quite bored by the end though
Nice, has some known songs too.
Very U2 to me.
Typically self-important but not outright annoying and didn’t sound bad so no major complaints I suppose
Reveal thoughts: OK, I'm interested. U2 is an odd band and this is their iconic album. Let's see how it goes. Weirdly underwhelming. It has a couple all-timers like One and Mysterious Ways, but it has quite a bit that are just...blah. And that's the mysterious (ha!) thing about this album. They have some songs that are really great, that stand up over time, that don't necessarily sound like they're from any era but are able to stand on their own. Then they have a bunch of songs that aren't *bad* per se, but they're just really kind of boring. It a 3 star album because I didn't hate it, but I think it's an opportunity missed in a sense.
I've gone through seven or eight of these albums before looking at other reviews, and decided to look at them for this album. Wow. What a mixture of 5-star "I've loved this album since I was 16" and 1-star "U2 is the worstest or blandest thing ever". To the 1-star people, all I can think is "man, grow up." There's a difference between something being awful and it just not being your thing. Sometimes the albums on this list are good to hear because they have artistic merit and have had a cultural impact, and some of the ignoramuses who think that these songs have no melody or that Bono can't sing or that the band wasn't doing anything new in their field just don't know enough to criticize. That's fine, I guess. I guess if you think the singer from the Meat Puppets can out-sing Bono, then good for you. Regardless: this was never my favorite U2 album and relistening to it today hasn't earned it any new points. "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" ends up being the standout track to me and maybe the only song I don't mind hearing again when it pops up somewhere. "Even Better Than the Real Thing" succeeds for me by percolating along in a Madchester kind of way without getting bombastic. I could care less about One or Mysterious Ways. As a musician who has spent a ton of time in the recording studio, I can empathize a little bit with what these guys were going through trying to make this album. Trying to not repeat past successes has doomed bands to obscurity, but it worked for U2, even if to our ears it still just sounds like U2. Play this album back to back with "Boy", though, for instance, and they're definitely pushing their own envelope.
pretty good but tbh u2 isn’t my cup of tea
5.5/10 Znam da je U2 u pitanju, ali ocekivao sam malo progresivniji zvuk na ovom albumu s obzirom da su ovdje napravili zaokret u svom soundu. Ocito je ovo pocetak onog U2-a kojeg znamo danas, a za nesto zanimljivije i manje Bono-like su ipak albumi War i Boy sa pocetka 80ih. Even Better Than The Real Thing mi je hajde okej za prvo slusanje, ima tu nekih par hitova koje sam vec cuo sto puta ali nista drugo me nije odusevilo. Inace oni mi nisu na crnoj listi kao nekima, iskreno zaboli me tko je Bono i za sto se zalaže. Album sam po sebi mi nije smetao, ali ne bude me vidio opet.
I don’t like U2 and sanctimonious Bono but you can’t escape the fact that they make some great music. 3*
sorry dad, but this was not really it
Out of nearly 70 albums from this list that I have listened to and reviewed so far, this is remarkably the first one that I owned…and I bet that I hadn’t played it in over 25 years. Unlike most of the critics, this U2 is a band that I just never really got into. There are a few songs on this album that I really like, most notably Cruel, but the rest are pretty “meh” for me. I really dislike the open cut, Zoo Station. Anyway, I give this one a three.
Gesundheit
1995 John: fuck U2, they suck 2024 John: I expected to hate this. I didn't. There are some bands whose singles always make me think I hate the entire band (Smashing Pumpkins) and I think U2 is on that list. I like almost all of the rhythm section on this, some of the guitar, and the song writing is great. It wasn't really for me, but it made me respect their obvious talent.
Better than I remember but still relies heavily on the singles. The album as a whole is ok, but I’ve always viewed U2 as a more singles band than album band. Still feels like that with this album, but the singles are really good.
A mixed album--a few good tracks and some highly mediocre ones, but I can appreciate them trying to change up their sound.
Definitely not as good as other U2 albums. This felt more conceptual than earlier albums and I’m definitely less of a fan. Lyricism wasn’t quite as good either but still a pleasant listen. 3 stars.
Meh
ok.... anyway..... this was fine. very fine. i'm not bothered by Bono's voice like a lot of people but i just wasn't really wowed by anything. extremely background music.
well, that sure was an album. i remember picking this up from the library sometime in the early 2000s and it didn't really grip me then, either. it's just U2 doing the "new U2" sound for the first time, but unfortunately we've heard it about a million times since. i rate this one loud, reverb-drenched, bono-screamed "meh" favorites: even better than the real thing, one, mysterious ways
not bad, fun sound
Some good songs, I enjoyed it
Admittedly I’m not the biggest fan of this band, but I have this a shot and am not trying to be a hater. But I feel like this album sums up my issues with U2, in that their catalog is heavy on the filler, and they get a ton of mileage out of recreating a very similar song over and over. And am really confused on why this one is here, but I’m sure that means they’ll be heavily represented on the list. Oh well
Certainly one of the better U2 albums, but that doesn't mean it's one of the all timers because it's still U2. Some great songs on here but why is Bono's voice so far out in front of everything else?!
I'm going to sound like a complete snob, but I'm doing it anyway. This album sounds very '90s and very normie to me. Like this is allegedly about as experimental as U2 gets, and it feels like really safe alt rock. It feels like it's pushing zero musical boundaries at all. That said, I'll put aside my snobbishness and say it's fine. My first draft said "it's still pretty solid", but after listening to the second half of the album I'm going with "fine". "One" is an absolute banger (and apparently they were considering breaking up before they improvised that in the studio and then wrote the rest of the album). There's a few other decent songs, Bono has a good voice, it's ok. I definitely might be just a complete hater for no reason here, but this just didn't do much for me. I've noticed that I consistently rate '90s albums on the low side, and I'm wondering if it's because it's recent enough that things like this don't sound "old" in the way that like '60s or '70s albums do, but they still sound "dated" or unfamiliar compared to stuff that I would've grown up with from the '00s or '10s. It doesn't really explain my relatively low '80s ratings (I'm more tempted to say that those are due to legit bad trends in '80s music, looking at you New Wave and synth pop), but just a thought. Favorite song: One Other: Even Better Than The Real Thing, Until The End Of The World, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Mysterious Ways, Ultra Violet (Light My Way), Love Is Blindness 11/25/24
3/5
6/10 - every song was decent and I have heard a few of them before. They were just not as good as anything I normally listen to so I’m not going to revisit. It’s close to the line between 3-4 stars
now i know where coldplay get their inspiration from.. Favorite track: one other picks: even better than the real thing, mysterious ways, acrobat
This was so ubiquitous when I was a teenager it's really hard to listen with fresh ears.
Well, this is awkward. Having based most of my personality on hating U2, now I find out through this album that one of my all time favourite songs - Love is Blindness - is actually a U2 original. The rest of the album is trash, but that song is pure gold. What is even worse is I prefer their original to my all time favourite version (a cover I now realise!) by Jack White. What am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?? I'm having an existential crisis. Not to mention how this might effect my Spotify wrapped this year!! Obviously all these stars are just for the final track - because at the end of the day - FUCK U2
An improvement over Josie Tree, some moments that stood out and the guitar work was much stronger
Meh.
Typical U2.
225/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
After listening to my first ever U2 albumz War over a year ago through this challenge I had high hopes for this. However I feel like it doesn't live up to the quality of War. That's not to say it's bad, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it more with more listens. Overall I am a bit disappointed because everything I loved about War is missing here. I guess because it is a different style that is to be expected.
I liked it better than I expected!
They should’ve put this album on all of our phones instead of the other one.
As someone who isn’t really a fan of U2, this was rather… inoffensive? And look, I’m Irish myself - believe it or not it’s not actually quite the cardinal sin to not be a fan of this band as you might think it is. I was a child when all the big hits from “The Joshua Tree” were all over MTV. I have always thought the production on those tracks were very rich and grandiose; but ultimately they were quite forgettable. I’ll give U2 some credit - they have the ability to craft a decent melody and they do have a distinct sound. But somehow they always manage to sound super safe, conservative, and they rarely ever step outside of their lane underneath any surface level style they apply. This album is a stone cold case of that. Sure, there’s elements of psychedelic rock, some dance elements thrown in, and some pretty lush production. But it’s still not that much different to previous efforts. Bono still croons the same way, the drums and bass are still quite pedestrian, and the guitar work is… well it’s U2. I don’t really see this album as the total reinvention it seems to be known as, but rather just adding a slightly grungy and slightly darker tone to the sound they already established before they moved on to be a total stadium rock dad rock band. It’s not the worst collection of songs you’ll ever hear. The singles are strong and many still get radio play today. But it’s a high budget middle of the road album otherwise. 3/5
Большой сюрприз, если честно. Как бы это не плохой альбом. Это не очень интересный альбом, но плохой? Настолько, насколько "фанаты" Ю2 кричат на каждом углу? Лучшая песня - One.
Favourite song - one
3.5
Enjoyable listen.
I know some folk reaaaaaly hate U2, but this seems, I dunno... inoffensive and bland, but ultimately fine. Apart from the absolute stinker that is Mysterious Ways, of course. The melody in the verses of that track genuinely sounds like music for children.
Pretty good music. Tight, groovy, unique enough to stand out in a selection of 90's music. I usually spew some devout hatred over U2. But I think I'm just anti-bono. Unimaginative songwriter and lyricist with bold politic and social views that corrupt the value of the music. Growing up, he was always in the news for being outspoken against something and that polluted the art for me. But the band is sick.
Was ever a band more overrated and over hated? Bono is sort of ridiculous. I think his ego gives him an over inflated opinion of his smartness. Ooh post modern so what? But there are a few very good songs on here - One, Until the End of the World. However, it's at least a couple of songs too long.
This is fine, pretty mediocre beige rock, with the exception of One which is great. A couple of the other songs appeal to an extent (Wild Horses), but really it's generic middle of the road pop rock. A low 3/5, thanks to One.
Enjoyed it, I hadn’t really listened to much of U2 before but it was nice. Would love to listen to more of their stuff. The fly was probably my favourite song.
I started out enjoying it but then it got old pretty quick. Generally quite good though. Loved zoo station
Goed gitaarwerk, maar blijft U2. De nummers doen me gewoon weinig.
Every time I’ve gotten U2 I think this is the time it’ll hit me. Sadly still didn’t get anything out of it. Rating: 2.6
Hmm, a weird one. I really hate U2's sound. BUT the songs are very well written. For example the Patti Smith cover of Until the End of the World is amazing and shows how great the lyrics are, but I really hate the original, it's so bland and the lyrics are lost in just strumming guitar effects. Same with Love is Blindness, the Jack White cover is brilliant, way better than the original. Such a shame I hate the sound because there's some really good songs hidden underneath them.
Typical U2 rock. Solid, but not too exciting
U2 sounds like U2, for the best and the worst
Besser als befürchtet. Die Stimme ist ganz angenehm, der Sound tendenziell, wie ich ihn mag, aber natürlich pop pop pop.
Damn, I got kinda disappointed. Everybody always talks about "HOLY SHIT IT'S ACHTUNG BABY BY U2", and considering that I have already listened to two U2 albums (hehe) I thought to myself "aw yeah this may be it. Finally after many 9/10's this will be the perfect 10". Well it wasn't. If anything, I don't think it holds up to War or Joshua Tree. It's very commercial in nature and sound, but kinda lacks that U2 thing that made me love those two other albums. I don't know. Kind of overrated? Like I said, it sounds very commercially succesful (and it probably was), but in my honest eyes is in no way an improvement from Joshua Tree. And now I kinda wish to change my rating of it from a 4 to a 5. It's different, sure. Bold and brash. But not THAT good. 6 - maybe 7 tops - out of 10. Still not sure.
First time I've really played through a U2 album, I've never got the hype. They seem so famous, but I don't know anyone who really likes them. The music was good, but didn't blow me away or anything
I really strongly dislike U2, but regardless I did find this album somewhat refreshing. Not an album I’ll listen to again, but it was good!
One of U2's best albums that' I've heard front to back. Feels like a good blend of their more accessible shoegaze sound but still experimental before they hit that joshua tree all hits era (which, has some of their best songs mind you, but ends up making them almost too cheesy). Best deep cuts are the fly, throwing your arms around the world and who's gonna ride your wild horses. Best known tracks (to me) are one, love is blindness and mysterious ways.
I'm admittedly very much NOT a U2 fan, but I'm giving this one a shot in the spirit of this album project. I don't mind it, which I'd say is progress. It's not something I'd go out of my way to listen to, but it was solid.
3 Stars (8/15)
They are really trying to be an international hit band at this point. And when it hits it's increased, but the rest of the album? Middle of the road slog fests. If they had three songs on a best singles I'd rate them 5 in a second, but the whole album? Not so much.
24/09/24 Wasn't bad. Got a bit boring though.
I don’t know what to think about this record. It wasn’t bad, in fact it had some very good tunes, but nothing really struck me.
Ok pop album that didn’t catch my interest. Includes mega hit One. Had the other significant better U2 album The Joshua Tree yesterday, so that might have tainted the rating. I like the song Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.
Fairly average output from christian rock's biggest band.
Some hits most misses
While I’m certainly not a U2 fan, this is … ok. With a few years under the bridge and away from the hype and their personalities, this is … alright.
dad music. not really for me but i can see the appeal
It's fine. I don't get that excited about U2 though.
Love U2, this was a good album with a lot of classic songs, but towards the end of the album I was getting tired of it Top tracks: One, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Mysterious Ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright. Is how I feel about this album. It's not good, but it's not necessarily bad either. I have never really been a U2 fan. I have always thought they were overrated, and boy did this solidify that thought. Just really generic, boring rock music.
Ugh. One extra star for how important it was (compare this to Coldplay) for better or worse (worse, it was for worse).
Creo que este album está sobrevalorado. Será porque nunca he logrado conectar del todo con el trabajo de U2, pero me parece bastante estándar en cuanto a inovación y calidad interpretativa. La grabación y mezcla es excelente, pero nada más.
U2 is zo'n band waar een ontwikkeling in het complete oeuvre zit, dus waar je de albums onderling mooi kunt vergelijken. Misschien dat ik zo'n projectje weer eens een keer oppak. Gelukkig kennen we van U2 al wel veel albums. Dit album komt samen met Zooropa uit de Berlijnse periode, de stad van de techno. En je kan dus ook horen dat er veel elektronische invloeden in zitten. Gelukkig staan er ook een aantal hits op, dat maakt het geheel goed behapbaar. Mooi dat U2 een muzikale ontwikkeling doormaakte, maar doe mij van U2 maar de albums uit de 80s. Daarna werd het alleen maar minder. Dit is op zich natuurlijk wel een prima album, dat niet misstaat in een 1001-lijstje. Maar de greatest hits was genoeg geweest. Het zit ergens tussen de 3 en de 4 in, maar omdat de goegemeente dit toch te hoog geeft, ben ik geneigd op de 3 sterren te klikken.
Comfy old U2
holy crap those MTV days, Bono vox, had enough of that fine for the rest of my life
Felt a little underwhelming, but not terrible.
U2 never stuck with me even though I grew up with their music. I don't get what makes them stand out from other rock bands.
actually first u2 album that made me feel something
I don't know how to explain it, but this sounds like fake music.
I know that there is a divide on if The Edge is as good of a guitar player as he is acclaimed to be. The whole "he just hits one note and let's the pedal's effects do the work. I think he is a great guitar player and innovator. His approach to playing guitar (at least at the time) was far different than any other contemporary artists. I like hearing the riffs and effects he comes up with and uses. That being said.... This album was OK. Perhaps slightly better than average. But nothing really memorable besides the singles. The other tracks were just that, O.K. Bono has a great voice and uses it appropriately in this record. His lyrics are trash though. The song One might be one of the biggest cliches I've ever heard... And I've heard it many times in my life. Always have dismissed it.. But actually listening to it makes me realize why people dislike Bono. I don't know. U2 are labeled as one of the greats... But I don't know if I view the same view.
I liked the opening track, but after that I found out to be like a normal U2 album, not that compelling
Achtung Baby is an album with a lot of interesting ideas. Unfortunately, I don’t think U2 are the band to successfully pull off said ideas. What should be a spacey deconstruction of rock comes out as edgy Adult Contemporary music for Cool Moms™️ to play while they smoke Capris in their minivans and wait for their kids to finish soccer practice. Part of it is Bono’s lyrics, which are either sappy or pseudo-intellectual – more often, a combination of the two. I also think the band overall isn’t good enough to pull off the studio trickery required to execute Achtung Baby to its fullest – The Edge does too little on their guitar, and the rhythm section is extremely background, to the detriment of every song here. That said, U2 are extremely overhated. Again, I don’t think they’re a *great* band, but they are very close to being one. I think Bono’s voice does a lot of the work here, but also, they have a knack for riffs and hooks, even when they’re experimenting. More importantly, they have ideas, and those ideas give this album in particular a lot of mileage. Achtung Baby is far from the greatest record I’ll ever hear, and I doubt I’ll either revisit it or even remember it, but it’s also not unappealing. I doubt I’d be friends with anyone who loves this washed out type of Boomer Mom rock, but I also wouldn’t think they’re deaf or insane of enjoying it. This is an album that’s close to something great, but falls short from just a far enough distance that it makes you feel embarrassed for the band for even trying. And I don’t want to feel embarrassed for U2, a band who sells out arenas with little to no effort. But I also don’t feel the need to dogpile on this record. Although it’s not essential and I’m sure I’ll be more critical of the three (!!!) other U2 albums on this list, for now, I’m fine with Achtung Baby, because at least they’re trying. Not the worst, but not a great listen, either. The epitome of the word “fine.”
In my opinion there are better U2 albums. 'One' is not a bad song but the rest is not memorable.
"My god, it must be over a hundred courics!"
Achtung Baby is an interesting album, and I think it presents U2 at the pinnacle of their songwriting capabilities. Many of the songs thematically and lyrically seem like they would have fit perfectly on The Joshua Tree (my favorite U2 album), but they stylistically shifted their sound to purposely re-invent themselves in the wake of their unsuccessful live/studio album Rattle and Hum released between Joshua and Achtung. Rattle and Hum is definitely a let down after such a massive 80s career for the band. I appreciate how during the rise of grunge, U2 got a bit darker but strayed further away from the garage rock style and got more electric and dancy with many of the tracks here. They maybe seem to have been inspired by acts like Nine Inch Nails in incorporating a harsher sound, but don’t dive too far into that style to alienate themselves from their arena rock sound. I do really like this album, but what I like even more is the cover album released for its 20th anniversary: (Ăhk-to͝ong Ba͞y-bi) Covered. This is probably my favorite cover album of all time; it includes covers by artists who U2 clearly took inspiration from when writing and recording the album in 1991 (e.g. Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Depeche Mode) as well as musicians who were at their peak or close to it in 2011 like The Killers, Jack White, and Snow Patrol. So many of these covers are superior to the original, but none more starkly so than White’s “Love Is Blindness” which pours brutal emotion into an already emotional track. Obviously this fantastic cover album wouldn’t exist without the original being as great as it was, so I thank U2 for a wonderful album.
There's some stuff on here I love. Edge has always loved his effects without going full psych or shoegaze, but on this record he sounds more like a guitar player, even though is sonic palette is a lot more experimental. Even better than the real thing and the Fly sorta give me some mild madchester vibes, acrobat is a great psych rock number. One and Wild Horses are the U2 schlock that sorta feels hollow in such a Bono way. Overall, an intersting curve in the U2 sound.
5/10. Disco bastante meh, el hitazo empujó Tf: mysterious ways/even better than the real thing
7/10
Tulipahan tämakin kuunneltua nyt kokonaan. Ihan ok levy, mutta tän bändin maailmaasyleilevyys ei oikein enää jaksa innostaa 3/5
I don't mind this album, I just think that it is forgettable outside of a few tracks. Not as good as The Joshua Tree. Favorite track: "So Cruel."
Kaksi biisiä joista aidosti nautti ja loput OK taustamusaa.
Grew up with these era of U2, but I found this album pretty forgettable. Still decent, though.
That time U2 stopped being po-faced and were all the better for it. Really can't be doing with 75% of U2 but I always really liked this one, it's a load of tongue in cheek, loud and catchy pop and rock fun. Lots of variety from the hazy pop of 'She moves in mysterious ways' to the deadly serious but tender 'One'. Album tacks are pretty good too. Current pop historians will tell you it was all grunge in the early 90s but this was massively succesful then too and deservedly.
I guess this is a good album. I’ve heard most of the songs hundreds and thousands of times. U2 just always comes across as pretentious, so I can’t fully enjoy it.
Just as mid as I remember it (2.5/5)
I'm admittedly not the biggest U2 fan, but do enjoy this one. Mysterious Ways gets a star all on its own.
This was better than the last U2 album I listened to on this list (The Joshua Tree), but still not enough to really grip me.
Definitely had some songs I liked here
💖 mysterious ways 🗣️ 6️⃣
Typisch U2, bassreich, aber auch ideenreich, Melodien. Zum nebenherhören sehr gut geeignet
This was average for me. I feel like I like U2 songs selectively and this album sort of confirmed that. Some tracks I was nodding along to, then others I was just zoning out and waiting for it to end. Musically it’s good, maybe I’m just not as into Bono’s voice.
Always a good classic, never was totally my thing...
Good overall. Favourites- one, even better than the real thing, mysterious ways, ultra violet, acrobat
Nawet, nawet ballady ale giną w tle 3/5
Mjög mikið meh. One er fallegt lag. BONO!
Hlustaði vandræðalega mikið á þetta á sínum tíma. Eldist ekki vel. Finnst fyrstu plöturnar þeirra miklu betri núna. Meira real.
Wikipedia says this has been "acclaimed by writers and music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time." I'm neither a writer nor a critic, but meh. It's fine, with a few good songs and more boring ones.
U2 sounds good, but nothing special except "One" for my taste.
I have a knee-jerk cynicism about U2; I don't want to like them. I know a lot of their biggest hits, and like several of them, but I think this was only the 4th album I've listened to in full (the others being The Joshua Tree, All That You Can't Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb). Listening to One, possibly the only song here I'd heard before, I thought of John Lennon asking Paul McCartney whether he was supposed to laugh during the solo of Let It Be. The thing is, I like Let It Be. I like One, too. Zoo Station was a case of cool textures not adding up to a great song, and perhaps there are a couple too many slow songs, but I enjoyed this much more than I expected and I'm sure I'll listen to it again.
Some good tracks - wouldn't listen to much!
The songs “one” and “mysterious ways” are decent rock songs otherwise the rest of the album is ok. I’m not a huge u2 fan and this didn’t really change my opinion.
i listened to it i did
Decent U2 album, although like the (few) other ones I've heard, I remember about 3 of the songs & forget the rest.
There is "One" good song on this album.
Schön, mal wieder zu hören...
Favorite Tracks: Mysterious Ways Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
To be clear, I like U2. I'm not a fan of U2...more of a "love the hits" kind of fan. I've never listened to an entire U2 album. I've read about the greatness of this album so it was good to get a chance to listen to it. For me...it's just okay. I love certain songs, but the majority of the album didn't click for me. Parts of it were just boring to me. However, I've always loved Mysterious Ways (pretty much since the first time I heard it). Favorite tracks: Zoo Station, One, So Cruel, Mysterious Ways, Love is Blindness.
U2 just doesn't do much for me
Another hit and miss U2 album - not as good as War, better than the dreadful All That You Can’t Leave Behind. There are some really good songs on here, most notably One but Acrobat was a great deeper cut as well - there were also some less good songs like the dreary closer and the god awful Tryin To Throw Your Arms Around the World, and then just a lot of stuff in the middle. Apparently this is the last of four U2 albums on this list so I’m mainly just glad I don’t really have to listen to them again
So I've always had a prejudice against U2, or maybe to be more fair against Bono. Sure, he's done good things, but he's one of those people that needs to give up his ego and self-importance and just be a decent person because it's the right thing to do rather than for personal gain. And I don't know how but his arrogance seems to carry through to his vocals. Bono aside, this album has some good high points. One, of course, but I also really enjoy Until The End Of The World, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, and Acrobat. They build songs really well and I love The Edge as a guitar player, stupid name aside. Apart from their early albums which may be considered some kind of punk-lite, they layer instruments and arrange the music really well and always have a super full sound. I guess I've always just kind of written most of U2 off because Bono is not my favorite person. They have written some songs that I really like, Joshua Tree is a fantastic album, maybe I should try to get over Bono and appreciate them for their music. Giving this one a solid 3.5 stars but rounding down because...Bono.
Decent. Kinda was putting me to sleep the end lol
I like it but I remember when they forced everyone to download their album
Me gusto mas que War, corrige o cambian cosas respecto a lo que comenté de War. Es mas dinámico y One es una gran canción.
Solid album.
This was a very interesting album- at first I wasn't expecting much of it, but I noticed a couple of references that went almost completely over my head- Achtung is German for Attention! Also, this album is what inspired the JJBA character Shizuka Joestar! Very cool lil references right there. Overall it wasn't bad. I'd add a few to my playlist :)
I like some U2, but not blown away by this album as a whole
Couple good songs overall mid
Rating: 6/10 Decent album overall. Enjoyed the experimental nature of it, U2 changed their sound on this album while still sounding like themselves. A lot of the songs sound very similar but the highlights are really great, it at times sounds uncannily like Radiohead. Favorite songs: Zoo Station, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Ultra Violet (Light My Way), Love Is Blindness. Worst song: So Cruel.
Even Better Than the Real Thing One Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses Mysterious Ways
It's not bad. Nothing really stood out to me. Just kind of faded into the background.
U2's never been a favorite of mine, but it's hard to dislike an album with "Even Better Than the Real Thing," "One," and "Mysterious Ways" on it. I'm not sure what my favorite U2 song is, but the latter is definitely in the conversation. The rest of the album's decent enough, so let's call this 3.5 stars.
Pretty good U2 album.
U2 seems like the Nickleback of the 80s/90s
Pretty lame but some nice tunes, prefer earlier albums
Prefer the old style of U2 but respect the reinvention
I was quite surprised how much i liked this album, despite thinking it was very 'safe' music while i heard it, or maybe not safe, but at least not-dangerous. I found the music somewhat generic, and i have never been a huge fan of Bonos voice, but i didnt really mind listening to this one.
I'm not a big fan of U2 and I don't really love their sound. It is just so dull for me. That said, this isn't horrible. I like the guitar with the vocal tone to get this sorta spaced out vibe. The 'Even Better Than the Real Thing' song is pretty good. 'One' I've heard a million times and didn't even realize it was U2. A bit over played but that is because it is a banger.
Fav: One L/F: The Fly Yeah idk, it's U2 doing U2. 5
Walmart of alternative rock. So inoffensive it makes me upset.
I think everybody understands this isn't Joshua Tree
One love and all its covers are forever in my playlist. The rest of the album are not so memorable. Anyway, it was quite pleasant.
One is one of the best songs ever written. The rest is pretty good too
It was alright. A couple of songs were recognizable. Nothing ground moving.
Some great work by U2.
I find this album very scattered. Some great songs, some really shit - zoo station I have always skipped.
I liked some songs like one or misterious ways but for the most part is aight
i have no love for U2 but this is a decent early 90s pop rock album
I guess this album was less boring than what I expected. Definitely makes sense to include it as a foundational record for alternative rock with "One" and "Mysterious Ways", bla bla bla. These guys would have also smashed back in the 70s through, making ballads like "Love is Blindness". You can hear the influences of preceding genres in other tracks as well.
Hah...this is the first time I ever listened to Achtung Baby, hard to believe. Some good songs nothing transcendent. 3 stars
Got it. It's U2. It's ok. When do I get to listen to The Joshua Tree?
Vintage Bono. Well played
U2 have some good tracks but I can't listen to them for more than a couple of tracks in a row
I just dont think u2 are for me, got really bored listening to this and felt his voice agitating. Prolly southpark and Bill Bailey ruined this for me
Heard before for this entry, but forgot to write any notes. But now that I listen to it again, it's hard to do that... I know that U2 seems to be in the same spot as Coldplay and Imagine Dragons. I mean, it's okay to listen to, but I don't quite emotionally react to it. But it's still chill. My driving instructor used to play U2 in his car, so I tend to think about that. + One Love + Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses + So Cruel + Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
Good songwriting and U2 definitely has an iconic sound but their music just doesn't excite me - just left me a bit bored, but it's not bad music!
Bij het album 'War' noemde ik U2 een Knorr wereldgerecht en eigenlijk is dat bij dit album niet anders. De hele familie kan het vreten en misschien is er één familielid die het echt geweldig vindt omdat die de hongerwinter nog heeft meegemaakt en vergeleken met ongezouten bloembollen lijkt het nog heel wat. Sky Radio muziek. Gaandeweg ga ik me ietsjes ergeren merk ik. Die eeuwige kerkgalm, die half jankende stem van Bono (met af en toe een soort Hazesesque snik), de kopstemstukjes, de overgeproduceerde drums waar alle dynamiek en emotie is uitgefilterd en dan ook nog een gitarist die zichzelf 'the Edge' noemt maar ondertussen wel echt slaapverwekkend gitaarspel op de mat legt. Tussen de 2 en 3 voor mij.
That wasn't unpleasant. But I do not understand why this band took off.
Not really a U2 fan, but always think of this as their best period. And it does have some good songs, but mainly the singles, with The Fly a properly good song. Also, ...Wild Horses and Mysterious Ways But some of the songs are dull and overlong. Could have lopped off 15 minutes and had a really good 40 minute record.
Actually not a bad album, good background noise.
I remember that everyone freaked out when The Fly dropped as the first single from this record because "U2 had totally changed their sound". When I listen to this several years on though, it still sounds like a U2 record - it's not mashing the Americana buttons that the Joshua Tree did, but it's still instantly recognizable as a U2 album, especially in the context of everything that came after it. I recognize that U2 has different eras, but everything they do sounds like U2, that is a good rock band that is rarely exceptional. This is less of a groundbreaking album than it was hyped to be on its release.
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright.
taas yksi ultra valtavirta bändi jota en ole hallunnut kuunnella koska pari kuuluisinta biisiä on on kuin HERNEROKKA ILMAN SIANSORKKIA!!! ja albumin biisit ovat kyllä parempia parempilaatuisia, luovempityyppisiä kappaleita mutta ei kyllä säväyttänyt (ei kelpo vitonen) yksitellen ehkö hassun hauska kuunnella mutta kokonaisuudessaan albumi kuulostaa ääniseinältä ja ei piru, piru vien, piru vien vaan kiinnosta mörsän virtaa... until the end of the world
More enjoyable than the other U2 album (Joshua Tree) but not as good as it’s made out to be. I’m starting to think U2 isn’t as good as they say
всё уайт нойз кроме уан. потом немного расслушала остальные (осознала что мистириос уэйз тоже знаю). потом даже погуглила источники выражений донт лет зе бастардз грайнд ю даун и ин дримз бегин респонсибилитиз. в общем альбом не впечатлил но википедия даа
I remember liking this album quite a bit when it came out. It sounded cool. I expected to enjoy listening again and have all kinds of nostalgic feelings. Yes to the latter, for sure, but the music itself isn't as special as I remember. One is still a great song and I do like Mysterious Ways. This is still a good album, but that extra je ne sais quoi has worn off in the intervening decades, which I guess is fair enough. I do think U2 belongs on this list, which probably means this album also belongs on this list. But I imagine it will be a while before I visit Achtung Baby again.
Vocal harmonies on “zoo station” are really cool, it also has a nice driving bass line. Vocal “ahhh” harmonies give this a nostalgic, feel good sound, it’s cool they keep coming back to that. Sonically this holds up very well in general. “One” toes the line between “change the radio station immediately” corny and “get drunk and sing along with the boys” corny. Really the whole thing is corny, but a lot of it feels pretty good to listen to. Cover art: 4/10
Sounds exactly like what you’d expect from U2. Kinda cheesy but well made. Guitars sound cool af and fill up the space really well. The delay on all off the riffs and solos make all of the sounds sound huge. Makes up for some of Bono’s Bono-ness on songs like the fly where the guitar solo saves the song. The bass tone and bass lines also are solid throughout the album. Definitely easy to hate on U2 but I think it’s objectively well made with some catchy songs and is a decent 3 that I could understand people really liking.
Man some of these songs are catchy i can’t lie. Typa shit you don’t wanna like but just do. I’m like that Jay z gif quietly bobbing my head. I’d never be outspoken about this album but i really didnt mind it. Lyrics can be kinda cringe but Bonk has a style of singing that I kinda like for some reason Heard before: mysterious ways Top tracks: who’s gonna ride, mysterious ways, ultra violet
For some, U2 can walk on water. However, for me, it just doesn't do anything. While I can appreciate the album for what it is and the change in music styles, I just don't think I'll seek to purchase on vinyl.
Extemely listenable. While doesn't reach the heights of Joshua Tree, it's instantly apparent why this was one of the biggest albums of the '90s. 3/5
Another album where I’ve heard the singles a million and one times, but never had a strong urge to check the album. Not horrible, but not anything special either. First half of the album is stronger, towards the end my finger is was inching towards the track skip button. I liked maybe a handful of U2 songs before this. Listening to this album added one to the list. Success, I guess. Standouts: Until The End of the World 2.75
Not that big of a U2 fan, and found this a little weak. Mysterious Ways is the only real banger on it, End of the World also pretty good. The rest is as always competent rock, diminished by a little too much self-seriousness.
It’s alright.
A couple good songs on here, but overall lackluster.
It was good background music. I can totally see why people would really like this, but its not quite my style. If someone put it on in the car though, I would listen to it again
Not as offensive as so many U2 haters seem to lead you to believe. Besides Mysterious Ways it's pretty unremarkable, though. It got a little boring and repetitive by the end of the album.
Would have definitely preferred if this U2 album was automatically downloaded onto my iPhone. A couple boring songs, but a solid listen for sure.
I hate U2. They're all smug, self-important, pretentious assholes. I also am irritated by the standard U2 sound, with Bono doing improvised high up wailing vocals over Edge's jingling high pitched droney guitar nonsense on a bed of boring bass and drums. All that being said, this album was better than I expected. It is certainly plagued by a boring back end, where the drummer comes up with a single rhythm and just plays it with few fills for the entire song. And that rhythm is often the same across multiple songs to the point where the drums need to be there but are forgettable and can be mostly ignored. The bassist was good for coming up with at most one good riff per song, which is rarely improvised over. That riff is usually pretty good, but come on show some creativity. It is especially egregious in the transition from Mysterious Ways to Tryin to Throw, where the similarity of the single riff highlights the lack of creativity. Note that the bass is quite well mixed on this album however and stands out exactly when it should. Thankfully the guitar on this album is pretty good. Edge stays away from his high jingly garbage for the most part and lays down some pretty nice tracks. Guitar highlight for me is the extremely tasteful two-guitar opening to One. Bono is at his worst when he does the high wailing stuff, but mercifully that's absent from a number of these tracks. I would say overall that this album is mostly decent up to Mysterious Ways, then after that it is garbage other than the last track which I thought was a pretty decent closer. Mysterious Ways itself is more of a classic U2 sounds but man do I like that song. That bass groove is so nice, even if it never changes. The outro section kind of devolves into U2 garbage but I can forgive it. Another big highlight for me is the false rhythm opening to Until the End of the World, really like that. Anyways, impressed by some of this album but unlikely to go listening to much more U2.
Great production. The tones all sound great. Very pleasant to listen to sonically. But it's boring. And monotonous. Okay second half and coffee. It's got some variety and soul. I wanna dislike it for bono but it's got some good tunes. First take highlights: so cruel. Love is blindness.
Listened to this one a bit when I was younger. Good album but not their best.
A completely forgettable experience!! I know One and LIB. That being said, I didn't realise Love Is Blindness is a Bono original. You learn something new everyday! Saved tracks: Zoo Station, So Cruel, Acrobat, Love Is Blindness
This is not bad per say, I recognize the quality of the production and of many songs here, but I found it really boring as a whole. Not a lot of hooks and Bono's delivery is not that good. 5,5/10
This is a decent album. U2 gets a lot of hate for their attempts at being way too deep and how they portray themselves but overall their music is pretty good. They’ve been around for 4 decades and have made hits. This album is a bit more relaxed and the instrumentals are more upbeat. There are a couple songs that are replayable and have some worth. The song writing isn’t as depressing and this album is pretty solid. 6.7/10
Much better than I expected. Sometimes a bit overly dramatic
I liked really early U2 - the Boy era, when they were a bit more raw and hard. They still know how to write a catchy tune though. Happy to sing along to Mysterious Ways and my favourite on this album, – ‘Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses’. Apparently they’ve never been able to play that song live because they can’t recapture that emotion. I guess that’s why I like it then.
I was on the U2 train earlier than most. A high school buddy was a big fan and introduced me to Boy and October before War and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" started to break the band. He even had these bootlegs (on cassette) of the band's earliest demos, which were terrible. Like, still figuring out how to tune a guitar terrible. So I felt a personal connection — I watched these guys grow into a real band. I saw them on the Unforgettable Fire tour, and it was one of the more spiritual concert experiences of my life. The crowd was fully invested, the band was in peak form, Lone Justice opened. Good night. Then Live Aid happened and the bubble burst. Funny that many discovered them at that time, but it was like the veil was lifted and I saw the band, and Bono, more specifically, for all its ambition. The honesty was gone. I think they really started buying into the hype and I was outta there. So, for a decade or more, I couldn't listen to the band. It was all schlock to me. This album falls right in the middle of that era. Three of the four U2 albums on the 1001 list do (groan). I seriously shed all of this, or at least acknowledged it, and gave this as objective a listen as I could. Nope. I don't buy any of it. Every plaintive groan, every strained whispery word, every gravelly note, every lyric. It all sounds so terribly self-aware. It's all show. It's like the band is watching itself under its own microscope. I get that my personal bias clouds my judgment on this one. But I just don't enjoy listening to this era of this band. "Mysterious Ways" is a legitimately good tune, even Bono's melodrama doesn't destroy that, though they follow it up with one of the worst songs in their catalog for good measure. I expect this album is probably better than my take on it, so I've raised my rating to a 3 to compensate. I bet you guys can't wait to hear more from dre's personal diary when Joshua Tree gets served up.
At the time this came out, I wasn't a fan. I preferred their earlier style to their reinvented one, as much as I knew that every band needs to evolve (and apparently, they really felt it - nearly split up). However, on a closer listen - and getting beyond the "hey we're different now" announcement of the opening track - there's a lot to like. Sure it's a bit overdone in places, but for the most part these are good songs with good arrangements. Not sure i'd reach for it in preference to other U2 albums, but definitely 3.5 stars.
3.8 very cool
I mean, it’s alright. It doesn’t suck, but I never liked U2 all that much and, while this is an enjoyable listen, it’s not super great. Also, did they just have too many album cover ideas and cram them onto one instead of picking one?
C'est une bonne idée de la part de U2 de vouloir viser le public germanophone, mais le propos est loin d'être assez agressif pour que ce projet soit réussi. Je les invite à prendre exemple sur Laibach et leur album Opus Dei.
Pretty Good
Fine.
This barely squeaks out a 3 for me. I’ve never been a U2 fan and this album is no different. I speak of uncanny valleys a lot, but I think U2 is uniquely uncannily between rock and pop.
I honestly can’t say I’m a fan of U2, mainly because Bono just seems super annoying. I remember years ago I read about him getting a private jet to fly his hat from Ireland to USA. This is the guy shouting about climate change. He must have really needed that hat. Songs I already knew: Even Better Than The Real Thing, One, Mysterious Ways Favourites: Even Better Than The Real Thing I was expecting this album to be bad and annoying just because I don’t like Bono. His voice was as whiny and annoying as expected, but the music itself was actually ok. It wasn’t anything amazing, but it was fine. Fairly uninspiring, but fine as pop music. Typical radio music, but nothing I’d ever go seeking out. Overall, it was better than expected but still pretty mid.
Roadblock..
I never used to like U2, mainly because of The Fly video, but suprised myself and liked a lot of this album
Notes - U2’s 5th album - Were aiming for something more “dark” and personal - I have some issues with the mixing and production of this album - The drums have no life to them - Surprising since Brian Eno is involved - The songs are okay, there’s a couple of classics but the rest are mostly forgettable - The songs are definitely creative, U2 using their usual formula but leaving room for experimentation and unconventional stuff Fav - Mysterious ways - Love the extra percussion and guitar sound on here Least fav - So cruel - Bit of a snooze, goes on for a while 3/5
Niet zo fan, maar ook niet per se slecht.
U2bad this one is their best album because it is not u2good
Honestly, I made a mental groan when U2 popped up today. I had this annoying acquaintance back in the day who LOVED LOVED U2 and have had a strange aversion to them ever since. Time seems to be on my side on that. BUT, Achtung Baby is better than I gave them credit for. There are a couple of good songs on this album and I always appreciate a coherent whole album, which this does, even though each song may sound a little too similar to the last at times. And then Bono's voice still gets tiresome about halfway through.
A few singles on here that I already knew. They remind me a lot of the 90s, when I was a youngster. Never been a huge fan of U2 but this album is alright. The singles stand out the most the other album tracks kinda passed me by…
Inoffensive and forgettable, but thankfully nowhere near as pretentious and insufferable as The Joshua Tree.
Decent rock album. Not too much else to say.
Less synths, more rock. That's a good decision, U2.
This album is a bloody mess. Apologies to the fanboys but what even is going on here? There are two good songs and the rest are just wandering, ho-hum pop songs. The driving rock band who made "The Joshua Tree" seems to have gone on vacation and put cardboard stand-ins on stage instead. The songs are simple, the production is over-mixed, and the performances are flat. It only earns 3 stars because "One" and "Mysterious Ways" are so good. Too bad the rest of the album doesn't even come close to the level of those two songs.
I liked this one, not a huge U2 fan
занудьненько like usually .....
Industrial influences Processed vocals + guitars, mechanical drums, synthesizers Produced by BRIAN ENO!!!!! Which is why it sounds good for a U2 album If people think NIN is gateway industrial, this is the gateway to gateway industrial. The general atmosphere of some of the songs makes it difficult to get the point of the lyrics across sometimes. The instrumentation in Who's Gonna... is way too upbeat for what Bono sings about. A lot of these songs feel a little dragged out, especially when most of them have no big changes over the course of the song. This is the case with So Cruel, where the song is 5 minutes long but has no big evolutions or changes. The Fly resolves almost every problem I've had with the album so far. Mysterious Ways is one of my favourites so far. It's not overly complicated, doesn't overstay its welcome and contains some great guitar work from The Edge. This album is very hit or miss, with the misses still being listenable and the hits "pretty good" at the best. Overall, its an ok album but would take a lot of effort to listen to the whole thing at once, as it is very draggy. Sounds like Muse but good.
I can see how U2 were the biggest band in the world for a bit. This is some impressive song writing and polished sound engineering. If they didn't push their tripe onto every IPhone in the world that one time, and Bono was a bit less Bono, I'm sure I'd like them a bit more. I might just go and quietly listen to The Joshua Tree.
Well that's my quota of U2 for the year. 'One' is a legitimately great song. The rest, meh.
Never forget when U2 hacked everyones iTunes. There are a couple bangers on this album but not my vibe. I’ll be generous with a 2.8 even though my head was still hurting during this album
Okay I guess.
72/100: U2 sounds a lot more like Coldplay than I remember them sounding. U2's clearly a great band, but this wasn't their best stuff. I admittedly don't know much about U2's discography and don't listen to them regularly, but I really hope this isn't considered one of their better albums, because it's very mediocre. Like I said, sounds like Coldplay. Generic pop rock.
Back then I wanted to like this album, but just could not get into it. Today I am still struggling to enjoy it. Yes, there is some good guitar work from The Edge (the main riff on Mysterious Ways, and also Acrobat springs to mind), but the majority of the songs themselves are not compelling enough for me, and at times Bono's vocal delivery even starts to irritate me a little.
I’ve never really been a fan of U2, but this wasn’t terrible. I’d probably listen to it again.
Solidno. Bilo je par pjesama koje su bile puno bolje od ostalog ali necu se vracat na ovo. Ostaje dad music
Okej je i ima dobrih dijelova, ali neću se sad baš nešta posebno vraćat na ovaj album, a pogotovo na u2.
1 This sucks 2 Ok its not that bad 3
2.5/5. This is fine. Not the best I've heard from them, and kind of bland and boring as a whole.
I don't have much experience with U2. I like a few of their songs, but I've made no effort to seek out more U2. This was okay. Some songs did nothing for me, but there were a few songs I enjoyed. I wonder if I'll end up liking Joshua Tree more or less than this. My favourite songs were probably So Cruel and Mysterious Ways.
I guess I don’t hate U2
U2 had long jumped the shark by this record. They revel in the indulgences of hedonistic arena rock, but they wear their own caricature well on the whole. It’s definitely less remarkable than either of their first two records, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear the emotional punches land as well as they do. They haven’t gone full 90s wah-wah rock just yet. The overall sonic impression is a bit confused as the group found itself in a bit of an identity crisis at the turn of the decade, but they came out rather favourably even as they sacrificed some of the vitality that made their early records so important to me. The songs are longer, the production even more polished than ever. I don’t rate the singles at all, they lack any sort of appeal to me. But whereas they maybe lost their creative edge, the Edge himself remains one of the most evocative guitarists in popular music. You either love him or you hate him, but his ear for a melody is undeniable and he executes his sound better than anybody else. He is the epitome of a guitarist who always serves the song. It’s a marked turn in U2’s discography, and while I’m not a great fan of their banal stadium-fillers, they were still capable of a stellar album (this one is still TOOO FUCKING LONG though!! Nearly two hours!!?!? Unbecoming of a great album, and I am sick to death of these marathon records! Keep it to 35 minutes lads).
It’s U2!
Veel gedraaid en nog altijd een van mijn favoriete U2 albums
i’m realizing i’m very particular about vocals. i don’t mind the instrumentals but not a huge fan of the vocals.
Could have gone without the vocals and lyrics. The guitar and instrumentals were pretty good.
Svårt, kluven, gillar inte Bono
det var dåligt producerat??
An okay album, it almost made me like them again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd5x9WEqGvM 3.5/5
started out strong but I got bored by the end
Top 3 Songs: 1 - The Fly (7) 2 - Mysterious Ways (8) 3 - One (3)
This one's a two star
Only a couple of songs here I can really appreciate (Mysterious Ways, One), the others don’t do anything for me really.
Eh
kinda basic, good background music
So freaking average I can't bother to give this muzak anything other than three stars. Boring af
Back before U2 sucked
Really bouncing between styles and moods. I like U2, but this album as a whole isn’t for me.
Some good tunes. A lot of sounding the same.
Good singles, ok album
Il faut arrêter l'évasion fiscale monsieur Bono
fais attention baby cet album risque de ne laisser aucune trace dans ta mémoire
Not sure what to think about this album. I like they took a harsher direction after the Joshua Tree. I like the more "indie" tracks (Fly, Zoo Station) "One" is brilliant. There are also some fillers. It's a solid 3.5!
Whilst U2 is not my favourite band, I can see why they have a lasting effect on those Gen Xers that absolutely swear by them. One of the truly big stadium rock bands, with mass appeal. Achtung Baby is a fresher take on the alternative rock they have curated previously, with more of an industrial rock/electronic influence throughout. Best: One Worst: Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
In the 90s, they tried too hard to be a relevant and innovative part of music history, in the way they may have been in the 80s, and it came off very irritating with some really bad songwriting. One is a great songs and there are better moments, but the result is overall a very forgettable album.
All in all just a bit disappointing from such a big and hyped band. Besides One, no song stands out, they all sound kinda the same, too little focus on the guitar and overall just too long
It's not just U2 now. It's me2.
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.
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
ok
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.
Need to investigate more.
This was pretty good
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.
I’m not a U2 fan, but some of this was pretty good
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.
3.5/5 sounds like Oasis did a summer abroad in the Outback, but a little more buttoned up.
Meh, was expecting better.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Barmy
bleh
Not my favorite U2, but obviously has some great songs.
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
Pretty good, I think not U2's best though.
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.