Achtung Baby [CD]
~ U2

Product Reviews

Reinventions rarely come as thorough and effective as Achtung Baby, an album that completely changed U2's sound and style. The crashing, unrecognizable distorted guitars that open "Zoo Station" are a clear signal that U2 have traded their Americana pretensions for postmodern, contemporary European music. Drawing equally from Bowie's electronic avant-garde explorations of the late '70s and the neo-psychedelic sounds of the thriving rave and Madchester club scenes of early-'90s England, Achtung Baby sounds vibrant and endlessly inventive. Unlike their inspirations, U2 rarely experiment with song structures over the course of the album. Instead, they use the thick dance beats, swirling guitars, layers of effects, and found sounds to break traditional songs out of their constraints, revealing the tortured emotional core of their songs with the hyper-loaded arrangements. In such a dense musical setting, it isn't surprising that U2 have abandoned the political for the personal on Achtung Baby, since the music, even with its inviting rhythms, is more introspective than anthemic. Bono has never been as emotionally naked as he is on Achtung Baby, creating a feverish nightmare of broken hearts and desperate loneliness; unlike other U2 albums, it's filled with sexual imagery, much of it quite disturbing, and it ends on a disquieting note. Few bands this far into their careers have recorded albums as adventurous or fulfilled their ambitions quite as successfully as U2 do on Achtung Baby, and the result is arguably their best album. For the 20th birthday of Achtung Baby, U2 went all out and released no less than five anniversary editions: a single-disc remaster, a double-disc Deluxe Edition, a vinyl box set, a six-CD/four-DVD Super Deluxe Edition, and finally an Uber Deluxe Edition that takes the Super Deluxe Edition and adds various tchotchkes like a magnetic puzzle, badges, stickers, and a replica of Bono s Fly sunglasses. Only those with deep wallets will need to concern themselves with the Uber edition -- most fans will debate between the Deluxe double-disc set and the Super Deluxe set. The Deluxe Edition contains only the album s non-LP cuts -- primarily B-sides and bonus tracks, plus the unreleased outtake Blow Your House Down. Although the assorted covers on this collection are a bit dodgy -- U2 have never sounded as uncertain as they do on a Euro-disco cover of CCR s Fortunate Son -- the originals are by and large very good, particularly Lady with the Spinning Head, Blow Your House Down, and Salome. The Super Deluxe Edition adds the 1993 album Zooropa, written and recorded during the supporting Zoo tours for Achtung Baby, then two discs of remixes, the B-sides discs that pop up on the Deluxe Edition, and, finally, a fledgling version of Achtung Baby called Kindergarten, which contains nascent versions of all 12 songs from the finished album. Some of the remixes sound like little more than historical curios, but a surprising amount are either vigorous or imaginative and they all underscore how Achtung Baby truly was the first U2 album that could lend itself to these kind of mixes. And if the Kindergarten version of Achtung Baby has few real revelations -- most of the differences lay in Bono s lyrics; many of the cuts are incomplete mixes instead of demos -- it nevertheless is a fascinating listen for those who know the album by heart. Finally, there are four DVDs: a making-of documentary by David Guggenheim, director of the Edge-starring guitar doc It Might Get Loud, called From the Sky Down; a disc of videos from Achtung Baby and Zooropa; a disc of odds and ends from these years, including a Zoo TV Special, MTV shorts, and appearances on Naked City and TV-AM, plus ROM content; and, to round out the package, the Zoo TV Live from Sydney disc. Whether this is overkill is completely in the eye of the consumer: surely, it s possible to enjoy just the simple single disc of Achtun

Product Notes

Extremely limited numbered Uber Deluxe Edition is a magnetic puzzle tiled box contains 10 discs (six CDs + four DVDs) including the original Achtung Baby album, the follow-up album, Zooropa, b-sides and re-workings of previously unheard material recorded during the Achtung Baby sessions. Four DVDs including "From The Sky Down", Zoo TV, all the videos from Achtung Baby plus five clear seven inch vinyl singles in their original sleeves, 16 art prints taken from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, a copy of Propaganda magazine, four badges, a sticker sheet, and a pair of Bono's trademark "The Fly" sunglasses. Band members sold separately.

Track Listing

		Track #		Title
1.		1		Zoo Station
1.		2		Even Better Than The Real Thing
1.		3		One
1.		4		Until The End Of The World
1.		5		Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
1.		6		So Cruel
1.		7		The Fly
1.		8		Mysterious Ways
1.		9		Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
1.		10		Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
1.		11		Acrobat
1.		12		Love Is Blindness
2.		1		Zooropa
2.		2		Babyface
2.		3		Numb
2.		4		Lemon
2.		5		Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
2.		6		Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
2.		7		Some Days Are Better Than Others
2.		8		The First Time [Album Version] [Version]
2.		9		Dirty Day
2.		10		The Wanderer
3.		1		Night And Day [Steel String Remix]
3.		2		Even Better Than The Real Thing [The Perfecto Mix]
3.		3		Mysterious Ways [Solar Plexus Extended Club Mix]
3.		4		Lemon [The Perfecto Mix]
3.		5		Can't Help Falling In Love [Triple Peaks Remix]
3.		6		Lady With The Spinning Head [Extended Dance Mix]
3.		7		Even Better Than The Real Thing [V16 Exit Wound Remix]
3.		8		Mysterious Ways [Ultimatum Mix]
3.		9		The Lounge Fly Mix
3.		10		Mysterious Ways [The Perfecto Mix]
3.		11		One [Apollo 440 Remix] [#]
4.		1		Mysterious Ways [Tabla Motown Remix]
4.		2		Mysterious Ways [Apollo 440 Magic Hour Remix]
4.		3		Can't Help Falling In Love [Mystery Train Dub] [Version]
4.		4		One [Apollo 440 Ambient Mix]
4.		5		Lemon [Momo's Reprise]
4.		6		Salom [Zooromancer Remix]
4.		7		Even Better Than The Real Thing [Trance Mix]
4.		8		Numb [Gimme Some More Dignity Mix]
4.		9		Mysterious Ways [Solar Plexus Magic Hour Remix]
4.		10		Numb [Soul Assassins Mix]
4.		11		Even Better Than The Real Thing [Apollo 440 Stealth Sonic Remix]
5.		1		Lady With The Spinning Head (Uv1)
5.		2		Blow Your House Down
5.		3		Salom
5.		4		Even Better Than The Real Thing [Single Version] [Version]
5.		5		Satellite Of Love
5.		6		Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses [Temple Bar Remix]
5.		7		Heaven And Hell
5.		8		Oh Berlin
5.		9		Near The Island [Instrumental]
5.		10		Down All The Days
5.		11		Paint It Black
5.		12		Fortunate Son
5.		13		Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk/Korova 1
5.		14		Where Did It All Go Wrong?
5.		15		Everybody Loves A Winner
5.		16		Even Better Than The Real Thing [Fish Out Of Water Remix]
6.		1		"Baby" Zoo Station
6.		2		"Baby" Even Better Than The Real Thing
6.		3		"Baby" One
6.		4		"Baby" Until The End Of The World
6.		5		"Baby" Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
6.		6		"Baby" So Cruel
6.		7		"Baby" The Fly
6.		8		"Baby" Mysterious Ways
6.		9		"Baby" Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
6.		10		"Baby" Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
6.		11		"Baby" Acrobat
6.		12		"Baby" Love Is Blindness
7.		1		The Fly [Video]
7.		2		Mysterious Ways [Video]
7.		3		One
7.		4		Even Better Than The Real Thing
7.		5		One [Buffalo Version] [Version]
7.		6		One [Restaurant Version] [Version]
7.		7		Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses [Video]
7.		8		The Fly [Performance Only]
7.		9		Even Better Than The Real Thing [The Perfecto Mix]
7.		10		The Fly [Text Only]
7.		11		Until The End Of The World [Live]
7.		12		The Fly [Live From The Stop Sellafield Concert] [Live]
7.		13		Even Better Than The Real Thing [Live From The Stop Sellafield Concert]
7.		14		Love Is Blindness [Video]
7.		15		Lemon [Video]
7.		16		Stay (Faraway, So Close!) [Video]
7.		17		Numb
7.		18		Numb [Video Remix]
8.		1		Show Opening [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		2		Zoo Station [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		3		The Fly [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		4		Even Better Than The Real Thing [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		5		Mysterious Ways [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		6		One [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		7		Unchained Melody [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		8		Until The End Of The World [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		9		New Year's Day [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		10		Numb [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		11		Angel Of Harlem [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		12		Stay (Faraway, So Close!) [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		13		Satellite Of Love [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		14		Dirty Day [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		15		Bullet The Blue Sky [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		16		Running To Stand Still [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		17		Where The Streets Have No Name [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		18		Pride (In The Name Of Love) [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		19		Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		20		Lemon [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		21		With Or Without You [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		22		Love Is Blindness [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
8.		23		Can't Help Falling In Love [Zoo Tv Live From Sydney] [Live]
9.		1		[Bonus Material]
10.		1		[Bonus Material]
11.		1		The Fly
11.		2		Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk/Korova 1
12.		1		Mysterious Ways
12.		2		Mysterious Ways [Solar Plexus Magic Hour Remix]
13.		1		One
13.		2		Lady With The Spinning Head (Uv1)
14.		1		Even Better Than The Real Thing
14.		2		Salom
15.		1		Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses [The Temple Bar Edit] [Edit]
15.		2		Paint It Black
16.		1		Zoo Station
16.		2		Even Better Than The Real Thing
16.		3		One
16.		4		Until The End Of The World
16.		5		Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
16.		6		So Cruel
17.		1		The Fly
17.		2		Mysterious Ways
17.		3		Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
17.		4		Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
17.		5		Acrobat
17.		6		Love Is Blindness
		#		Title
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