If you were like me, you waited with a blank tape in the VCR for the premiere of U2's new video The Fly
on MTV, in October 1991. It was a long wait from 1987's The Joshua Tree
- Rattle And Hum
helped a little - and I couldn't wait to see the new direction they were going to take.
on MTV, in October 1991. It was a long wait from 1987's The Joshua Tree - Rattle And Hum helped a little - and I couldn't wait to see the new direction they were going to take.
I bought Achtung Baby the day it came out - on cassette - at Tower Records in Mesa, Arizona. That was November 19, 1991. From start to finish, it is a brilliant album. One, Until The End Of The World, The Fly, Ultraviolet, Acrobat, Love Is Blindness, Zoo Station... I'm practically naming the entire album!
, Ultraviolet, Acrobat, Love Is Blindness, Zoo Station... I'm practically naming the entire album!
Fast forward 20 years (has it really been this long? yikes). As U2 are saying, Achtung Baby is no longer a baby. :) The band is reissuing their first album of the 1990s in several different 20th anniversary editions. The official release date is November 1st, but you can pre-order now (links are provided).
The Uber Deluxe Edition (pictured above)
- 6 CDs - Includes Achtung Baby, Zooropa (also remastered), Remixes, B-sides, Demos and other unreleased material
- 4 DVDs - Includes a brand new documentary called From The Sky Down, Zoo TV live in Sydney concert, Music videos and other bonus content
- 7 Vinyl Records - 2 LPs Achtung Baby, 5 - 7" singles
- 84 page hardcover book, 16 art prints, stickers, badges, Bono sunglasses, etc
- And it all comes in a magnetic, puzzle-tiled box
The Super Deluxe Edition (pictured above)
- Contains the 6 CDs and 4 DVDs mentioned above
- 92 page hardcover book
- 16 art prints
The Vinyl Box
- Achtung Baby spread across 2 slabs of 180 gram vinyl
- 2 translucent blue 12" records containing b-sides and remixes
- 16 page 12" x 12" booklet
- Digital download card for the MP3 version of album
The Deluxe Edition
- 2 CD set
- Contains the remastered album, plus a disc of b-sides and rarities
The Standard Edition
The original 12 song CD (remastered)
Whatever political aspirations U2 may have with their appeals to fans to support Greenpeace etc., this album is almost entirely devoted to love, and with several listenings, becomes a kind of litany of ballads recited by Bono to his Baby...I am not saying this album has any concept - it is a collection of fantastic independent tracks which really works - but this is an excellent album to listen to when you're feeling down, or soppy, or romantic. Aside from his voice, Bono's most endearing quality is the impression he conveys of true desperation - the climaxes his voice reaches in One or Love is Blindness are particularly moving.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Some of the best tracks on Achtung Baby were some of the lesser-known ones, which to me - as you said, conveys true desperation - are ultraviolet, acrobat, love is blindness. beautiful piece of work. thanks for stopping by. :) - bret
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