![]() ![]() Three impeccable albums within four years, but behind the scenes, success was somewhat of a thorn in their side. In 1990, U2 headed over to Berlin after receiving critical and commercial success with their previous three albums, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree and 1988’s Rattle and Hum. ![]() They released Zooropa less than two years later, which further cemented U2’s reputation as musical shapeshifters (which continued later with 1997’s Pop). With every risk, there is a prospective reward, and for U2 Achtung Baby could have been a musical ‘hot potato’ - but they swerved this, marking the beginning of U2’s most daring decade. The irony of it all is that Achtung Baby would fuse the sounds of emerging alternative and hip-hop-derived electronic beats, marrying them to U2’s distinctive sonic blueprint. Without a doubt, Eno and Lanois were the ideal combination to dissipate the ever-growing dissension within the band over the radically departing directions they wished to pursue in order to bring U2 back together again. lobbying for a classic rock sound and the Edge keen to moving toward a fusion of experimental music and electronica. Bassist Adam Clayton, meanwhile, wanted to incorporate dance music, with drummer Larry Mullen Jr. Bono wanted the sound to encompass elements of the growing Madchester scene, and was also highly influenced by rap music. Whilst they were all in agreement that they didn’t want to replicate a similar sound to The Joshua Tree, the four members were not on the same page musically. Eno provided a similar stance to Bono, commenting that his role was to “come in and erase anything that sounded too much like U2.” Recorded in Berlin and Dublin, Achtung Baby was produced by longtime U2 collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois alongside Steve Lillywhite and was engineered by Mark ‘Flood’ Ellis. ![]() It became one of the most significant records not only of the 1990s, but of U2’s robust catalog. Around the time of its conception, there was a strong likelihood that the four-piece might split up, but it was Achtung Baby - and “One,” specifically - that helped put the pieces back together again. However, this celebrated work nearly came at a high price. The groundbreaking album was somewhat of a musical voyage, transitioning toward the beginning of a new wave of deepening experimentalism, opening the door to the strangest, most intriguing and, perhaps, the most exciting period of the band’s career. Front man Bono at the time described it as “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree” – and he was right. In essence, they took a bold leap sonically, aesthetically and personally. rM7OAcdBchĪchtung Baby represents the group’s musical shift and reinvention. Pre-order the 30th Anniversary Edition of the record now. The word ‘masterpiece’ is often bandied about a tad too much in music, but this much-revered work’s accolades are indeed justified, as the record ensured that U2 maintained its status as the ‘biggest band in the world.’ Released in 1991 as U2’s seventh studio album, Achtung Baby is widely regarded as one of the most successful albums in the long history of the band. With U2’s future in doubt, Achtung Baby, in particular the album’s seminal track, “One,” helped mend a fractured and somewhat beleaguered band fraught with tension - essentially bringing the pioneering quartet back together. ![]() 18, contributor Emma Harrison makes her Rock Cellar debut reflecting on a seminal album from the band, one that would go on to become among the group’s most successful. With the 30th anniversary of U2’s 1991 album Achtung Baby on Nov. ![]()
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