Achtung Baby - Review

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Same as USA Version.”I’m ready / Ready for what’s next,” Bono announces at the outset of Achtung Baby, the album that proved the so-called “band of the ’80s” was capable of blazing into the ’90s by replacing its flag-waving arena-rock stance with screaming synths, clubby rhythms, and industrial skronk. The group advances its sound without losing accessibility on “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” and “Mysterious Ways,” while pushing the envelope a bit more on “The Fly,” “Zoo Station,” and “Acrobat.” The moody ballad “One” is arguably the finest song the band has produced, full of sorrow, compassion, and hope all at the same time. —Daniel DurchholzAchtung, Baby is U2’s christening voyage into the postmodern, a brave venture into unknown territory and a brilliant musical transformation for the band. The album is packed with just as much passion as previous albums, but the lyrics are much more emotionally poetic and far less political. Musically, the tracks are a metropolis of intoxicating dance beats and lush guitar riffs. “The Fly” opens with guitarist The Edge’s trademark reverberations cutting through the opening verse like a speedboat slicing through choppy water; on “Mysterious Ways,” Bono’s one-man gospel choir belts out the praises of an adored woman. —Beth Bessmer