Achtung Baby by U2

Pros: Inventive guitar work, challenging and confounding lyrics, stellar mix of musical light and darkness.
Cons: Percussion is a little thin at times; the occasional weak lyric.

Betcha thought I had abandoned my U2 project, didn't ya? OK, I'll admit, reviewing the entire U2 back catalogue does get a little more formidable with each album. Part of reason for that is because the Irish foursome seemed to make more ...

Pros: U2 successfully lightens up a bit, adding groove and wit to their work.
Cons: It took them damn near a decade to record another album as good.

You've gotta give the guys from U2 credit for knowing that they needed a change. After a reasonably slow career buildup, the Irish band's proverbial cup ran over with the release of 1987's The Joshua Tree. While they'd always been critical ...

Pros: Twelve impressive tracks and the use of electronica
Cons: ...

I never got into anything from U2 until the release of Achtung, Baby. The first U2 album I ever had any exposure to was my cousin’s cassette of The Joshua Tree, but at that time I was too involved in hair metal to care one ...

Pros: Perfection.
Cons: I overdose on the word "emotion" in the following review.

Fumbling over one's words is not pleasant. For one of the first times I can recall, this assignment has rendered me speechless. For the better? The worse? Don't know, but it's certainly a huge stumbling block in the creative process of music journo. That...

Pros: the Edge, the lyrics, the production, EVERYTHING
Cons: *pfft*, silly silly moron who thinks there's something wrong with this disc

I've begun reviews of U2's Achtung Baby so many times, only to delete them all. I had no real clue on how to pay tribute to one of the greatest and most important rock albums in history. But that's all gonna change now, as this is the...

Pros: The lyrics in this one are simply marvellous
Cons: Production is terrible, whether intentional or not; fatal flaws in expression

I stirred up a little controversy with my last U2 review, so I bounced back and started listening to Achtung, Baby. It’s been six months since that time, and now seems like the perfect time to constructively consider the ridiculous hype ...

Pros: Passionate performances, great music and lyrics, good mix of fast and slow
Cons: There's not a track I'd skip

If you've read my entire body of 200+ reviews, then (well, first of all, I pity you) you know almost everything there is to know about my life. My self-imposed chaining to the water heater for ten years was a big part of it, as was my rejection of all...

Pros: Too many to list
Cons: "Mysterious Ways" is too short

Recently, U2’s The Joshua Tree was voted by a panel of critics as the greatest record of all time. T ...

Pros: It sounds really good...
Cons: ...until you hear the live versions blow this thing completely away.

Welcome to Part V of my travel through the back catalog of the greatest band of all time, U2. I've reviewed a masterpiece so far, along with many underrated CDs that could've done much better. How does U2's Achtung Baby fare? Well, ...

Pros: U2 get weird and experimental and very good.
Cons: None.

I admit. I myself was something of a latecomer to U2. Achtung Baby was the album that got me into them. I first had a cassette copy of it when it was released in 1991. Then later on when I upgraded to CD I bought Joshua Tree and later Achtung Baby.
...

Pros: U2's rebirth and reinvention of what rock and roll was supposed to be.
Cons: "...Wild Horses" is most definitely not a bomb, maybe it could've been better. Probably not.

Achtung Baby was not easy for U2. They set out to change the sound, modify the message, reinvent their image without revealing too much, and almost broke up in the process. And the resulting album has blood all over it. It's not the sound of a...

Pros: Complete reinvention, Edge, Adam, Larry, Bono, lyrics that show of love and its dilemmas...
Cons: hmm....I'll get back to you on that...

U2. Achtung Baby. Where does one start? With the gorgeous lyrics or the sudden shock from the destruction of anything U2 was in the 80's? U2 has never been a band content to stay in the past, but they always look to the future. As Bono says ...

Pros: New sound, change in direction
Cons: None worth mentioning

Reviewing “The Joshua Tree” was not easy. I doubt that “Achtung Baby” will be any easier. It’s just that when you are faced with one of the most praised albums of the last 20 years, you can’t help but feel a little daunted. What can I possibly add to...

Pros: Solid, intelligent pop songs
Cons: The Edge gave up his "trademark" guitar tone for the most part; no political stuff here at all; band said to hell with innovation

Well, here's a bit of blasphemy for long-time U2 fans -- this is probably my favorite album put out by the band, and they probably should have retired after it was released. Perhaps I should explain the reasons I hold these beliefs.

I started...

Pros: Classic U2. An album of musical perfection. Good from start to finish.
Cons: Last couple closing tracks are overshadowed by the rest of the album.

It's a fact. U2 has stayed relevant and appreciated in music for more than two decades now, staying alive with the likes of Aerosmith and Metallica. Fans and critics may possibly argue without ever coming to a conclusion as to which single album has ...