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THE REVIEW
1991.
An appointment with history.
Bono Vox, wrapped from head to toe in tight black leather, with sunglasses à la "The Fly", walks down a narrow corridor to hand over U2's latest creation, "Achtung Baby," to Daniel Lanois.
Lanois lets Brian Eno, comfortably seated in a leather chair, smoking the last cigarette of the day, open the case containing the album and put it in the player...
I don't think it really went that way, but I like to imagine they were the only three to enjoy it before the rest of the world could listen to such a great concentration of beautiful music.
Recorded between Berlin and Dublin, precisely to capture the emotions that a people were experiencing after the fall of a cursed wall that had separated their mothers from sons as much as their hopes from reality.
If it's been a while since you listened to this record, put it in the player, maybe blasting "Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World" at high volume, where "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle..." and try to remember what the hell you were doing in 1991.
The music of this work is timeless: while Grunge was making its way, slowly elbowing in, while some bands were still teasing their hair trying to convince themselves that the '80s sounds would last for a long time, a warning emerges.
Attention! Things are changing, "I'm only hangin' on to watch you go down…my love".
I don't think it's productive to describe every song: Rock done with a punch; that's all that can be said.
Perhaps it remains the last U2 album to have a soul: not too caught up in market rules, the grandeur of tours, and the lack of ideas that is noticeable lately in some of their latest works.
We only have one true love, one true life, let's try to live it the best we can ("One").
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Summary by Bot
The review celebrates U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby as a historic and timeless rock record. Recorded during a period of cultural change, it captures raw emotions and marks a shift in the band’s sound. Praised for its authenticity and soul, it's described as U2's last album before commercial considerations diluted their music.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976 by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. Rising from post‑punk roots to global fame, they fused atmospheric guitar textures with anthemic songwriting and ambitious tours such as Zoo TV and U2 360°.129 Reviews
Other reviews
By pinkoSpallino
A much more important album, with electronic sounds that join the classic rock sounds in songs like 'Mysterious Ways'.
U2 remains the most important rock band in the world, and they prove it in 'One', the most beautiful ballad of all time.
By Alevox
Like an electric shock. The U2 of "The Joshua Tree" are abruptly awakened by the infernal sound of a fly in the head.
U2 change their skin. They shake off the heavy role of rock prophets to project themselves into a colder and more disillusioned dimension.
By iuppiter2
Like a powerful wave, maturity overwhelms the Dublin band, creating an incredible work with an impeccable sequence of twelve tracks.
The twelve tracks are images, meanings, twelve stars all shining with their own light.
By deckard2019
Bono Vox, the leader of the Dublin band, states at a concert held in their homeland, 'We won’t see each other for a while, we need to go and dream it all up again.'
The album requires several listens before it is fully assimilated and subsequently declared as an absolute masterpiece.
By vicio
Achtung Baby is understood as a crucial milestone in U2’s career.
After Achtung Baby, U2 have never been the same.
