Achtung Baby

by U2

Overview

Reinventions rarely come as thorough and effective as Achtung Baby, an album that completely changed U2's sound and style. The crashing, unrecognizable distorted guitars that open "Zoo Station" are a clear signal that U2 have traded their Americana pretensions for postmodern, contemporary European music. Drawing equally from Bowie's electronic, avant-garde explorations of the late '70s and the neo-psychedelic sounds of the thriving rave and Madchester club scenes of early-'90s England, Achtung Baby sounds vibrant and endlessly inventive. Unlike their inspirations, U2 rarely experiment with song structures over the course of the album. Instead, they use the thick dance beats, swirling guitars, layers of effects, and found sounds to break traditional songs out of their constraints, revealing the tortured emotional core of their songs with the hyper-loaded arrangements. In such a dense musical setting, it isn't surprising that U2 have abandoned the political for the personal on Achtung Baby, since the music, even with its inviting rhythms, is more introspective than anthemic. Bono has never been as emotionally naked as he is on Achtung Baby, creating a feverish nightmare of broken hearts and desperate loneliness; unlike other U2 albums, it's filled with sexual imagery, much of it quite disturbing, and it ends on a disquieting note. Few bands as far into their career as U2 have recorded an album as adventurous or fulfilled their ambitions quite as successfully as they do on Achtung Baby, and the result is arguably their best album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/01/2011
Label:	Island
UPC:	0602527788258

Tracks

1. Zoo Station
2. Even Better Than the Real Thing
3. One
4. Until the End of the World
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
6. So Cruel
7. The Fly
8. Mysterious Ways
9. Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
10. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
11. Acrobat
12. Love Is Blindness

Album Credits

Performance Credits

U2   Primary Artist
Brian Eno   Guest Artist,Loops,Piano,Strings,Harmonium,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Daniel Lanois   Guest Artist,Congas,Guitar,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Noel O'Gorman   Soprano (Vocal)
Maria McKee   Vocals (Background)
Noel Eccles   Percussion
Adam Clayton   Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Electric)
Jerry O'Gorman   Soprano (Vocal)
Bono   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Johnny Cash   Lead Vocals
Paul Barrett   Keyboards,Moog Bass,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background),Piano,Soloist,Strings,Recorder
Duchess Nell Catchpole   Viola,Violin
Ian Bryan   Vocals (Background)
Declan Gaffney   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Des Broadbery   Loops
The Edge   Vocals (Background),Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Strings,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Flood   Loops
Bruce Brody   Organ
Larry Mullen, Jr.   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Gavin Friday   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Steve Lillywhite   Engineer,Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Additional Production,Original Recording Producer
Charlie Whisker   Illustrations
Steve Averill   Design
Stephane Sednaoui   Video Director
Ingmar Kiang   Mixing
Shannon Strong   Mixing,Assembly,Assistant,Recording,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Trevor Gray   Producer,Remixing,Additional Production
Phil Joanou   Video Director
Mark Pellington   Video Director
Robert Leonard   Mixing Assistant
Brian Adams   Engineer
Ned O'Hanlon   Producer,Video Producer
Juniper Calder   Video Editor
Bruce McKenna   Editing
Debbie Mason   Video Producer
Maurice Linnane   Video Director
Morleigh Steinberg   Dancer,Choreographer
Stuart Morgan   Bass Technician
Ian Bryant   Assistant
Jon Klein   Video Director
Declan Gafney   Mastering Engineer
Hy Zaret   Composer
Rob D.   Remixing,Remix Engineer
Rob Kirwan   Assistant
Pete Heller   Mixing,Remixing
Mick Jagger   Composer
The Rolling Stones   Recording Arranger
Apollo 440   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Remix Engineer,Additional Production
Adam Clayton   Composer
Alan Moulder   Remixing
Stewart Whitmore   Editing,Digital Editing
Daniel Lanois   Mixing,Producer,Associate Producer,Original Recording Producer
Ciaran Byrne   Assistant,Remix Assistant
David Clayton   Programming
Cheryl Engels   Quality Control,Post Production Coordinator
Declan Gaffney   Mixing,Engineer,Remixing,Remix Engineer,Mastering Engineer,Additional Production
Des Broadbery   Programming,Guitar Technician,Keyboard Technician
Philippe Dupuis-Mendel   Video Producer
Fraser McAlister   Bass Technician,Guitar Technician
Richard Bell   Video Producer
Scott Sedillo   Mastering Engineer
Shaughn McGrath   Design
Dallas Schoo   Guitar Technician
Goetz B.   Engineer
Mary McShane   Assistant
Arnie Acosta   Editing,Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Paul McGuinness   Management,Executive Producer
Rocky Oldham   Producer
Mark Neale   Video Director
Louise McCormick   Engineer,Assistant,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Willie Mannion   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Matt Mahurin   Video Director
Bob Gleason   Video Editor
U2   Composer,Producer,Interpretation,Mixing
John Fogerty   Composer
Lou Reed   Composer
Hugo Peretti   Composer
Howard Gray   Producer,Remixing,Additional Production
Rollo   Remixing,Remix Engineer
Robbie Adams   Mixing,Engineer,Assistant,Recording,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Luigi Creatore   Composer
William Bell   Composer
Anton Corbijn   Photography,Video Director
Alex North   Composer
Brian Eno   Mixing,Sounds,Producer,Co-Arranger,Associate Producer,String Arrangements,Synthesizer Arrangements,Original Recording Producer
Anne-Louise Kelly   Production Manager
Sean Leonard   Assistant,Remix Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Rab McAllister   Studio Technician
Soul Assassins   Remixing,Remix Engineer
Dave Clayton   Programming
Tim Waddell   Editing
Dennis Sheehan   Coordination
Juliette Naylor   Video Producer
Kristian Donaldson   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Richie Smyth   Video Director
Terry Cromer   Coordination
Canna Rubin   Video Producer
Bono   Composer,Musician,Producer
Booker T. Jones   Composer
Gary Wilkinson   Remix Engineer
David Mallett   Direction
Paul Barrett   Recording,Remix Producer,Associate Producer,Recording Arranger,Mixing,Arranger,Engineer,Producer
Stereo MC's   Remixing,Additional Production
Terry Farley   Mixing,Remixing
Andrew Loog Oldham   Producer
Steve Osborne   Mixing,Remixing,Additional Production
Iain Brown   Video Producer
Kevin Godley   Video Director
Ian Bryan   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Assistant,Recording,Remix Producer,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Arranger,Assistant Engineer,Assistant Producer
Sam O'Sullivan   Drum Technician
Wim Wenders   Video Producer
Fiach Cooling   Assistant,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Mary Kettle   Remix Engineer
Joe O'Herlihy   Engineer,Monitors,Coordination
Goetz Botzenhardt   Engineer
The Edge   String Arrangements,Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Mastering Engineer
Flood   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Recording
David Morales   Mixing,Producer
George David Weiss   Composer
Matt Paul   Remixing,Remix Engineer,Additional Production
Dave Gardner   Editing
David Hassinger   Engineer
Youth   Remixing,Remix Producer
Paul Oakenfold   Mixing,Remixing,Remix Engineer,Additional Production
Trish Govoni   Video Producer
Keith Richards   Composer
Cole Porter   Composer
Larry Mullen, Jr.   Composer