Twenty and Out

31 Oct 2011

'Achtung Baby is an extravagant feat of misdirection,' reports the new Q Magazine in a 5 star review of the 20th anniversary rerelease. 'Wrapping the darkest, most searching lyrics of U2's career in a title taken from Mel Brook's's The Producers and all manner of audiovisual hoopla. 'Underneath that thin layer of trash it's blood and guts...'

Edge and Bono talked with Edna Gunderson of USA Today about revisiting the album. 'How big a deal do we make of an anniversary when we're in the middle of what we're doing now?' asks Edge. 'We had a hard time figuring that out. We're not a heritage act. We're still very active. But this record was so pivotal that we felt it was OK to revisit it.'

Rediscovering the wildly different lyrics and arrangements on the early "kindergarten" versions of the songs was revelatory, reports Rolling Stone. ' 'Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World,' for instance, sounds like an Irish folk tune. 'The first time the paint goes on the canvas is a very, very exciting moment,' says Bono. He was intrigued by a line in the early 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses' that recasts its story as a 'parasitic' love affair ('Your innocence I've experienced'), while the Edge is convinced the more restrained vocal melody on that version is superior to the released track.'

Catch some exclusive excerpts from Davis Guggenheim's documentary From The Sky Down, telling the real story behind the making of Achtung Baby.

Find the complete tracklistings on all five formats of the 20th anniversary edition, along with details on rare video, unreleased songs and b-sides

And check out more news stories about the rerelease of Achtung Baby.

RECENT NEWS

24 Jul 2026

Out today!  Martin Garrix teams up with U2 on new track 'Fireflies', debuted live with Edge at Tomorrowland Festival.

17 Jul 2026

Behind-the-scenes with band and crew on the shoot for 'Street of Dreams'.

07 Jul 2026

Listen to Street of Dreams, the first single from the band's upcoming studio album.

07 Jul 2026

'Ballroom Boom' screening at the Galway Film Fleadh this Thursday.

Related Topic

COMMENTS