U2’s Achtung Baby: The album that changed our lives turns 30

What a great joy is to celebrate the 30rd anniversary of U2’s Achtung Baby! 1991 was a remarkable year for music, especially rock’n’roll. It could have been the end of U2… but Achtung Baby has become the band’s triumph.

It’s known how hard it was to make this album. The From The Sky Down documentary showed us clearly the whole process of the difficult moments, the real crisis U2 have gone through. I knew the story, but watching it was completely different. I was very touched by it. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it.

They were lost, unhappy and didn’t know which way to go. In their own words, it was time to “dream it all up again.” Bono described Achtung Baby as “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree.” It’s not easy to let the past behind and move forward. But U2 did it. And they did it brilliantly.

I don’t like much to create lists or rank albums, so I’ll just say that Achtung Baby is in my Top 3. All the songs sound amazing to me. It’s rare to find an album that you can listen in full. And I can do that with this one. U2’s music became mature. I see four men making very powerful songs; songs that you can have fun with friends or you can cry over a broken heart… There is not a single theme, you can enjoy it being in different moods. That’s one of the reasons I love this album.

Plus, it’s such a modern rock’n’roll. Although it still sounds updated nowadays, it was really a ‘revolution’ at that time. This revolution was not only in music, but also esthetic. U2 members radically changed their look. Welcome leather pants! I need to confess that was the sexiest era to me. Videos like “The Fly” and “Even Better Than The Real Thing” are a proof of that. And I didn’t mention Adam’s nude… Ok, going back to journalism. Besides their clothes, they were able to change their attitudes, their behavior. They were still the same guys, but they could be free to laugh of themselves and be ironic, like they’ve never been before. Then, the Zoo TV suddenly improved the status of what was a world tour, especially in stadiums. It has influenced all artists and, consequently, the music business.

Finally, Achtung Baby changed U2’s career. Achtung Baby changed the music history. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be U2’s fan and to celebrate with such enthusiasm the 30rd anniversary of this important album. Many people say that the band’s best days are gone. Actually, we don’t know. Do you know why? Because we don’t know which plans U2 have for the future. All we know is that they’re still together and making new music. So, I can expect anything from a band that could reinvent itself, as they did 30 years ago. And if they don’t do it, it’s also fine. A 45-year-old group doesn’t need to prove anything else. U2’s legacy is already out there. Let’s celebrate!

Happy 30 Achtung Baby!

Fernanda D’Elboux Bottini