Twenty and Out

31 Oct 201129

'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.
Comments
29
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cluttercoco
Amazing Uber Deluxe set!!
Thanks U2, you outdid yourself again! This box set is so worth the price!! Amazing documentary which I was lucky enough to see at the TIFF but of course want to own and watch again. LOVE 'Kindergarten' and of course the amazing remixes and B-sides. Ad the pins, glasses, vinyl, book...man it is endless!!
babyfez
Disappointed
I'm disappointed that the album cover has been censored. What are we afraid of in todays World? The World in 1991 was so much better!
parkin
parkin
just got my uber delux box set, very impressed, gonna hibernate for a couple of days to listen to it all
SGKCA
Alternative Baby is Awesome
Bought the Super Deluxe box set at 10 am today, and am hanging on the couch enjoying all the visual and audio treats. By far the gem is "Kindergarden", the alternative version of "Achtung baby". What a wonderful treat. Thank you so much U2 for releasing this material. A pure joy to listen to earlier versions of songs I have coveted for these past 20 years. You can't imagine the smile on my face and the warmth in my heart. Just awesome!!! Stacy Kelly, Toronto (Canada)
PauloSilva
larry 4 ever birthday from portugal
happy birthday my larry mullen jr,,the man o bring u2 too this life of music,,,the best drumer of world,,and bring the best band all time of music and history..50 years my man,,,the best,,achtung baby the best,,,,,u2 loves from portugal,,bono u2 never die my friend,,never never never..not stop this band bono please,,we love you so much,,,portugal
musicabona
LIKE BIRTHDAY AND CHRISTMAS!
Unpacking my Super Deluxe Edition felt like birthday and Christmas! I am amazed by the beautiful art prints and this incredibly precious hardcover book with its great photos and words. It will probably take me many weeks to dig a bit deeper in the unbelievable amount of additional material! Yesterday evening I first listened to Kindergarten. This cd impressively reveals U2;s work in progress going along with lyric changes, experimentation with different sounds, rhythms and song structures. Whereas tracks like The Fly and Mysterious Ways are quite similar to the final versions, One and Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World suprise me with acoustic guitars. In fact, the directness of those early versions puts more emphasis on Bono;s voice frequently changing its tone pitch and U2;s flexibility to explore various sonic possibilities is crucial for the character and mood of those great songs.
stevie.Phisto.stein
Happy Birthday Larry!!
50 and he doesn't look a day over 30!! Watched the doco last night on TV here in New Zealand, loved it. It was amazing seeing little background videos and stories that I didn't know about before. Now I just have to scrape the money together to buy the Uber Deluxe Edition :)
kikzkie
Happy 50th Birthday Golden boy
Happy 50th Birthday Mr. Golden Boy Larry Mullen Jr. the sexiest and best drummer of the world and because of you U2 have been rocking the world more than 30 years and counting....
bobcaygeonmary
Did Larry turn 30 again ?
Ditto - have a good one :-))
dmway
Happy Birthday, Larry! :)
Happy birthday to AB and Larry Mullen, Jr.!
youdontnohow
Achtung Baby
Got my delux box set today well worth the money HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY LARRY ;0)
bonama
Happy Birthday Larry from Michigan!
Brighton, Hamburg, Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor,and Pinckney Michigan Say's"HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY LARRY AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"
Peter Nordsmark
Achtung baby-face
Happy birthday dear Larry - forever young
sharon01
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy 50th Birthday Larry! Happy 20th Birthday to Achtung Baby!xx
djMacPhisto
Happy birthday
Happy birthday Larry!
lrich5360
Happy Birthday, Larry!!
Wishing you a special day...and maaaany more! Mostly, thank you for putting that note on the bulletin board all those years ago. Without you, we would have none of this. You are the best! Love you lots!!
mark4880
Happy Birthday Larry!!!!
Hey Larry hope you have a great birthday!!!! Take care, Mark
szalewsky
Larry, Happy Birthday!!!
Happy Birthday to you... Love and peace to you, because you're very special. Much luck, success with U2. I love you!!!
Eluard_Moraes
Achtung Grown Up Baby
Geez, this is the day! The best album ever made will be released. Again! (lol). This morning I woke up remembering the TV news talking about the Achtung Baby release, 20 years ago.... Two things: I'm getting old; Achtung Baby is a "must have" album. 20 years has passed but it still update, still different, still.... Achtung Baby! Let's slide down the surface of the things...
thehappyjessy
Larry...
Happy Birthday to you...And many more...I love you =D
MBalazs
no blu-ray :(
for this money why only dvd? :/
musicabona
Achtung Birthday!!!
HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY, LARRY! I wish you much, much luck, success with U2, joy and health for the next 50 years! I think that your creativity is one source that keeps you so young!It is a great thing that the 20th anniversary edition of Achtung Baby gets released today. While writing this comment I suddenly heard my doorbell ring and when I opened the door somebody gave me a big package. I know that this is my Achtung Baby Super Deluxe Edition and I can;t wait to open it! 20 years ago this extraordinary masterpiece made me enter a new musical stratosphere full of magic, dark moods, mystery and experimentation. When I put my vinyl record on the turntable I could feel my heart beating and after the first notes I knew that this album was something very special. Now I am looking forward to discovering much additional material such as single b-sides, rarities, remixes and the movie From The Sky Down!
onbl
Happy Birthday
Thanks for make my life better. The Baby is my favourite album. Keep going! All the best!
felitsa
Achtung Baby is very Achtung
best album in the history of music not because it delivered U2's best songs, It brought then together after an almost break up. happy birth day achtung baby and happy 50th Larry Mullen Jr. he finally joined the rest of the band hehehheheh. well for me he's only 14 with 36 years of rock n roll XD XD XD XD
valeriacris22
Happy Birthday Larry!
Happy Birthday Larry....
scarletzooropa
Happy birthday, larry!
Happy birthday, Larry! I hope you have a great day!
VaniC
and happy birthday Larry!
that's about it.
labetha
Happy Birthday, Larry!
Happy Happy Birthday to Larry and to Achtung Baby!
semiglossy
Great doco
Just sat down and watched "From the Sky Down" on telly here in NZ - fantastic review of a real turning point for U2. Thanks to the boys for being so transparent to allow such a doco to be made and for bringing the effort back to finding music in 1991.
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