Achtung Baby at 30

15 Nov 202159

Achtung Baby at 30

Thirty years ago, Bono described Achtung Baby as "the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree" while Jon Pareles of the New York Times wrote that "stripped-down and defying its old formulas, U2 has given itself a fighting chance for the 1990's". 

The album won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance and became one of the most significant records of the nineties and of U2's career.

Today Island Records, Interscope and UMe announce the 30th Anniversary Edition release of Achtung Baby, which will see a special Standard black vinyl release, along with a Deluxe colour vinyl release on 19th November, with Achtung Baby (2018 Remaster) and Achtung Baby (Unter Remixes) also available digitally that day. 

And on December 3rd the 50-track digital box set arrives including Uber Remixes, Unter Remixes and, B-Sides with 22 tracks never before available digitally. (Complete track list below)

Pre order Achtung Baby (30th Anniversary Edition) here

To mark this special anniversary, the band have collaborated with Berlin-based French artist Thierry Noir (the first artist to paint on the Berlin Wall) for a special one-off installation at the legendary Hansa Studios in Kreuzberg. 

Thirty years ago, the band commissioned Noir to paint a series of now iconic Trabant cars, which featured on the album artwork, as well 1991's Zoo TV Tour. U2 x THIERRY NOIR sees Noir return with a newly painted Trabant for 2021, as well as an exclusive mural painted on a section of the Berlin wall.  

In Berlin and want to visit? Read more here. 

Recorded over six months at Hansa Studio in Berlin and Windmill Lane in Dublin, Achtung Baby is U2's seventh studio album. Produced by long time U2 collaborators, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno with Steve Lillywhite, Achtung Baby was engineered by Flood and released on 18th November 1991. Led by The Fly, four other singles followed: Mysterious Ways, One, Even Better Than The Real Thing and Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses. 

Watch here.

ACHTUNG BABY 2021 – DIGITAL BOXSET TRACKLIST 

Achtung Baby
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 

Uber Remixes
1. Night and Day (Steel String Remix) 
2. Real Thing (Perfecto Mix) 
3. Mysterious Ways (Solar Plexus Extended Club Mix) 
4. Lemon (Perfecto Mix) 
5. Can't Help Falling in Love (Triple Peaks Remix) 
6. Lady with the Spinning Head (Extended Dance remix) 
7. Real Thing (V16 Exit Wound Remix) 
8. Mysterious Ways (Ultimatum Mix) 
9. The Lounge Fly Mix 
10. Mysterious Ways (The Perfecto Remix) 
11. One (Apollo 440 Remix) 

Unter Remixes
1. Mysterious Ways (Tabla Motown Remix) 
2. Mysterious Ways (Apollo 440 Magic Hour Remix) 
3. Can't Help Falling in Love (Mystery Train Dub) 
4. One (Apollo 440 Ambient Mix) 
5. Lemon (Momo's Reprise) 
6. Salomé (Zooromancer Remix) 
7. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Trance Mix) 
8. Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix) 
9. Mysterious Ways (Solar Plexus Magic Hour Remix) 
10. Numb (The Soul Assassins Mix) 
11. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Apollo 440 Stealth Sonic Remix) 

B-Sides And Other Stuff
1. Lady With The Spinning Head (UV1) 
2. Blow Your House Down 
3. Salomé 
4. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Single Version) 
5. Satellite Of Love
6. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Temple Bar Remix) 
7. Heaven And Hell 
8. Oh Berlin 
9. Near The Island (Instrumental) 
10. Down All The Days 
11. Paint It Black 
12. Fortunate Son 
13. Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk / Korova 1 
14. Where Did It All Go Wrong? 
15. Everybody Loves A Winner 
16. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Fish Out Of Water Remix) 

Comments
59
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bretix
Solar plexus Mixus
It's alright. It's alright. Just made me jump a bit when it changed from the chilled to the drums.
tigertrav
We dream of U2 ZOOTVreloaded 2023
Hundreds of thousands of fans around the world are ready…. ready for the laughing gas. 30 years on ZOOTV in 8KUHD…. Minds will be blown!!
RVATOMMY
You’ve Made The Right Choice
I thought I had blown out my speakers at first…. No, wait…. It’s just Zoo Station blowing my ears and mind away. It’s time to fire up the Willie Williams team and dream it all up again!! ZooTV - Reloaded!!
sunny13
Zootv Anniversary Tour Please!!
I was only 9 years old when you did this tour…I haven’t missed one since POP 97!! Would love to see this happen!
Iamdavec
When …
still waiting on this arriving in the uk. Looking forward to the heavyweight vinyl. Just hope it arrives sometime soon.
Runner3209
Game changer
Achtung Baby demonstrated that they could alter their sound. There were 1 or 2 clues in some tracks on Rattle & Hum. God Part II being the best example. If it was included on AB, it wouldn't sound out of place. Too many superfluous remixes on here that can all be found elsewhere. I shan't be buying this. Achtung Baby though, remains an album so good, I treat it as a sacrament listening to it. So many great, great memories. If I was on a burning plane and could only rescue one CD, this would be it.
MichaelHarris
Mick 66
Mine arrived this morning, another great piece of vinyl to my collection. 30 years on, where as time gone, memories of s belly dancer on a mirror covered Trabant over head !!
NadjaHoffer
WE dream of ZOOTV reloaded
I have a vision! (What’s the vision?) Eurovison. Eurovision!! Eurovision!!! Please bring ZOOTV back on tour ☺️
Fifaeoz
Thank you
Love having this on vinyl at last and I’ve had a fabulous afternoon transported back in time, I think this is my fav album. Live at Red Rock a very close second. ❤️
Miriam Jonker
One of the best U2 albums
I loved this album form day one and it is still the album I listen to the most. Excellent capture of the zeitgeist at the time and a great reinvention of U2.
Andymal
ACHTUNG BABY
We had a Joshua Tree tour-Any chance we get a 30 year Achtung Baby tour? Now this would be mind altering, Javolt!
luminimattia1
Achtungbaby30.com
Hi from Italy, I'm building a fan site for this anniversary. Achtung baby means too much for me and I want to collect special editions, fan art, collectibles in this site, if you want to sell a rarity or simply showcase something related, please visit the site and write me
SZATAN
Zootv Can’t Wait!!
Hopefully a tour follows?
laurent13
Zootv anniversary
Achtung baby my favorite album! I’m ready for zootv tour 30th anniversary!!!!!!!!
tmags
An album ahead of its time and now timel
When AB came out I didn't know what to think or feel about it. I have grown to love this album and realize 30 years removed how it reflects a certain time in the world (plus it has a good beat and you can dance to it!). Well done and congratulations on reaching such a wonderful milestone with this timeless work of art and music.
pawel_peczak
gigantic
No One has ever recorded anything like Achtng Baby before, after and ever after. It's a masterpiece. Reflects the whole generation. It's Yellow submarine of the 1990's. Its new Europe, unified. it.'s personal story of love and divorce, love hurts, love loves ....so emotional. It changed my entire life forever and ever after
mattwallard
Matt Wallard
I remember so clearly racing into the house, having bought AB in town. I slid the CD into the CD player and pressed play. 20 seconds later, I pressed stop and ejected the CD to make sure I’ve been given the right one. It was. I listened to the whole of Zoo Station in tears. I was 17. Tears of grief not joy. This wasn’t my U2. From With or Without You to this? I persevered with Even Better – those tears kept coming. It was only when I got to track three that my tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. It still took me many more plays to ‘get it’, let alone fall in love with it, but it rightfully remains up there as one of U2’s two seminal albums. Still brings tears of joy 30 years later!
bal raju01
Dirty 3o
Wow…. 30….How’s she’s grown…… the album that changed my life. Congrats all….
bayroberts
St Patrick's Day '92 Boston Garden
The St. Patrick's show at the Boston Garden in '92 would be a great Box Set as a subscription gift...One of the best nights of my life...amazing show...please release it so I can relive that night!
magui2
Achtung baby!
It's all about the music (best phrase I ever heard from Bono).
musicabona
Achtung Birthday!
Having heard "The Fly" single prior to the release of "Achtung Baby" I couldn´t wait for the full album. Today 30 years ago I went to my local record store by bike. Filled with adrenaline I was surprised by the unusually distorted sounds of "Zoo Station". Initially left with confusion I started digging deeper into a mystery on that early evening, an adventure offering so many intensive and new sonic experiences. A wild mixture of danceable rhythms, emotional vocals, stunning guitar and electronic sounds introduced me to U2´s innovation. Being created in times of political change the album perfectly represents the beginning of a new era. With lyrics revealing feelings of self-doubt, inner conflict and irony the record evokes a dark mood. Of course "One" is always deeply emotional and its message is universal. In times we currently go through the line "We get to carry each other" is more needed than ever and brings hope. "Achtung Baby" has constantly accompanied my life and I´m amazed how fresh and modern it still sounds. An absolutely courageous and timeless masterpiece.
joyriderBE
Achtung Baby : 30
Happy B day Achtung Baby. Don´t let the bastards grind you down... Cheers to the next 30 years.
Sabrewulf
Congrats Achtung Baby!
30 years lighting our ways!!!. Amazing. AB, The best ever made.
GavB
Happy 30th Achtung Baby
I remember being at the Astoria gig in London in 2001 when they came on stage to Until the End of the World. There was only about 800 people in the venue and they blew the roof off...what a belter.....what a moment. Since then that song is my favourite and this album is their best. Sounds even better 30 years on. Looking forward to the anniversary tour....!
rhee_fill
It was 30 years ago today...
I was living in Gifu, a small city in Japan, and I managed to buy Achtung Baby. In those pre-internet days, I don't know how I knew that November 18 was the release date but I rode my bicycle to the train station, caught the train into the city and found a CD shop. Having only arrived in Japan a few weeks before, it was a bit of an adventure with my rudimentary Japanese language skills so that CD is still a treasured one in my collection. For the next three years, I played that CD constantly on my Sony Discman (remember, no U2 X-Radio in those days) and scoured the shops for any Achtung Baby or Zooropa CD singles. My U2 in Japan experience culminated with the Zoo TV show at Tokyo Dome in December 1993, with the added bonus for the Clash fan in me of Big Audio Dynamite as the opening act!
paul.wood71
Zoo tv concert?
Was hoping for a cd version with a live concert maybe yankee stadium. For Joshua Tree you gave us Paris and New York. We need more zoo tv. Hopefully this will be done in the subscription gift for 2022.
padrepio
fly goggles
thought there might have been an opportunity to purchase the 1 piece plastic fly goggles since the 30 year anniversary has come around.....remember the time all Propaganda subscribers were sent out a pair for free all those years ago ?
lololabrute
A shame..
A live box would have been fun, or, oh, dare i say a BLU-RAY release of a Zoo TV Tour show? Anyway, I guess the vinyl will do... for now.. Thank god I collect bootlegs to compensate!
Atmis_Rime
Missing Remixes?
Why not take this opportunity to release ALL of the remixes from this era? Notably, the Lemonade mix of Lemon and the Twilight Remix of Night and Day, both of which are excellent and are, to my knowledge, only available on difficult to find and expensive promos.
Anam
Spot On
As a marking of the celebration, this is spot on. The vinyl looks great, the digital box set will get some great tracks heard by a wider audience & the new merch is cool. The rest was done in 2011. Looking forward to new classics in 2022!
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