It was 30 years ago today, November 18th, 1991, that U2 released its seventh album, the groundbreaking Achtung Baby. The collection, which debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200, followed the band’s 1988 stop-gap live and studio soundtrack to the Rattle And Hum movie, and served as the creative followup to the band’s multi-platinum 1987 chart-topper, The Joshua Tree. Achtung Baby was recorded over six months at Hansa Studio in Berlin, Germany and Windmill Lane in Dublin, Ireland.
The album, which was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, spawned four Top 40 singles — “Mysterious Ways” (#9), “One” (#10), “Even Better Than The Real Thing” (#32), and “Who’s Gonna Run Your Wild Horses” (#35).
In 1993 the album scored U2 the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. To date, Achtung Baby has sold 18 million copies globally.
Coming tomorrow (November 19th), is a special Standard and Deluxe vinyl release of the album, which will be followed on December 3rd by a 50-track Achtung Baby digital box set. The downloads will include Uber Remixes, Unter Remixes, and B-Sides with 22 tracks never-before available digitally.
SIDE NOTES
The tracklisting to U2’s ‘Achtung Baby’ 2021 Digital Boxset is:
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 BlindnessUber 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)
CHECK IT OUT: U2’s video for 1991’s “Mysterious Ways”:
CHECK IT OUT: U2’s video for 1991’s “One”:
CHECK IT OUT: U2’s video for 1991’s “Who’s Gonna Run Your Wild Horses”: