COBL_04 said:
Like I mentioned in the first post, I tore up the recipt...meaning I can never return it. So you don't have to worry about that. I like the album, and one of my favourite lyrics is - 'So don't let the bastards grind you down'.
Thanks everyone for your replies. However, please remember that I have only had this album for just over 12 hours. I cannot love an album more in that short period of time than someone who has had the album FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. Please remember this little fact. It seems that it took most people here a fair few listens to get into, and it will be the same for me. Don't just immediately say,
I'VE ONLY OWNED IT FOR JUST OVER 12 HOURS.
To those who were upset at my rankings for One - I wrote that ranking on my first listen. After my first listen to any song ever not once have I said 'Oh my god. Those lyrics speak volumes to me. What a masterpiece'. I gave it 3/5 based on my FIRST LISTEN. And even If I never think it's an aboslute masterpiece. I don't have to. It's not like If I don't love it as much as you guys that I won't be a proper U2 fan. I think the lyrics to One are very deep and meaningful. It is extremely well written. I respect the lyrics.
See, not everyone thinks One is the greatest song ever made.
Like BonoVoxSupastar picked up on, I was ONE YEAR OLD when Achtung Baby came out. I decided I liked U2 when I first heard Beautiful Day and Stuck In A Moment on Rage a few years back. I did not know that U2 had been around since the start of the 80's. I think I was 11 at the time. In November or December last year, Vertigo was released and I bought HTDAAB. I loved it. I reviewed it on metacritic.com, and that was when I discovered that U2 had been around for ages. Then I bought ATYCLB and got even more into U2. I became a member of this forum, bought the 80/90 best of and I was hooked. Then I started a thread called 'the next one'. I wanted to ask people on this forum's opinion of what album I should get next. They all said AB, and I bought it YESTERDAY. I BOUGHT IT YESTERDAY. NOT FOURTEEN YEARS AGO, YESTERDAY.
I have no clue of their past either except for the 80/90 best of.
My fears on buying this album were two things -
The smaller fear - 1) I read in Rolling Stone that Bono said AB was the sound of four men tearing down the Joshua Tree. I fell in love with ISHFWILF, Streets and WOWY and so I thought I would love TJT. I didn't know If I was going to like to sound of AB.
The bigger fear - 2) I felt huge pressure to aboslutely love this album at first listen (I think a few people would have been shocked that someone on the forum had not said that AB was the greatest album U2 ever made). I can't love an album/song that i've only had for less than a day more than all you guys can who have had it for FOURTEEN years. Example -
I DON'T HAVE TO LOVE IT. I'm not the same as everyone else here.
I think I was a happier person before I bought Achtung Baby. Now I feel like I'm out of place on this forum, like I don't have common ground with anyone anymore because everyone loves this CD. I think it's good and it will most definitely grow on me. But maybe I should leave the forum for a few years until I appreciate AB as much as you guys do. I can't relate to anyone if I don't have the same feelings towards AB as you guys do. I think I offended many people with some of my ratings.
Can I just ask though - did everyone here absolutely love AB at first listen? Did they think One was the greatest song ever made at first listen? Did the lyrics from this album speak volumes to you at first listen?
No, I don't think this applies to all of you. Give me the same amount of time to like this album as you guys had.
Who knowns what I'll do? 
haha... no hard feelings. my comment about throwing it in the trash was a silly inside joke and it was out of place to put it on your thread. i knew you wouldnt throw it away. sorry about that.
no problem. you are actually better off in a sense geting used to Achtung Baby. because its gonna be one fun helluva road to discovering the other past U2 music. and then go back to Achtung Baby, and it'll all sound different. in a very good way, that is.
i think initially, why some newer fans have some problems with achtung baby, is that many of them arent aware of the "shock" that came with hearing it for the first time after exoeriencing the joshua tree and earlier works... which did seem to make an odd difference. it was all about that 'time period'. i dunno.
same thing for "zooropa". i was thinking about this earlier.. if it would have had the same impact on me if i hadnt ever heard achtung baby before that or been around during that time for all the "hype" of the U2 experiences.
achtung baby.. yeah... it could take a while sometimes, to get into and fully get it. it took me a while to get into "throwing your arms around the world", "Love is blindness"... etc. i dont think my ears were ready yet. i dont know. those songs seemed to take on a whole new thing to me later in the years.
a cool thing about achtung baby, is knowing the whole story and period with the band behind it. it makes it much more cooler.
one fun way to get this, would be to check out the bill flannigan book "U2: at the end of the world".. it pretty much sums up that entire period... and makes that whole album seem SOOO much different after reading it. even after having the album for so long and listening to it for so long... after just reading that book for the first time a few months ago.. looking back at the album gave this whole other perspective and made me like things a lot more and put newer things into my head when listening. I LOVE THAT BOOK!!! anyone who hasnt read it.. must. must must must, lol.
so, dont feel bad. you're being honest, and you arent being any less of a U2 fan for having your preference. think of it as a book and the chapters... and your pathway into truly understanding what achtung baby is about. which, is gonna be a lot of fun.
i actually wish i could go back to those days when i first heard all of these and were in the place you are in now. i love these sort of "passages" and looking back later at them.
Also, on achtung baby... each song.. in order.. is sort of a storyline. all go in a special order and tell the process of this relationship thats taking place.. and its quite weird sometimes.
theres so much more underlining to the album that most people overlook or arent aware of and then when they do, they're like 'holy shit, wow!' . lol.
joshua tree, and achtung baby.. are what i call.. 'perfect' albums. might take a while. seems you and are are backwards of eachother. it took me a while to get into the rest of the joshua tree album (minus with or without you, streets, still havent found, etc...), but you loved that right from the start, lol.
dont worry. feeling like you need to love it right away.. takes away from it and will spoil it. theres no pressure in the enjoyment of music.. and just because you arent mindboggled by it yet.. doesnt mean AT ALL that you are any less of a U2 fan.. or worthy of it.
now, that weirdo ;walkontheedge' guy i was referring to earlier.. who i was referencing to about "throwing cds in the trash".. he just listened a couple of times to Zooropa and just tossed it into the trash without even wanting to try.. or enjoy. lol. thats what that was about.. and i was giving the guy a hard time on the other forum, lol. so, it wasnt directed at you.
enjoy!! and hope your U2 passage is a fun one.. but dont pressure yourself. trying to hard to like it, will just create the opposite.
keep us posted.
. This was my first listen and I thought that solo was terrific. The chorus is also pretty good, but it's the solo that is the best part.
). Like alot of U2's stuff it isn't something most people will instantly think is brilliant but after a while you will realise how amazing it is.
