The Joshua Tree vs. Achtung Baby -- Which do you prefer?

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It's weird... I have a strong preference for U2's public persona during the Achtung Baby / ZooTV era vs. the Joshua Tree era... and will listen to a ZooTV concert over a Joshua Tree era concert any day or the week... yet I'll still give JT the slightest of slight edges over Achtung Baby.

But it's closer than razor thing.

 

[SayGoodbye]

The Joshua Tree, though I love both. I prefer the more "spacious" mix of JT to the more "compressed" mix of AB, and while I do think that AB's lyrics/atmosphere have a nice dark intimacy to them, I can't help but miss the grand sense of solidarity that they were so effective at on their earlier albums. I also think that the songs on JT tend to develop a bit more over their course in terms of sound/arrangement than they do on AB. I would agree, however, that AB is one of the few U2 albums where the first side isn't obviously better than the second, and Zoo Station is probably my favourite album-opener of theirs.

I prefer War to either, though!

 

[dan_smee]

Interesting exercise - if you were making a 12 song compilation of both, what would make the cut? It is VERY difficult. Do you do favourites or BEST tracks? This is my attempt at making the best album ever - though there are stylistic flow challenges…

1 - Streets
2 - SHF
3 - WOWY
4 - Zoo Station
5 - One
6 - Bullet the Blue Sky
7 - The Fly
8 - Mysterious Ways
9 - Running to Stand Still
10 - Ultraviolet
11 - Acrobat
12 - Love Is Blindness

How do you leave off RHMT, Exit, Mothers, UTEOTW, Wild Horses… ugh.

 

[womanfish]

I think the difference for me is that with JT - Trip and Mothers are like an 8.5 and 7.5 respectively. Where I pretty much give everything on AB a 9.5 to 10, with maybe a 9 for horses and an 8.5 for Throwin your arms.

But the difference is that even my lowest rated song on AB feels like it is a necessary element of the album, this perfect interlude heading into the final 3 songs.

 

[The Panther]

I've never understood the lower ranking many give to 'Trip Through Your Wires', which I personally love. The relatively "weaker" song on TJT, for me, would probably be "Exit", which sounds like a rough sketch but which was then fleshed out, live. (Late in the 1987 tour, they really had nailed it, as seen on the Rattle & Hum movie.) But on the album it's kind of undistinguished.

I also disagree with the common notion that 'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms...' is one of AB's weaker moments. I personally love it.

(The one thing both those tracks have in common is their fat, loping basslines. Perhaps this appeals to me.)

AB is certainly an album with no weak tracks, and in fact they're all excellent. For me, probably the final two ('Acrobat' and 'Love Is Blindness') are less to my taste than the earlier ones, but they're still great.

 

[DaveC]

I've never understood the lower ranking many give to 'Trip Through Your Wires', which I personally love.

The relatively "weaker" song on TJT, for me, would probably be "Exit"

I also disagree with the common notion that 'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms...' is one of AB's weaker moments. I personally love it.

For me, probably the final two ('Acrobat' and 'Love Is Blindness') are less to my taste

 

[womanfish]

I've never understood the lower ranking many give to 'Trip Through Your Wires', which I personally love. The relatively "weaker" song on TJT, for me, would probably be "Exit", which sounds like a rough sketch but which was then fleshed out, live. (Late in the 1987 tour, they really had nailed it, as seen on the Rattle & Hum movie.) But on the album it's kind of undistinguished.

I also disagree with the common notion that 'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms...' is one of AB's weaker moments. I personally love it.

(The one thing both those tracks have in common is their fat, loping basslines. Perhaps this appeals to me.)

AB is certainly an album with no weak tracks, and in fact they're all excellent. For me, probably the final two ('Acrobat' and 'Love Is Blindness') are less to my taste than the earlier ones, but they're still great.

Yikes on that last part. Love is Blindness is in my top 5 U2 songs. The live version moves it to number 2. Acrobat is... extraordinary IMO.

As for Wires. We are talking the weaker part of an almost perfect album. For me the weakest is Mother's. Probably in my bottom 3-4 U2 album closers.

 

[DaveC]

For me the weakest is Mother's. Probably in my bottom 3-4 U2 album closers.

tbh it was my bathroom break during JT30 to be sure i was back in time for miss sarajevo.

 

[SayGoodbye]

I actually really love "Mothers of the Disappeared"...to me it sounds like a "pop" take/expansion on Brian Eno's song "In Dark Trees", from Another Green World. Which is high praise, since I think that Another Green World is a strong contender for greatest album ever made. And the intro sounds like rain pattering on a steel roof, which is very cool. May very well be my favourite U2 closer.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

neither Joshua Tree nor Achtung Baby has a "weak" track. sure - you can argue that there are tracks that are weaker than other songs on the album - but just because Trip is (obviously) not as strong as Streets doesn't mean Trip is a "weak" track.

there are no duds on either album.

 

[lazarus]

Agree with Headache.

And there’s no better 1-2 punch at the end of a U2 album than Acrobat & LIB.

 

[womanfish]

Agree with Headache.

And there’s no better 1-2 punch at the end of a U2 album than Acrobat & LIB.

You are correct sir

 

[The Panther]

And there’s no better 1-2 punch at the end of a U2 album than Acrobat & LIB.

Yeah, they're both amazing songs. I love both. I just love all the other 10 songs more.

 

[mikal]

neither Joshua Tree nor Achtung Baby has a "weak" track. sure - you can argue that there are tracks that are weaker than other songs on the album - but just because Trip is (obviously) not as strong as Streets doesn't mean Trip is a "weak" track.

there are no duds on either album.

Coincidently, Trip is the only song my fiance likes on that album.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Coincidently, Trip is the only song my fiance likes on that album.

I love Trip. I don't think there's a song on Joshua Tree that I don't like, other than perhaps the live version of Red Hill Mining Town. That was doo doo.

 

[mikal]

I love Trip. I don't think there's a song on Joshua Tree that I don't like, other than perhaps the live version of Red Hill Mining Town. That was doo doo.

Yeah, my better half, let's just say....does not like U2 at all. So for her to like any song off that album is saying a lot.

 

[Hewson]

the live version of Red Hill Mining Town. That was doo doo.

Mega doo doo

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Yeah, my better half, let's just say....does not like U2 at all. So for her to like any song off that album is saying a lot.

There's a television show here somewhere...

Next on Bravo - band fanatics and the people who tolerate love them

 

[mikal]

There's a television show here somewhere...

Next on Bravo - band fanatics and the people who tolerate love them

Haha! Well she deals more with my Biffy Clyro fandom, but she tolerates them because she's a hard rock gal.

 

[2861U2]

It’s like the difference between the best movie and your favourite movie - rarely is your answer the same for both.

I think AB is actually a better album - has thematic alignment, quality throughout, good flow, massive sleeper hits.

JT is my favourite of the two, but it is top heavy and has a clunker (Trip).

That's interesting. I actually feel the exact opposite. Of the two, I'd say AB is my favorite 100 times out of 100. But if I had to pick the better album- truest sense of the word- I'd say JT.

 

[dan_smee]

That's interesting. I actually feel the exact opposite. Of the two, I'd say AB is my favorite 100 times out of 100. But if I had to pick the better album- truest sense of the word- I'd say JT.

That was my initial thought, but I couldn’t get past the idea that AB is a 9/10 or 10/10 song album start to finish, and the 9s are sprinkled throughout the 10s. It has balance, but the quality is incredibly high from the first note to last. JT starts with 5 10s, but has some 8s in the back half, and never gets back up to a 10.

I like it more probably because of those first five songs, and as a FAN of the band I love tracks like Exit, but I would never try and stand them up against the best songs of other great artists with people who aren’t fans already. With Acrobat, I would.

 

[dan_smee]

To explain - here’s how I feel about the songs from a “quality” perspective:

Joshua Tree
Streets - 10 (favourite song ever)
SHF - 10
WOWY - 10
Bullet 10
RTSS 10
RHMT 9
IGC 8
Trip 8
OTH 9
Exit 9
Mothers 9

AB
Zoo 10
EBTTRT 9
One 10
UTEOTW 10
Wild Horses 10
SC 9
Fly 10
MW 10
Arms 9
UV 10
Acrobat 10
LIB 10

To me there is an obvious greatness divide.

HOWEVER - I can’t watch The Godfather every day. I can watch other movies that aren’t as great much more often.

 

[The Panther]

It may not be the weakest, but 'Red Hill Mining Town' is somehow the most easily forgettable tune on Joshua Tree. I think this is not only because they never played it live (until recently, which made us wish... they'd never played it live), but also because I think it sounds like it comes from 1984-85. Like, it was already outdated when the album came out.

Conversely, I feel that 'Love Comes Tumbling' from 1984-85 sounds like it comes from 1987.

 

[SayGoodbye]

It may not be the weakest, but 'Red Hill Mining Town' is somehow the most easily forgettable tune on Joshua Tree. I think this is not only because they never played it live (until recently, which made us wish... they'd never played it live), but also because I think it sounds like it comes from 1984-85. Like, it was already outdated when the album came out.

Conversely, I feel that 'Love Comes Tumbling' from 1984-85 sounds like it comes from 1987.

Kinda disagree on both counts, actually. RHMT probably has the most memorable chorus on the album outside of the first 4 tracks, and it has an operatic sweep that I think is pretty unique to the JT. Whereas I think that the post-punky drum and (especially) bass sound on Love Comes Tumbling place it pretty clearly in the Unforgettable Fire era.

 

[MrPryck2U]

I don't rate anything from 1-10. I rate from 1-5 Stars. JT has more 5 Star songs on it for me than on AB. But, AB was released when I was a young adult. And, naturally, when you're a young adult, everything is a big deal. AB was the soundtrack of my young adult life in the early 90's. While JT might have more great songs, I prefer AB. Most albums have a coda song. AB had the 1-2 punch of Acrobat and Love is Blindness at the end to act as a double coda.

 

[danm]

This is tough, for many reasons. Firstly, these two albums sit head and shoulders above the rest of U2's back catalogue and are easily their best.

But which of the two is better? It's hard because they're such different sounding albums. It almost sounds like they're from different bands, which in some respects they were.

I typically find I go through periods where one or the other is my favourite, depending on what mood i'm in or what period of U2's history I'm into at that specific moment. The more experimental U2? Achtung Baby. The more quintessential U2? The Joshua Tree.

However, to put this to bed once and for all, I ask myself this question - if one of these two albums were removed from U2's back catalogue, which would I miss the most or which would have a more detrimental impact on the overall quality and legacy of their back catalogue? I also ask myself, if there was only one U2 album I was allowed to listen to for the rest of my life, which would I choose?

On both of the above questions, The Joshua Tree comes out on top.

 

[dk42]

I love both dearly and they kind of compliment each other in a way in showing two very different sides of U2 during different decades.

A rather extraordinary feat for a band to go from The Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby and make it sound seamless.

Both are iconic in their way, albeit I think The Joshua Tree slightly more so, I mean the album cover alone.
But man, I love the color and vibrancy of Achtung Baby, also it is probably my favorite album cover of theirs.

Song for song, I think AB has the edge (pun intended) for me. The highs are just so high for me...Until the End of the World is probably my favorite U2 song (a top 5 for sure) and I cannot imagine my life without it. I love Edge's guitar work here, it's full of life and experimentation and Bono's lyrics are in peak form, so many remarkable moments from him.

 

[METFIELD]

Achtung Baby is greater. Because Sir Lars Ulrich is huge fan of this album. This is my fave U2 song

 

[Aardvark747]

I think I tend to reach for AB songs just more often than JT these days. It would have been far closer some years ago, but now I probably head for Zooropa tracks over JT ones, along with AB.

In saying that, Streets remains firmly in my top three U2 songs, and JT as an album second to AB.

 

[DomCobb]

This is the classic question of which is better, the one with the higher highs and lower lows, or the one that is most consistently good? TJT has more all time favorites (including my number one favorite song by anyone), but also a couple I sometimes skip, and also some B sides I wish were on the album, and a sequencing that isn't perfect. Meanwhile AB is front to back rock solid, I have no notes, no adjustments.

Ultimately, the thing that makes the decision for me is sound. Both have a great vibe, but the TJT sound to me *is* U2, and it's the style that I most gravitate towards. Whereas I love AB and those sounds, but some of the production effects are not as timeless in the same way to me as TJT is.