Achtung Baby vs Joshua Tree and other thoughts...

[Jon Seidman]

I feel AB is far superior. JT has WOWY, their best song ever, and WTSHNN, their best live song ever, but other than that, it is just good, not awesome. I don't think they had much business tapping into or deriving from the American folk tradition. There are moments of greatness, but JT is U2 questioning itself. R&H was a continuation of that search. AB is U2 creating something new. Reaching deeper into their European history and surroundings. There are a few so-so tracks, but even those sound unlike anything before or since. Zooropa is Achtung Baby but even more European, just as R&H was even more American, which means that Zooropa could be even better than AB in some ways. Pop could have been great, but by the time it was released, the whole guitars meets drum machine thing was boring, especially in the context of the overblown production. Pop's best moment is Wake Up Dead Man, which was U2 just being U2, no bullshit required.

Sorry, I didn't mean to bug ya'...

 

[FitzChivalry]

Well, it all comes down to personal, subjective preferences anyway way you dice it.

For me, Joshua Tree has the sound I love waaaaaay more than Achtung Baby, though I won't deny the inventiveness of AB, I will always prefer Joshua Tree.

 

[shaun vox]

JT and Achtung are two albums that define U2!
the rest are just albums with filler songs.

 

[coolian2]

Shaun, you're rapidly becoming a parody of yourself.

Overall, I just enjoy JT more. Regardless of sound, etc.

 

[phillyfan26]

The Joshua Tree is fantastic. Consistent as hell, and some of the most memorable songs ever.

Achtung Baby had a lot of potential, but is plagued by poor studio performance, terrible production, and a puzzling running order.

Joshua Tree by a moderate margin.

 

[lauramullen]

I love both albums. If I had to pick between the two which is my favorite, I wouldn't be able to.

 

[Zoots]

Shaun, you're rapidly becoming a parody of yourself.

As for me, even though I always say I prefer Achtung to JT, I think I enjoy both almost equally. One is a great album for a night out partying and the other is perfect for a road trip on a sunny day. They're like the sun and the moon of U2's universe for me. Can't live without either one!

 

[LemonMelon]

I prefer thread #7452645894656924885924546 that asked this to thread #6452745894156924385924546.

 

[bigjohn2441]

JT is the ONLY u2 album i can sit down and listen to all the way through without skipping a song and not get bored, skip to the next song halfway through one, etc.

 

[popacrobat]

both are flawless to me, and you can't go wrong with either one, but i think i'll take Achtung.

 

[dal975]

As for me, even though I always say I prefer Achtung to JT, I think I enjoy both almost equally. One is a great album for a night out partying and the other is perfect for a road trip on a sunny day. They're like the sun and the moon of U2's universe for me. Can't live without either one!

agreed! and the unforgettable fire might complete the triumvirate...

 

[Zoots]

agreed! and the unforgettable fire might complete the triumvirate...

or Pop.

or ATYCLB... the hangover after the Achtung party!

 

[jphelmet]

running to stand still, one tree hill, exit, mothers, are just good?

they are 1a and 1b in the u2 catalog. for me jt is a and ab is b.

 

[Freefall]

Hi there! Add "Trip Through Your Wire" which has blatant lyrical significance in its depth of meaning. "In God's Country" where the guitar work is superlative; and "Red Hill Mining Town" which is a world unto its own. Joshua Tree is a class unto itself in musical quality.

Achtung Baby is devestatingly inventive and original. Nothing can beat "The Fly" Or "Ultraviolet". I really couldn't live without either of them, but I guess I will always lean to the Joshua Tree just because of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"! I think "Desert of Our Love" proved just how potent that track was in its inception.

 

[hasin73]

Those 2 albums are like 2 child of a mother. As she can't tell that this child is my favourite and that one is not. JT and AB are 2 albums that helped U2 to reach at the point where they are now. JT established U2 as the biggest band in the world and AB
helped U2's transformation that was essential at that time to maintain the viability and
freshness and helped the band to enter into a new era. I hope the next album will enable
U2 to again have a fresh sound and enter into a new age to rule the world for another 10
years.

 

[Irishteen]

Achtung Baby kicks Joshua Tree's ass; seriously the Joshua Tree is only like their fifth best album, it's their second most overrated after Pop

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Both are great. Really great!

But With or Without You was a single when I was 16 and it was an "our song" for 5 girlfriends that year. Joshua Tree wins easy for that alone.

 

[Peterrrrr]

http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f189/2008-jt-or-ab-188210.html

 

[U2girl]

JT.
Like Flanagan said in the booklet for the remaster they spent the rest of their career running away from that image, and living up to that record. Zoo TV was the second stroke of genius.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I was hoping the forum would be above this sort of thread by now.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Poll from a few months ago: http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f189/2008-jt-or-ab-188210.html

 

[The Sad Punk]

Poll from a few months ago: http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f189/2008-jt-or-ab-188210.html

Yes, we saw.

 

[last unicorn]

JT is an almost flawless album for me.

 

[gman]

Both are great Albums, but i would have to say, that from a neutral point of view....The JT would probably be regarded as the "classic" album of the two. Its also the opinion I would have.

 

[Rob33]

Yes, we saw.

While we're sorrrrta on the subject...anyone notice the incredibly beautiful guitar work on Ultraviolet, after the middle eight....at the verse "I remember when we could sleep on stones...." ? If you listen to the Washington DC version, for example, you can clearly hear this riff...it's one of my favorite riffs ever....yet in the studio version, it's basically inaudible...it's what makes the Washington version of this song superior to the album version in my mind...regardless, it's such a great song, just a shame cause it could've been better on the album

Anyway, I can't decide between JT or AB...they're both masterpieces in my mind

 

[HBK-79]

I like AB better. It's just more rocking and more experimental.

 

[Zoots]

Poll from a few months ago: http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f189/2008-jt-or-ab-188210.html

Why are you posting it again?

 

[major_panic]

Bring out your dead! Bring out your dead! - not dead horses though, they get beaten too often.

 

[U2girl]

I was hoping the forum would be above this sort of thread by now.

Whining about it isn't great either, but we can't have it all.

 

[OrARoundabout]

You can't compare AB and JT, they are two different albums!