Who hates Achtung Baby?

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Axver said:


Furthermore, I just don't like the change. I prefer the political U2 of the eighties. I'm also a fan of irony, but I feel it was much better realised later in the nineties. I also just don't feel the passion or artistry that I hear in albums such as Boy, UF, and JT. I feel it returned for Zooropa, but Achtung feels very "dead" to me. It does not have much of a soul, it doesn't stimulate much of an emotional response in me at all. It leaves me thinking "... that can't have been the band that could bring a tear to my eye with One Tree Hill. Where did they go?"

As for the individual songs:

EBTTRT (5/10): I honestly find the intro catchy, and I like the "we're free to fly" verse. I'd like to believe that it has a deep lyrical meaning, but it just registers as too shallow on the whole. I don't like shallow music.

One (1/10): I think I've articulated my position on this sufficiently earlier in this thread.

WGRYWH (4/10): I quite enjoyed this song live, but it doesn't really do it for me in the studio. Some of the lyrics are really dreadful too.

So Cruel (2/10): Poor, unfortunate So Cruel! It has some amazing lyrics, some of the best Bono has ever written, but it is musically terrible. It puts me to sleep. And the mixing just makes it worse.

Mysterious Ways (5/10): I wish the studio version were more like the live version. I appreciate the deeper meaning of the lyrics and how Bono makes them work effectively on multiple levels, but this song really suffers from poor mixing.

TTTYAATW (0/10): A boring plod. There is little redeeming about this song besides a couple of humorous lines. It never should have been on an album. It would be a pretty sucky b-side even.

Ultra Violet (0/10): Baby, baby, baby, fuckin' go away.
Click to expand...

One of the crapiest reviews(if not the crapiest) I have ever seen. Your ears need serious syringing! Still there has to be people with your simialr opinions else there'd be nothing to argue about!:wink:
 
I didn't like it at first, it was probably my least favorite and less listened album. But after a year or so I started to discover it, I was sort of ready for it, and now it's my alltime favorite album from any artist and it always be.

No weak songs for me, just great songs, great lyrics that capture a great U2 period.
 
Axver said:
You know, I think it might be worthwhile to fully articulate my opinion on why I hate Achtung Baby. It seems some folk here are having a bit of trouble understanding the perspective of those of us who dislike Achtung, so here's my comprehensive explanation.

The album as a whole: I listen to albums for a cohesive, complete experience. Atmosphere and themes mean a lot to me. However, I find Achtung incredibly incohesive; it is jarring, disjointed, and has one of the worst track orders of any U2 album. I get no sense of cohesion, just a band trying too hard to come up with something new and ending up with a patchy mishmash of material.

Furthermore, I just don't like the change. I prefer the political U2 of the eighties. I'm also a fan of irony, but I feel it was much better realised later in the nineties. I also just don't feel the passion or artistry that I hear in albums such as Boy, UF, and JT. I feel it returned for Zooropa, but Achtung feels very "dead" to me. It does not have much of a soul, it doesn't stimulate much of an emotional response in me at all. It leaves me thinking "... that can't have been the band that could bring a tear to my eye with One Tree Hill. Where did they go?"

As for the individual songs:

Zoo Station (7/10): I love the intro, but I don't feel the rest of the song lives up to it. Musically, it starts interesting and turns into a plod. Lyrically, it's the opposite; the repetitiveness of parts irk me (Bono, we get the point, you're ready), but it improves and has some good lines.

EBTTRT (5/10): I honestly find the intro catchy, and I like the "we're free to fly" verse. I'd like to believe that it has a deep lyrical meaning, but it just registers as too shallow on the whole. I don't like shallow music.

One (1/10): I think I've articulated my position on this sufficiently earlier in this thread.

UTEOTW (8/10): Poor UTEOTW. It is such a great song, a rocking beast and a U2 classic in every sense, but its studio production tries to suck to the life out of it, especially its conclusion. Thank goodness that its greatness manages to shine through nonetheless. I love its lyrical basis; a great take on the Gospels by Bono.

WGRYWH (4/10): I quite enjoyed this song live, but it doesn't really do it for me in the studio. Some of the lyrics are really dreadful too.

So Cruel (2/10): Poor, unfortunate So Cruel! It has some amazing lyrics, some of the best Bono has ever written, but it is musically terrible. It puts me to sleep. And the mixing just makes it worse.

The Fly (10/10): Now we're talking. This rocks my face off and has some exceptional lyrics. Way to go, U2.

Mysterious Ways (5/10): I wish the studio version were more like the live version. I appreciate the deeper meaning of the lyrics and how Bono makes them work effectively on multiple levels, but this song really suffers from poor mixing.

TTTYAATW (0/10): A boring plod. There is little redeeming about this song besides a couple of humorous lines. It never should have been on an album. It would be a pretty sucky b-side even.

Ultra Violet (0/10): Baby, baby, baby, fuckin' go away.

Acrobat (10/10): GENIUS. This is the best song on the album, and in my top eight U2 songs of all time (some Achtung hater I am!). Everything about this song works on every level. I'm not sure I can even fully articulate my opinion about Acrobat; it's just so good. I wish the rest of the album were this good! A diamond in the rough.

Love Is Blindness (10/10): An exceptional closer. I love this song a lot, for its emotional depth and political interpretation, the power of its mournful solo, and its haunting atmosphere. Why couldn't the rest of the album have an atmosphere like this and Alex Descends Into Hell? It'd be a dark masterpiece then.



And I guess that's about it really. Hopefully I won't get slagged off.
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I completey agree with all of that, it pretty much sums up my entire idea of achtung baby as a whole. Some of the songs are passable (and i do like a few - love is blindness, acrobat, one even though you're not a fan) and work as singles much better than they do as an album, and I hardly ever listen to the whole thing because it doesnt flow IMO like zooropa, or even pop does. I like that the band made such a daring change, but I personally think that some of AB suffered due to them trying too hard to be different from their previous stuff.
I'm probably going to get shot now, but thats my opinion.
 
Axver said:
The album as a whole: I listen to albums for a cohesive, complete experience. Atmosphere and themes mean a lot to me. However, I find Achtung incredibly incohesive; it is jarring, disjointed, and has one of the worst track orders of any U2 album. I get no sense of cohesion, just a band trying too hard to come up with something new and ending up with a patchy mishmash of material.

Furthermore, I just don't like the change. I prefer the political U2 of the eighties. I'm also a fan of irony, but I feel it was much better realised later in the nineties. I also just don't feel the passion or artistry that I hear in albums such as Boy, UF, and JT. I feel it returned for Zooropa, but Achtung feels very "dead" to me. It does not have much of a soul, it doesn't stimulate much of an emotional response in me at all. It leaves me thinking "... that can't have been the band that could bring a tear to my eye with One Tree Hill. Where did they go?"
Click to expand...

There seems to be three errors in your logic, that you might explain to me.
1. You suggest that Achtung Baby is incohesive and has a horrible track order. However, compared to other U2 albums it is the most cohesive. The songs create an atmosphere and several themes. Achtung Baby is by no means a "mishmash of material." Every song flows into the next. So, perhaps you could better explain the incohesive part because I can't see where you're coming from.
2. The things that Achtung Baby was missing came back in Zooropa. It seems that when you describe Achtung Baby you're talking about Zooropa. Could you explain what gave Zooropa the things AB didn't have?
3. Achtung Baby has no soul. There is no emotion in songs like One, Horses, So Cruel, UTEOTW or Love Is Blindness? I find that Achtung Baby is the most emotional of all thier albums. Just because it is wrapped up in heavy, dark material doesn't take that away from it. So could you explain why and in what places AB lacks soul or emotion?
 
Axver said:
You know, I think it might be worthwhile to fully articulate my opinion on why I hate Achtung Baby. It seems some folk here are having a bit of trouble understanding the perspective of those of us who dislike Achtung, so here's my comprehensive explanation.

The album as a whole: I listen to albums for a cohesive, complete experience. Atmosphere and themes mean a lot to me. However, I find Achtung incredibly incohesive; it is jarring, disjointed, and has one of the worst track orders of any U2 album. I get no sense of cohesion, just a band trying too hard to come up with something new and ending up with a patchy mishmash of material.

Furthermore, I just don't like the change. I prefer the political U2 of the eighties. I'm also a fan of irony, but I feel it was much better realised later in the nineties. I also just don't feel the passion or artistry that I hear in albums such as Boy, UF, and JT. I feel it returned for Zooropa, but Achtung feels very "dead" to me. It does not have much of a soul, it doesn't stimulate much of an emotional response in me at all. It leaves me thinking "... that can't have been the band that could bring a tear to my eye with One Tree Hill. Where did they go?"

As for the individual songs:

Zoo Station (7/10): I love the intro, but I don't feel the rest of the song lives up to it. Musically, it starts interesting and turns into a plod. Lyrically, it's the opposite; the repetitiveness of parts irk me (Bono, we get the point, you're ready), but it improves and has some good lines.

EBTTRT (5/10): I honestly find the intro catchy, and I like the "we're free to fly" verse. I'd like to believe that it has a deep lyrical meaning, but it just registers as too shallow on the whole. I don't like shallow music.

One (1/10): I think I've articulated my position on this sufficiently earlier in this thread.

UTEOTW (8/10): Poor UTEOTW. It is such a great song, a rocking beast and a U2 classic in every sense, but its studio production tries to suck to the life out of it, especially its conclusion. Thank goodness that its greatness manages to shine through nonetheless. I love its lyrical basis; a great take on the Gospels by Bono.

WGRYWH (4/10): I quite enjoyed this song live, but it doesn't really do it for me in the studio. Some of the lyrics are really dreadful too.

So Cruel (2/10): Poor, unfortunate So Cruel! It has some amazing lyrics, some of the best Bono has ever written, but it is musically terrible. It puts me to sleep. And the mixing just makes it worse.

The Fly (10/10): Now we're talking. This rocks my face off and has some exceptional lyrics. Way to go, U2.

Mysterious Ways (5/10): I wish the studio version were more like the live version. I appreciate the deeper meaning of the lyrics and how Bono makes them work effectively on multiple levels, but this song really suffers from poor mixing.

TTTYAATW (0/10): A boring plod. There is little redeeming about this song besides a couple of humorous lines. It never should have been on an album. It would be a pretty sucky b-side even.

Ultra Violet (0/10): Baby, baby, baby, fuckin' go away.

Acrobat (10/10): GENIUS. This is the best song on the album, and in my top eight U2 songs of all time (some Achtung hater I am!). Everything about this song works on every level. I'm not sure I can even fully articulate my opinion about Acrobat; it's just so good. I wish the rest of the album were this good! A diamond in the rough.

Love Is Blindness (10/10): An exceptional closer. I love this song a lot, for its emotional depth and political interpretation, the power of its mournful solo, and its haunting atmosphere. Why couldn't the rest of the album have an atmosphere like this and Alex Descends Into Hell? It'd be a dark masterpiece then.

And I guess that's about it really. Hopefully I won't get slagged off.
Click to expand...

1.Zoo Station 10/10, That is one of the best U2 songs..
2.EBTTRT 9/10 I think that song has a lot of potential and I personally think that that review on that song sucks..
3.One 61/2 /10 The song has it's moments but I would not rate it any lower than 4
4.UTEOTW 8/10, that I think is your only decent rate of a song..
5.WGYWH- 8/10
6.So cruel 7/10
7.The Fly 51/2 /10 The song is 100x better played live on the Elevation tour- any doubt of it you get a :|
8.Mysterious ways 91/2 /10 You really underestimated that song recorded, I like that song a lot recorded..you get a :madspit: for that..
9.TTYAATW- 8/10- you get a :| for that..
10.Ultra Violet- 7/10 The version is so much more better, but you also underestimated it recorded..You get a :| ..
10.Acrobat- 4/10- I thought that was the worst song on the album:huh:
11.Love is blindness 5/10 Live is better...:|

Poll: Who likes my review better?
 
tpsglick2424 said:


1.Zoo Station 10/10, That is one of the best U2 songs..
2.EBTTRT 9/10 I think that song has a lot of potential and I personally think that that review on that song sucks..
3.One 61/2 /10 The song has it's moments but I would not rate it any lower than 4
4.UTEOTW 8/10, that I think is your only decent rate of a song..
5.WGYWH- 8/10
6.So cruel 7/10
7.The Fly 51/2 /10 The song is 100x better played live on the Elevation tour- any doubt of it you get a :|
8.Mysterious ways 91/2 /10 You really underestimated that song recorded, I like that song a lot recorded..you get a :madspit: for that..
9.TTYAATW- 8/10- you get a :| for that..
10.Ultra Violet- 7/10 The version is so much more better, but you also underestimated it recorded..You get a :| ..
10.Acrobat- 4/10- I thought that was the worst song on the album:huh:
11.Love is blindness 5/10 Live is better...:|

Poll: Who likes my review better?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I like Axver's review better even if I don't agree with it. The review has some intelligence put into it.

It's just so much more better...
 
tpsglick2424 said:


1.Zoo Station 10/10, That is one of the best U2 songs..
2.EBTTRT 9/10 I think that song has a lot of potential and I personally think that that review on that song sucks..
3.One 61/2 /10 The song has it's moments but I would not rate it any lower than 4
4.UTEOTW 8/10, that I think is your only decent rate of a song..
5.WGYWH- 8/10
6.So cruel 7/10
7.The Fly 51/2 /10 The song is 100x better played live on the Elevation tour- any doubt of it you get a :|
8.Mysterious ways 91/2 /10 You really underestimated that song recorded, I like that song a lot recorded..you get a :madspit: for that..
9.TTYAATW- 8/10- you get a :| for that..
10.Ultra Violet- 7/10 The version is so much more better, but you also underestimated it recorded..You get a :| ..
10.Acrobat- 4/10- I thought that was the worst song on the album:huh:
11.Love is blindness 5/10 Live is better...:|

Poll: Who likes my review better?
Click to expand...

:|
 
SomeDay I think there will be a great war between the Zooropas and the Achtung Baby people.





Achtung Baby will destroy you Zooropers!!!
 
Zoo Station - 9.5/10
EBTTRT - 5/10
One - 6/10
UTEOTW - 7/10
WGRYWH - 8.5/10 (9.5/10 for Temple Bar remix)
So Cruel - 7/10
The Fly - 9/10 (Historically, I'm pretty sick of this song now)
Mysterious Ways - 7/10 (9/10 for ZooTV Live version)
TTTYAATW - 8/10
Ultraviolet - 8/10
Acrobat - 7/10
LIB - 7/10
 
It irritates me that everyone has to gang up on anyone who says they prefer zooropa to achtung baby, especially when this is a 'who hates achtung baby' thread :|
 
I cannot stand Zoo Station.

Well, actually I can, but it's my least favourite from Achtung Baby.
 
Axver, you took the words right out of my mouth. The Fly, Acrobat, and Love Is Blindness are the only decent songs on AB, at least in my opinion. They're more of a deeper type of song, especially compared to the others. Although I sometimes catch myself singing One in the shower...
 
Okay, I have to say it. I was going to keep my mouth shut (er, my fingers still) but MY GOD! Some of you AB worshippers are taking it a little too far. So what if someone hates Achtung Baby? So what?! Does that somehow change your opinion of the album? Why on earth does everyone have to love Achtung Baby? Another person's opinion is not going to make you enjoy the album any less, so there's little point in crying over it. Some of you are able to discuss this in an intelligent manner - giving actual reasons as to why you feel AB is a good album. But the rest! Tell me, honestly, how is slagging off Zooropa going to change anything?

Come on, people. It's MUSIC.
 
GibsonGirl said:
Okay, I have to say it. I was going to keep my mouth shut (er, my fingers still) but MY GOD! Some of you AB worshippers are taking it a little too far. So what if someone hates Achtung Baby? So what?! Does that somehow change your opinion of the album? Why on earth does everyone have to love Achtung Baby? Another person's opinion is not going to make you enjoy the album any less, so there's little point in crying over it. Some of you are able to discuss this in an intelligent manner - giving actual reasons as to why you feel AB is a good album. But the rest! Tell me, honestly, how is slagging off Zooropa going to change anything?

Come on, people. It's MUSIC.
Click to expand...

It's U2.

:|
 
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