Achtung Baby Side A vs Achtung Baby Side B

[namkcuR]

Which side of the immortal Achtung Baby do you think is superior? I know this will be mind-numbingly difficult for many of you, but you must make a choice...

Side A
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

Side B
7.The Fly
8.Mysterious Ways
9.Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
10.Ultraviolet(Light My Way)
11.Acrobat
12.Love Is Blindness

 

[Hallucination]

Wow....ummmm.... That's hard but I'm gonna go with Side A as being the better of the two. Not by much though. Side A has the weakest song(So Cruel) but it also has One and UTEOTW which are my two favorites off the album so it gets the edge.

 

[ramblin rose]

Side B.

 

[MacPhistoPT]

Side B!! Much more consistent.

 

[Shade]

Side B. It's where the real darkness is.

 

[Hallucination]

Side B. It's where the real darkness is.

True but it slows just abit too much with 3 of the last 4 songs being slow songs and Mysterious Ways seems to be a bit of an oddball. Great song but seems a bit outta place.

 

[Axver]

Actually, this is pretty easy. Despite the fact it contains the two worst songs on the album - TTTYAATW and Ultra Violet - Side B also has three of the four classics, The Fly, Acrobat, and LIB. All Side A has to say for itself is UTEOTW, the rest is forgettable except maybe Zoo Station.

 

[ramblin rose]

I like TTTYAATW.

 

[Hallucination]

I like TTTYAATW.

So do I. I requested it one night in a bar and the dj played it at the end of the night. That was cool.

 

[2861U2]

Side A.

UTEOTW and One are 2 of their best, and So Cruel is the most beautiful song Ive ever heard. Not to mention Zoo Station is U2's best album opener, IMO.

 

[JulioArca]

When you put them togther like this, you realise just how bloody brilliant this album is!

B just about edges it.

 

[Jack In The Box]

Side B... but the whole album it's great

 

[Hallucination]

Side A.

UTEOTW and One are 2 of their best, and So Cruel is the most beautiful song Ive ever heard. Not to mention Zoo Station is U2's best album opener, IMO.

A better opener than Streets??

 

[Miricale_Drug]

Streets is the best opener

in responce to the question

Side B - it has the fly and ultraviolet

 

[Irishteen]

Really hard

Zoo Station < The Fly
Even Better Than The Real Thing>Mysterious Ways
One>Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
Until The End Of The World>Ultraviolet(Light My Way)
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses<Acrobat
So Cruel<Love Is Blindness

So 3-3 draw

 

[hedgehog]

Tough choice, but Id have to go for Side B

Mysterious Ways and Tryin To Throw Your Arms Around The World are my least favourite songs on Achtung Baby, but The Fly, Ultraviolet, Acrobat and Love Is Blindness more than make up for it.

 

[MacPhistoPT]

I like Arms around the world too for me the worst song on AB is, by far, So Cruel, but I still like it... AB it's probably the most consistent album they made.

 

[miss becky]

Damn, this is hard. Both sides are brilliant. But I have to give the edge to Side B, if only for the wonderful ending trilogy, and because it contains The Fly.

 

[LMP]

Damn, this is hard. Both sides are brilliant. But I have to give the edge to Side B, if only for the wonderful ending trilogy, and because it contains The Fly.

Damn skippy

 

[Shade]

True but it slows just abit too much with 3 of the last 4 songs being slow songs and Mysterious Ways seems to be a bit of an oddball. Great song but seems a bit outta place.

I don't know if I would categorize Acrobat as a "slow song". It's not an up-tempo song like The Fly, but it's not sedate like TTTYAATW or Love is Blindness. That's like calling Bullet The Blue Sky a "slow song".

And, Axver - I'm surprised that an Unforgettable Fire fan wouldn't like TTTYAATW. Not that that a fan of one has to like the other, but I would have thought the atmosphere would appeal to you.

 

[MacPhistoPT]

And, Axver - I'm surprised that an Unforgettable Fire fan wouldn't like TTTYAATW. Not that that a fan of one has to like the other, but I would have thought the atmosphere would appeal to you.

That's the point! Arms around the world has the worst lyrics on AB but the song has a great mood and atmosphere! MW + TTTYAATW make a cool breakdown on AB, the album doesn't need to be deep and dark all the way.

 

[Hallucination]

I don't know if I would categorize Acrobat as a "slow song". It's not an up-tempo song like The Fly, but it's not sedate like TTTYAATW or Love is Blindness. That's like calling Bullet The Blue Sky a "slow song".

I suppose that makes sense. It's more melodic though than a song like Bullet and maybe that makes it seem slower. I love the song don't get me wrong and I love the songs the end off Side B. I think maybe Mysterious Ways just throws it off for me. I think Mysterious Ways and WGRYWH should maybe have been in each other's spot. Then again who am I to question the greatest album of all time(IMO).

 

[Pero]

Fly->MW->Your arms->Light my way->Acrobat->Love is blindness

 

[Axver]

And, Axver - I'm surprised that an Unforgettable Fire fan wouldn't like TTTYAATW. Not that that a fan of one has to like the other, but I would have thought the atmosphere would appeal to you.

Atmosphere? TTTYAATW is a poorly written - though sometimes humorous - plod through the Country of the B-Side. I still don't understand why it made AB, especially as MW --> Ultra Violet would've made for a better transition anyway.

 

[miss becky]

Atmosphere? TTTYAATW is a poorly written - though sometimes humorous - plod through the Country of the B-Side. I still don't understand why it made AB, especially as MW --> Ultra Violet would've made for a better transition anyway.

Because TTTYAATW belongs in the story that Achtung Baby tells. It is the transition between the hedonistic, experimentation of Mysterious Ways, and the beaten, bitter character in the final three songs of the album.

And I'll go you one further, Axver. This answer is the same one for when you comment on the flow of the album, specifically EBTTRT-->One. Never forget that Achtung Baby tells a story, and the order of the songs is crucial. Remove one song, and the whole thing falls apart.

 

[yimou]

Because TTTYAATW belongs in the story that Achtung Baby tells. It is the transition between the hedonistic, experimentation of Mysterious Ways, and the beaten, bitter character in the final three songs of the album.

And I'll go you one further, Axver. This answer is the same one for when you comment on the flow of the album, specifically EBTTRT-->One. Never forget that Achtung Baby tells a story, and the order of the songs is crucial. Remove one song, and the whole thing falls apart.

 

[mobvok]

Achtung Baby's listing is like flipping the middle finger to the idea of stacking your hits at the start of the album. The Fly and Mysterious Ways tracks 7 and 8? There's strength right there.

Side B.

 

[rock888nwo]

cool thread, tough decision

HMMMMM....

I'm gonna go with side A...zoo station, one, and uteotw are ALL right up there with my all time favorites...side B is unbelievable also...mysterious ways is one of my favorites; however, acrobat, ultraviolet, and the fly (while all great) do not head the list of best U2 songs ever...at least for me they dont

 

[Palace_Hero]

Side B, both are consistent but in when ranking songs in order of my faves...

The Fly > UTTEOTW
Ultraviolet > One
Zoo Station > Love is Blindness
Acrobat > EBTTRT
TTTYAATW > Wild Horses

 

[Aardvark747]

Has to be Side B for me. Couldnt choose EBTTRT or Wild Horses over the final trilogy....