U2’s “Achtung Baby” turns 20 this year with multiple versions of an anniversary edition.
U2 finished the 80s on a high note following the massive success of 1987’s “The Joshua Tree,” an album that overshadowed everything they’d done to date. It was success on a scale few achieve and one, at that level, that can turn a band/brand into an almost caricature-like version of itself.
So, in an effort to reinvent itself for the 90s with a harder, more current sound, U2 headed to Berlin to record with collaborators Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno and producer Steve Lillywhite – the result was “Achtung Baby.”
It was, said Robert Hilburn of the LA Times, 'U2's daring descent into darkness' while Jon Pareles of the New York Times wrote that 'stripped-down and defying its old formulas, U2 has given itself a fighting chance for the 1990's.'
U2 fans will remember that, for Bono, it was “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree.”
"Achtung Baby" went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance and became one of the most significant records of the nineties and of U2’s career.
To mark the anniversary, U2 are offering fans six (6) different versions of “Achtung Baby,” including:
1. A limited, numbered Uber Deluxe Edition is a magnetic puzzle tiled box which will contain: 6 CDs including the original Achtung Baby album, the follow-up album, Zooropa, B-sides, remixes and re-workings of previously unheard material recorded during the Achtung Baby sessions. 4 DVDs including 'From The Sky Down', 'Zoo TV:Live From Sydney', all the videos from Achtung Baby plus bonus material. There will also be the Achtung Baby double vinyl album plus 5 clear 7" vinyl singles in their original sleeves, 16 art prints taken from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, a copy of Propaganda magazine, 4 badges, a sticker sheet, and a pair of Bono’s trademark 'The Fly' sunglasses.
2. The Super Deluxe Edition will contain the 6CDs and 4 DVDs, in addition to a 92 page hardback book and 16 art prints in a wallet.
3. The Vinyl Box Set is a limited release containing 4 LPs, two of which are pressed on translucent blue vinyl containing remixes and B-sides. The box includes a 16 page booklet.
4. The Deluxe Edition is a 2xCD set containing the reissue of the original album plus B-sides and rarities.
5. The Standard CD is the original album.
6. Digital download version.
All versions are available as of October 31.
U2
U2 – Zoo Station
Zoo TV: Live From Sydney DVD
See also:
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