U2 - Achtung Baby [2 LP, 180g Black Vinyl]

U2's seventh studio album Achtung Baby represents one of rock's most daring reinventions, marking the band's bold departure from their earnest 1980s sound. Produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, the album was released on November 18, 1991, on Island Records, shifting their musical direction to incorporate influences from alternative, industrial, and electronic dance music. After criticism of their 1988 documentary film and album Rattle and Hum and a sense of creative stagnation, U2 sought a new direction. Seeking inspiration from German reunification, U2 began recording at Berlin's Hansa Studios in October 1990, though sessions were fraught with conflict as the band argued over their musical direction. After tension and slow progress nearly prompted the group to disband, they made a breakthrough with the improvised writing of "One." The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, sold 18 million copies worldwide, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Five songs were released as commercial singles, all of which were chart successes, including "One," "Mysterious Ways," and "The Fly." "Zoo Station" opens with industrial-tinged guitars that signal the band's new sonic territory, while "Even Better Than The Real Thing" brings dance-floor energy to rock radio. "Until the End of the World" features Bono adopting a winking, playfully skeevy persona, and "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" offers sweeping romanticism. "So Cruel" showcases vulnerability over shimmering production, while "Mysterious Ways" became a massive hit with its funky bass line. "Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World" delivers drunken revelry, and "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)" creates an anthem of desire. The closer "Love Is Blindness" strips everything bare, ending the album with devastating intimacy. Each track demonstrates the band's willingness to risk their established sound in pursuit of artistic growth.

This 180-gram black vinyl reissue delivers the album's remastered sound with exceptional clarity and depth. The double LP format spreads the 12 tracks across four side while printed inner sleeves include full lyrics and additional imagery from Anton Corbijn's colorful multi-image photo sessions. The lyric insert preserves the album's original design aesthetic, allowing listeners to follow Bono's darker, more introspective wordplay. This pressing captures an album that redefined U2's career and influenced a generation of alternative rock artists.

• Format: 180g Black Vinyl 2 LP
• Standout tracks: "One," "Mysterious Ways," "The Fly," "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"
• Pressing details: 2018 reissue, 180-gram vinyl, Printed inner sleeves, Lyric insert
• Genre/style: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, College Rock, Art Rock
• UPC: 602557970098

Achtung Baby stands as one of rock's greatest acts of reinvention, proving that established artists could embrace radical change without losing their essence. This 180-gram vinyl edition honors an album that transformed U2 from earnest rock crusaders into postmodern innovators.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Zoo Station
2. Even Better Than The Real Thing
3. One

Side B:

1. Until The End Of The World
   
2. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
3. So Cruel

Side C:

1. The Fly
2. Mysterious Ways
3. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World

Side D:

1. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
2. Acrobat
3. Love Is Blindness