U2's Most Influential Album/CD

I think that if I were to take a poll about which body of work is U2's most influential, the result of that poll would probably say "The Joshua Tree." And, there is a strong argument for that. But let me tell you why I feel that Achtung Baby was a more important and influential album/CD.

After the Joshua Tree, came Rattle and Hum and the subsequent Lovetown Tour. At the end of that tour, there was a little noticed quote that Bono made near the end of the tour, he said that it was "The end of something for U2" and that they "Need to go away and.....and just dream it all up again." In hind sight, what had happened is that U2 was not prepared for the fame that they had created and the criticism that came along with it and they had grown tired of the sound they had created.

"We're at a point where production has gotten so slick that people don't trust it anymore.... We were starting to lose trust in the conventional sound of rock & roll—the conventional sound of the guitar, in particular—and, you know, those big reverb-laden drum sounds of the '80s or those big, beautiful, pristine vocal sounds with all this lush ambience and reverb. So we found ourselves searching for other sounds that had more life and more freshness."
—The Edge, explaining the band's motivation for seeking a new sound

U2 took a long break before starting on Achtung Baby and when they did get back together to start on a new album, the band nearly broke up. There was uncertainty in which direction the band should go musically and there was more friction between band members then at any other point in the bands history.

Then, something happened. It was a song called "One". If not for this song, there may have never been "Beautiful Day" "Elevation" "Original Of The Species" "Vertigo" or "Walk On" among the other great and wonderful songs that U2 has written since Achtung. "One" has been credited by the band members as the song that kept the band together and gave them hope that they could create a new sound. The Edge had this to say about One:

"At the instant we were recording it, I got a very strong sense of its power. We were all playing together in the big recording room, a huge, eerie ballroom full of ghosts of the war, and everything fell into place. It was a reassuring moment, when everyone finally went, 'oh great, this album has started.' It's the reason you're in a band - when the spirit descends upon you and you create something truly affecting. 'One' is an incredibly moving piece. It hits straight into the heart."

You might say, "OK, that would make for possibly their most influential song because it saved the band, but why is the whole album the most influential?"

Achtung Baby was a total reinvention of this incredible band. I remember when the first release, "The Fly" came out. I had not heard the song nor had I watched the video yet and I was just turning to MTV, this was back when MTV actually played music videos, because I had heard that the world premier of U2's new release was going to be on. At the time, I was a mild fan. Mostly because my girlfriend, now my wife, was a huge U2 fan. If not for her, I might not have been much of a fan at all.

When that video for "The Fly" came on, I remember saying to myself "Oh my God, this changes everything!" To that point, I had seen U2 more of a "cause" band that seemed "Holier then thou" so to speak. What I was witnessing was Rock and Roll at its best with an "in your face" attitude! It was awesome. The band had completely reinvented itself. From the great lyrics to the industrial sounding rhythmic guitar by The Edge to Adam's bass and the amazing drums of Larry. I couldn't wait to hear what the rest of this album sounded like!

The instant that I heard "One" I knew that it was going to be a huge hit. Little did I know the significance of this song to the band at the time. Same with "Mysterious Ways". The rest of the album was great too. From "Even Better Than The Real Thing" "Until The End Of The World" (written as a conversation between Jesus and his betrayer Judas) "Ultraviolet" "Acrobat" "Wild Horses" and the very under rated "Love Is Blindness".

Now, I know what you might be saying "Those are good songs, but I think there are better songs on other albums" and that could be true. But those songs are still only part of why I feel that Achtung Baby is their most influential work.

The other big reason, besides the story behind "One" and the remaining great songs, is because of the concert tour that followed.

In my opinion, this concert tour changed forever how concerts are done. Prior to this, going to concerts consisted of basically the band standing on stage-maybe dancing around a little, and if they were really creative then they had sparkling fireworks or something on stage.

The tour, "Zoo TV Tour", was an artistic expression like none other. HUGE TV's and Video Screens all over the place. A light show that was second to none, cars were hung from the ceiling and an amazing stage that featured Bono rising up from under the stage to start the show. During the concert, the band flashed different messages up during the songs like "Everything You Know Is Wrong" "LUST" "Watch More TV" it was truly a concert unlike any other that had been before it and influenced an era of concerts that were big on production to really give the fans their money's worth.

So, between the song that kept the band together, the influence the concert tour had, the complete change in style the band undertook and simply the great music that came from it. My choice for most influential album by U2 is Achtung Baby. Here is a video clip of "The Fly" being performed live in concert during the Zoo TV tour. Enjoy!