Achtung Baby

Okay I'm going to do my best to break down Achtung Baby Super Deluxe Edition. First, the packaging: The set comes in a nice box that includes 16 LP size cardboard photos from the album sessions. The other part of the set is the book. The book is great with essays by Andrew Mueller, Daniel Lanois, Anton Corbijn, Martin Scholz, Martin Wroe, Brain Eno, and Bill Flanagan. There are also tons of photos and the hand written lyrics to "One". There are also several pages dedicated to the CDs and DVDs in the set with the track listings, times, original release info, etc. The one complaint is all of the CDs and DVDs are actually housed in the inside covers rather then having individual cases (got to get the Uber edition for that). The Music: Most U2 collectors will have 85% of the music on these 6 discs. There have been some tweeks to Achtung Baby and I think it sounds great. Zooropa appears to be the same mix but is still a great album and I hope it gets its own edition when the time comes. Disc 3 is the first of the re-mix CDs. All have been release before except the final track which is "One (Apollo 440 Remix) which basically adds a new intro, throws some beats in the middle and tags on a new drum ending. That being said, Achtung Baby is an album that really lends itself to remixes but I think Disc 4 is the better of the remix CDs. Again Disc 4 has only one unreleased song. Another remix of "One" again by Apollo 440 but I prefer this "Ambient" mix to the one on Disc 3. Discs 5 and (especially) 6 are the reasons most are buying the set. Disc 5 has B-Sides and some unreleased songs. The Unreleased songs are mostly from the Achtung Baby sessions. The only one not from the sessions is "Even Better Then the Real Thing (Fish out of Water Remix)". The unreleased songs are "Blow Your House Down" a nice rocker, "Heaven and Hell", a moody song that seems to be Bono riffing with lyrics. "Oh Berlin" kind of a mid-tempo song that feels like the band felt like they had to write a song about the city in which they were recording. "Near the Island" a nice little instrumental which has a real Edge/Eno (even though Eno isn't credited) feel to it. "Down All The Days", this is a really good song that with a little work could have been great. Not sure why it got put away. One of those songs that just builds and builds. Finally there is "Everybody Loves A Winner" a slower song with Bono mostly singing in falsetto and some nice Edge background vocals. The rest of Disc 4 are previously released B-Sides. Disc 6-Kindergaten: I'd love to go into a song by song review of just this CD. This is a billed as an early version of Achtung Baby or demos from early songs. It feels more like pieced together bits of demos from each song but that is not a bad thing. Some stick fairly close to the original (Zoo Station, One) and some are almost brand new songs (Even Better Then The Real Thing, Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World). This is a fantastic Disc! It will never replace the original but it is definitely something that will get repeated listens and not just the once over and put away. The DVD's: The set also includes 4 DVDs. The first is the Documentary "From the Sky Down". While I really enjoy this documentary it seems to have a problem decided if it is a film about the history of U2 or a film about the making of Achtung Baby. I would have preferred more of the behind the scenes from the making of the album. There is one great part though when Bono and The Edge are listening to some of the original sessions a certain song suddenly morphs into another and a huge light bulb goes off...don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it but it is one of the best moments caught on tape of the birth of a song. DVD 2 is a collection of the music videos from Achtung Baby and Zooropa. Some are better then others but it's nice to have them all. DVD 3 has quite a bit on it. There is Zoo TV Special. Which is sort of but not quite behind the scenes of the ZooTV tour. Basically the concert intercut with some behind the scenes and some ZooTV news updates and other things. The rest of the DVD is comprised of shorts. There is The MTV show "Most Wanted" where a fan won a chance to see a U2 show via satellite from his house. It shows some interviews and music videos but is actually a bit boring. There is also a MTV documentary, U2 on Naked City, and U2 on TV-AM which are all about the same...interview clips, music clips, ZooTV craziness all mashed together. The last documentary is called Trabantland. It's about the small, East German car that is featured in some of the videos and promo photos. It's enjoyable especially after seeing "From the Sky Down" and how the band used to see these cars abandoned daily because their East German drivers made the pilgrimage to Berlin just as the cars gave out. There is also some CD-Rom content on this disc. Wallpapers, Screensavers, and links to websites. Disc 4 is the ZooTV live in Sydney Concert. I didn't own the video of this (just the CD) so I was glad to add this to my collection. Concert films aren't my favorite things to watch but this was a really great show with a nice set list. I wish they could have cleaned up the video for this release but that may have something to do with how it was originally shot. Overall this is a 5 star buy for me. Yes I own a lot of the material already but the new items and the packaging (mainly the book) justify double dipping for this release. I hope this review helped. It's my first music review but I wanted to let people know what to expect from this wonderful set.

First, let me say that nearly everything I talk about in this review would apply to the "Uber" edition as well. The Uber just adds to the experience somewhat by the inclusion of some additional items - but the music/video content (the true heart of this release) remain the same between the versions. Both this set and the Uber version are for fans of the album. This is likely obvious on the surface, but it really does go much deeper than that. Fans of this album likely became fans when it was first released - back when U2 re-invented themselves. Fans of this album first heard "The Fly" or "Mysterious Ways" come from U2 and listened to them with a mixture of genuine shock and delight. During this first unveiling of the new U2 sound, look, attitude, etc. - U2 fans strapped themselves in for a ride that truly comes once in a generation. We saw a band we love go away, and then come back stronger and more amazing than any of us could have imagined. There have been many times I wish I could have gone back and experienced an album, movie, book, etc. for the first time again. Achtung Baby is one of those albums for me, and this set... ...this set is the U2 fan's opportunity to go back and experience that first listen all over again. This is the opportunity to see other sides of the story around the album, to "time-travel", and to get as close to the moment you had back in 1991 when you first placed the Achtung Baby CD in your stereo (or, in my case, first put the cassette in your car-stereo) and had your mind blown. This experience kicks off with an amazing book. No, I haven't had the time to read it completely, but I have leafed through it a number of times and what struck me most was in the images chosen for it. You've seen similar images from this era before with this band, but not THESE images. You've seen the shot of Edge in the "star pants" on the cover, or Bono with the unnamed woman behind him, but you haven't seen the additional shots taken. This theme goes throughout the book - and puts you in a strange mindset of viewing these images from the standpoint of nostalgia as well as through the eyes of someone who has truly never seen them before. It's an interesting way to take iconic images that they know U2 fans have seen 1,000's of times, and give them a twist of something new. This continues into the documentary "From the Sky Down". Most of the interviews are new, but they've mixed in older interviews as well. You've seen some cuts from some of the older interviews from other appearances by U2, but you haven't seen THESE cuts. These are the parts of those interviews that weren't aired, but were from the same interview. You recognize the camera angles, the dress, the attitude, and you can almost re-play those other interviews in your head while you're watching this - but they are newer parts (at least to you) of the interview. This aspect of the documentary, I am convinced, was solely aimed at giving hardcore U2 fans that opportunity to see something both old and new at the same time. Probably the most impressive thing about the documentary is where they show how the song "One" came to be - and do it in near real-time with the original tapes from the sessions. For me, this was fascinating and gave an experience that is as close to being in the room with them while they create what would become not only one of their most amazing songs but - from the standpoint of the documentary - was the point at which their new direction actually started to become a reality and the band began to heal. On the audio side, I recommend that hardcore fans listen to the "Kindergarten" disc first. It's an alternative version of Achtung Baby taken from the original sessions, and showcases each song in their more raw (and sometimes completely different, both lyrically and musically) forms. Listening to this disc gave me the same feelings I had when I first heard Achtung Baby back in 1991. It's the album you love, but done differently enough to feel like a completely new listen. The other CD's you probably already have. I had most of the tracks - there were some surprises in there - but for the most part, the remaining re-mixes and b-sides have been available before. Personally, I was victim to having a large number of CD's stolen from me years ago - and these additional tracks were the welcome return of music I had not heard in a long time. Many of the shows on the other DVD's are things that were on MTV at the time, or released in different forms on VHS. I had some of them on VHS - and it is nice to now have them on DVD. Some have lamented the fact that these are not of Blu-Ray - but, honestly, these were on TV back when HD had no meaning. Even on DVD, you can tell the source material would have gotten no benefit from being on Blu-Ray. You likely already have the Sydney ZOO TV show as well. I have seen some complaints about the inclusion of this disc, but I think it's necessary. This set seems designed to give the complete Achtung Baby experience, specifically to U2 and Achtung Baby fans. It is also somewhat linear in how it introduces you to it all (if you go from disc 1 to disc 2, etc.), and the album, tour, etc. are all set-up well. It would seem odd after watching the closing credits of "From the Sky Down" to NOT have what is arguably the best recording of what many believe is their most mind-blowing tour. Yes, people who buy this set probably already have it - but there's got to be at least someone who doesn't - and it would be crime to send that person down this path through the set and then, at the end, simply say "If you'd like to see how it all ended - buy this other disc!!" I think it needed to be included. I have 2 complaints: 1. The Sydney disc in my set will only play on my PC, not my DVD player. This isn't too bad for me, since I already own it - but for people like those I mentioned above who may not have it, this is not good. I've read here that it is because the DVD is in PAL format even though it is stamped NTSC. Whatever the reason, this is blemish on this set. 2. The MTV Rockumentary cut out the videos from the original VHS. I had this video on VHS, and it was basically the same movie - however, instead of commercials, it had U2 videos. I haven't watched the whole thing to see if maybe they end up at the end of it - but I would have rather seen them in their original spots. The most glaring issue with this is that in the original video, right after the "Boy to Achtung Baby" section, the video for Even Better That the Real Thing starts. Now, it just slaps the "MTV ROCKUMETARY" logo up on the screen, skips the video, and goes on with the interviews. I liked the original better. Also, the original had a rare studio video for "Until the End of the World" that I don't see anywhere else in this set. I would have liked to have that on DVD as well. Anyway - this set is a definate must-have for fans of this album. Casual listeners, etc. would likely be better off getting one of the other versions, as many of the additional items in the Super Deluxe and Uber sets reference things that casual listeners either don't know about or don't care about. If you are a fan, however, and you want to relive the original release of Achtung Baby and all that was involved with it, you are in for quite a ride with this box. Enjoy!

Quick and accurate delivery. Impressed with vinyl condition. Mint. Sealed copy. Would buy from seller again. Highly recommend.

On paper, there's no way that this package can be worth the asking price: two albums that most people will already own, a live DVD that has been available for years, a documentary that aired free on the BBC. Anyone could be forgiven for being somewhat cynical. So let's take a look in the box. PACKAGING Oh my God but this packaging is impressive. The art print portfolio and book are securely encased in a great-looking slipcase printed with the original album cover: for those of us who bought the album originally on CD, even having the cover at this scale is a treat. The portfolio comes in a brown card sleeve embossed with the album's "face star car" logo. The sixteen art prints themselves are on heavy, high-quality card and enable you to assemble your own version of the album sleeve if you have sixteen square foot of wall nearby. Very good (and I don't even care about the prints!) The hardback book is simply gorgeous: six CDs are housed securely in the front cover, four DVDs in the back cover. The book contains copious artwork and a number of essays in addition to lyrics and credits for the box set. Personally I prefer text to photos, but a good balance is struck between the two and the production is very good. Basically, the book on its own could fetch a substantial retail price. THE CDs Discs one and two are Achtung Baby and Zooropa. You don't need my opinion on how good these albums are (if you don't rate them at five stars you should seriously consider why you are reading about this set in the first place). I thought that these albums had been remastered, but if so, I can't hear it. They were always great-sounding albums and they still are, but - if they aren't remastered - there will be no reason for most U2 fans ever to take them out of the book. Disc Three and Disc Four are CDs of remixes. You know what to expect. Disc Five collects the B Sides and Bonus Tracks. Often discs like this are "all filler no killer", but in this case half of the tracks are from the Achtung Baby sessions and offer intriguing glimpses of a different path that the album could have taken. Disc Six is a treat: the entire album in a so-called "Kindergarten" version, which seems to be mixed from the original album sessions in Berlin. I suspect that for most fans this is the disc that will be the most interesting: the versions are notably different in places and the sound quality excellent. The overall running time for the CDs is six hours and while not everything on those six hours will interest all fans, there is enough here to please most listeners, whether you are a U2 obsessive or just a casual fan who likes these studio albums. THE DVDs The DVD selection in this set is slightly dodgy. The new documentary is an entire DVD with only about an hour and a quarter on it. Because it's a new documentary, you get Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks but, to be honest, it's not as revealing as it thinks and it is a shame that this isn't a longer cut of the documentary than aired on television. It wouldn't have killed them to put some bonus performances on this disc. The Videos DVD has a running time of a little short of one and a half hours, is in 4:3 ratio and only has a stereo soundtrack. It includes all the variants of each video, and includes all the videos for Zooropa as well as those for Achtung Baby, so it's certainly a disc that a collector would want. The Zoo TV: Live in Sydney DVD is in 4:3 ratio and the video quality is not great. It's a shame that this wasn't remastered and given a commentary, but bear in mind that you are getting what amounts to nearly two and a half hours of the band live with a soundtrack in Dolby Digital and DTS. If you don't have it already, it's a very decent extra. The Bonus Material DVD is actually pretty good, bringing together the Zoo TV documentary and other bits & pieces. Again, video quality is not great and the sound is only stereo, but it was definitely worth pulling together almost three hours of (mainly promotional) footage and fans will enjoy this. OVERALL This is a very decent package, even given the uber-deluxe pricepoint. If your wallet can bear it, get one before they're gone.

U2 sí que saben complacer a sus fans. Habrán bajado el pistón musicalmente (aunque ya no tienen que demostrar nada a nadie), caerán mejor o peor, pero está claro que cumplen con creces a la hora de reeditar o publicar sus discos en vinilo. Esta edición sólo tiene, para mí, un pequeño inconveniente, y es que la imagen de Adam Clayton desnudo en la contraportada está censurada, a los que somos un poco quisquillosos con los detalles nos molesta, pero es algo mínimo, lo importante está dentro. La edición, espectacular, dos discos con tres canciones por cara y un sonido soberbio. No creo que sea necesario comentar nada sobre su calidad musical, mucho se ha dicho ya desde 1991 y no aportaría nada nuevo. Creo, al contrario, más oportuno comentar que al ser el original un solo disco, esta reedición incluye una funda más con imágenes no publicadas anteriormente; además, como viene siendo costumbre en sus vinilos, los discos vienen en fundas antiestáticas, lo cual es una decisión acertadísima, porque las fundas "originales" con imágenes o texto impreso suelen ser más incómodas para guardar los vinilos (por ejemplo sucede con el Wish You Were Here de Pink Floyd, buena edición pero la funda interior es excesivamente ajustada e incómoda a la hora de meter o sacar el disco). En fin, que han cuidado los detalles, manteniendo la esencia del disco clásico y, a la vez, mejorándola incorporando algunos elementos adicionales, y eso los fans lo apreciamos.

El álbum con buena calidad en el sonido como en la presentación, tiene una caja roja que contiene el álbum, los discos de vinilo en color rojo y azul, con 1 poster y las letras, el sonido es muy bueno. Llegó la caja sin un solo rasguño. Lo esperado para una gran obra, que debe estar en cualquier colección.

Ré édition 20th anniversary en vinyle. Double album, disques vinyles d'excellentes qualités,ce sont bien des 180 gr, vérifiés, ils sont épais, lourd, les galettes font environ 184-186 grammes sur la balance. Pas de voile ! très très grande qualité de pressage, pas de bruit de surface, pas de craquement, très bonne dynamique. Très bonne, voir excellente restauration et ré-mastérisation , ce sont des disques vinyles de très très grande qualité ! On peut regretter que le trou central du premier disque très serré rend difficile l'extraction du disque de la platine. Cette version vinyle, analogique, est bien meilleure et beaucoup plus agréable à écouter que mon CD originel de 1991 particulièrement mauvais dans le medium et l'aigu comme tous les CD. Très belle pochette , ou l'on retrouve le livret du CD, les lyrics mais en plus grand. J'adore :)! Des disques vinyles de qualité audiophile ! Fan de U2 de la 1ere heure, pour ma part c'est le dernier très grand, excellent U2, je trouve la suite de leur production plus en retrait. Sur ce Achtung baby, rien à jeter , des titres très puissants, innovants, poursuivant la veine créatrice de leurs précédents albums, sans pourtant refaire le mème album; peut être ceux que j'aime le plus, Until the end of the world, one, so cruel, ulta violet , acrobat, quasiment un disque de tubes...Bono et The Edge au sommet de leur art. Sublime, plus de 25 ans après ce disque de U2 reste innovant, audacieux, compositions et interprétations pleines d'émotions. Pas une ride.....

This remastered version of Achtung Baby is tremendous. It's no longer muddy sounding. You can hear everything clearly, yet it still sounds warm. This is a perfect example of remastering done right and a perfect excuse to get into vinyl, the perfect medium for this album.