I’m 38 years old and last week (Nov. 19, 2021) marked the 30th anniversary of the release of U2’s Achtung Baby. I have a confession to make that’ll discredit me with every Gen Xer — I’ve never listened to this album.
A critic who I consider an old friend and colleague (back when we both worked for The Onion in Milwaukee), alerted me to the occasion last week.
Happy 30th birthday to ACHTUNG BABY. Probably the album I’ve played most in my life. Still one of the greatest (maybe THE greatest?) mid-career pivots of all time. This was their seventh LP! Who makes ACHTUNG BABY on their seventh album?
So, it begs the question, have I missed out? It is with that mentality that I decided today was the day to listen to the album, and here is my hot take on a 30-year-old album upon first listen with little context as to why many consider this album so important.