You’ve heard of U2, and you’ve heard their songs. It’s unavoidable. The Irish band has become a global commodity due to their incredible and long legacy of smash hit albums. But this week’s documentary, U2: Achtung Baby, will have you thinking about Bono and company from a whole new perspective.
It’s a thorough study of Achtung Baby, the album that had U2 modifying their sound. It’s crazy to think that a band would tinker with what they do after six successful albums. But that’s the difference between a band with some hit music, and an international phenomenon that has lasted more than 30 years. Their album The Joshua Tree may be the place for the hits, but to understand the minds behind the band you’ll have to hear U2: Achtung Baby.
Here's a sample from the documentary "U2: Achtung Baby"
To take this documentary in, you have to forget what you already know about U2. This is a whole new perspective on the band, during a time when they established their style. When you think of Bono today, you think of superstar sunglasses and a rock-star attitude. But did you know that Bono invented that famous persona for a specific song off of Achtung Baby?
This week’s doc includes excellent interviews with the whole band: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.
Produced by Joyride Media and narrated by New York radio DJ Jim Kerr, “U2: Achtung Baby” takes you right into Berlin, where U2 produced this record. It explores the song writing difficulties that almost tore the band apart, living in Berlin just as the Berlin Wall came down, and how the genius minds of producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois churned out a landmark album out of some Irish boys lost in Germany.
There are some incredible stories that paint a beautiful cityscape of Berlin, as U2 tries to deal with a brown-obsessed hotel, or when Bono comes face-to-face with a war-torn Berlin family in the very house U2 was renting.
Today, the band isn’t even close to being finished. In fact, Billboard reports that in 2011 U2 had the single highest grossing tour in the world. Not only are they still enormously successful today, but they are also looking to the future. The band is investing in Internet companies such as Dropbox, which puts them right on the forefront of technology and modern media awareness. Even as they move into their fifth decade as a group, it looks like U2 has plenty left in the tank.
Listen to U2: Achtung Baby on Radio 2 on Sunday 3 p.m. (3:30 NT).
Related Links
Daniel Lanois discusses U2's Achtung Baby
Daniel Lanois answers your questions [VIDEO]