I have been married for nearly 30 years. Obviously, my husband and I have had many disagreements during this time. One that has lasted our entire marriage, which U2 album is the best.
Before we get into the great album debate, let me start by saying, I have no time for the U2 nay-sayers. I love multiple people in my life dearly who come down on the side of U2 being overrated. I could not disagree more. I fucking love U2 and listen to them on the regular. I have for most of my life and will till I die.
Back to the debate. I know a lot of folks, my husband included, will go to the grave in favor of Joshua Tree. That is indeed a great album. I will go so far as to say, it is a perfect album. However, Achtung Baby is my favorite. It is also a perfect album and one I will never tire of listening to.
Joshua Tree is certainly most fans’ go-to for U2’s greatest album. I get it. As I said, it is a perfect album. I would contend U2 has at least five perfect albums (Boy, War, The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby). Of all the U2 greatness, the album I have listened to the most is Achtung Baby. It goes beyond perfect to flawless.
I love everything about this album: every song, the order of the songs, and the way each song makes me feel. Seriously, everything. This is not to say I don’t love Joshua Tree. I do. However, Achtung Baby gives me greater joy.
U2 recently announced they are going to do a Vegas residency featuring Achtung Baby. You bet your sweet ass I got on the mailing list for details about those shows. Yes, I know. They will probably be a million dollars a ticket, but I sure would love to see that shit. I would probably pee my pants with delight.
I remember when Achtung Baby came out 30 years ago. I was a big U2 fan already. When I bought that CD and played it for the first time in college, I was blown away. I wore that damn disc out. I knew every word of every song within a week. It is still one of my all-time favorite albums.
My husband and I argue about this topic anytime U2 comes up. That happens frequently at our house, as U2 is one of my favorites for music on the HomePod whilst I’m cooking dinner. For some reason, Siri won’t just play the Achtung Baby album. He will only give me the U2 shuffle of all their music. This is great, but I really would like just that album. So, recently I outsmarted Siri and created an Achtung Baby playlist. Victory! I also have the vinyl of Achtung Baby as well as Joshua Tree in an effort to keep the hubs happy.
I realize as far as arguments go, this is a pretty benign one. It certainly has not driven a wedge into our marriage. At this point, when one of us plants our flag on the best U2 album hill, the other just looks at them and says, “You’re wrong.” It is kind of a running joke now. To quote the song Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around The World, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” This is a true statement and one of the many reasons Achtung Baby is the greatest U2 album.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
