Hi friends, welcome to Peanut Gallery. Every Wednesday here at MusicOlogy, we'll be presenting two classic albums from the same iconic band or artist and asking you... the smart, savvy, blindingly attractive Ology readers... to debate amongst yourselves over which record reigns supreme. Individual songs, concepts, music videos, lyrics, album artwork—everything's on the table here, folks. Give us your best argument in the comments section below. We'll announce the winner at the beginning of next week's Peanut Gallery face-off.
Last Week's Winner:
We pitted The Smashing Pumpkins' two mid-'90s masterworks, Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, up against each other in a battle to the... well, not death, but something definitely painful. Well, today is the greatest day we've ever known for fans of both albums: with six votes apiece, we've got ourselves another split! Yes, yes, I know. Life's a bummer when you're a hummer. God is empty just like us. Etc. etc. I'd just go ahead and declare a winner, but I, um, well… just can't decide. See? This is why I usually stay out of these things.
This Week's Match-Up:
Get ready to duck, ready to dive… we're debating U2's two mammoth masterpieces, 1987's The Joshua Tree vs. 1991's Achtung Baby.
Fueled by the band's love affair with America and some of their biggest, boldest, most anthemic songs to date, U2's The Joshua Tree catapulted the Irish rockers into the stratospheric realm where labels like "Biggest Band on the Planet" land hard and quick. One of the few era defining records of the '80s, The Joshua Tree is filled to the brim with cinematic sweep, from the spiritual ache and soulful longing of Bono's lyrics to The Edge's delay-pedal soundscapes and Adam and Larry's persistent rhythms. Still one of the biggest selling records of all time, The Joshua Tree is an indispensable classic and U2's undisputed magnum opus… at least it was until…
Classic Songs: "Where The Streets Have No Name," "With Or Without You," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Bullet The Blue Sky" and "Running To Stand Still."
…The band decided to "chop down The Joshua Tree" in the sour-taste wake of Rattle And Hum. The resulting album—which very nearly tore the band asunder—is a Technicolor blast of electronic rhythm, neon light thrift store sex and a newfound sense of sonic, spiritual and aesthetic purpose. U2 were the biggest rock stars on the planet, and with Achtung Baby, they started acting like it—from Bono's Fly persona to The Edge's industrial guitar grind, Achtung Baby rewrote the rules of what a U2 record could sound and feel like, inadvertently rewriting the rules for rock 'n' roll in the '90s and guaranteeing U2 a rightful spot in the pantheon of all-time greats. Also, "One." Enough said.
Classic Songs: "One," "Mysterious Ways," "The Fly", "Even Better Than The Real Thing" and "Until The End Of The World."
Okay, ladies and gentlemen... it's in your hands now. Hit up the comments section below and let us know which U2 album deserves to take home the glory; we'll declare a winner this time next week. See you all then!
Anita Winters:
The Joshua Tree it has two of my all time faves in With or Without You, which has the best bass line in music BTW, and Bullet The Blue Sky!
May 11, 2013
Henry Floyd:
A few months ago i would of chose 'The Joshua Tree', just because of the first three tracks! But i'll go for 'Achtung Baby', simply because it's got more tracks on there i like too listen too.
Both of these albums are great, they are U2's most popular albums! These are the type of albums you put on and then think 'Was that it?', but not in a bad way!
Vincent Magnarella:
For U2 to do what they did on Achtung Baby quite honestly took balls. I mean to change their sound and style so it was so different and to reinvent themselves. Achtung Baby has so many dark twists and turns and that darkness sort of fits right in with me. Joshua Tree is most certainly an epic but Bono's lyrics, Edge's guitar work, and the rhythm section's oomph really make Achtung stand out from Joshua Tree. I think there's something I like more in the industrial-ness of Achtung Baby that I like a little more than the roots, American blues rock they ventured with on Joshua Tree. Plus Bono was just ten times cooler during those ZooTV days! Achtung Baby has really influenced a lot of artists. These two albums are right in my number 1 and number 2 spot of U2's albums, with Achtung leading the way, and they are both most certainly masterpieces.
August 9, 2012
Diego Giangrasso:
Easy Achtung Baby is the best record of all time, and I will tell you why. The songs, the style, the process, the time, the legacy for the 90's everyone wanted to be U2 at that time, Oasis, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and later Coldplay and the Killers, and lately the tour, The Zoo TV Tour which reinvented how to make a tour.
Anna Godess:
Hard choice but I have to say Joshua Tree because it was when I first became a fan. That album hit the airwaves like a tidal wave and has defined my musical interests ever since.
August 9, 2012
Shane OHara:
It has to be Achtung.. The reason is simple'ish. We all love U2 music for its ability to take us to a new place - emotionally. Joshua achieved this through simplicity and dynamic. Achtung brought a whole lot more... the Dynamic was there (better), the Innovation was there, the Heart is there (one), the saddness is there.. and then all that timing - Berlin, change, hope. Perfect.
August 9, 2012
X Vectors:
Tough choice but, ...Joshua Tree. Taking absolutely nothing away from Achtung Baby, it is an undeniable classic and one of the very best albums ever, however it was a reaction to the unexpected, overwhelming success and stardom received from Joshua Tree and then the disappointing reviews and unnecessary critical lashing unfairly heaped upon Rattle and Hum. Joshua Tree came out of nowhere (except for those who knew of War and the previous albums), and blew everyone away. Even those who already knew of the band. The Joshua Tree album represented exactly who they were and what the band felt when it was made. Achtung Baby was a response to the external forces working on and against the band. Just my two cents.
August 8, 2012
Philip D. Mickey :
Achtung Baby - U2 didn't become the biggest band in the world UNTIL they released Achtung baby. They are what they are because of that album. Joshua Tree, while great, was just a primer. They needed to evolve or they would have gone away. If you remember, Rattle and Hum felt stale and even led to some odd backlash because it felt like side B of Joshua Tree. Then comes Achtung Baby and they proved they could be more. It's what made the Beatles so great -- they evolved their sound, but got better in the process.
August 8, 2012
Bill Eaton:
That's an impossible task. Most great bands have one iconic album. U2 has 5. I would have to go with Achtung Baby, just simply because of the way I felt when I first heard. It was so "not U2" that I hated it...until I really listened to it. Achtung is their best album for many reasons, but mainly because it was a 180 from what they could have done.
August 8, 2012
rob :
Achtung Baby - It is almost impossible for such an iconic band to reinvent themselves and be successful and accepted by their fans. The songs, the videos, the emotions in Achtung Baby rival any song from Joshua Tree. When I was younger is was a struggle to pick a favorite between the two, but now I lean pretty easily towards Achtung Baby.
August 8, 2012
Gabriel Hayes:
I want to go off the board with the War album, but out of these two I will choose "Achtung Baby"
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