Recording and production Achtung Baby

 —brian eno, on achtung baby

u2 hired daniel lanois , brian eno produce album, based on duo s prior work band on unforgettable fire , joshua tree. lanois principal producer, mark flood ellis engineer. eno took on assisting role, working group in studio week @ time review songs before leaving month or two. eno said role come in , erase sounded u2 . distancing himself work, believed provided band fresh perspective on material each time rejoined them. explained, deliberately not listen stuff in between visits, go in cold . since u2 wanted record harder-hitting , live-sounding, lanois push[ed] performance aspect hard, point of recklessness . lanois–eno team used lateral thinking , philosophical approach—popularised eno s oblique strategies—that contrasted direct , retro style of rattle , hum producer jimmy iovine.

berlin sessions

the band believed domesticity [w]as enemy of rock n roll , work on album, needed remove normal family-oriented routines. new europe emerging @ end of cold war, chose berlin, in centre of reuniting continent, source of inspiration more european musical aesthetic. chose record @ hansa studios in west berlin, near opened berlin wall. several acclaimed records made @ hansa, including 2 david bowie s berlin trilogy eno, , iggy pop s idiot. u2 arrived on 3 october 1990 on last flight east berlin on eve of german reunification. while looking public celebrations, mistakenly ended joining anti-unification protest communists. expecting inspired in berlin, u2 instead found city depressing , gloomy. collapse of berlin wall had resulted in state of malaise in germany. band found east berlin hotel dismal , winter inhospitable, while hansa studios location in ss ballroom added bad vibe . complicating matters, studios had been neglected years, forcing eno , lanois import recording equipment.

the initial recording sessions took place @ berlin s hansa studios in late 1990 in former ss ballroom.

morale worsened once sessions commenced, band worked long days not agree on musical direction. edge had been listening electronic dance music , industrial bands einstürzende neubauten, 9 inch nails, young gods, , kmfdm. , bono advocated new musical directions along these lines. in contrast, mullen listening classic rock acts such blind faith, cream, , jimi hendrix, , learning how play around beat . clayton, more comfortable sound similar u2 s previous work , resistant proposed innovations. further, edge s interest in dance club mixes , drum machines made mullen feel contributions drummer being diminished. lanois expecting textural , emotional , cinematic u2 of unforgettable fire , joshua tree, , did not understand throwaway, trashy kinds of things on bono , edge working. compounding divisions between 2 camps change in band s longstanding songwriting relationship; bono , edge working more closely together, writing material in isolation rest of group.

 —the edge, on recording of 1

u2 found neither prepared nor well-rehearsed, , ideas not evolving completed songs. group unable reach consensus during disagreements , felt not making progress. bono , lanois, in particular, had argument came blows during writing of mysterious ways . during 1 tense session, clayton removed bass guitar , held out bono, saying, tell me play , ll play it. want play yourself? go ahead. sense of going nowhere, band considered breaking up. eno visited few days, , understanding attempts deconstruct band, assured them progress better thought. adding unusual effects , sounds, showed edge s pursuit new sonic territory not incompatible mullen s , lanois desire hold on solid song structures . ultimately, breakthrough achieved writing of song 1 . while working on sick puppy —an version of mysterious ways —the edge played 2 separate chord progressions sequentially on guitar @ lanois encouragement, , finding inspiration, group improvised new song became 1 . provided reassurance , validated long-standing blank page approach writing , recording together.

u2 returned dublin christmas, discussed future , recommitted group. listening tapes, agreed material sounded better thought. briefly returned berlin in january 1991 finish work @ hansa. reflecting on time in berlin, clayton called sessions baptism of fire , said, had go through realize trying not find physically, outside of ourselves, in other city—that there not magic , had put work in , figure out ideas , hone ideas down. although 2 songs delivered during 2 months in berlin, edge said in retrospect, working there had been more productive , inspirational output had suggested. band had been removed familiar environment, providing described texture , cinematic location , , many of incomplete ideas revisited in subsequent dublin sessions success.

dublin sessions

bono in 1992 persona fly , leather-clad egomaniac meant parody rock stardom. conceived character during band s 1991 recording sessions in dublin.

in february 1991, u2 moved album s recording sessions seaside manor elsinore in dublin suburb of dalkey, renting house ₤10,000 per month. band nicknamed house dog town tackiness of exterior dog kennels, , location credited such in album notes. lanois strategy record in houses, mansions, or castles believed brought atmosphere recordings. dublin audio services company big bear sound installed recording studio in house, recording room in converted garage diagonally beneath control room. video cameras , tv monitors used monitor , communicate between spaces. elsinore located within walking distance of bono s , edge s homes, sessions there more relaxed , productive. band struggled 1 particular song—later released b-side lady spinning head —but 3 separate tracks, fly , ultraviolet (light way) , zoo station , derived it. during writing of fly , bono created persona based on oversized pair of black sunglasses wore lighten mood in studio. character, named fly , evolved leather-clad egomaniac meant parody rock stardom. bono assumed alter ego band s subsequent public appearances , live performances on zoo tv tour.

in april, tapes earlier berlin sessions stolen after band reportedly left them in hotel room, , subsequently leaked before album finished. tapes demos bootlegged three-disc collection dubbed salome - [axtung beibi] outtakes , named song prominently featured in collection did not make album s final cut. release considered famous bootleg of u2 material. bono dismissed leaked demos gobbledygook , , edge likened situation being violated . leak shook u2 s confidence , soured collective mood few weeks.

staffing schedules led band having surplus of engineers @ 1 point, , result, split recording between elsinore , edge s home studio increase productivity. engineer robbie adams said approach raised morale , activity levels: there different listen to, exciting happening. record of band s material , test different arrangements, engineers utilised technique called fatting , allowed them achieve more 48 tracks of audio using 24-track analogue recording, dat machine, , synchroniser. focus on capturing band s material , encouraging best performances meant little attention paid combating audio spill. in issue 14 of u2 s fan magazine propaganda, lanois said believed of in-progress songs become worldwide hits, despite lyrics , vocal takes being unfinished.

during dublin sessions, eno sent tapes of previous 2 months work, called total disaster . joining u2 in studio, stripped away thought excessive overdubbing. group believes intervention saved album. eno theorised band close music, explaining, if know piece of music terribly , mix changes , bass guitar goes quiet, still hear bass. re accustomed being there compensate , remake in mind. eno assisted them through crisis point 1 month before recording deadline; recalled seemed mess , , insisted band take two-week holiday. break gave them clearer perspective , added decisiveness.

after work @ elsinore finished in july, sessions moved windmill lane studios eno, flood, lanois, , previous u2 producer steve lillywhite mixed tracks. each producer created own mixes of songs, , band either picked version preferred or requested aspects of each combined. additional recording , mixing continued @ frenetic pace until 21 september deadline, including last-minute changes fly , 1 , , mysterious ways . edge estimated half of sessions work done in last 3 weeks finalise songs. final night spent devising running order record. following day, edge travelled los angeles album s tapes mastering.