Background Achtung Baby

prior recording achtung baby, edge , bono (pictured in 2015) began working more closely on songwriting without other band members.

despite commercial popularity, group dissatisfied creatively; lead vocalist bono believed musically unprepared success, while drummer larry mullen, jr. said, biggest, weren t best. band s 1989 lovetown tour, had become bored playing greatest hits. u2 believe audiences misunderstood group s collaboration blues musician b.b. king on rattle , hum , lovetown tour, , described excursion down dead-end street . bono said that, in retrospect, listening black music enabled group create work such achtung baby, while experiences folk music helped him develop lyricist. towards end of lovetown tour, bono announced on-stage end of u2 , , have go away and ... dream again . following tour, group began, @ time, longest break public performances , album releases.

reacting own sense of musical stagnation , critics, u2 searched new musical ground. wrote god part ii rattle , hum after realising had excessively pursued nostalgia in songwriting. song had more contemporary feel bono said closer achtung baby s direction. further indications of change 2 recordings made in 1990: first cover version of night , day first red hot + blue release, in u2 used electronic dance beats , hip hop elements first time; second indication of change contributions made bono , guitarist edge original score of clockwork orange s stage adaptation. of material wrote experimental, , according bono, prepar[ed] ground achtung baby . ideas deemed inappropriate play put aside band s use. during period, bono , edge began increasingly writing songs without mullen or bassist adam clayton.

in mid-1990, bono reviewed material had written in australia on lovetown tour, , group recorded demos @ sts studios in dublin. demos later evolved songs s gonna ride wild horses , until end of world , better real thing , , mysterious ways . after time @ sts studios, bono , edge tasked continuing work on lyrics , melodies until group reconvened. going album sessions, u2 wanted record deviate past work, unsure how achieve this. emergence of madchester scene in uk left them confused how fit particular musical scene.