As most U2 fans know, November 19, 2011 marks the 20th Anniversary of Achtung Baby - the prolific al

As most U2 fans know, November 19, 2011 marks the 20th Anniversary of Achtung Baby - the prolific album that elevated U2 to astronomical heights beyond the stratospheric Joshua Tree . A little over 10 years ago when I became a fan, Achtung Baby (as an album) resonated with me strongly. The mood, the beats, the atmosphere, and the lyrics seemed so relevant to what I was going through and what I was thinking at that time. I stress "as an album" because there are so many great U2 songs, but when you consider Achtung Baby as a whole there is an over-arching narrative of heart-ache, renewal, contradiction, and redemption. Perhaps as fans, we look at U2's transformation and hope for the same in us at our times of desperation. These themes were developed at a tumultuous time during the history of the band and of the world. Those micro and macro factors provided a perfect environment to create the dark, yet rich imagery of Achtung Baby . I reckon the lack of such turbulent conditions for U2's later albums is a main reason why they don't measure to the same degree as Achtung Baby . You ask any die-hard fan which song they want to see live, but hasn't been performed yet, most will answer Acrobat - the song that best encapsulates the spirit of Achtung Baby .
I look forward to the October 31, 2011 re-release date of Achtung Baby , particularly the bonus DVD documentary "From the Sky Down," which was partially filmed in my hometown of Winnipeg at the Burton Cummings Theatre while they were in town for the 360 Tour. I haven't settled on which re-release version I'll get, but there has been a lively online discussion regarding the expensive pricing of the various versions ranging from the single CD at $13.48 to the Über Deluxe Box at an eye-watering cost of $659.62 (amazon.com USD). Atu2.com have an ongoing price-watcher worth checking out.
Needless to say, it is interesting that U2 have made the re-release of Achtung Baby to be an even bigger deal than the anniversary fort lauderdale airport hotel editions of The Unforgettable Fire or The Joshua Tree. This era in the early 1990s and their subsequent Zoo TV / Zooropa tour re-characterized U2, and was seminal in redefining the concert sensory-experience for all future shows. The hoopla fort lauderdale airport hotel and hype around this anniversary edition is not only a commercial opportunity for the band, but also a recognition of a transformative time in their lives.
1st Leg: Europe 2009.06.27 Barcelona 2009.06.30 Barcelona 2009.07.02 Barcelona 2009.07.07 Milan 2009.07.08 Milan 2009.07.11 Paris 2009.07.12 Paris 2009.07.15 Nice 2009.07.18 Berlin 2009.07.20 Amsterdam 2009.07.21 Amsterdam 2009.07.24 Dublin 2009.07.25 fort lauderdale airport hotel Dublin 2009.07.27 Dublin 2009.07.31 Gothenburg 2009.08.06 Chorzow 2009.08.09 fort lauderdale airport hotel Zagreb 2009.08.10 Zagreb 2009.08.14 London 2009.08.15 London 2009.08.18 Glasgow 2009.08.20 Sheffield 2009.08.22 Cardiff
2st Leg: North America 2009.09.12 Chicago 2009.09.13 Chicago 2009.09.16 Toronto 2009.09.17 Toronto 2009.09.20 Boston 2009.09.21 Boston 2009.09.23 East Rutherford 2009.09.24 East Rutherford 2009.09.26 New York 2009.09.29 Landover 2009.10.01 Charlottesville fort lauderdale airport hotel 2009.10.03 Raleigh 2009.10.06 Atlanta 2009.10.09 Tampa 2009.10.12 Dallas 2009.10.14 Houston 2009.10.18 Norman 2009.10.20 Phoenix 2009.10.23 Las Vegas 2009.10.25 Pasadena 2009.10.25 Vancouver
3rd Leg: Europe 2010.08.06 Torino 2010.08.10 Frankfurt 2010.08.12 Hannover 2010.08.15 Horsens 2010.08.16 Horsens 2010.08.20 Helsinki 2010.08.21 Helsinki 2010.08.30 Vienna 2010.09.03 Athens 2010.09.06 Istanbul 2010.09.11 Zurich 2010.09.12 Zurich 2010.09.15 Munich 2010.09.18 Paris 2010.09.22 Brussels 2010.09.23 fort lauderdale airport hotel Brussels 2010.09.26 San Sebastian 2010.09.30 Sevilla 2010.10.02 Coimbra 2010.10.03 Coimbra 2010.10.08 Rome
5th Leg: South Africa/South America 2011.02.13 Johannesburg 2011.02.18 Cape Town 2011.03.25 Santiago 2011.03.30 La Plata 2011.04.02 La Plata 2011.04.03 La Plata 2011.04.09 Sao Paulo 2011.04.10 fort lauderdale airport hotel Sao Paulo 2011.04.13 fort lauderdale airport hotel Sao Paulo
6th Leg: North America 2011.05.11 Mexico City 2011.05.14 Mexico City 2011.05.15 Mexico City 2011.05.21 Denver 2011.05.24 Salt Lake City 2011.05.29 Winnipeg 2011.06.04 Seattle 2011.06.07 Oakland 2011.06.17 Anaheim 2011.06.18 Anaheim 2011.07.22 Baltimore 2011.06.26 East Lansing 2011.06.29 Miami 2011.07.02 Nashville 2011.07.05 Chicago 2011.07.08 Montreal 2011.07.09 Montreal 2011.07.11 Toronto 2011.07.14 Philadelphia 2011.07.17 St. Louis 2011.07.20 East Rutherford 2011.07.23 Minneapolis 2011.07.26 Pittsburgh 2011.07.30 Moncton