U2’s ‘Achtung Baby’ to Get Full Album Cover Version Treatment From Jack White, Patti Smith and Others
U2's iconic album 'Achtung Baby' turns 20 years old this November, and Bono has revealed how the band will celebrate. At a recent press conference for the band's 'From the Sky Down' documentary, the lead singer listed a handful of the artists who have re-recorded tracks from the 1991 album for a covers project.
"Jack White does ‘Love Is Blindness,' Depeche Mode do ‘So Cruel,' Patti Smith did ‘Until the End of the World,' Damien Rice does ‘One,'" Bono said about the project which is being commissioned by the British Magazine Q. "It just goes on. And it’s strange, because when I hear the album, when U2 do it, all I hear is what’s wrong with it. But when I heard all these artists doing it, I thought, ‘It’s really good.'"
Rolling Stone reports that a person asked Bono what single from 'Achtung Baby' he would release today, to which he quickly answered 'Even Better Than the Real Thing.' The song has been receiving special attention lately. Artist Damien Hirst created a music video for it, which was revealed at the Glastonbury Festival. This fully produced video that includes that art work can be watched below; view with caution if you're afraid of bugs or burning butterflies.
There is no word on when the album of covers will be available, but we imagine it will be tied into the Nov. 1 release of the 20th anniversary 'Achtung Baby' box set. 'From the Sky Down' will also be released in November after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival last weekend.