Customer Reviews

U2's Achtung Baby: Meditations on Love in the Shadow of the Fall (33 1/3)

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

As the author helpfully reminds readers in the very first sentence, this is not a book about U2. If you are only interested in the technical details of how "Achtung Baby" was recorded, perhaps you should go elsewhere. But if you are expecting the sort of "This-is-how-Achtung-Baby-changed-my-life" drivel that often passes for music journalism today, you should also think again.

Stephen Catanzarite has done something almost miraculous: he has written a powerful and uplifting book of meditations about music and faith that shows he is incredibly knowledgeable about both subjects. (That's the miraculous part.) Much has been written about U2's spirituality, most of it centered around the band's early days and Bono's latter-day humanitarian efforts; you have probably read those books already. The subject of what Catanzarite argues is the band's most deceptively faith-based album -- and why it that is so -- has been left almost untouched, until now.

Because of Catanzarite's approach, this volume seems destined to have a long life outside this series. To call it an inspirational book seems the most accurate description; it seems like the sort of thing you might want to have on your nighttable for reading during those dark nights of the soul. I was reminded of the work of the late, great Trappist monk Thomas Merton, a guy who would probably have loved this album (and this book).

I was happy to see that the author makes no apologies for the way his Christianity informs his approach (also a novelty in the world of music writing), but this is not a "Christian" book, per se, nor a book about one man's faith. It is simply a book for everyone who grapples with the big issues; who loves clear, lucid (and often very funny) prose; and who cares about what we are all doing here on Earth, and how to make the best of it - as explained through the lens of one remarkable album, and one remarkable book.

First off, I think Achtung Baby is one of the best albums ever recorded. And true to the title, this book was a tremendous and well written meditation on love told through the album. It really did Achtung Baby justice and made me think about it in a way I hadn't before.

And yes, the book is obviously religious, but it doesn't overtly proselytize. Instead its payload is based on the core theme of Christianity, presented in an uncluttered fashion: it is a book on love and the sacrifices necessary to maintain it. The message is universal and it cuts straight to the heart.

Many of the songs on Achtung Baby are about people failing to make these sacrifices. Catanzarite writes about why these failures occur in human relationships. It is a difficult narrative to thread through the album, but, in almost all cases, he really pulls it off.

As the previous reviewer wrote, it is a book that transcends its subject. Even if I had never listened to the album, I still would have enjoyed Catanzarite's book and will likely pick it up again in the future.

Just lovely... compelling explorations of each track with the attendant subtleties and nuances of the joy and heartache of love as Stephen Catanzarite leads the reader through this lyrical meditation of "Achtung Baby." Gripping metaphorical character sketches and beautiful turns of phrases as well as poetic discourse on instrumentation make this wonderful little book a worthy companion to this landmark album.

I listened to this album a lot before reading this book, so that I could have a good reference point for the text. What I found in this book was a bridge between the world of Christian thought and the world of pop culture. Granted, Catanzarite gives a disclaimer that this is a work of his own interpretation and that there are other approaches that can be considered, but that hardly discredits the work as a whole and the ideas contained within it.

This essay challenges the reader to intellectually reconsider the Christian narrative in light of the human experience, using the story of U2's "Achtung Baby" as the scaffolding in which the ideas develop and grow. As the preface states, it is not a book about a rock album, or the personal beliefs of Bono and his bandmates, but a book about love, sin, and the interplay between these two forces. What Catanzarite has done is use Christianity as something of a literary criticism (or in this case, a musical criticism), much like one could do with Marxism or Feminism. He gives the reader (and the listener) an example of a Christian point of view and its effect on the way one experiences pop culture. The idea itself is a good one, and it only gets better from there.

In a time when Christian music is stuck between bubble gum pop tunes and tired old church hymns, in a time when the secular world and the church seem to only think of ways to one-up each other, Catanzarite's meditation on "Achtung Baby" is a breath of fresh air. Pair it with "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller, and you will have a brand new understanding of Christian thought.

From the outset, the author expresses that this is not a "Making of..." book about Achtung Baby. That being said, I found the ruminations on the album's themes to be awkward and forced. U2 is dramatic, but this book is waaaay over the top dramatic. It likens the stories and themes from the album to Adam & Eve's tale from the Garden of Eden. I like U2 and I like Achtung Baby, but this book/essay sounds more like a college thesis.

I have long felt that U2's `Achtung Baby' was their most explicitly Christian album but could never say exactly why. Thanks to Catanzarite and this exciting, intelligent and well-written book, I can now articulate what I have long felt. U2 is a group that has always explored the highs and lows of humanity. On "Achtung Baby," they dug deep into the lows in a way that was breathtaking and engaging. You don't have to agree with all of Catanzarite's interpretations to understand that he has paid the band and its work a glorious tribute - the most intelligent and best-written book in the 33-1/3 series. Catanzarite writes with a poet's flair and understanding and is clearly at home in both the sacred and the profane. Only those with a pronounced bias against the more Christian aspects of U2's work (which to anyone, except those angry anti-Christians, are very hard to ignore) can dismiss this truly extraordinary little book.

Overall the book speaks to the thoughts that the author has when he listens to the album. He hears a concept that may or may not have been written into the lyrics and music. Precious little time is spent on the music however, and much more on faith, and more to the point, Catholicism. I feel like we're reading a graduate thesis on Catholicism that he dug out and wove in a few U2 references. It's the most disappointing book in the series so far, and frankly I'm surprised it was published.

Stephen is a very passionate writer. I found myself highlighting quotes. I loved how he brought God to this book.

Love the 33 1/3 books and love Achtung Baby, but this book in particular has nothing to offer but a post-rationalization of the album. The author tries to turn it into a Christian concept album, which by no means was ever U2s intent, conscious or subconscious. The book is an exercise in post-rationalization and often gets to the point of being so ridiculous it's laughable. It doesn't enlighten the reader on the band, the music, the album, or the intent. Don't read.