U2's Haunted Hayride

When you like a song, an artist, a band, an album, you are attached. There is an intimate relationship there. So when someone decides to recreate, re-release, re-record or otherwise re-do a project, there is hesitation. Someone has just tampered with something you love. There is harsh judgment involved. It’s like your mom just went into your closet and bedazzled your favorite jeans. The original was perfection, the remake, you are skeptical and rightfully so.

It is much harder and riskier to attempt to cover songs and albums as they were originally recorded than it is to reshape the original to fit your own style. By doing an exact replica cover, you are creating the “if he can do it, so can I” perception of you as a performer. When in reality, most of the times, one “can’t” do it if s/he can do it. The artist has his/her own collection of sounds and talents to play with and s/he should not waste them by only trying to imitate someone else’s.

A cover of Achtung Baby by U2 was released today, entitled “(Ahk-toong Bay-Bi) Covered.” Every song from the original album has been covered, each by a different artist. Now, Achtung Baby, the original, is on my top 10 albums of all time—perhaps top 5. It is, to me, untouchable. What sets Achtung Baby apart from a lot of other fabulous albums is that the lyrics are as intricate and magnificent as the sound and music itself; perhaps more so. You just do not hear lyrics like in “The Fly” and “Ultra Violet (Light My Way)” anymore. The lyrics are really what make the album.

This “Covered” album completely revamped every single song. None of the songs sound anything like the originals. A smart move on the artists’ part, seeing as the album is so good by itself. Rather than covering the songs, each artist deconstructed each song and put it back together in a completely new way.

The vibe on the original album was edgy with a touch of fantasy mixed in. “Covered” is totally dark and twisted. A haunted hayride through the brilliance of U2’s best album. Gavin Friday, Depeche Mode, Patti Smith, Nine Inch Nails and Garbage are a few of the artists on the album. And, of course, U2 managed to cover one of their own songs, “Even Better Than the Real Thing.”

All the songs truly have an air of ghostly splendor in them. I mean, the album starts with “Zoo Station” by Nine Inch Nails; you can’t get much more ghostly than that. It’s a great re-adaptation, a great choice as this song had an electronic veil over it and Nine Inch Nails love using electronic elements in their music. A perfect match.

“So Cruel” by Depeche Mode is gorgeous. It is classic Depeche Mode from the very start, but a perfect reminisce of classic Bono over-dramatization.

“Ultra Violet (Light My Way)” is performed by The Killers and they transform this song into a dark and twisted show-tune-like beat. Brandon Flowers’ vocals really pull it all together by keeping all the lyrics crystal clear so the listener is not to miss a single unique word.

The best song on this album is by far, “Love Is Blindness” performed by Jack White. This song was probably one of my least favorites on the original album. But White is something else. I actually got goose bumps when I first listened to this version. Great guitar solo, great voice, way more emotion in the voice than Bono had. I never knew what the big deal was with Jack White after the White Stripes stopped making music. Why were magazines featuring him as a great musician? Jack, I personally apologize for ever doubting your raw skill. This song alone, got my head straight. Your voice echoes Robert Plant. Love, Nicole

I am somewhat disappointed by “Mysterious Ways” by Snow Patrol and “Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World” by The Fray. I feel like they were the kids that tagged along to the recording session and the rest of the artists felt bad not including them in the album so they threw them a bone. Big mistake. I feel like both these bands are great, but never impressive. They never make you think about their music and that was the whole purpose of this album. They were not complicated enough.

All in all, this album is a must-have. A down-the-rabbit-hole re-mastering of the best U2 album of all time. The album was released by Q magazine to honor the magazines’ 25th anniversary, the albums’ 20th anniversary, and also to raise money for famine rescue in East Africa.