Bono Announces ‘Achtung Baby’ Covers Album

Jack White, Depeche Mode, Patti Smith and Damian Rice are among the artists on a forthcoming tribute album honoring the 20th anniversary of U2’s Achtung Baby, frontman Bono announced at a press conference this afternoon for the U2 documentary From the Sky Down at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The album was commissioned by the British music magazine Q. “Jack White does ”˜Love Is Blindness,’ Depeche Mode do ”˜So Cruel,’ Patti Smith did ”˜Until the End of the World,’ Damien Rice does ”˜One.’ 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.'”

In addition, Bono said that artist Damien Hirst recently completed a video for “Even Better Than The Real Thing.”  “He made a very special art work, which has only been shown once and probably won’t be shown again, because [it was for the] Glastonbury festival and it’s an extraordinary work of art.”

One person asked via Twitter if they were to release a single from Achtung Baby today, which would fit best? Without hesitation, Bono answered, “‘Even Better Than The Real Thing.’ Now there’s a mix of it, which is stunning, called the Fish Out of Water remix, which I would like to release as a single,” he said.  “I’m trying to talk some people into it, even today. It has the Damien Hirst thing. Damien did his work to that mix. That’s the one we open with and end the film with.”