Here we all were, fretting over the parlous state of rock and help was on the way even while we were dithering. All of a sudden there's a clutch of superb albums out there: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' Better Days; Robbie Robertson's Storyville; Van Morrison's Hymns to the Silence. And now, to put the capper on the company, U2's dashing, demanding Achtung Baby.

Despite its awful title, Achtung Baby is an admirable record. Surprisingly introverted and complex.....

These Irishmen have proven that the same penchant for epic musical and verbal gestures that leads many artists to self-parody can, in more inspired hands, fuel the unforgettable fire that defines great rock & roll....

Achtung Baby is a difficult album -- one that seems the result of considerable soul-searching lyrically.