Published on Jul 11, 1997
Debating what U2 era was their best is sort of like debating
which
Star Trek series is best. Old U2, new U2, “Next Generation”
or “The Original Series”. Both have die hard followings and are
inflexible when it comes to their beliefs.
I guess you could describe me as an “old era” U2 fan.
The Unforgettable Fire and
The Joshua Tree are still some of my favorite albums. And as
much as I loved
Achtung Baby, I looked forward to U2 getting back to making
a rock album, especially after
Zooropa. The band said in various interviews that
Zooropa was just a detour, and
Pop would be a return to their original sound. Well…after
listening to
Pop, it seems that U2 liked that detour quite a lot – and
the road that they’re on is taking them smack dab into Vegas.
The throbbing club beats of “Discotheque” will likely piss off
hard core fans of their older material. The first time I listened
to this track, all I could think about was the hundreds of remixes
that were going to be played in dance clubs. Hate to admit it
though, the song grew on me. And the lyrics could have easily been
lifted off of
Boy or
The Joshua Tree. “You can reach/but you can’t grab it/you
can’t hold it control it/you can’t grab it”-…sounds like an
extension of “Running To Stand Still” to me.
The cold, electronic sounds of
Zooropa are abundant in
Pop. “Mofo” uses everything from drum machines, distorted
background singing and heavy use of keyboards. It’s not the easiest
song to like by U2, and even after a couple of listens, I still
think it’s one of the weaker tracks on the album.
It isn’t until midway through the album where U2 shows its
brilliance. Coincidently, that’s the time where The Edge begins to
dominate over the drum machines and the keyboards. “Last Night On
Earth”, “Gone” and “Miami” are some of the best songs to come out
of the new U2 era. The Edge shows why he’s still one of the best
guitarists out there with a great, wailing intro to “Gone” and a
superb flirting with feedback on “Miami”. As The Edge begins to
dominate, you get the feeling that
Pop belongs more in your car stereo than in a disco.
Bono hasn’t sounded more desperate than he does in
Pop. While the albums of old had lyrics dealing more with
disillusionment, Bono is flat out begging for redemption in most of
the songs in
Pop. In “Mofo”, he’s “looking for baby Jesus under the
trash”. In “If God Will Send His Angels”, he laments “Then they put
Jesus in showbusiness/now it’s hard to get in the door”. Spiritual
redemption has always been a muse for Bono but it dominates nearly
every song in
Pop.
When I first heard
The Joshua Tree, I immediately fell in love with it. It was
hard not to, the big sounds that Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. and
The Edge presented pretty much grabbed me by the neck. Their newer
material doesn’t possess that ability. Even though
Achtung Baby was a landmark album, it was still an album
that you had to warm up to. Same thing goes with
Pop.
On a good note, U2 actually take their audience seriously. It
may not appear that way, looking at the cartoonish tour that
they’re currently on, but the band continues to challenge their
listeners to listen to new sounds. While they’re not as innovative
as they were on
Achtung Baby,
Pop is still a good addition to U2’s collection. For old
school fans, I only advise you this…give
Pop a couple of spins. It’ll eventually grow on you.