U2 11: Pop

U2 had possibly earned the luxury of taking their sweet time between releases, but as Peter Gabriel and Axl Rose can attest, spending too much time tweaking doesn’t always result in high quality. However, U2 at least had a desire to stay current, as demonstrated when Pop was boldly previewed around Christmas 1996 with the “Discotheque” single. From the souped-up techno sound of the song to the campy homage to the Village People in the video, folks were wondering if the boys hadn’t lost us for good.

Luckily, when the album was released the following March, we could exhale somewhat. They get the most “disco” songs out of the way with the first three tracks, and then move into a variety of styles with the remainder of the album. In the end, all of the songs have elements that sound like the U2 of old, with occasional echoes of such albums as October, War, and The Unforgettable Fire. And despite the contemporary themes, there are just as many references to God and Jesus as ever, if not more.

Starting with that crazy single, “Do You Feel Loved” and “Mofo” are more experimental dance numbers than memorable songs. With those out of the way, the album takes a more accessible turn. “If God Will Send His Angels” is much slower and a pleasant respite, while “Staring At The Sun” got unfairly compared to Oasis for its melodicism, in ignorance of history. “Last Night On Earth” finally sounds like the band we recognize. A solid side-ender.

“Gone” continues the anthemic vibe, with enough nods to their past, but “Miami” and “The Playboy Mansion” are detours into worlds that most of their longtime fans could only read about, much less care to visit. Bono puts on his obsessive cloak for the mysterious “If You Wear That Velvet Dress”, and gets suitably angry in “Please”. “Wake Up Dead Man” very effectively closes the proceedings by starting quietly, building steadily, and ending abruptly, to the point where the album doesn’t finish so much as simply stop playing.

Pop is one of those albums that takes a few listens for the shock of the different sound to wear off; indeed, it’s tough to get a reading on most of the songs by just listening to the first few seconds of each track. While at first listen it didn’t seem to be cohesive, it demands in the long run to be taken as a whole. Sonically, there is a lot to take in—thanks a bunch, Howie B—but there is enough acoustic guitar and piano scattered throughout to shake away the disco tag. Even Bono sounds like he’s neither taking himself too seriously, nor too unseriously; vocally, he’s developed quite a range.

So forget the big stupid tour and the bad haircuts and the disco ball—they went out of their way to sound futuristic, and still ended up with an album full of catchy songs just like they used to make. While they will never remake The Joshua Tree—nor should they—Pop is an obvious progression from their other ‘90s albums. And that’s all we can ask. It’s still a keeper.

U2 Pop (1997)—3½