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
Hi wardo! Long time viewer, first time poster. I'm still working my way through you site. Just wanted to say this is a brilliant review. This album soundtracked my first year at uni, but it's been about 15 years since I last listened to it. Will certainly give it another spin now
ReplyDeleteI gave this one a 2 back in the day. However, I have reconsidered. One reason is that I’ve watched videos from the tour. Despite them looking totally ridiculous emerging from a giant psychedelic lemon, the songs, starting with “Discotheque”, were more powerful in live arrangements.
ReplyDeleteEven on the album, “Last Night on Earth”, the screaming “Gone”, “Please” and the Mack truck assault of “Mofo” work. Hooks abound. The two slow ballads, “If God Will Send His Angels” and “If You Wear That Velvet Dress” are the duds of the album. Pretty boring. “Staring at the Sun” is the closest the band came to a classic U2 song, but the heavy lead guitar undermines it.
What hasn’t changed on a relisten is my assessment of the lyrics. These are, by far, darker than anything they did before or since. Bono has said that they “came in at the end of the party.” I know what he meant. There isn’t much light here, and what is there is harsh, glaring and artificial. “Discotheque” is a very frightening song. Despite the costumes, this isn’t the Village People inviting you out the dance floor to do the “YMCA”. Instead, you’re greeted by an overwhelming barrage of sound, flashing lights and gyrating people. It’s very disorienting. Things don’t get much better from there. The rest of the songs move us through landscapes of uncertainty, confusion and grief. No amount of partying can provide an escape. Now that we know more about what was really happening at “The Playboy Mansion”, that song becomes even more disturbing. At the conclusion, we end up in the “fucked up world” of “Wake Up, Dead Man”, hoping Jesus, or somebody will provide relief that may never come.
The band contended that three more months would have given them the album they wanted. Maybe they would have toned the electronica down. The band eventually felt that they took that too far. However, even if they had reverted to the sounds of “Achtung Baby”, “Zooropa” or earlier, these songs would have still been a tough sell. There’s none of the fun of “Lemon” or “Numb”, nor any of the heart and hope of “One” or “The First Time”. Just a bleak, almost claustrophobic vision.
So, I guess I’d bump it up to a three. This wasn’t quite the last time they would attempt to be musically adventurous, but it would be the last time they would somewhat succeed at it.
It's the most recent album of theirs that I would consider listening to more than once in a row. The rating has occasionally gone down to 3, and might again.
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