U2 - Pop
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Free Music Notes for Pop
Free Music Review: "A Sound That's Going To Drown Out The World"
Hit: 4 Stars
That's the declaration U2 made in this experimental studio album. While many critics were disappointed by the results of U2's so-called "dance" album, I found it to be one of their best. The techno and electronic beats serve to enhance many of the songs on this album and only take away from a few. Many of the songs translated well when they were played live during the band's mega Popmart tour. It continues U2's 90s trend of having more fun and stripping away the seriousness of the U2 of the 80s. That's not to say that none of the songs have a serious tune. Some of them are but for the most part, U2's Pop is just a fun album that shows another experimental side of U2.
Discotheque: This song serves as a good introduction to U2's new sound and image. The song starts off with a nice buildup before kicking into a downright nasty guitar riff. The lyrics make no sense ("You know you're chewing bubble gum. You know what it is but you still want some. You just can't get enough of that lovie dovie stuff.") But that's a part of the fun. The rhythm section really holds the song together and the boom-chas at the end are hilarious. They're a great way to end the song and a great way to start the album. 10/10
Do You Feel Loved?: The most danceable track on the entire record. Very seductive lyrics but it's a fairly average song that doesn't translate to the stage well. Nothing sticks out when I hear this song. 7/10
Mofo: THE BEST SONG ON THIS ALBUM! A very fast-paced and energetic song that is mind-blowing when played live. The song starts off with a rapid and funky bass when all of a sudden; Edge's guitar kicks in. He makes it sound like an airplane turbine, something I've never heard come out of a guitar. A must hear for any U2 fans. 12/10
If God Will Send His Angels: This song is pretty good except for its poor placement right after Mofo. Its very slow pace kills the momentum of the first three songs. It also contains airplane sounds but they sound digitally added, not coming from an instrument. The use of techno sound takes away from this track. It would sound good done acoustically without the electronic noise. Still, this track does contain pretty good lyrics. 7/10
Staring at the Sun: Staring at the Sun is similar to God Will Send... but much better. The guitar is much more noticeable and the song conveys a calmness that will relax the listener, not bore them. It has much better lyrics than IGWSHA that show off Bono's talent as a songwriter. All in all, I'd say this song is a good pop friendly ballad. 9/10
Last Night on Earth: The most rock-sounding track on Pop. I love the way Bono's and Edge's voices continually rise during the chorus. There's very little techno in the song, which works for it. Last Night is a good rock song but not extraordinary. 8/10
Gone: Just an amazing rock track. Edge's guitar is incredible. The lyric are wonderful and Bono's voice sounds very good during this song. It's a song that I can relate to and I think many others will relate to it too. This is one of my favorite songs from this album. 10/10
Miami: This is the first of three tracks that go downhill for me. Miami is a song that you'll either love or hate. I personally hate it because of the large amount of sound distortion. The lyrics make absolutely no sense and Bono seems to talk his way through this song instead of singing. Edge's "pa pa pa's" get annoying within two minutes. This track could have been a lot better than it was. 6/10
The Playboy Mansion: In my opinion, this is the worst song on the album. It takes everything that was wrong with Miami and makes it worse. The lyrics are awful. So is Bono's singing. I understand that they were trying to have fun but boring is not fun. It's the only track from Pop that was never played live. Good. 5/10
If You Wear That Velvet Dress: This tracks better than the last two but it still doesn't do anything for me. It has less distortion and I can probably learn to like it but right now, I don't. The lyrics are very seductive and Edge's guitar is pretty good but it's too long and dull for me. 6.5/10
Please: Please is a very beautiful, political song asking for peace in Ireland. I feel that it's an update of Sunday Bloody Sunday. The lyrics are hauntingly beautiful and Bono's voice is extraordinary. You can hear the passion he puts into this song. It's definitely one of the best songs on the album. 10/10
Wake Up, Dead Man: This closing track has very dark lyrics and has a nice build-up from just a guitar to the whole band. Bono's voice sounds good but the sound distortion takes away from his performance. But even with the distortion, it's still a very good way to close the album. 8/10
While Pop may not be perfect, it's still a very good album and is one of my top five U2 albums. I'm glad I bought this album and I think it deserves better than what the critics gave it.
Free Music Review: BOOM, BOOM CHA, DISCOTHEQUE
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, well, well. I have finally arrived at POPmart, where the irony is served straight up, with a twist. Perhaps U2's most maligned album, right up there with Rattle and Hum. I shall initiate this review with a theory that I have read in other places, the U2 3-Album Cycle. I will place POP the the end of the final 3-album cycle.
1)Boy, October, War---A friend of mine called this "Boy, Teen, Man." A somewhat linear beginning for the band, as they bring innocence and wonder on BOY, discovery and (religious) thunder on October, and greed and plunder on WAR. Each album maturing from the last. WAR is U2 finally going back to their punk influences after being "rootless" on their 1st 2.
2)Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Rattle & Hum---Again, 3 albums that have a definite connection to another. Another WAR would have pigeonholed the band's "sound", so they go back to another "beginning" for them; a more mature "European" album. Joshua Tree sounds like the blend of WAR and UFire, making the sound more expansive while the songs more compact. The logical conclusion of this 3 album cycle is a "live" album, and one where U2 goes back to roots they never quite owned, American music. (Note: UABRS, another U2 "live" album, came out after WAR).
And Now the final 3 album cycle
3)Achtung, Zooropa, POP
Having cleared their creative decks twice, U2 followed the Rattle and Hum bombast underground, where they meant to "dream it all up again", another beginning, if you will. But this time, their beginning was the end and everything in between, as U2 created arguably their finest ALBUM (i.e. beginning to end) Achtung Baby. In many ways the manic energy level was akin to BOY; U2 were on fire. They followed it up mid ZOO TV Tour with Zooropa, setting a very chill and fluid mood after the giddiness and grandiosity of Achtung baby.
U2's POP was U2's first studio album in 4 years. They had redefined music and concerts, cut a swath of flash and fury across America, and catured it all on ZOO TV: Live In Sydney, argualby their best concert video. But now, they slowly emerged in early 1997 as ironic hipsters, a little jaded and a lot more mature. They announced their new album/tour by playing a show at K-Mart. They were tossing out names like Portishead, Prodigy, and Theivery Corp. as turn-ons. They announced that their tour would be one of a kind. Judging off of ZOO TV, what else could the boys do to top that? Had U2 gone techno? What's "space junk?" What can we expect?
The best.
From the intro to "Discotheque" you can tell the boys have fun on their minds. The edge fades in a great guitar intro, almost a reverse "Streets" riff, but thicker, with more funk and attitude. "Do You Feel Loved" showcases Bono's falsetto at the end, while Edge both chimes and chars the guitar with fire and ice. Perhaps the song that most detractors point to as U2 gone "techno" is "Mofo." This not quite surprisingly, is the best rock song on the album. Thge Edge launches one bent note into the stratosphere over an unbelievable Adam-Larry groove. Then at the midpoint, Bono pleas to hear his mothers' voice from beyond the grave as the music stops, then; just as quickly, the groove turns on again. The first of two true ballads on this album, "Angels" is a great number about doubting your faith and God. The other ballad," Staring at the Sun" is propelled by Edge's guitar sound and great lyrics from Bono. Now the album takes a twist towards "Last Night On Earth", a manically ferocious rock song with the loud refrain "YOU GOT TO GIVE IT AWAY", a song addressed to a woman strung out and party-hungry, maybe having danced to "MOFO" earlier in the booze-soaked night. This song had the same effect "The Fly" did in AB. Now Bono seeks penance in the slower-tempoed rocker "Gone" as Bono declares "Goodbye/You can keep this suit of lights" an obvious reference to his rockstar status; more specifically the characters he played on the ZOO TV tour. Another dense musical gem. Next song "MIami" another song often brought up with disdain by those who felt U2 went "techno". This song does sound like a B-side at times, but in the context of the album, it fits perfectly. Bono compares Miami to a woman with some pretty funny lyrics "Miami! My mammy!" but it is also the sound of a lost soul looking for a place to go no matter how bad it is for him when he gets there. Same goes for "The Playboy mansion" a bit of funk blues guitar from Edge opens the doors to this song, as Bono states "We'll go driving through that pool/It's who you know that gets you through/the gates of the Playboy Mansion." Still hasn't found what he's looking for....The album starts to crowd in on itself with the slow ballad "Velvet Dress." A wonderful bass line from Adam sets the tone for this song, a plea from Bono to his lover. Then midpoint, Edge's guitar kicks in a very original way. Next song "Please" Bono's update on Sunday Bloody Sunday" but with another great groove from ADam and Larry and a beautiful guitar riff by Edge.
U2 has taken their fans to the edge of hell and the brink of heaven over the last 3 albums, and now POP collapses under its own weight and we are left with Bono pleading for Jesus' return in "Wake Up Dead Man". As he sought to close his eyes at the end of AB with "Love is Blindness", as he sought redemption through Johnny Cash in "The Wanderer", Bono seeks to close this chapter of U2 by singing through what sounds like a broken nose, as Edge's melody is an insistent call above. "Jesus help me/I'm alone in this world/and a f***ed up world it is too." What a way to end an era for the world's greatest band.
Free Music Review: Overlooked and Underappreciated
Hit: 3 Stars
Looking back on this album, 'Pop' ages much better then I expected it too. Looking at this honestly though, it's a cd that's really only for fans of the band who are fimiliar with their previous work.
It was a piece that marked the high point of U2's electronica experimentation. The problem I think it had was that 'Zooropa' (their previous EP) was so wildly disliked by their fans that anything other then a return to a more traditional U2 sound was deemed unacceptable right from the start. I think 'Pop' came out before the stink of 'Zooropa' had completely worn off. After that, the simple fact that it was just medicore and not a masterpiece killed it before 'Pop' could warm up to anyone.
Madonna, I think, found herself in a similar situation when 'American Life' completely flopped and now she's released 'Confessions on a Dance Floor.' It's an album with a much similar sound but more polished and light-years better. It'll be interesting to see how if 'Confessions' is recieved the same way 'Pop' was.
'Pop' is a terrific album and marks an interesting point in U2's career. It's a great grab for an avid fan. For the more casual buyer, though, you'd be doing yourself a favor to stick to something that better captures their signature sound. 'Pop' would be a terrible way to introduce someone to a wonderful body of work.
Free Music Review: U2's creative pinnacle
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the U2's most musically complex masterpiece.
No silly massive radio hits are presented here, rather, this is their most powerful album. This is the concept of contradiction, such a brilliant one. One can't describe where this beauty comes from. The lyrics and music are both unique, but it maybe the paicular things about this album, which make it gorgeous to the ear
Truly remarkable and unique. Simply unparalleled. If you do not have this album, you are missing out on one of the greatest works ever heard.
Free Music Review: Pop deserves reconsideration by Bono and his lads
Hit: 5 Stars
What the hell is wrong with this stunning delight?
Fans who were old enough (like me) to live their euphoric 90s were witnessi of something huge. Pop is in many ways a much darker record than any of the other band's work.
U2 in the 90s was one of the most inventive modern musical bands, bringing astonishing live experiences as Zoo TV and PopMart Tour. Who the hell care if this album sold just one million copies in the US?
Sadly U2 were so much worried about that situation and then they sold out with ATYCLB, and they still insist with that light weight music formula with HTDAAB. Both are extremely unfocused Since ATYCAB, there has been no build, no progression, no real drama, just sunglasses, commercials and a muddle of sameness.
Pop really deserves a reconsideration by Bono and his lads