Listening to an original UK pressing of the album that an old friend from another message board picked up at a shop in the UK back in the early 2000's and was kind enough to send to me.
20 years later the album still sounds fresh and exciting. I remember the summer of 1993, and this album was about to come out. I being in Southern California, about to turn 16 and really about to embark on a U2 journey that would cost me a lot of allowance money (I didn't get summer jobs because all I wanted to do in the summer while going to school was stay in my bedroom and listen to music all night) and that is another point I want to make. It is interesting that this album, a very Eno-esque album, that is very "Euro" came out in the summer. This is a very night time album. Like most U2 albums they always seem to be associated with seasons and the time. Unforgettable Fire is the the cold winter, the Joshua Tree is a dry desert in the summer. Zooropa, it is the sound of four men journeying into the under belly of a city and I often wonder how much if it was a result of the fact that they'd just finish a concert, fly off to their recording studio and lay down these tracks at midnight... As you know, midnight is when the day begins.
So it was the summer of 93. I had my father take to me to the now defunct Music Plus CD store.. I throw down a chunk of change to buy this CD as well as U2's first 3 albums because my only goal that summer was to listen to and absorb everything U2 because that is what happens when you become obsessed.
I made the mistake of listening to a lot of the Joshua Tree, renting Rattle and Hum on VHS until I found a copy for 6 dollars new at a music store.. So before I got to listen to Zooropa I already absorbed U2's 80's catalog.. which as we all know was very anthemic catalog, big guitar, big songs, Bono singing very passionately.
Zooropa... none of that. So 15 going on 16 me was left scratching my head. Also, given my age and the year this album came out, 1993.. the summer of grunge.. This album was different. I honestly never listened to Brian Eno, David Bowie, anything remotely Euro and actually good (other than all that damn 80's U2 I absorbed) so.. yeah..I warmed up to it. What helped was listening to it on my DISCMAN! at night, alone in my room. The production, the slivers of Edge's guitar work, it was there coming through the headphones and into my ears... But still. I wasn't ready for it.
So 20 years later. I am obsessive music collector.. Been a U2 fan for 22 years. My musical palate has greatly expanded. And, I can honestly say this album is amazing. What you don't get 20 years ago makes a whole-hell-a lot of sense 20 years later as an adult about to turn 36.
I look back on this era of U2 and how it really culminated with Passengers and man, what a roller coaster ride.
