HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
[SIMG]http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265pop-sml.jpg[/SIMG]
By Kal Carpenter
2005.08
"Pop" is a good record but it could have been great, it should have been a masterpiece. Recently when I was checking over the daily U2 rumor mills on the internet, I came across a few posts about U2 pondering a re-release of the 1997 album "Pop." It's the album that has probably been the most debated among U2 fans ever since its release. As we know, the 1990s were a time of both playful and serious experimentation for U2, not only musically but also on personal level. Beginning with "Achtung Baby" in 1991, U2 was saying that it was a band capable of so much more than three chords, the truth, and self-indulgent concert films. Right through "Zooropa," "Passengers" and finally to "Pop," U2 became the greatest band in the world at keeping everyone guessing and then shocking the hell out of everyone, not just with the new music but a new persona as well. To me the band members were still good guys, they just carried themselves with a bit more swagger and all donned the coolest sunglasses they could find for public appearances.
"Pop" is my favorite period of U2's '90s experimentation. Everything from the album, to the videos, to the mind-blowing world tour that was PopMart was, and still is, unlike anything U2 has ever done. But it's the album itself that remains the most controversial subject of the era. I was a sophomore in high school when "Pop" was released and I was just getting into U2 during the summer of 1997 when the tour was in full swing. My first U2 purchase was "Achtung Baby" because I fell in love with the opening riff of "Even Better Than the Real Thing" that was played on all the PopMart commercials on the radio, plus "Mysterious Ways" and "One" were on it, two songs I loved as a kid. That album became my soundtrack of the summer but looking back now I wish that I'd bought "Pop" instead and saw at least one PopMart show. But in the end, the album and tour didn't actually do as well as U2 had hoped. Due to the immense cost and production of the tour, the album was finished in a rush to allow the band time to rehearse before the tour began. Since then the band has conceded that it was the biggest mistake it has ever made, booking a tour of that magnitude before the album was finished. And it shows on the album.
While "Pop" is one my favorite U2 albums to this day, it also breaks my heart every time I listen to it. Some of my favorite songs sound so rushed and fall short of greatness. Songs like "If God Will Send His Angels," "Last Night on Earth" and "Please" don't even begin to realize their full potential. Bono keeps saying, "if only we had another month." He may be right. I think "Pop" could have used another three or four months by how incomplete and hurried it sounds. The "Pop" sessions were a very experimental time for The Edge as he introduced a whole new slew of sounds and tones on his guitars, with some hits and some misses. Bono's vocals left much to be desired on certain parts of the album. The majority of U2 fans have always dubbed Bono and Edge the driving force of the band but I would argue that over the years it has always been U2's rhythm section that "drives" the music and makes you tap your feet, bob your head and clap your hands at concerts. As far as individual performances go, Adam Clayton's clearly the unsung hero of "Pop," his provocative and driving bass licks are the highlight of most the songs on the record. In many ways, "Pop" was the album where Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. finally caught up to Bono and Edge's love affair with dance and underground and, in many ways, surpassed them.
Another problem with the album, besides the songs themselves, is the running order. This isn't the only time U2's faced that problem. I feel the band blew the order on "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" even worse. In fact the only times U2's really nailed the running order was on "The Joshua Tree" and "All That You Can't Leave Behind."
With recent talk of U2's plans to reinvent "Pop," let's tackle the album now, song-by-song, in a running order that would be much more effective and enjoyable, in my humble opinion. I actually programmed the following order into my CD player one day and immediately liked the album more than ever.
1. "Discotheque”: This is still the obvious and best choice to open the album, not because it's the best song on the album, though it could be for all it's untapped potential, it should still open the album because it was the leadoff single in '97 and provided an exciting and accurate indication of what kind of album to expect. As I made a case for earlier, this was Larry and Adam's album, and Adam's opening bass line on "Discotheque" still gives me goose bumps, it's the core of the song. However, his bass and Larry's kit should be brought out front on "Discotheque," I've always felt that the rhythm section was too muffled behind all of Edge's fuzzy guitar tones. Edge almost goes a little overboard with the barrage of guitars on this one. Bono's vocals are pretty solid but all of the backing vocals are somewhat distracting, so they should be scaled back a little bit. The Mike Hedges remix of "Discotheque" on "The Best Of 1990-2000" was much improved and I think the band would be wise to build off that mix. I've always liked this song but have never loved it and I really want to.
2. "Mofo”: What a great live one as this was the opener of choice for the world tour. The song captures the band's underground leanings of the period better than any song on "Pop" and is another personal favorite. However, I immensely enjoy the live version, particularly from the Mexico City concert film. I think that if U2 could somehow capture the raw power of Edge's expanded guitar riffs from the live show and mix it in with the sonic energy of the album version, it would have a real gem. I love Bono's performance on this one, his throaty whisper on the verses that became frequent and quite affective during the '90s really helps accentuate that contemporary, underground feel that makes "Pop" so unique and exciting. I have only one major complaint with "Mofo," title is slang for "motherf--ker" but on the album Bono croons, "Mother-sucking rock 'n' roll," instead of "mother-f--king." I'm guessing he left the "f-bomb" out even for the live shows. I never understood it because the religious ballad "Wake Up Dead Man" has a loud and clear "f--k" in one of the opening verses. I think "mother-sucking" is cheesy. Go with the slang this time guys, it will appeal more to the younger crowd, too, and U2 is always looking for fresh blood to stay iPod- and MTV-worthy.
3. "Staring at the Sun”: This was supposed to be the big golden single of the summer of '97 but it fell short when all was said and done. Bono and the boys will be the first to admit that they never quite cracked this one the way they wanted, and I couldn't agree more. I loved the song when it first debuted that summer but it has fizzled on me as time has passed. The first thing that jumped out at me when it came out was the familiar "bubbly" or "wavy" guitar sound of Edge's, or, as I often refer to it, the "One guitar" reminiscent of the guitar sound from "One" off "Achtung Baby." When I listen to it now, that guitar effect sounds overdone in "Staring at the Sun." The Mike Hedges remix did little to bring the song up to par. I know the band has probably exhausted themselves on this one but I think could still make it special. I say start by stripping it down, since U2 has become so popular again for that, and basically begin at its core—the contagious melody by Bono. I always liked the naked acoustic performance of this song live but, obviously, the record would need more. I say Edge should stick to one guitar and blanket the song with some of his good old-fashioned sonic architecture.
4. "Gone”: This song has become a personal favorite of the band's, as was obvious when placing it on the latest greatest hits collection, despite not being a radio standard or overwhelming crowd pleaser. It's definitely one of U2's best rockers (live and on record) and should be moved up in the running order to keep the album's first-half momentum going. Plus it goes great after the laid back "Staring at the Sun." This was also the best Mike Hedges remix from the greatest hits, equally as good as the original version. Adam's swooping bass line in the beginning should stay and the guitars could come out more too. I think a mix of elements from the original, the Hedges remix and the live version (particularly from Elevation in Boston) and U2 has it.
5. "Please”: This is a big jump from 11 on the original running order but it's necessary. This is one the best songs from the album but, unfortunately, U2 didn't even come close to finishing it for the album. The band has made huge strides on the single and it's a shame for those who only have the album to have never heard this version. Edge's guitar sounds much more exciting (like the fuzz tone of the guitar on the chorus) on top of Larry's jaw-dropping drum performance and Adam's frantic bass showcase at the end. I think adding the acoustic guitar touches from the Elevation Tour could mix in well, too. Overall, build only a little from the single version but don't overdo it.
6. "Last Night on Earth”: My favorite from "Pop," and the best nighttime cruising song ever, is left in the same spot. Despite these accolades, there's still great room for improvement. As the story goes, Bono was laying down vocals for this the morning "Pop" was mastered. It shows, especially in the main chorus where Bono's voice is really struggling. Edge is louder than ever to cover for Bono, not that there's anything wrong with that because Edge always sounds great. However, Bono redeemed himself on the chorus for the tour, just listen to the Mexico City show. I'd love to hear that vocal interplay between Bono and Edge explode on the album as it did in concert. The single mix was good, too, but I enjoy the messy guitar opening on the album version better as it makes the anticipation for the arrival of Adam's rollicking bass line all the more exciting.
7. "If God Will Send His Angels”: This song moved down in the pecking order because I always felt it reared its "angelic" head way too early for what is arguably U2's heaviest and darkest album. I think "Please" fits better as an early mellower than this one because of the subject matter and tempo. One thing that hurt the album version was the final mix arrangement. As with "Please," you've missed out if you haven't heard the single version of this song, as the band finally had all the verses and choruses in the correct flow. One thing I do like from the album cut is the extra verse in the beginning and the horn section that plays in the background. I also love the little "angelic" harmony from this song that comes in at the trail end of the verses, which you can barely hear. That should be brought out more because it's genuinely serene.
8. "Do You Feel Loved”: This is where the second-half of the album begins and I couldn't think of a better introduction to it than this one. Another great song to cruise to, day or night, it's another bass clinic by Adam and I love the intro, one of U2's coolest ever. However I feel like it loses steam a little bit as the song goes on. I think Edge ran out of ideas on this one. The Morse Code-esque guitar blips become redundant and I think a rare Edge solo could have been effective for this track. This song had great potential, especially in a live setting, but apparently rehearsals for it stalled and it never really made the PopMart rotation. It's unfortunate because a great driving song like this really fit for the drive-in movie, which PopMart essentially was.
9. "Holy Joe”: Huh, you say? Yes, "Holy Joe." I always liked this song and never understood why it didn't make the album, especially after being played at the infamous PopMart press conference at K-Mart in New York. If you've ever heard the "Garage Mix" of this song from the "Discotheque" single then you may know what I'm talking about. While it's slow to get moving, once Edge kicks it into high gear, I get the goose bumps that Edge is so good at giving me. Bono's melody could be developed much more and some more guitar textures by Edge to get the song moving along faster would help, too. Really, the possibilities are endless as the band hardly scratched the surface on this one. The main reason to add this to any re-release is because it's the only song left that I'm familiar with from the "Pop" sessions to not be released on an album. It would make a good single if dressed up nicely to help promote the re-release.
10. "Miami”: The weakest song from "Pop," hands down. I don't know where U2 was going with this one but it's safe to say the band never got there. Very stale performances by Bono and Edge leave you wanting so much more on this one, you just don't know what. I couldn't even begin to make suggestions on what to do to salvage this song, so I will leave this one alone. I say just let Edge get his hands dirty and have fun with it. I hope U2 can fix it, if only for the fact that lyrically, it's one of Bono's best texts on the record. Even beat poet Allen Ginsberg was impressed.
11. "If You Wear That Velvet Dress”: U2 gives "erotica" a whole new meaning with this devilish yet soulful little ballad. Bono, in one of his most memorable vocal performances from the album, takes advantage of the years of wear and tear on his voice and sings way down, so naked and vulnerable that you almost want to cry. Of course Adam again is the core of the song and Larry's gentle percussion is perfect. I think Edge was solid here, too, but some new guitar overdubs could be beneficial. I've always liked "Velvet Dress" but feel a little tune up could finally earn it the recognition it has always deserved.
12. "Playboy Mansion”: A catchy little number that, perhaps, could have been a single had it not fallen apart two minutes in. Again, I may ask too much of my beloved lead guitarist Edge but I'd love to see him do a little more with this one. The melody is there and it's strong, and Adam's bass is gorgeous again. Larry's drums could be spiced up, too, I think.
13. "Wake Up Dead Man”: Still the album closer because there can be no other place for it. While there's a lot going on with Bono's words, I feel like the performance of the band let the words down in a big way. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it just doesn't give the album the fitting climax it deserves. That's evident in how anti-climactic the song was as a closer for the tour. It was usually just Bono and Edge alone, leaving out the other half of the band that had just played for two hours as well. A good closer is there in the lyrics but I think a big overhaul is needed for the music.
If U2 is going to re-issue "Pop," the band should do it soon. In fact I think U2 should begin work on it once the tour is over, before starting another album.
Also, if U2's going to do it right, the band needs to bring back the other people who originally worked on the album in order to recapture the mood and feel of a record that U2 has been away from for a long time—Flood and Howie B, of course, but also Steve Osborne, Mark "Spike” Stent, Rob Kirwan and whoever else was influential to the album. No Steve Lillywhite or Daniel Lanois please, otherwise the album will just sound like the next “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” or “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.” Although Jacknife Lee is from the “Atomic Bomb” production team, it seems like he's somebody who could add some of the new flavors the album desperately needs. Also some new cover art could be used, I always thought the cover of their four faces was rather bland. And to go along with the grand re-release should be some added bonus content. I would include the following: a making-of documentary (including footage of both the original and the re-issue sessions), music videos for the singles (including one for new single "Holy Joe") and PopMart concert footage (maybe a few concerts in their entirety or the best live performance of each song from the album).
The main reason I want to see "Pop" re-released is a bit selfish and might not be very practical but would make me the happiest man alive—a PopMart II tour. This would allow all the newer U2 fans like me a chance to see this grand spectacle at last, live and in person. It would also give the band a chance to redeem itself for all the problems "Pop" and PopMart had and actually make a profit this time. It was truly an incredible artistic statement and should be seen again. Maybe this time the disco ball lemon won't hit a malfunction junction.
There has been talk for years about whether or not U2 could be a stadium band again, particularly in the United States. If the band brought back a brief PopMart tour, it sure as hell could! I want to relive the summer of 1997 when I spent every waking hour listening to "Achtung Baby" as a new U2 fan, when I should have been hitching a ride to every PopMart show I could and listening to "Pop."
Two years from now will mark the 10-year anniversary of "Pop" and an album redux and world tour to mark the occasion would make for one awesome summer. No other stadium tour by U2 or any other band could top the spectacle and grandness of another PopMart. It would put to rest once and for all the doubts of the album and tour. I think one last go around, the right way, will put "Pop" back at No. 1 in the charts and No. 1 in people's hearts—just the way it was supposed to be.
By Kal Carpenter
2005.08
"Pop" is a good record but it could have been great, it should have been a masterpiece. Recently when I was checking over the daily U2 rumor mills on the internet, I came across a few posts about U2 pondering a re-release of the 1997 album "Pop." It's the album that has probably been the most debated among U2 fans ever since its release. As we know, the 1990s were a time of both playful and serious experimentation for U2, not only musically but also on personal level. Beginning with "Achtung Baby" in 1991, U2 was saying that it was a band capable of so much more than three chords, the truth, and self-indulgent concert films. Right through "Zooropa," "Passengers" and finally to "Pop," U2 became the greatest band in the world at keeping everyone guessing and then shocking the hell out of everyone, not just with the new music but a new persona as well. To me the band members were still good guys, they just carried themselves with a bit more swagger and all donned the coolest sunglasses they could find for public appearances.
"Pop" is my favorite period of U2's '90s experimentation. Everything from the album, to the videos, to the mind-blowing world tour that was PopMart was, and still is, unlike anything U2 has ever done. But it's the album itself that remains the most controversial subject of the era. I was a sophomore in high school when "Pop" was released and I was just getting into U2 during the summer of 1997 when the tour was in full swing. My first U2 purchase was "Achtung Baby" because I fell in love with the opening riff of "Even Better Than the Real Thing" that was played on all the PopMart commercials on the radio, plus "Mysterious Ways" and "One" were on it, two songs I loved as a kid. That album became my soundtrack of the summer but looking back now I wish that I'd bought "Pop" instead and saw at least one PopMart show. But in the end, the album and tour didn't actually do as well as U2 had hoped. Due to the immense cost and production of the tour, the album was finished in a rush to allow the band time to rehearse before the tour began. Since then the band has conceded that it was the biggest mistake it has ever made, booking a tour of that magnitude before the album was finished. And it shows on the album.
While "Pop" is one my favorite U2 albums to this day, it also breaks my heart every time I listen to it. Some of my favorite songs sound so rushed and fall short of greatness. Songs like "If God Will Send His Angels," "Last Night on Earth" and "Please" don't even begin to realize their full potential. Bono keeps saying, "if only we had another month." He may be right. I think "Pop" could have used another three or four months by how incomplete and hurried it sounds. The "Pop" sessions were a very experimental time for The Edge as he introduced a whole new slew of sounds and tones on his guitars, with some hits and some misses. Bono's vocals left much to be desired on certain parts of the album. The majority of U2 fans have always dubbed Bono and Edge the driving force of the band but I would argue that over the years it has always been U2's rhythm section that "drives" the music and makes you tap your feet, bob your head and clap your hands at concerts. As far as individual performances go, Adam Clayton's clearly the unsung hero of "Pop," his provocative and driving bass licks are the highlight of most the songs on the record. In many ways, "Pop" was the album where Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. finally caught up to Bono and Edge's love affair with dance and underground and, in many ways, surpassed them.
Another problem with the album, besides the songs themselves, is the running order. This isn't the only time U2's faced that problem. I feel the band blew the order on "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" even worse. In fact the only times U2's really nailed the running order was on "The Joshua Tree" and "All That You Can't Leave Behind."
With recent talk of U2's plans to reinvent "Pop," let's tackle the album now, song-by-song, in a running order that would be much more effective and enjoyable, in my humble opinion. I actually programmed the following order into my CD player one day and immediately liked the album more than ever.
1. "Discotheque”: This is still the obvious and best choice to open the album, not because it's the best song on the album, though it could be for all it's untapped potential, it should still open the album because it was the leadoff single in '97 and provided an exciting and accurate indication of what kind of album to expect. As I made a case for earlier, this was Larry and Adam's album, and Adam's opening bass line on "Discotheque" still gives me goose bumps, it's the core of the song. However, his bass and Larry's kit should be brought out front on "Discotheque," I've always felt that the rhythm section was too muffled behind all of Edge's fuzzy guitar tones. Edge almost goes a little overboard with the barrage of guitars on this one. Bono's vocals are pretty solid but all of the backing vocals are somewhat distracting, so they should be scaled back a little bit. The Mike Hedges remix of "Discotheque" on "The Best Of 1990-2000" was much improved and I think the band would be wise to build off that mix. I've always liked this song but have never loved it and I really want to.
2. "Mofo”: What a great live one as this was the opener of choice for the world tour. The song captures the band's underground leanings of the period better than any song on "Pop" and is another personal favorite. However, I immensely enjoy the live version, particularly from the Mexico City concert film. I think that if U2 could somehow capture the raw power of Edge's expanded guitar riffs from the live show and mix it in with the sonic energy of the album version, it would have a real gem. I love Bono's performance on this one, his throaty whisper on the verses that became frequent and quite affective during the '90s really helps accentuate that contemporary, underground feel that makes "Pop" so unique and exciting. I have only one major complaint with "Mofo," title is slang for "motherf--ker" but on the album Bono croons, "Mother-sucking rock 'n' roll," instead of "mother-f--king." I'm guessing he left the "f-bomb" out even for the live shows. I never understood it because the religious ballad "Wake Up Dead Man" has a loud and clear "f--k" in one of the opening verses. I think "mother-sucking" is cheesy. Go with the slang this time guys, it will appeal more to the younger crowd, too, and U2 is always looking for fresh blood to stay iPod- and MTV-worthy.
3. "Staring at the Sun”: This was supposed to be the big golden single of the summer of '97 but it fell short when all was said and done. Bono and the boys will be the first to admit that they never quite cracked this one the way they wanted, and I couldn't agree more. I loved the song when it first debuted that summer but it has fizzled on me as time has passed. The first thing that jumped out at me when it came out was the familiar "bubbly" or "wavy" guitar sound of Edge's, or, as I often refer to it, the "One guitar" reminiscent of the guitar sound from "One" off "Achtung Baby." When I listen to it now, that guitar effect sounds overdone in "Staring at the Sun." The Mike Hedges remix did little to bring the song up to par. I know the band has probably exhausted themselves on this one but I think could still make it special. I say start by stripping it down, since U2 has become so popular again for that, and basically begin at its core—the contagious melody by Bono. I always liked the naked acoustic performance of this song live but, obviously, the record would need more. I say Edge should stick to one guitar and blanket the song with some of his good old-fashioned sonic architecture.
4. "Gone”: This song has become a personal favorite of the band's, as was obvious when placing it on the latest greatest hits collection, despite not being a radio standard or overwhelming crowd pleaser. It's definitely one of U2's best rockers (live and on record) and should be moved up in the running order to keep the album's first-half momentum going. Plus it goes great after the laid back "Staring at the Sun." This was also the best Mike Hedges remix from the greatest hits, equally as good as the original version. Adam's swooping bass line in the beginning should stay and the guitars could come out more too. I think a mix of elements from the original, the Hedges remix and the live version (particularly from Elevation in Boston) and U2 has it.
5. "Please”: This is a big jump from 11 on the original running order but it's necessary. This is one the best songs from the album but, unfortunately, U2 didn't even come close to finishing it for the album. The band has made huge strides on the single and it's a shame for those who only have the album to have never heard this version. Edge's guitar sounds much more exciting (like the fuzz tone of the guitar on the chorus) on top of Larry's jaw-dropping drum performance and Adam's frantic bass showcase at the end. I think adding the acoustic guitar touches from the Elevation Tour could mix in well, too. Overall, build only a little from the single version but don't overdo it.
6. "Last Night on Earth”: My favorite from "Pop," and the best nighttime cruising song ever, is left in the same spot. Despite these accolades, there's still great room for improvement. As the story goes, Bono was laying down vocals for this the morning "Pop" was mastered. It shows, especially in the main chorus where Bono's voice is really struggling. Edge is louder than ever to cover for Bono, not that there's anything wrong with that because Edge always sounds great. However, Bono redeemed himself on the chorus for the tour, just listen to the Mexico City show. I'd love to hear that vocal interplay between Bono and Edge explode on the album as it did in concert. The single mix was good, too, but I enjoy the messy guitar opening on the album version better as it makes the anticipation for the arrival of Adam's rollicking bass line all the more exciting.
7. "If God Will Send His Angels”: This song moved down in the pecking order because I always felt it reared its "angelic" head way too early for what is arguably U2's heaviest and darkest album. I think "Please" fits better as an early mellower than this one because of the subject matter and tempo. One thing that hurt the album version was the final mix arrangement. As with "Please," you've missed out if you haven't heard the single version of this song, as the band finally had all the verses and choruses in the correct flow. One thing I do like from the album cut is the extra verse in the beginning and the horn section that plays in the background. I also love the little "angelic" harmony from this song that comes in at the trail end of the verses, which you can barely hear. That should be brought out more because it's genuinely serene.
8. "Do You Feel Loved”: This is where the second-half of the album begins and I couldn't think of a better introduction to it than this one. Another great song to cruise to, day or night, it's another bass clinic by Adam and I love the intro, one of U2's coolest ever. However I feel like it loses steam a little bit as the song goes on. I think Edge ran out of ideas on this one. The Morse Code-esque guitar blips become redundant and I think a rare Edge solo could have been effective for this track. This song had great potential, especially in a live setting, but apparently rehearsals for it stalled and it never really made the PopMart rotation. It's unfortunate because a great driving song like this really fit for the drive-in movie, which PopMart essentially was.
9. "Holy Joe”: Huh, you say? Yes, "Holy Joe." I always liked this song and never understood why it didn't make the album, especially after being played at the infamous PopMart press conference at K-Mart in New York. If you've ever heard the "Garage Mix" of this song from the "Discotheque" single then you may know what I'm talking about. While it's slow to get moving, once Edge kicks it into high gear, I get the goose bumps that Edge is so good at giving me. Bono's melody could be developed much more and some more guitar textures by Edge to get the song moving along faster would help, too. Really, the possibilities are endless as the band hardly scratched the surface on this one. The main reason to add this to any re-release is because it's the only song left that I'm familiar with from the "Pop" sessions to not be released on an album. It would make a good single if dressed up nicely to help promote the re-release.
10. "Miami”: The weakest song from "Pop," hands down. I don't know where U2 was going with this one but it's safe to say the band never got there. Very stale performances by Bono and Edge leave you wanting so much more on this one, you just don't know what. I couldn't even begin to make suggestions on what to do to salvage this song, so I will leave this one alone. I say just let Edge get his hands dirty and have fun with it. I hope U2 can fix it, if only for the fact that lyrically, it's one of Bono's best texts on the record. Even beat poet Allen Ginsberg was impressed.
11. "If You Wear That Velvet Dress”: U2 gives "erotica" a whole new meaning with this devilish yet soulful little ballad. Bono, in one of his most memorable vocal performances from the album, takes advantage of the years of wear and tear on his voice and sings way down, so naked and vulnerable that you almost want to cry. Of course Adam again is the core of the song and Larry's gentle percussion is perfect. I think Edge was solid here, too, but some new guitar overdubs could be beneficial. I've always liked "Velvet Dress" but feel a little tune up could finally earn it the recognition it has always deserved.
12. "Playboy Mansion”: A catchy little number that, perhaps, could have been a single had it not fallen apart two minutes in. Again, I may ask too much of my beloved lead guitarist Edge but I'd love to see him do a little more with this one. The melody is there and it's strong, and Adam's bass is gorgeous again. Larry's drums could be spiced up, too, I think.
13. "Wake Up Dead Man”: Still the album closer because there can be no other place for it. While there's a lot going on with Bono's words, I feel like the performance of the band let the words down in a big way. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it just doesn't give the album the fitting climax it deserves. That's evident in how anti-climactic the song was as a closer for the tour. It was usually just Bono and Edge alone, leaving out the other half of the band that had just played for two hours as well. A good closer is there in the lyrics but I think a big overhaul is needed for the music.
If U2 is going to re-issue "Pop," the band should do it soon. In fact I think U2 should begin work on it once the tour is over, before starting another album.
Also, if U2's going to do it right, the band needs to bring back the other people who originally worked on the album in order to recapture the mood and feel of a record that U2 has been away from for a long time—Flood and Howie B, of course, but also Steve Osborne, Mark "Spike” Stent, Rob Kirwan and whoever else was influential to the album. No Steve Lillywhite or Daniel Lanois please, otherwise the album will just sound like the next “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” or “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.” Although Jacknife Lee is from the “Atomic Bomb” production team, it seems like he's somebody who could add some of the new flavors the album desperately needs. Also some new cover art could be used, I always thought the cover of their four faces was rather bland. And to go along with the grand re-release should be some added bonus content. I would include the following: a making-of documentary (including footage of both the original and the re-issue sessions), music videos for the singles (including one for new single "Holy Joe") and PopMart concert footage (maybe a few concerts in their entirety or the best live performance of each song from the album).
The main reason I want to see "Pop" re-released is a bit selfish and might not be very practical but would make me the happiest man alive—a PopMart II tour. This would allow all the newer U2 fans like me a chance to see this grand spectacle at last, live and in person. It would also give the band a chance to redeem itself for all the problems "Pop" and PopMart had and actually make a profit this time. It was truly an incredible artistic statement and should be seen again. Maybe this time the disco ball lemon won't hit a malfunction junction.
There has been talk for years about whether or not U2 could be a stadium band again, particularly in the United States. If the band brought back a brief PopMart tour, it sure as hell could! I want to relive the summer of 1997 when I spent every waking hour listening to "Achtung Baby" as a new U2 fan, when I should have been hitching a ride to every PopMart show I could and listening to "Pop."
Two years from now will mark the 10-year anniversary of "Pop" and an album redux and world tour to mark the occasion would make for one awesome summer. No other stadium tour by U2 or any other band could top the spectacle and grandness of another PopMart. It would put to rest once and for all the doubts of the album and tour. I think one last go around, the right way, will put "Pop" back at No. 1 in the charts and No. 1 in people's hearts—just the way it was supposed to be.
(Oslo, for those who didn't know)
(as Kal Carpenter does) I strongly defend the ORIGINAL Pop album 
and I don´t know how does he´s dare to say that some "New Mix" version would improve the album 
so they must be keeping out of POP. Songs like Discotheque or Gone were killed, literally, missing the substance and the heart of those songs 
. Bono sounds like crap on those "New Mixes", while on the original album, Gone stands out as his best vocal performance of the whole album. 
