Zooropa - 9 out of 10...it takes a while to get going, and the beginning verses of the song could probably be improved, but it doesn't matter when the 2nd half hits you...u immediately forgive any shortcomings because it's without a doubt one of U2's most transcending movements of music.
Babyface - 7...it's a disposable pop song, and u have to look at it that way. You can't compare it to Bad or Still Haven't Found...it's an entirely different beast. Judging it at this level, it's a catchy and fun little thing. And Larry's drums are wonderfully tweaked with.
Numb - 8...although it's one of the "hits", it's so close to Lemon and sometimes I have no patience. But on it's own, as a song, it's an original experience and the only time U2 will ever sound like this again. The key to the song is Edge's deadpan contrasted with Bono's fat lady vox.
Lemon - 10...without question. One of U2's best songs ever, period! It's fun, it's adventurous, it's edgy, it's funny, and above all things...it's emotional. Underneath the disco beats, the treated guitars and the kitschy vocals, lies a desperate pleading that threatens to break out and wail, and once in a while does..when Bono morphs into his natural singing voice. The moments like that are cathartic, and short-lived because Bono goes back to the falsetto soon after. But it could only work that way. A clear emotional conclusion would cheapen this song. It works as an ongoing cycle that fades into night, never coming together in perfect harmony, much like life itself. It keeps going.
Stay - 9...the most successful U2 "love" song ever put to record. I say successful because it could've been written for anyone. It's a timeless classic, with off-kilter vocals that alter the otherwise perfectly serene vibe. The lyrics are haunting, the music rises to a crescendo, and it breaks all the rules by ending on a disturbing note.
Daddy's Gonna Pay - 8...A jarring techno masterpiece. U2 is almost nowhere to be found here, yet their spirit runs thru it. It's dark and sexy, and Bono intones devilish lyrics that never let you off the hook. You feel unsettled and almost queasy the whole time. A great ride. The creepy as hell "aha sha la"s grow scarier each time, like possession.
Some Days...10 - My second favorite track. It's U2's funnest outing. Edge plays an actual solo, tho it's distorted to the extreme and wicked. Bono writes stream-of-consciously and never strays from the groove. Adam and Larry keep things funky. Eno's synths add majorly to the song, always appearing at the right moment. I don't know why people hate this song. The chorus is anthemic, and could've been on the Joshua Tree in a different setting. But U2 take their strenghts and pervert them to the point of almost unrecognizability..that is if you didn't give ureself a chance to discover the unmistakable U2ness of it all. A sure grower but it's worth it.
The First Time - 10...second fave from the album. I love it because it sneaks up on you. In the beginning you're just enjoying a simple song, and it seems content to just be "lovely". But after the last verse you are drained. You didn't see the twist coming. I don't know many U2 songs that can do that.
Dirty Day - 9...studio production notwithstanding, it's one of Bono's most revealing efforts. It conjures up a film noir in your mind's eye. Everytime I listen, I get goosebumps. Especially the falsetto section..where it sounds like the mourning of a missed opportunity, the opportunity for a father to express love to his son. You get the feeling the son is never gonna escape whatever his father did to him, especially with the line "i'm in you more so when they put me in the ground." Bone-chilling, and not the normal reaction we recieve from U2. The overwhelming coda, where the days run away like horses over the hills, alert u to the fact that time is running out. And soon it will be too late.
The Wanderer - 8...the only way to end this album. Some people might cry out "failure"..but I greatly admire U2's balls in having Johnny Cash sing the lead vocal. Sure, it's his voice, but it's U2's song in essence. It is, among all things, a prayer. And it's a relaxing yet ominous way to end this affair. Relaxing yet ominous is the mood that Zooropa should and thankfully does leave us with. Nothing's happy go lucky here. Everything's bathed in a dark mystery, for that's what life itself pretty much is. That's also Zooropa in a nutshell.
, Bono's vocals are 
!)
