cobl04
45:33
This is quite an emotional moment for me...this will be my last review thread. I now own every album (excluding the 90s b/o). And there's some statements I'd like to make about Pop before I begin.
- I want to sue U2 for false advertising. These are not Pop songs, maybe with the close exception of SATS. Was it called 'Pop' because it's almost the opposite?
- It's hard to believe the band who wrote songs like Pride, ISHFWILF and New Year's Day would later write songs like Discotheque, Do You Feel Loved and Mofo.
- I believe the album to be generally underrated, but overrated here at Intereference.
Alright, here's waht I thought.
Discothèque
Akin to the rest of the album, incredibly different to what I was expecting. Bono's voice is a little less obvious, but the band just sounds really good. I got into this track straight away. It's just so different, so funky, so dancey. I also watched the video for the first time, I thought it was hilarious that halfway through Larry just walks off.
And yes, I LOVED the Boom Chas. Genius.
7.5
Do You Feel Loved
I was expecting this beautiful, slow moving ballad. Wasn't I wrong. Great intro, especially when it really gets going. Again, Bono’s voice is as ‘out-there’ as it is in previous songs, but I reckon this is a terrific number. The industrial guitar, everything is just great. How good is the part ‘you can take my shirt if you can tie me down’?
9
Mofo
Well what can I say? I had heard sooo much about this song. About how it was really dark, heavy, undecipherable, even scary, so I didn’t have a clue what to expect. What I found was damn friggin’ cool. So dancey, unlike anything U2 has ever done. When it kicks into gear about in the first minute it is just sooo fuckin awesome, cool, whatever. I was blown away by this track. The ‘been around back, been around front vocal’ got a bit annoying, and I wish the lyric was ‘mother fucking rock ‘n’ roll’, because the song is called Mofo, and ‘sucking’ sounds a bit silly, but otherwise, awesome song.
8
If God Will Send His Angels
The surprises just kept coming. After the first three songs kick your ass, this song just drops in and I had to turn it up to hear the first verse vocal. But this is really good song, I reckon. Great lyrics, and very good delievery. It’s beautiful when Edge comes in after the chorus, and the way it drifts off at the ending sound perfect. Is it appreciated much around here?
7
Staring at the Sun
I’ve had this song for well over a year now, probably almost two. I’d always asked where it rated with the rest of Pop, and most people said it was a bit lower in their opinions. I’ve always liked this song, but I have to be in the mood to listen to it, at times I can find it annoying. The lyrics are really deep, I’ve always thought the chorus lyrics to be about not following the crowd.
7
Last Night on Earth
There was a review I found on the net where this supposed ‘muso’ said that U2 had tried different music lately, with the song See Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me and later went on to say that Last Night on Earth was the only good song on Pop but said it should have been on War. I stopped reading there. Anyway.
I thought this was a terrific song. I’ve heard some people say that this was a lame attempt at a rock song, but I disagree. I love the industrial guitar that kicks it off and then runs throughout, and the scat singing at the start, and the hook is fantastic.
8
Gone
Effing kick-ass intro, especially when Larry comes in at 0:14. The verses aren’t as strong as LNOE’s, but the verse sounds great, even a bit emotional. Really good bass line, as there is for most of these songs. The piano and the guitar and the vocal all mesh perfectly in the lead-in/chorus. Awesome song.
8
Miami
What is this crap? :ugh: Terrible song. A very annoying drum machine is the only instrument until a minute and a half in, when Adam plays a bass line. The lyrics are average as well. Now it’s not all bad, I don’t mind the ‘ba ba ba ba’s’ and Edge’s guitar is swell, the outro’s okay, but what throws my off is the line Some places are like your auntie, but there’s no place like Miami, my mammy.
Mammy?
Is that even a word?
3
The Playboy Mansion
Not exactly sure what they were trying to do with this song. Was it meant to be fun like Miami or meaningful? It sounds like a meaningful sorta song, but the lyrics read fun. The intro is really cool, and I like how the band sounds when Bono sings the lines before and the line ‘the gates of that mansion’. Apart from that, it’s average, nice, but not much else. Liking the ‘don’t know if I can…’ verse. It’s almost the like the Wild Honey of Pop.
5.5
If You Wear That Velvet Dress
Still trying to make up mind about this song. I’m not sure if it’s the production, but I have to turn the CD pretty high to hear this song. The vocals are very subtle, the guitar playing is beautiful as well as the lyrics. I don’t think it (or the guitar at least) would have been out of place on TUF. The second half of the song is definitely the most beautiful part on the album.
7
Please
I was expecting a really great song here, given how loved it is around here, but I was a bit let down. Personally I think this song is overrated. It’s incredibly depressing. But getting past all that, it is a pretty good song. In my opinion Bono’s strongest vocals on this album are present here, and the bass really moves the song along. Is this like the ‘One’ of this album? The song everyone appreciates but takes ages to appreciate yourself? The vocals are top-notch though. The last minute or so is good.
7
Wake up Dead Man
I’ve had this song as long as I’ve had SATS, and I have always liked this song a lot, despite its depressive tone and ‘no-hope’ lyrics and vocal delivery. But pushing that aside, this a fantastic song and a terrific closer. Bono’s vocals really suit the song, and Edge’s electric, metallic guitar really gives the song a kick. The almost whispering bridge is perfect, as the music underneath Bono slowly builds up. Great song.
8
Yeah well there’s my thoughts, now add yours, rank the album if you please, I’d like to see what everyone else gives it.
I think...
time will tell you.
Doesn't do much for me. I felt EBTTRT, with a similar topic, did it much better.
, beautiful ending saves it.
I like how the last two songs make up one big song really: Please, wake up dead man.
In fact, I've secretly wished they get somewhat jazzy with the next album in the vein of MDH. 
