Pop coming out again?

[UnforgettableLemon]

Maybe the remake of Pop could be an album featuring Lawrence on lead vocals backed by only the drumkit.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Like the single version of 'Please'. It maintained its energy when they performed it live, but that single version is atrocious, with the smoother bass playing and disco strings and the now-stereotypical descending U2 ending. The album version of 'Please' was raw and mean, unsympathetic, like a punch in the face, the way it needed to be. It was so unlike U2 - that's why it was an interesting song in the first place!

I hate it that they want to go back and change things that should be left as they are. I know they're not serious about it in this particular case, but it happens all the time with this band - tinkering with older songs that don't need it, when fans are just going to listen to the original recordings anyway. In a way, they're becoming the George Lucases of rock and roll. In fact, I think all further remakes should henceforth be known as the 'Greedo Shoots First' mixes.

I agree totally with Please. The single version was nowhere near as good as the album version. When I first heard the album version I thought Fu#kin hell U2 are doing a bit of Jazz now. It just sounded that way to me but when they re-did it for the single it had totally changed. In one way though its not that bad they released a different version cos you get 2 versions of the same song and a different perspective. But all this shit about the Pop album not being finished gets on my fuc'in nerves to be honest.

Here is an interesting point I have thought of(probably only interesting to me). The new album apparently was ready for release a year ago until they said it lacked that distinct magic, or so reports suggest. Now if the album a year ago was unfinished like POP then I would love to hear them tracks. I bet the bugger would be better than the one they have just released.

 

[Shade]

I really don't think the best of mixes compare with the changes made on the single versions of IGWSHA, Please, and LNOE. The singles had some minor structural and aesthetic changes, but still sounded like they belonged on that album. I liked the "Gone" remix on the best of, but SATS and "Discotheque" lost their soul to me. I like to put on headphones and get lost in the sounds. I think a remix somewhere between the best of and the album version for Disco might work, add the boom-chas back in, a few more layers of guitar, but leave the spacy intro. Staring at the Sun should have just been left as it was on the album.

Since we're talking about it, can anybody explain the out-and-out butchery done to 'Numb' on the Best Of... album? What the hell was that all about? It's like somebody woke up in a cold sweat in the year 2001 and said, 'Oh, God, there's not enough Bono and Larry in Edge's song! We gotta pull them UP! UP! UP! and add more Fat Lady! And all the background samples need to be arbitrarily shifted around! And let's throw in some Edgy guitars at the end so people don't forget it's U2 by the time it's over! I can't live with this unless it's changed!' On a song that was perfectly fine in 1993, when it was a hit for them. It cost them money to go make the 'Greedo Shoots First' mix of 'Numb', and at the end of it all, it's inferior to the classic mix that's on Zooropa. There was no reason for this.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Since we're talking about it, can anybody explain the out-and-out butchery done to 'Numb' on the Best Of... album? What the hell was that all about? It's like somebody woke up in a cold sweat in the year 2001 and said, 'Oh, God, there's not enough Bono and Larry in Edge's song! We gotta pull them UP! UP! UP! and add more Fat Lady! And all the background samples need to be arbitrarily shifted around! And let's throw in some Edgy guitars at the end so people don't forget it's U2 by the time it's over! I can't live with this unless it's changed!' On a song that was perfectly fine in 1993, when it was a hit for them. It cost them money to go make the 'Greedo Shoots First' mix of 'Numb', and at the end of it all, it's inferior to the classic mix that's on Zooropa. There was no reason for this.

Abso-totally-fuc#ing-lutely. They made a complete asswipe of that remix. Numb was great on Zooropa so leave the song alone man!

 

[melon]

This just affirms what I thought all along, U2 aren't satisfied with POP. It doesn't matter if fans insist POP is great, that is precisely why they are called fans - because of "blind worship." If U2 would make tracks of each member farting, these blind fans would still consider it innovative, ambitious, gutsy and the antithesis of safe sound.

Whether POP is great to a fan or not is purely subjective. But what is perfectly objective information is that we know that U2 aren't satisfied with POP. Bono called it unfinished. Now Larry wants to take his turn at fixing it. Eno called it disjointed. And U2 as a whole only put 3 POP songs in the Best Of (and only 2 of out of the 5 songs off POP that were released as a single!). And all 3 songs were remixed to sound better than their originals.

I guess this closes the POP debates.

I really could give a rat's ass what U2 thinks about "Pop." I guess what makes me a (bad?) fan is that I like it despite what they think of it. Dare I say it, I think that "blind worship" would require me to change my mind about the album on the basis of U2 saying they dislike it. As for the three remixed songs:

1) The original "Discotheque" is better. Bono himself can't change my mind on that.
2) "Gone" is brilliant both ways. I really love that song.
3) "Staring at the Sun" makes me ambivalent both ways. I've never gotten strong feelings either way about it.

The next time you make generalizations about U2 fans and "Pop," please keep my comments in mind.

Cheers...

Melon

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

I really could give a rat's ass what U2 thinks about "Pop." I guess what makes me a (bad?) fan is that I like it despite what they think of it. Dare I say it, I think that "blind worship" would require me to change my mind about the album on the basis of U2 saying they dislike it. As for the three remixed songs:

1) The original "Discotheque" is better. Bono himself can't change my mind on that.
2) "Gone" is brilliant both ways. I really love that song.
3) "Staring at the Sun" makes me ambivalent both ways. I've never gotten strong feelings either way about it.

The next time you make generalizations about U2 fans and "Pop," please keep my comments in mind.

Cheers...

Melon

I agree across the board, with the exception of your reaction to SATS. Maybe it's just a senitmental thing, but it was my introduction to U2.

 

[bonosleftone]

I think POP as it is is one of the most underrated pieces of work by any band ever, especially when you consider major artists. Am I a blind fan? Of course not. It's a very special album IMO. The songs all resonate and the time it came out it was one of the few records (along with Beck's Odelay) that made the electronica-rock bridge seamless unlike all the pretenders that were out there.

If U2 don't like it, fair by them. They can re-release it ala the Beatles and Let It Be...Naked. Although in that case I do prefer Naked over Spector's LIB.

If they do re-release it, then by all means it better surpass the original IMO.

 

[mystery girl]

Abso-totally-fuc#ing-lutely. They made a complete asswipe of that remix. Numb was great on Zooropa so leave the song alone man!

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

I think U2 do like Pop. In fact, I think they like it so much that it hurts their feelings that the fan base didn't react strongly to it.
They invested a lot emotionally into the album and then everyone shits all over it. On top of that they don't get enough rehersal time for the tour and they struggled (by U2 standards) for the first twenty or so gigs. So everyone who was ambivalent about the album has their doubts reafirmed by mediocre (by U2 standards) performances of the new songs live.

By the time U2 got their shit together and started kicking ass live it was too late to repair the damage.
You can hardly blame them for being a little defensive about Pop. It was the worst time of their professional lives.
Rattle and Hum took an even worse critical drubbing but it sold like freaking hotcakes and they had a wildly successful tour in support of it.
Pop got mediocre reviews, sold poorly (by U2 standards) and then the tour struggled in the U.S. (by U2 standards).

If U2 really didn't like Pop they'd ignore it or call it an outright mistake. Because it is still close to their hearts they say things like, "If only we could have finished it..." which really means, "Why didn't you like it??"

Besides Pop fans shouldn't act like U2 have never distanced themselves from their previous work before.

Examples:
1.) Bono spends about twenty years apologizing for the lyrics on October and blaming it on the "stolen" lyrics. He explains that the reason the album sounds rushed is because he had to ad-lib at the mic. Basically the same excuse as Pop--"we didn't have time to finish it."

2.) After criticism that the UF was all atmosphere and not enough substance, not to mention too European, U2 went way out of their way to assure the media that their next album would feature "real songs" and would be rooted in Americana and the blues. Hello JT.

3.) Rattle and Hum, NOT pop is the album U2 have run the hardest from. U2 literally reinvented themselves, their image, their marketing, their sound and their approach to music as an "apology" for R&H. When was the last time you heard Bono even mention R&H?

In summation: U2 probably are rather fond of Pop and Pop is not the first time U2 have distanced themselves from their previous work.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I think mixing was screwed up in that album... also too bare bones in some parts IMO... I also liked the album version of Discotheque better than the new version. Gone is good both ways IMO. Do You Feel Loved is one of my favorite songs but I feel like it could have been more hard driving guitar wise.

If Larry wants to fix that album... I hope they do it but without overproducing it (too clean). Eno said the album was too overwrought.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I would love if they could remake October though....

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I don't mind the remixes of the POP songs that they put out in the Best of...

Discotheque, Gone, & Staring at the Sun, IMO were just converted into versions closer to the stuff they played live or made into songs that could be played live more easily (like Please).

If they ever do re-do POP, I hope they don't take out the techno/ dance elements...

 

[Palace_Hero]

Pop was perfect as it is, save for a few too many 'fade outs'.

Remix of Discotheque was horrible, no boom-cha, and the guitar was changed to sound like regular old Edge (relatively boring). SATS Remix was pointless, and Gone.. well they made what was a dynamic song with plenty of character into a boring, repetitive U2 paint by numbers song.

Pop is my favorite album. Overall I think it is a wonderful package. And this comming from someone who was born and bred on JT to AB, with favorite songs such as Bad, Electric Co. and Zoo Station. So I'm not a Pop crusader against all other U2.

It really upsets me that no one can ever leave this album alone, and appreciate it for what is is (or now, half of it you should say was).

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I hate the fact that Velvet Dress, I have to turn up the volume a lot to actually hear the song.

 

[Aardvark747]

I hate the fact that Velvet Dress, I have to turn up the volume a lot to actually hear the song.

Agree with that totally. I tend to listen to the Jools Holland Duet, or the Mexico Popmart versions instead.

 

[Axver]

I hate the fact that Velvet Dress, I have to turn up the volume a lot to actually hear the song.

Agreed. For a long time, I wrote that off as a boring, pathetic song because I couldn't really hear it, but when I played it through my headphones one day, I was blown away by how good it is.

 

[amniar]

In the same way ATYCLB was not enough for some people. Pop was too much for some people.

 

[U2Kitten]

Pop is in the past, I say leave it there. I can't believe the number of responses to this thread, and that it's ahead of all the news on new stuff! This album always brings out some kind of feeling, good or bad, in every fan. It's weird.