I keep hoping one day we'll get another album that had the daring and balls that Pop did. That had a completely new sound for U2. But unfortunately I think that was a one off (that somehow got deemed a "failure"), and now we're relegated to things like Attyculb and Hutdab for the rest of their career which are "safe and familiar." It's a shame though because I feel it is some of their weakest work while I feel Pop was a masterpiece and easily one of their best.
I miss 1997
.
I don't.
In 2000, right before the release of "Attyculb", I listed to "Pop". It immediately brought back all those memories from late 1996 (when I first heard "Discotheque") and 1997.
Then I listened to it again. The second listening was more interesting, IMO, because the personal nostalgia feelings were gone.
And I realized something - it's not that good of an album.
Oh, it has its moments. But the parts that were a supposed "stretch" for U2 were really nothing more than what groups like Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers were doing at that time (and they were doing it far better). Instead of leading the way, for the first time ever, U2 was following.
Then there was the very Beatlesque "Staring..." which could have been written by G. Harrison.
Some songs had hope, like "Miami" and "Wake Up..." but neither seemed quite right - too much screaming and noise instead of passion and power. And throwaway songs, like "Playboy Mansion", are now ridiculously dated.
What "Pop" did bring about was a change in Bono's lyrical style. From "Boy" through "Zooropa", Bono's lyrics were very open, very abstract. A song like "I Will Follow" as well as "Lemon" may have been inspired by Bono's mother, but that's not indicated in the lyrics. With "Pop", we saw a shift to a more obvious and personal side that has remained with the last two albums. But now, Bono's found a way to combine personal with abstract. He's still working on it, but I found the lyrics on HTDAAB much better than on ATYCLB.
I'm not saying that ATYCLB and HTDAAB are perfect albums. What I am saying is that there is a completeness to those songs. Maybe neither stands as great of an album as "War", UF, JT and AB, but as a collection of songs, they succeed (and that was U2's goal at the time). "Pop" is a "failure" as it doesn't really succeed as an album (as U2 bounce all over with themes and sounds) or as a collection of songs (as many aren't quite complete). Nor do I get the feeling of U2 "taking chances" with "Pop" as all they did was tap into an already popular genre (at least in Europe). In other words, it's not this revolutionary bit of work so many claim.
You may not like the more "safe" feeling of ATYCLB, and that's fine. But don't dismiss some of the more ground-breaking work done on HTDAAB. The album still has the elements of U2's sound, but you can already hear them experimenting with songs like "Love & Peace" and "Fast Cars". Even "Vertigo" is a rare sound for them.
To me, wishing it was 1997 is just as bad as wishing it was 1987 (with the JT fans gushing) or even 1977 (with their rawness, inexperience and lack of skills).
Do I want to be surprised? Yes. And copying a style too closely, as was done on "Pop", is not a way to do it. I prefer U2 to stand out - just as they did in 1983 and 1984, when their sound didn't match anything on the airwaves (think Culture Club and Wham). In 1987, when Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson and Debbie Gibson were popular, U2 once again stood out. In 1991-1993, when grunge dominated, U2's sound was a refreshing change. In 2000, when Britney Spears, N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys ruled the charts, U2 was a breath of fresh air. In 2004 and 2005, when a new version of R&B (meaning rap combined with singing to an old 70's hit) was all the rage, U2 once again were fresh. In 1997, they were not.
As the tides have shifted and we see bands like The Killers and Coldplay and others making waves on the charts, ATYCLB and HTDAAB wouldn't be fresh any more. So now I am hoping for something that stands out - as long as it stands out in the U2 world (not them trying to blend in with the rest).
As for the cartoons - always fantastic. She's so ridiculously talented.
