what was your first reaction when you heard Zoo Station or Beautiful Day

[europop2005]

After the 80's...when U2 literally re-invented themselves...they came out with a whole new sound and feeling...so what was your reaction the first time you heard achtung baby and heard Zoo Station kick off...or how did you feel when they broke back into melodic rock again and you first heard Beautiful Day?

 

[jacobus]

ZOO STATION: the day when AB was released was my first day in new zealand i just arrived at 6.00am local time in auckland...12hrs ahead of CET...jetlagged as i was i entered a music store at queen-street about 10:00am and bought a cassette(!) of AB...cool they gave me the special package with 16 cover-photos. my first impression hearing ZOO STATION was: omg my headphones are broken after 2nd and 3rd attempt i realized this is OKAY... AB still is my fave album of all time and New Zealand still is my fave country to visit or to live...

BEAUTIFUL DAY: i loved the soft synthetic opening from the beginning and i love BD from first listening until today...its one of their few real great songs of the 2000s

 

[thrillme]

Liked both, but I didn't know who did Beautiful Day when I first heard it. The radio stations don't always id the songs, so I had to see the video to see it was by U2. Was a casual fan but couldn't tell you the names of the band members.

Zoo Station, this time I knew it was a U2 song, but not too keen on the "singing in the fan" effect on Bono's voice at times, (I know I'm not the only one, who, as a kid, talked and or sang into a fan while it was on.) The sound of the song, I liked it just fine.

ATYCLB and Rattle and Hum are the albums that took the longest for me to like of their catalog, but I play ATYCLB much more than R&H.

 

[An Cat Gav]

I liked both, but no musical experience I will ever have could possibly compare to that mild Monday morning when I first heard Achtung Baby, it completely changed the musical side of my life. It was such a thrilling rush hearing the opening booming refrain. Just what the doctor ordered!! The promise of a new direction shown in Night and Day had been fulfilled 1000 fold.

 

[Muminki]

BEAUTIFUL DAY: i loved the soft synthetic opening from the beginning and i love BD from first listening until today...its one of their few real great songs of the 2000s

i wouldn't call it one of the few real great songs but i liked it. just heard it on the radio this morning and didn't think much of it though! Lol!

 

[chocky]

I was living in England at the time of AB's release and Radio 1 played tracks from the album every 2 hours from 4pm the Friday before the release til Sunday night.

The first song Radio 1 played was EBTTRT followed by Acrobat, then Mysterious Ways. So come 8pm I was like a kid in a candy store (who'd sampled every pack!). AB had the most profound impact of any album I've ever heard.

I queued up overnight to get the limited edition vinyl (with the 16 cover photos) and the 'allegedly' limited digipack CD. Ironically, Zoo Station was the only track I hadn't heard before release.

 

[AtomicBono]

when I first heard Beautiful Day I thought "oh cool, another U2 song" but didnt think much of it...the second time I heard it I fell in love!

the first time I heard Zoo Station was in 2001 so I don't think that counts

 

[Spinning_head]

Zoo Station - hated it, but loved the album. That is, until I saw the lads in Wembley in '93. ZS is one heck of a way to open a gig!!! Shivers went down my backbone when they brought it back for Vertigo.
Beautiful Day - I thought it was so-so. Not as obviously strong as the four tracks that followed it. Thing was - I didn't pay any attention to the lyrics. When I did my impression completely changed. Its one of the most uplifting songs I can think of.

 

[JCOSTER]

Zoo station - first response was heh? But then it sorta grew on me.

Beautifuly Day - video put me in a trance, the guys looked awsome, they still had "it". Became one of my favorite songs and video.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Zoo Station - I was 13 when Achtung came out and I bought the Cassette at the music store in my local mall and started listening to it on my Walkman on the car ride home. I have to say that listening to music with earphones is the best way to experience it for the first time - I was blown away and loved it from the start.

Beautiful Day - I had heard clips of it on U2.com leading up to the release but my first full listen was actually seeing the video on TV. This one was a bit of a slow burn for me, I wasn't sold the first couple of times but it has since grown on me.

 

[Aygo]

What I think is that back to 1991, people first heard "The Fly" on radio/TV and only then "Zoo Station" on the album...

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Well, I first heard Beautiful Day on the day it premiered on the radio around the world (August 31st, 2000). I heard it a few hours after my first child was born. I was already in an incredible state (mostly relief, our 2 month-early baby survived an emerency c-section after 27 hours of labour). Knowing that mother and child were safe had me nearly in tears as it was. Hearing this song on the same day for the very first time was like a gift from God. My favorite band playing "classic" U2. An unbelievable feeling. I still need to frame that promo cd of BD for my daughter's room.

Zoo Station I loved from the first listen too. But like most of you, I was certain something was wrong with my stereo when that distortion came through. The shimmering metallic-like guitar sounds still hook me in. Bono's voice took some time getting used to here. I was into industrial goth rock a bit at this time so it was easier to appreciate this new sound.

 

[adrball]

Zoo Station - thought great intro but then quite plain. Live is good.

Beautiful Day - thought it was great from the first time I played. Can't help thinking about it when going through CDG...even playing it purposely just because I'm there!

 

[david]

yeah, my first exposure to AB was through The Fly being premiered one night on MTV when I just happened to be watching. The VJ, might have been Adam Curry, said something along the lines of "last night we seen U2 blah blah" and then talked about how they changed their image. The way he talked made it seem like they were off the face of the earth for 5 years or something.

Then I just remember thinking it was a good song. My only prior exposure to U2 was through a Rattle and Hum casette so I wasn't a super fan and I honestly never really saw them in videos so their prior image wasn't on my mind as I watched the video for The Fly.

When I first heard Beautiful Day I thought it was good. I wasn't super blown away. I didn't know how I felt about the band back then. In a way I was kind of glad they distanced themselves from the Pop image, but I did also expect them to change. And they did. I guess a lot of people expected them to just go the super expiremental route.

 

[Salome]

What I think is that back to 1991, people first heard "The Fly" on radio/TV and only then "Zoo Station" on the album...

Zoo Station - thought great intro but then quite plain. Live is good.

Beautiful Day - thought it was great from the first time I played. Can't help thinking about it when going through CDG...even playing it purposely just because I'm there!

yeah, I actually think that because of having heard The Fly, Zoo Station wasn't quite as thrilling an opener as I hoped for

Beautiful Day is brilliant

 

[LemonMelon]

At first:

Zoo Station: What the hell?

Beautiful Day: Eh.

Today:

Zoo Station: OMG ZOOGASM.

Beautiful Day: One of the most anthemic and plain great U2 rockers ever.

 

[u2thewho]

I actually heard them about three days apart in December 2005-January 2006, when I picked up both albums after getting hooked on the Joshua Tree and Atomic Bomb

Beautiful Day- I thought "eh, it's nice" and then was blown away by Elevation and Kite. Frankly, the song is just making a niche in my heart now.

Zoo Station- Was on a flight from Orlando to Albany and snapped up in my seat thinking "holy shit, this is U2?" Achtung is still my favorite album of all time.

 

[God Part III]

I'm only 18 - can't really give that much perspective - but I will say that Beautiful Day was the first song I ever loved. I bought the album for that song only. It started my U2 career. So in that sense, it's probably the most important song in my life so far

 

[Allanah]

I was 18 when Beautiful Day came out. I thought the song was perfectly fine; I didn't dislike it or anything. Then I saw them perform it live on an awards show (it was on the first VH1 My Music awards, which is now called the "Big In [insert year here]" Awards.) Wow. I'd never seen them live in any capacity before, and thought it was fantastic. If I remember correctly, the rest of the show was horrible. Case in point: Creed performed. Twice.

 

[LemonMelon]

I was 18 when Beautiful Day came out. I thought the song was perfectly fine; I didn't dislike it or anything. Then I saw them perform it live on an awards show (it was on the first VH1 My Music awards, which is now called the "Big In [insert year here]" Awards.) Wow. I'd never seen them live in any capacity before, and thought it was fantastic. If I remember correctly, the rest of the show was horrible. Case in point: Creed performed. Twice.

I think I saw that show too, and it was one of the first times I had ever seen U2 perform!

(I think it's the same one, anyway... )

 

[europop2005]

At first:

Zoo Station: What the hell?

Beautiful Day: Eh.

Today:

Zoo Station: OMG ZOOGASM.

Beautiful Day: One of the most anthemic and plain great U2 rockers ever.

ZOOGASM??? THATS THE FUNNIEST WORD I'VE HEARD IN A LONG TIME!!!! CAN I STEAL IT?

 

[neilm]

Zoo Station - ..."this is different..."

Beautiful Day - ..."I think A-Ha are going to sue somebody...!"

As it happens I consider both of these songs, Zoo Station especially, in my favorites list.

 

[U2Kitten]

Beautiful Day: WOW! THAT is U2? They're back!

That's the best song I've heard on the radio in years! (remember we were coming off a long run of boy bands, divas and raprock)

 

[Allanah]

I think I saw that show too, and it was one of the first times I had ever seen U2 perform!

(I think it's the same one, anyway... )

As memory serves, the other performers were No Doubt, Metallica, Christina Aguilera, Bon Jovi, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. John Leguizamo hosted (horribly, I might add.) Sound familiar?

 

[Bono's shades]

Zoo Station - This is weird, but I think I like it!

Beautiful Day - I waited three years for this?? ZZZZZZZZZZZzz.

 

[No spoken words]

Zoo Station - I was 20, I think, and worked the night the album was released. I bought it on my break, there was a Sam Goody's right next to me store.....listened to it in the car, in the parking lot, the entire album....but, when I first heard Zoo Station I was kind of shocked, but in a cool way, a "I don't know what the hell is going on but I like it" kind of reaction....I was already a die-hard U2 fan so was really anticipating this album. I guess it kind of freaked me out, in a positive way.

Beautiful Day - I liked it, smiled to myself that it was for sure going to be a hit, and that's about it.

 

[LemonMelon]

ZOOGASM??? THATS THE FUNNIEST WORD I'VE HEARD IN A LONG TIME!!!! CAN I STEAL IT?

Go ahead, I aim to please.

ZOOGASM!

 

[BoMac]

Originally posted by Bono's shades
Beautiful Day - I waited three years for this?? ZZZZZZZZZZZzz.

I had the exact same reaction, word for word!

But now BD is one of my all-time favourites.

 

[BluRmGrl]

Zoo Station: What the?!?!?.... Hey, wait - this kicks ass.

Beautiful Day: OMG!!! When do tickets go on sale?!?!?



What can I say? I'm a woman of simple taste & can be easily amused & entertained.

 

[Nisse]

Zoo Station: This doesn't sound like U2 at all.

BD: meh, this is so over produced and radio friendly

Now I appreciate both more