Pop ....

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rjhbonovox said:
Gee your calling Miami, GONE, WUDM crap songs? In MY OPINION the only fairly weak track on this album is IGWSHA which had a better single version. Still my second favourite album behind AB but thats just me. Anyway this subject has been done to the death!
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Are you kidding me? weak song? that song is probably the most beautiful U2 songs ever. The "All I want is you" of the 90s. Amazing song. Shame U2 fans can't appreciate this. Which btw only makes the album even better than the real thing.
 
C'mon, Pop is great. Even the universally hated Miami is cool in it's own way. Miami, :drool:...
 
Wake Up Dead Man is the best song on the album IMO. Do You Feel Loved is a close second. I love Pop when it gets really dark.
 
My opinion.

1. Please
2. Gone
3. Do You Feel Loved

Then the rest is too hard to decide. :wink:

BTW, we already have lots of threads on Pop. :wink:
 
It should be noted that Pop is the most loved U2 album on this forum, where it is more popular than both God and the sun. In the real world, however, outside of Interference, it is a relatively less appreciated U2 album. (Kind of hard to say that with a straight face when it sold 7 or 8 million copies, but such are the commercial standards of U2.) Pop was to U2 somewhat like Be Here Now to Oasis (the same year) in that it had huge expectations before it arrived, sold big in the first couple of weeks, and then quickly faded away from contemporary relevance and the top end of the music charts. This was a different type of profile to U2 albums before and since, and it happened for a variety of factors.

I do think there are large problems with this album, but I also think it is a superior collection of songs (except for 'Miami'). The problems are not only the way the songs were recorded and arranged, but that was a large part of it . . . It was kind of a "square peg in a round hole" type of album back in 1997.

Anyway, it's another great U2 record, and I don't think its lesser profile back in '97 or '98 really matters now, does it? I do wish they would revive some of its forgotten songs in concert -- in particular, it's a travesty that they don't perform 'Discotheque' more regularly, and I concur that 'Please' was the best song on it and one of U2's greatest. (The ultimate slap in the Pop-fans' face was leaving 'Please' off of The Best of 1990-2000 album).

One thing that seldom gets said about Pop is that it is really dark. I would say it is by far U2's angriest and more despairing set of songs.
 
65980 said:
It should be noted that Pop is the most loved U2 album on this forum, where it is more popular than both God and the sun. In the real world, however, outside of Interference, it is a relatively less appreciated U2 album. (Kind of hard to say that with a straight face when it sold 7 or 8 million copies, but such are the commercial standards of U2.) Pop was to U2 somewhat like Be Here Now to Oasis (the same year) in that it had huge expectations before it arrived, sold big in the first couple of weeks, and then quickly faded away from contemporary relevance and the top end of the music charts. This was a different type of profile to U2 albums before and since, and it happened for a variety of factors.

I do think there are large problems with this album, but I also think it is a superior collection of songs (except for 'Miami'). The problems are not only the way the songs were recorded and arranged, but that was a large part of it . . . It was kind of a "square peg in a round hole" type of album back in 1997.

Anyway, it's another great U2 record, and I don't think its lesser profile back in '97 or '98 really matters now, does it? I do wish they would revive some of its forgotten songs in concert -- in particular, it's a travesty that they don't perform 'Discotheque' more regularly, and I concur that 'Please' was the best song on it and one of U2's greatest. (The ultimate slap in the Pop-fans' face was leaving 'Please' off of The Best of 1990-2000 album).

One thing that seldom gets said about Pop is that it is really dark. I would say it is by far U2's angriest and more despairing set of songs.
Click to expand...

Brilliant post.
 
65980 said:
It should be noted that Pop is the most loved U2 album on this forum, where it is more popular than both God and the sun. In the real world, however, outside of Interference, it is a relatively less appreciated U2 album. (Kind of hard to say that with a straight face when it sold 7 or 8 million copies, but such are the commercial standards of U2.) Pop was to U2 somewhat like Be Here Now to Oasis (the same year) in that it had huge expectations before it arrived, sold big in the first couple of weeks, and then quickly faded away from contemporary relevance and the top end of the music charts. This was a different type of profile to U2 albums before and since, and it happened for a variety of factors.

I do think there are large problems with this album, but I also think it is a superior collection of songs (except for 'Miami'). The problems are not only the way the songs were recorded and arranged, but that was a large part of it . . . It was kind of a "square peg in a round hole" type of album back in 1997.

Anyway, it's another great U2 record, and I don't think its lesser profile back in '97 or '98 really matters now, does it? I do wish they would revive some of its forgotten songs in concert -- in particular, it's a travesty that they don't perform 'Discotheque' more regularly, and I concur that 'Please' was the best song on it and one of U2's greatest. (The ultimate slap in the Pop-fans' face was leaving 'Please' off of The Best of 1990-2000 album).

One thing that seldom gets said about Pop is that it is really dark. I would say it is by far U2's angriest and more despairing set of songs.
Click to expand...

You couldn't have been more right, ditto on Please. :up:
 
bonoz said:
What is so dated about that song?
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Well, I sort of explained already below:

elevated_u2_fan said:
true, it's just a shame that it dates the song, you know?

Most U2 songs are timeless lyric-wise because Bono doesn't mention specific names or events of the time.

If the human race is still around 500 years from now and are still listening to music, I can't see them understanding Playboy Mansion whereas something like WOWY would still resonate imo...
Click to expand...

I'll elaborate if you like:

First of all the title and concept of "The Playboy Mansion" while I understand is a comparison to Heaven and while I think it's an awesome idea, it is a Western 20th century concept.

Some of the lines below are what really date the song:

If coke is a mystery
Michael Jackson, history
If beauty is truth
And surgery the fountain of youth...

What am I to do?
Have I got the gifts to get me through
The gates of that mansion

If O.J. is more than a drink
And a Big Mac bigger than you think
And perfume is an obsession
And talk shows confession

People and things like OJ, Coke, Obsession, Big Macs and even Michael Jackson are not really universal themes. Like I said in my quote above, if someone were to listen to this song 500 years in the future would they understand what Bono is talking about?
 
I'm still blown away by Mofo. That is one of U2's top ten for me. Bands at the time and years after were trying to mix the whole rock/techno thing and U2 nailed it with Mofo.

Another thing about Pop that rarely gets discussed it Edges guitar work on it. Every track has such a distinctive guitar sound and riff. I love POP. It is U2's darkest album but sheds some light in during the scary moments. :drool:
 
Just out of curiosity what was going on with Coke at the time?

I'd like to intercede to say that IGWSHA is my favorite song on the record. Actually, the song that made me listen to U2 for the first time.
 
Pop was ahead of its time. Kasabian have copied the Pop formula to great effect this decade.

Gone
Do You Feel Loved
Velvet Dress
Wake Up Dead Man

I love listening to these songs... and all-together Pop is my second favourite album after Achtung Baby - but it has taken me years to see the greatness.
 
I think Bono is talking about Coke. The formula for Coke has been a long time secret/mystery.

If Coke is a mystery

I have 2 friends who love the Playboy Mansion. I never understood the hate for it.
 
You guys just made me hear TPM... it's soooo good.

:heart:
 
elevated_u2_fan said:
Well, I sort of explained already below:



I'll elaborate if you like:

First of all the title and concept of "The Playboy Mansion" while I understand is a comparison to Heaven and while I think it's an awesome idea, it is a Western 20th century concept.

Some of the lines below are what really date the song:

If coke is a mystery
Michael Jackson, history
If beauty is truth
And surgery the fountain of youth...

What am I to do?
Have I got the gifts to get me through
The gates of that mansion

If O.J. is more than a drink
And a Big Mac bigger than you think
And perfume is an obsession
And talk shows confession

People and things like OJ, Coke, Obsession, Big Macs and even Michael Jackson are not really universal themes. Like I said in my quote above, if someone were to listen to this song 500 years in the future would they understand what Bono is talking about?
Click to expand...

WHo the FUCK cares about people from 500 years from now? the fact of the matter is we are here, we are now, and the song is freaking awesome!
 
hmmm it has it's moments- I do recall being rather unimpressed with it back in 1997- but then following AB & Zooropa was always going to be tough

generally I think it works better live- at least on the PopMart dvd anyway.

Although musically it's not the same it reminds me of ATYCLB- a half decent album that runs out of steam about halfway through

I did listen to this the other day- Angels hasn't held up very well, and I still can't stand Please, Velvet Dress, Playboy Mansion and Miami. The rest is ok- Gone is the best of the bunch for me
 
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