Pop album - what went wrong..?

[gokartmozart]

Pop the whole album marked another change in musical direction,heavier production utilising tape loops,programming and sampling,saw the Pop Mart gig Wembley Stadium 1997 the tunes off album sounded genius live ,the Pop Mart giant screen fecking awesome ,everybody talk about Pop Muzik.

 

[Nick66]

Pop the whole album marked another change in musical direction,heavier production utilising tape loops,programming and sampling,saw the Pop Mart gig Wembley Stadium 1997 the tunes off album sounded genius live ,the Pop Mart giant screen fecking awesome ,everybody talk about Pop Muzik.

English please.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Pop the whole album marked another change in musical direction,heavier production utilising tape loops,programming and sampling,saw the Pop Mart gig Wembley Stadium 1997 the tunes off album sounded genius live ,the Pop Mart giant screen fecking awesome ,everybody talk about Pop Muzik.

Welcome to the Blue Crack! "You know you're chewing bubblegum! You know what it is, but you still want some! You just can't get enough of that lovey dovey stuff!"


Just think, POP came out almost 17 years ago, but we're still passionately debating its impact to this very day. Good stuff!

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I think that "Do You Feel Loved" or "Gone", if released these days, would be bigger hits (and have critical praise) than any on NLOTH singles.

Well, they're certainly better songs, so...

As much as I think Pop is their next to worst album (only the bloated Rattle & Hum clocks in lower to these ears), like half the songs on it are better than anything on No Line on The Horizon. The last album really lacked anything that fans would consider to be one of the band's greatest tracks. "Moment of Surrender" probably came the closest, but I wouldn't even include that one or my favorite ("Crazy Tonight") in my Top 50 U2 songs. There's just a certain spark missing to a lot of the material.

 

[kingston]

 

[Doc_Holiday]

POP was the last big drum beat of a band with a fire in their gut. Nothing to apologize for. Nothing feel sorry about.

I have the same sentiments. Pop was their last great album.

 

[discothequeLP]

Well, they're certainly better songs, so...

As much as I think Pop is their next to worst album (only the bloated Rattle & Hum clocks in lower to these ears), like half the songs on it are better than anything on No Line on The Horizon. The last album really lacked anything that fans would consider to be one of the band's greatest tracks. "Moment of Surrender" probably came the closest, but I wouldn't even include that one or my favorite ("Crazy Tonight") in my Top 50 U2 songs. There's just a certain spark missing to a lot of the material.

seriously. the "ok" songs on Pop are much better than the "good" songs on NLOTH. Gone, Velvet Dress, Wake Up Dead Man, Do You Feel Loved, and If God Will Send His Angels, are just ok for 1997 U2, but much more creative and intricate than 2009 U2.

 

[djerdap]

Those Pop songs are amazing for any kind of U2, let alone for 2009 U2.

 

[Nick66]

Gone, Velvet Dress, Wake Up Dead Man, Do You Feel Loved, and If God Will Send His Angels, are just ok for 1997 U2, but much more creative and intricate than 2009 U2.

If "1997 U2" is so great, then why are almost half their songs, in your words, "just OK"?

 

[Afliktor]

Pop is the best album by anyone ever

What U2 oughta do is have a bunch of modern DJs remix it. The NLOTH remixes were by far the best remixes U2 has ever released. If they did that for Pop - I'm thinking people like deadmau5, Bassnectar, Adventure Club, Alesso, Swedish House Mafia, Glitch Mob - they could finally have the hit they wanted with it.

 

[gareth brown]

English please.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

The Production on albums since POP have been 'safe'.

ATYCLB, HTDAAB and NLOTH all have some great songs. But as albums, they are not complete, to my ears. They start strong and 'peter out'.

Again, it's music/art and subjective… etc.

I felt Pop was the last complete album. Every song has a lot of value to my ears, except maybe 'Playboy Mansion'.

So if they would have cut that from the album, it would have been more complete. They had production issues. It was the first time they were making an album in their own studio. That probably made things run long. And the recording sessions have 'ran long' every since.

The band mentioned hoe much Achtung Baby changed in the last two weeks. If they had 2 more weeks for POP, I think it would have sounded as great at AB. I think that they would have fixed some of the mixes. "…Velvet Dress' wouldn't have turned out as 'murky' as it is to my liking….

Look at what they have done since the release of Pop. All of the Pop singles were remixed (not in the dance remix sense but actually FIXED). So there are improvements. Then there was the Best of 1990-2000 Pop tunes that were also remixed (Again, in the Fixed not dance Remix way). Again, improvements.

I wish that they would remaster and release a Deluxe Pop.

Disc: 1 - As released.
Disc: 2 - ReRecord the bugger, or at least completely overhaul the mixes. I think it would then be seen as the gem that is hiding in that album.

I don't agree with the person that said have a bunch of DJ's remix it. There were dance remixes on Pop era singles. Those dance mixes, for the most part, were useless and sounded shite. As maybe a Disc 3 of a Deluxe Edition, perhaps but...

 

[The Panther]

It was the first time they were making an album in their own studio.

This is a good point. According to my knowledge, whenever a famous band/artist reaches the stage when they/he/she has enough money to make their/his/her own studio and record endlessly at their/his/her own expense, it's usually disastrous.

If they had 2 more weeks for POP, I think it would have sounded as great at AB.

I think about 2 months less would have been better.

All of the Pop singles were remixed (not in the dance remix sense but actually FIXED).

Destroyed.

 

[pepokiss]

This is a good point. According to my knowledge, whenever a famous band/artist reaches the stage when they/he/she has enough money to make their/his/her own studio and record endlessly at their/his/her own expense, it's usually disastrous.

I think about 2 months less would have been better.

Destroyed.

What other bands have been through the same?

and YES, the Pop tracks were DESTROYED in the BOF90-00

 

[allbecauseofu2]

Pop fears the internet

 

[Chief43]

I love the album but it was clearly unfinished by the time it was released. The shifting of verses in If God Will Send His Angels and the solo in Please, both of which I think improve the songs, is evidence of that.

 

[pepokiss]

I think IGWSHA got screwed with the lyric change
The flow was better in the album

 

[Chief43]

I don't mind the album version, I just think the crescendo of that song goes off too early in it for my liking.

 

[djerdap]

I love the album but it was clearly unfinished by the time it was released. The shifting of verses in If God Will Send His Angels and the solo in Please, both of which I think improve the songs, is evidence of that.

U2 adds solos and changes things to their songs all the time live. The single versions of some songs from The Bomb were also significantly different. Mysterious Ways didn't have a solo either. Everything is "unfinished" to them. Pop just gets this a lot more since they're more critical of that record.

 

[Chief43]

U2 adds solos and changes things to their songs all the time live. The single versions of some songs from The Bomb were also significantly different. Mysterious Ways didn't have a solo either. Everything is "unfinished" to them. Pop just gets this a lot more since they're more critical of that record.

Fair comment. I think it was a watershed moment for them though in regards to planning. Since then, they have seemed to drag out the album process until they are satisfied with it before putting tour plans into place (this is from an outside perspective of course).

None of this changes the fact that POP is my favourite album however.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Pop Redux:

1. Discotheque (New Mix)
2. Do You Feel Loved
3. Mofo (Phunk Phorce Mix)
4. If God Will Send His Angels (Single Mix)
5. Staring At The Sun (New Mix)
6. Last Night On Earth (Single Mix)
7. Gone (New Mix)
8. Miami
9. The Playboy Mansion
10. If You Wear That Velvet Dress (Bono and Jools Holland version)
11. Please (Single Mix)
12. Wake Up Dead Man

Every track is pretty much improved with the exception of Discotheque. You could also go a little further and use an Elevation-era live version of "Wake Up Dead Man" for the end.

 

[djerdap]

Pop Redux:

1. Discotheque (New Mix)
2. Do You Feel Loved
3. Mofo (Phunk Phorce Mix)
4. If God Will Send His Angels (Single Mix)
5. Staring At The Sun (New Mix)
6. Last Night On Earth (Single Mix)
7. Gone (New Mix)
8. Miami
9. The Playboy Mansion
10. If You Wear That Velvet Dress (Bono and Jools Holland version)
11. Please (Single Mix)
12. Wake Up Dead Man

Every track is pretty much improved with the exception of Discotheque. You could also go a little further and use an Elevation-era live version of "Wake Up Dead Man" for the end.

This is awful. Sorry.

 

[cobl04]

You could also go a little further and use an Elevation-era live version of "Wake Up Dead Man" for the end.

The boring-ass acoustic version which strips the song of everything that makes it so good in the first place? The fuck outta here.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

It AllThatYouCan'tLeaveBehind-itized the song. That's always a good thing.

Can someone link me to or post a list of the significant mastering errors on Pop? I remember reading some U2 site or whatever many, many years ago that pointed out all of the pops and dropouts in the record and it would be great to look through that again.

 

[djerdap]

It AllThatYouCan'tLeaveBehind-itized the song. That's always a good thing.

That's the absolute worst thing that can happen to a U2 song. That crappy half-assed version of Wake Up Dead Man is a good example. Why oh why would somebody prefer a version where most of the song is cut and all great guitar parts are gone?

 

[cobl04]

I'm flabbergasted anyone could hold that opinion, seriously. And I love ATYCLB. Have you not heard the original version or something?

 

[Tommy WM]

Firstly I would just like to say: Each to their own.

And secondly: Over the years I've started to rate Pop higher on my 'U2 Best Album' list. I think it's due to some of the rawer sounding songs....and I need to stress the word SOME. Some U2 fans get a bit too ridiculous with their analysis of the album. It's definitely not unfinished and it's definitely not a failure. I will gladly take Pop over anything they have done since 2000 baring maybe Electrical Storm. If You Wear That Velvet Dress is their most underrated song and probably my favourite song. Last Night on Earth is mind blowing when you've listened too it a million times, and Gone should be a staple in each shows setlist.

My theory is that if U2 released songs like these on their new album with Danger Mouse people would hail it as ground breaking and invigorating. Sometimes I just want to go up to the band and throttle them and yell "POP IS NOT A FAILURE!". I may just have to make a sign that says PLAY SOME POP instead next tour if they don't start playing some.

In the end....each to their own

 

[allbecauseofu2]

Please is u2's frozen. As in Madonnas frozen.

 

[Bobvancleef]

I remember a interview with edge around the time of the Elevation tour, 2000 or 2001 where he talked about the Pop album in retrospect. I can't remember exactly his words but he said something like this: '' Looking back at the Pop record, the songs sound really, really strong. Perhaps in the future it's the album and the songs that we will be remembered for the most. I mean, in 15 years, who knows, maybe people won't really remember U2 much at all.''

If my memory is right, it was an interview with Dave Fanning. The impression edge gave as that he really liked the Pop album.

I personally have 'Pop' as my favourite album. I don't think it's anywhere near their best album, but its my favourite. I like the artwork, the songs are strong and it's a daring record asking big questions. I think it's a concept album somewhat, making a scathing comment on the social fabric in modern Americana. I love it.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Please is u2's frozen. As in Madonnas frozen.

What does that even mean?