I just listened to POP and ZOOROPA for the first time...

[cjboog]

I have been a U2 fan since HTDAAB came out and so far own:

HTDAAB
ATYCLB
The Best of 1990-2000
The Unforgettable Fire
Pop
Achtung Baby

I have burned CD's of Zooropa, Joshua, October, 1980-1990, Boy, and War but plan to actually buy all of their CD's soon. I have heard bits and pieces of Pop and Zooropa before, but just now gave them my first full listens, here is what I thought:


POP:

1. Discotheque: 4/5 - Solid song with great background guitar riff
2. Do You Feel Loved: 3.5/5 - A little overrated based on what I had already heard
3. Mofo: 4/5 - Very cool song, pleastly surprised
4. If God Would Send His Angels: 4/5 - Great song, very mellow
5. Staring At The Sun: 4.5/5 - Album version is better than on the Best of
6. Last Night on Earth: 4.5/5 - Very underrated, awesome chorus
7. Gone: 4/5 - Best of remix is better than the album version
8. Miami: 2/5 - Worst song on the album
9. The Playboy Mansion: 4/5 - Underrated song mellow groove, very nice
10. If You Wear That Velvet Dress: 3/5 - Lots of potential wasted
11. Please: 3/5 - Single mix is better, album version is weak and a little boring
12. Weak Up Dead Man: 3/5 - Another song with great potential that felt incomplete

Overall: 3.5/5 - I was surprised with overall how good this album was, not as bad as I expected


ZOOROPA

1. Zooropa: 3.5/5 - Has its ups and downs
2. Babyface: 3/5 - Good at times but not too good overall
3. Numb: 0/5 - Terrible, U2's worst song
4. Lemon: 4/5 - Very solid cool sounds, probably will grow on me with time
5. Stay (faraway, so close): 2.5/5 - Boring, puts me right to sleep
6. Daddy's Gonna Pay...: 2.5/5 - Good at times but that "oh, shalah" part ruins it
7. Some Days are Better...: 4/5 - Good tune, good chorus
8. The First Time: 3/5 - Overrated, pretty boring, don't see what's so great about it
9. Dirty Day: 3/5 - Another one on Zooropa that has its ups and downs
10. The Wanderer: 5/5 - Best song on the album, excellent medolies, great song

Overall: 3/5 - Decent album with some very high points and very low points that is very bittersweet. Probably one of U2's worst but that isn't bad its just painfully mediocre.


You should all be very proud of me that I gave Zooropa a fair shake because I have bashed it in the past because what I had heard I did not like at all. Now maybe I will only semi-bash it

 

[xaviMF22]

5. Stay (faraway, so close): 2.5/5 - Boring, puts me right to sleep

wow

I think its the best song on the record

 

[catlhere]

I think you started with the wrong decade.
80's are much better musically

But hey, save the best for last.

 

[cg]

not that it matters at all, but i'm just curious as you are a relatively new fan cjboog - how old are you?

i think it is different for people who heard those albums at the time they came out. zooropa, in particular, was so radical and different from anything else out at the time. it's hard to explain now that we are 13 or so years removed from its release.

 

[shart1780]

I've been a hugr U2 fan for about 5 years now, and I didn't like those albums much at first either. I think you'll grow to appreciate alot of these songs more (and appreciate some less...) as time goes by.

Zooropa took me about 3 years to really like!

 

[00Kevin]

uh...you might want to give stay another listen

 

[cjboog]

I think you started with the wrong decade.
80's are much better musically

But hey, save the best for last.

I have heard all of the 80's records, I just had never heard the full Pop and Zooropa before. Rattle and Hum now is the only one I haven't completely heard.

 

[cjboog]

not that it matters at all, but i'm just curious as you are a relatively new fan cjboog - how old are you?

i think it is different for people who heard those albums at the time they came out. zooropa, in particular, was so radical and different from anything else out at the time. it's hard to explain now that we are 13 or so years removed from its release.

I am 16 almost 17, I listen to mostly veteran artists and yes it is very different from most of the CD's I have from that time. I think it is a bit of a stinker album, but there are some great tracks at the same time, as I said before, very bittersweet.

 

[thefly418]

i really don't mind Numb at all and actually like it lots at times... what is so bad about it??????? also i find stay to be one of their top 20 songs all time.........what is wrong with Stay?????

 

[doubleU]

12. Weak Up Dead Man: 3/5 - Another song with great potential that felt incomplete

Totally agree.

But can't disagree more with your take on all of Zooropa.

 

[cjboog]

I've been a hugr U2 fan for about 5 years now, and I didn't like those albums much at first either. I think you'll grow to appreciate alot of these songs more (and appreciate some less...) as time goes by.

Zooropa took me about 3 years to really like!

You are probably right about that. I listened to all that "U2 style" albums first, like HTDAAB, JT, War, Boy, ATYCLB, TUF and got too Zooropa and Pop and was a little confused. I will probably come to like them more though in the future.

 

[cjboog]

uh...you might want to give stay another listen

I have given stay plently of listens. I have owned the best of 1990-2000 for about a year and listened to it a lot of times. I never liked it from the second I heard it. I don't hate it, it just seems really boring and uninteresting to me.

 

[cjboog]

i really don't mind Numb at all and actually like it lots at times... what is so bad about it??????? also i find stay to be one of their top 20 songs all time.........what is wrong with Stay?????

With numb, I can't really put it into words. The first time I heard it on the best of my jaw dropped. I can't stand it, it seems like some terrible attempt at....I don't even know what. The music is no good, the vocals are hideous (sorry edge), the whole song just makes me cringe. But that's just my opinion I know most will disagree but that's just how it sounds to me, I can't change how I feel about it.

 

[STING2]

You are probably right about that. I listened to all that "U2 style" albums first, like HTDAAB, JT, War, Boy, ATYCLB, TUF and got too Zooropa and Pop and was a little confused. I will probably come to like them more though in the future.

You need to get Rattle And Hum, "Heartland" is one of U2's greatest songs.

 

[cjboog]

Re: Re: I just listened to POP and ZOOROPA for the first time...

But can't disagree more with your take on all of Zooropa.

You should be happy with my take on Zooropa because I had it predetermined going into listening to it that it was going to be terrible. Yes there were some terrible moments, but overall it was semi-decent. I have had it copied for several weeks but didn't want to listen to the whole thing because I had heard Numb - which I hated, The First Time - which I didn't like, and Stay - Which I also didn't care for. I guess considering my preconceptions, I was actually impressed with Zooropa.

 

[cjboog]

You need to get Rattle And Hum, "Heartland" is one of U2's greatest songs.

I have Desire, When Loves Come To Town, All I Want is You, but some of the other songs on Rattle and Hum sound really good based on what I have heard on Itunes. Heartland sounds really good also and did pretty well in the non single survivor. Rattle and Hum is next on my list

 

[one4u2]

Zooropa

 

[powerhour24]

I dunno, Pop definitely takes some time to grow on you, that said it's my least favorite of all of their stuff. I love the lyrics, just hate the dance infulence.

 

[nightninja56]

lol numb...i like it because i enjoy singing 'i feel nuuuumb' in a high pitch voice..thats always fun

 

[bonofox]

I think I like numb most becuase of the video hahah. Edge is so funny in it

 

[thefly418]

Re: Re: Re: I just listened to POP and ZOOROPA for the first time...

You should be happy with my take on Zooropa because I had it predetermined going into listening to it that it was going to be terrible. Yes there were some terrible moments, but overall it was semi-decent. I have had it copied for several weeks but didn't want to listen to the whole thing because I had heard Numb - which I hated, The First Time - which I didn't like, and Stay - Which I also didn't care for. I guess considering my preconceptions, I was actually impressed with Zooropa.

not pointing a finger at you at all, but i know a lot of u2's fans who have this stupid biased toward Zooropa and Pop before even listening to one song from the cd....i had one friend who refused to lsiten to either album until i finally MADE him borrow my cd's and put them on his cpu...he still doesnt like them that much but the stupid bias causes a lot of misconceptions about those two albums

 

[namkcuR]

7. Gone: 4/5 - Best of remix is better than the album version

Live Version > Pop Version > Best Of Version

8. Miami: 2/5 - Worst song on the album

Noooo. This song is so unfairly unliked on this forum. It was INCREDIBLE live during Popmart. It's all about the pulse and the vibe and that attitude.

10. If You Wear That Velvet Dress: 3/5 - Lots of potential wasted

How is it wasted? It's beautiful.

11. Please: 3/5 - Single mix is better, album version is weak and a little boring

The album version is not weak, it just doesn't have the solo. I love the solo as much as anybody but I'm getting more and more annoyed at how the rhythm section is neutered on the single version. Therefore, Live Version > Album Version > Single Version, imo right now.

12. Weak Up Dead Man: 3/5 - Another song with great potential that felt incomplete

Feels perfectly complete to me. What else do you want in it?

Overall: 3.5/5 - I was surprised with overall how good this album was, not as bad as I expected

Take my advice, do NOT pass judgement on Pop until you hear it live. Listen to 'Hasta La Vista Baby' and the Mexico City video. Download some boots. This album improves live more than any other U2 album, imo.

1. Zooropa: 3.5/5 - Has its ups and downs

Great all the way through if you ask me.

2. Babyface: 3/5 - Good at times but not too good overall

Underrated on Interference. Very, very catchy song.

3. Numb: 0/5 - Terrible, U2's worst song

Far from U2's worst. Far, far from it. One of U2's brightest sonic moments. I don't know what it is that turns people off of this. I love the falsettos, I love the emotionless, numb(pun intended) lyrics. We all know Edge can sing very well. He was singing like that on Numb on purpose, to make it sound numb. Anyway, I love the song.

5. Stay (faraway, so close): 2.5/5 - Boring, puts me right to sleep

One of U2's greatest ballads.

6. Daddy's Gonna Pay...: 2.5/5 - Good at times but that "oh, shalah" part ruins it

Groovy baby! Funky, great rhythm, great use of a sample at the beginning, just a fun, groovy song.

8. The First Time: 3/5 - Overrated, pretty boring, don't see what's so great about it

The music is beautiful in its simplicity, the atmospherics are great, and the lyrics are some of Bono's most poetic.

9. Dirty Day: 3/5 - Another one on Zooropa that has its ups and downs

Great song. Listen to the live version on the ZooTV Sydney tape to fully appreciate it.

Overall: 3/5 - Decent album with some very high points and very low points that is very bittersweet. Probably one of U2's worst but that isn't bad its just painfully mediocre.

I disagree very much with the assertion that Zooropa is one of U2's worst albums. I love it. Pop is better though. You really need to listen to both of them live, ESPECIALLY Pop, to fully appreciate them.

You should all be very proud of me that I gave Zooropa a fair shake because I have bashed it in the past because what I had heard I did not like at all. Now maybe I will only semi-bash it

Are you saying you were bashing it before you even heard all of it? Why would you bash an album you've only partially heard?

 

[youtooellen]

I hope you give both albums another few listens...
to give 'Wake Up Dead Man' a 3/5..
much of Zooropa should be relistened to as well .

but hey, we all have our differences and I supposed these albums didn't suit you well. but I do hope you listen to both albums a bit more before giving judgement.. they're both brilliant in their own unique way...

 

[catlhere]

WHAOMG! @ different opinions. Nice to see someone not bowing down to the supposed "masterpiece" that is Pop. and funny to see people trying to tell you why they think you're wrong, when music is all personal tastes.

Silly internet forums.

 

[cjboog]

namkcuR,

First off, I have not heard these songs very many times, so each new listen I will probably discover that I like them a lot more than on my first listen. Most of the songs on Pop I have not heard live, and I will probably liket them more if I can find some Popmart live material to listen to. As for If You Wear That Velvet Dress and Wake Up Dead Man, I don't really know how to describe the way those sounded to me. At parts, I thought "wow this one is going to be good" and then at the end I was left thinking "that wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be". On my first listen it seemed like some of the verses were dull though the choruses had lots of potential. On Zooropa I really didn't like numb, but maybe if watch the full music video it will change my mind . I don't know I just never got into Stay and The First Time, but I will give them more chances. And about bashing the album before I heard it, it's kind of like when people don't like Vertigo so they assume they don't like U2. I had a friend who baught HTDAAB but wasn't sure if he liked it because he didn't like some of the lines in Vertigo and Yahweh. It's like he judged U2 completely on two songs. That is kind of how I judged Zooropa. I had only heard 3 songs and thus automatically didn't like it. I am guessing that once I get over my Zooropaphobia I will enjoy it more.

 

[cjboog]

DISCLAIMER: Everything I say about Pop and Zooropa is just my early opinion, and I WILL give these albums more listens I PROMISE

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Not all music has to be about riffs and hooks and climaxes remember. It is at it's base supposed to convey a feeling or emotion. Love. Fear. Energy. Joy. Excitement. Sadness. Mourning. On and on and on. If U2 wrote a song about feeling numb in a souless over commercialised world, feeling numb in a conflicting barrage of media generated expectations and demands, just plain feeling numb in a very complicated world, you wouldn't expect it to be all upbeat and soaring guitar and big Bono singing. In fact the song shouldn't really have any memorable highlights at all. If Numb leaves you feeling, well, numb, it's done it's job. Edge sounds dull because he's despondent, a bit cynical, but mostly just "over it". The music behind it is similarly repetative. Wake up, go to work, go home. Wake up, go to work, go home. Trying to feel something among all of that and just not. I think Numb works very very well. Great little song. I'd go as far as saying that in regards to conveying it's point or emotion completely on target, it's one of U2's best. Apologies to those who are waiting for the song to drop off, Bono to mumble something about God or love, and for the Edge to then fly off on a chimey guitar solo building to a big mammoth classic-U2-moment singalong chorus.

 

[cjboog]

you are right it does convey a sense of "numbness" but that still doesn't mean I have to like it...but good point nonetheless.

 

[Sting]

Numb is one of the greatest U2 songs ever! But if you don't like it thats cool! Leaves the obsession for people like me who can't get enough ! In fact, I could almost say I love Numb so much that too much is not enough!

 

[Earnie Shavers]

you are right it does convey a sense of "numbness" but that still doesn't mean I have to like it...but good point nonetheless.

No, of course it doesn't. It's just when you commented on Edge's vocals I though "Oh shit, here's another 'if its not a traditional hook/climax/big chorus U2 song I can't appreciate it' person", which in posts following I now understand you are not.