I like Lemon

[scatteroflight]

I'm in shock, ok?

Zooropa has always been my least favourite album by U2. I've never owned. I've borrowed it and listened to it many a time, but never owned. In the last few days, I bought both Pop and Zooropa--I did own Pop for a while, but got rid of it partly because I never listened to it, partly because it reminded me of stuff I wanted to forget at the time. Anyway, I've listened to both several times and will continue to do so. Some things haven't changed: I still find Babyface irritating, Stay beautiful, Discotheque a big fat mess, Gone to have some of the best U2 lyrics ever, Miami and Playboy Mansion to be appallingly bad. Some other things have changed, though, and the biggest one has to be my opinion of Lemon.

I never liked Lemon, at all. The video, with Bono's lipsticked mouth kissing the camera, freaked me out, and so did the falsetto. I've had the feeling for some time, though that I might like this song some day. I actually have liked the piano and the "Midnight is where the day begins" part for quite a long time. Now I find myself listening to it repeatedly. This is an important song, I think. It's weird, eerie, out there, entrancing, and very U2.

Maybe I'll really get into Zooropa through this song. I have my doubts, but maybe. I still find the production very flat and the whole thing tedious to listen to at one go. Pop's production has more body, and there are some songs I really like on it (and others I totally despise), but I also find it tedious to listen to at one go.

This is a work in progress, though.

 

[U2SJ1]

It took me a damn long time to like Lemon too.....but after seeing a couple of the Zooropa shows, the Bono "midnight"s are just so beautiful that you can't really dislike the song.....
I agree though Babyface and Miami I have a hard time listening to!

 

[UltravioletU2]

I have a love/hate relationship with Lemon.

I love the midnights and when he sings normally, "I feel, like I'm slowly, slowly, slowly slipping under." While I am a fan of Bono's falsetto, I feel it's a bit excessive in Lemon.

Babyface will never grow on me. It's one of my worst U2 songs.

I've recently discovered "Do You Feel Loved". Awesome song. While I've never known how I feel about Miami, it is pretty cool live.

Dirty Day is incredible, too.

I find it strange. Zooropa was so much more well received than Pop, yet they were both in the same family. Most people I talk to like Pop better. Sometime I wonder if because Zooropa was after the ever so successful Actung Baby, everyone scrambled to buy the latest U2, but the new flavour was disappointing so they didn't bother with Pop, which was reviewed to be in the same family.

I really don't want to dredge up the old Pop garbage again, but I think it was before it's time. Maybe there never was a time for Pop. It was so...out there, unique, unlike anything that's ever been done before by a rock group.

Ok, I'm rambling. I'll shut up.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i'm still a huge fan of lemon, but i remember back when i was younger, like right after pop came out, lemon was my favourite song!

i was also in love with dyfl, but it's not one of my huge favourites now.

but i'm still in love with both albums. i think they're awesome.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I like "Lemon"-I've never hated the song at all, it's just one of those songs that the more you hear it, the more it grows on you (well, at least with some people). I heard the string instrument that's in the background towards the end of the song one day and I'm like, "Wow, that's kinda pretty".

"Lemon" is a unique song...and I think it's cool in that way. My sister gets a kick out of the way Bono says "Lemon" in that song (and she can mimic his saying "Lemon" really well, actually). I don't feel the falsetto is overdone in the song, personally. I never feel Bono's falsettos in any songs are overdone. I think they work for whatever song it is he uses the falsetto in. *Shrugs*

Heh, I do remember the first time I saw that video, though-it was a few years back, I don't know how old I was, I wasn't too old, and I saw the video and I'm like, "O-kay...this is really weird".

But now I think the video's cool as well-got an artsy feel to it.

I haven't heard much of "Zooropa", so I can't really comment on that album.

And most of you know I think "Pop" is cool, so...("Do You Feel Loved"-that song rocks! I love that song).

Angela

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I instantly digged this tune from the first listen. Zooropa happens to be the only U2 record (and one of the few albums) that I actually connected with on the first listen. Usually when I buy an album, the first 2-3 listens I get acquainted with an album and then I make my opinions on it a bit later. With Zooropa though, it was instant satisfaction. Songs like "Stay" and "The First Time" draw you in with the lyrics, "Zooropa" scares you and keeps you involved from start to finish, while finally "Lemon" and "Numb" may be the best "techno-esque" songs ever created.

So in conclusion, The Joshua Tree is still the best, but Zooropa isn't too far behind (although I still prefer AB and ATYCLB over it).

 

[senrab]

I think I am the only person who likes Babyface.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I think I am the only person who likes Babyface.

I LOVE "Babyface" along with every song on the album. "Babyface" is the perfect pop song. A nice singalong medley, great lyrics, cool music in the background. Great, great song.

 

[madonna's child]

Lemon always makes me smile, it's such a quirky little song.

 

[zooshadow]

Lemon is one of my fav U2 songs, i think madonna's child summed it up well with 'quirky'. Lemon also remains my fav U2 clip can't get enough of those lipsticked lips and my fav (there is that word again) scene is the men in motion one, that is so cool. Babyface is a nice song as well, that was the song that got me into zooropa. Lemon=great

 

[senrab]

I LOVE "Babyface" along with every song on the album. "Babyface" is the perfect pop song. A nice singalong medley, great lyrics, cool music in the background. Great, great song.

Yayyy, another Babyface person. I really used to dislike this album; there are still tracks I skip. I like tracks 1-5 and The First Time.

 

[ACROB@T]

Lemon was a slow grower for me but really clicked instantly during one sitting through Zooropa..it was when I started paying attention to that beautiful piano line that sits behind the "midnight..is where.." chorus..so subtle and simple..but both roll together brilliantly...and made me pay close attention to the production of the whole thing. Zooropa makes you work for it a lot..

 

[senrab]

Zooropa makes you work for it a lot..

Yes, Zooropa was definitely an acquired taste for me.

 

[pub crawler]

I knew you'd eventually see the light.

 

[The Wanderer]

"Miami" and "Babyface" are two of my favorite songs, "Daddy's Gonna Pay" is another song I think you said you hate which I love...

I am neutral towards "Playboy Mansion," it's a great idea but the lyrics coulda/shoulda been so much better... interesting how they recycled the slide guitar for "Kite"

in general, I think the thing I miss most about 90s U2 is the departure from sex and irony, which was at times playful, at other times dark and swarthy, and still, at other times intimate and mysterious -- and I love the mood and atmosphere that creates

 

[melon]

The first time I heard "Zooropa," I was in amazement for weeks. No album has done that for me since.

Melon

 

[scatteroflight]

I knew you'd eventually see the light.

Um, you need to read the rest of what I wrote as well, particularly about Pop.

 

[scatteroflight]

"Miami" and "Babyface" are two of my favorite songs, "Daddy's Gonna Pay" is another song I think you said you hate which I love...

s

I did hate Daddy's Gonna Pay but I think my opinion of that song has also changed somewhat. I'm not sure I still like it as a whole, but the drum kick at the beginning is pretty cool, and it does have a sort of weird intensity. The singing is annoying to me, though.

And man, I'm sorry, I know that this is the sort of remark that is justly irritating, but I don't understand how anyone can enjoy Miami, and yet quite a lot of people do...it's just so...unenjoyable. To me.

 

[follower]

in general, I think the thing I miss most about 90s U2 is the departure from sex and irony, which was at times playful, at other times dark and swarthy, and still, at other times intimate and mysterious -- and I love the mood and atmosphere that creates

Perfect. Agree with you 100%. Didn?t know how to put it into words though...so thank you.

And on the topic...Lemon is my little daughter?s fave U2 song, she puts that nice smile on her face everytime we listen and dance together to the sound of Lemon...so yes, I love Lemon.

 

[Saracene]

I liked Lemon pretty much straight away, although at times the album version seems to drag on for too much.

Zooropa initially intrigued me a great deal, since it was so different from anything I've ever heard from U2. Nowadays, most of Zooropa's production sounds too flat, and half of the songs aren't terribly memorable nor do they sound particularly interesting from an "experimental" point of view.

I could still completely change my view, of course: until three days ago I thought that "Unforgettable Fire" was, for the most part, a piece of meandering junk, but now I can't stop listening to it,

 

[The Wanderer]

scattero, do you hate the music to "miami," the lyrics or both? and have you ever heard a good quality live version?

 

[MiniFly]

I've always liked Zooropa. The First Time is really pretty heartwrenching. Dirty Day rocks my socks, too. The only song I don't like is The Wanderer because it's just not U2 without Bono. Yay for Zooropa!

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

You guys were talking about "Babyface"...I like that song, too.

"Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car" is interesting...but I kinda like that song.

Angela

 

[scatteroflight]

scattero, do you hate the music to "miami," the lyrics or both? and have you ever heard a good quality live version?

I don't think I have ever heard a live version of any quality. From hearing the album version, it beats me how it could even be performed live, but I would still be interested to hear one. Unfortunately these days I have no access to Internet anywhere that I could listen to a sound file...

As for hating the lyrics or the music, it's kind of the whole package The lyrics come from my least favourite phase of Bono's lyrical style. This is a taste thing, because I know that for some people it's their favourite Bono lyrical style. To me, it's just like he's trying so hard to be cool and being silly. "Some places are like your auntie, but there's no place like Miami." Hmmm. Maybe I'm just humourless, but I'm not impressed. And the music...it's like there is no music in this song! It's just sort of boring and droning and nothing-ish. To me it's not experimental, it's just dull and irritating.