POP Revisited: Best Moments Off The POP Album?

[jick]

So many here have ridiculed POP to death but the album actually has its bright spots. And in this season of joy and sharing, I think it is but fitting to share our best moments off the POP album. Here are mine:

1. Right after the first chorus of If God Will Send His Angels, when the guitars, drums and bass kick in - it's such a U2 moment.

2. Going to the second chorus of IGWSHA when Bono sings "does love light up your Christmas tree" - another timeless moment.

3. As U2 hits the first chorus of Staring At The Sun with the Edge's lead guitars leading the way - pure joy and listening enjoyment.

4. As the drums kick in in Wake Up Dead Man, you can hear Mullen really enjoying himself drumming the song devoid of any drum loops or drum machines. It's like hearing Mullen break out.

5. When the last chord of the last song is played, it is a great joy to hear that the album is finally over.

So what are your best moments off the POP record?

Cheers,

J

 

[JOFO]

looks like someone has been watching dr. seuss's "how the grinch stole christmas" .....


jick, nice to see some positive comments from you.

cheers,

J

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

5. When the last chord of the last song is played, it is a great joy to hear that the album is finally over.

 

[JOFO]

Re: Re: POP Revisited: Best Moments Off The POP Album?

yeah, I just caught that last comment.

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

Re: Re: Re: POP Revisited: Best Moments Off The POP Album?

yeah, I just caught that last comment.

But some of the comments he made about the music were actually pretty glowing.
I think MOFO is actually a highlite from their career
I think "If God would send.." is close to being one. Just missing that one little thing.
Please is a great song too.
This album is far from being a disaster

 

[LMP]

Gotta love the boomchas...

 

[U2Kitten]

Actually, I don't

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Re: Re: Re: Re: POP Revisited: Best Moments Off The POP Album?

This album is far from being a disaster

Uh, it's not that far, though...

 

[JOFO]

in keeping with the original topic:

1. I LOVE when edge's guitar comes in on DYFL
ditto the bass line.
also when bono sings "a man and woman....." the last time in the bridge and all the effects are on his voice.

2. mofo- dude, this tune is just kick ass all around.

3. IGWSHA- the last time he sings "it's the stuff, the stuff of country SONGS" listen to how he phrases "songs".

4. all bass lines in general

5. miami- the drum groove: bad ass.

6. ah...all of the rest of the album.....it's great...(too much to type).

 

[JOFO]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: POP Revisited: Best Moments Off The POP Album?

Uh, it's not that far, though...

wrong answer.

 

[watsons]

Those ending parts of Gone where Bono shreaks "I'll be uuuuup with the sun........you stiiiiiiiiilll holdin' on."

 

[Hoodlem]

"Mother...am I still your son?
You know I've waited for so long
To hear you say so..."


And what watsons said!

 

[-macphisto-]

wake up dead man

 

[Iskra]

I like the part when U2 is playing.
I love that part. You know, the whole album.

 

[Lisa71]

To give a nonsarcastic answer to a very sarcastic question I'd say the song GONE. Its in my top 5 of U2 songs. I just think it's brilliant.

 

[the tourist]

I like the whole thing for the most part. Not so much Please or If God Will Send His Angels. I loved Last Night On Earth and Velvet Dress though.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: POP Revisited: Best Moments Off The POP Album?

wrong answer.

It's no different than someone telling me that ATYCLB sucks.

I like Pop, I still listen to Pop, but that album just doesn't move me like, War, or AB or ATYCLB.

Someone, when Pop first came out, wrote on WIRE that it sounded like U2 released an album of B-sides, and that's exactly what I thought. I waited, and listened for months hoping that it would have the same effect on me that AB did. That after months of listening I would just fall in love with it, but that, sadly has never happened for me.

I think everything about Pop was wrong. The image, the album, the videos, the marketing, and finally the tour. I think U2 realized that many mistakes were made in the overall concept of this album. Most of it was time constraints.

I saw opening night of Popmart in Vegas, and I wanted to be moved, but it was a weird show to see and I was slightly disappointed. I saw Popmart 2 months later and it was much better, but the second night the stadium was barely, and I mean barely half filled. I admit I began to wonder what had happened to my favorite band.

While I love the energy of that album, I don't understand Discotheque. I don't. There I've finally admited it. Please someone tell me what U2 was saying in that song? DYFL, MOFO, Gone even Miami and The Playboy Mansion I understand. Discotheque, even 7 years later leaves me baffled. It is THE song I skip when listening to Pop and the Best of 1990 - 2000.

Live, I really dug it. On plastic I just stare at my CD player and say WTF? The video while very good and maybe even classic, as far as imagery is concerned, was very odd for me to watch.

I respect those who LOVE the song. Hey I love Elevation, and sometimes I'll even listen to Red Light if the mood strikes me right, but Discotheque? I'm baffled....

 

[LuvandPeace1980]

Actually all the comments U2 have made about the album reflect that they still think that album is up there with there best and Willie Williams and U2 love popmart, however I do question the image a bit ???..

I for one find that album a special album it's actually my second favourite to ACHTUNG BABY! The only problem I have with Pop is more on a production level it just seems that all the songs are so seperate from each other I find that a little bit in ATYCLB as well(not as much admitedly). I don't know if anyone else gets the same buzz from it. But Mofo and Gone are gold. Mofo cranked with the bass up is just awesome and the lyric structure is cool. Gone is just streaming and beautiful, I love the piano in Gone..

 

[Aardvark747]

Mofo is still my fave. moment. Amazing song, great lyrics - and totally different from their previous stuff. THIS should've been the 1st single off the album, to really mess with ppls heads!

 

[digsy]

BOOM CHA!

 

[Miggy D]

You have to wonder if their last truly GREAT album was made in 1991. I wonder if I am selfish in asking them to keep going. I love Zooropa, I like Pop OK, I don't like ATYCLB much (except fur BD, SIAMYCGOO, WO, and Kite), and I like HTDAAB... But Achtung, Baby is my favorite album of all time. I think they peaked, and I don't think they'll ever match it. I wonder if they're tarnishing a legacy be continuing to go on.

I say this selflessly...since I personally would want U2 to keep going until they're at least 50, so I can enjoy any albums they continue to put out, and see them in concert (where they are at their best). But just because I enjoy an album doesn't mean I think it's classic. And U2's last 'classic' album was AB. All of the other albums afterwards have been good, but not great. My two cents.

-Miggy D

 

[U2_Guy]

Actually, I don't

But of course you don't.

 

[God Part III]

This is Adam's album... all bass lines are great!
The first 5 seconds of Last Night On Earth (and the rest too!)
And although many tend to hate it, I love when Bono sings "took a picture of you... my-mammy..."

 

[God Part III]

THIS should've been the 1st single off the album, to really mess with ppls heads!

You are SO right!

 

[ZeroDude]

Mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is the thing that I love the most about POP

 

[If you shout...]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: POP Revisited: Best Moments Off The POP Album?

While I love the energy of that album, I don't understand Discotheque. I don't. There I've finally admited it. Please someone tell me what U2 was saying in that song? DYFL, MOFO, Gone even Miami and The Playboy Mansion I understand. Discotheque, even 7 years later leaves me baffled. It is THE song I skip when listening to Pop and the Best of 1990 - 2000.

Just wanted to clarify, cuz I don't think that anybody else ever did; not sure if you still care, but here it is, anyway: "Discotheque" is about X.

 

[LMP]

I always thought it was about all that Studio 54 stuff back in the 70s, and possibly about the drugs in there

afterall, they have done a few songs about heroin

 

[U2Nut95]

I don't think it's selfish to want them to keep going on at this point. They still make great records. It can be difficult to compare things to Achtung Baby because that record is one of the greatest ever made - although not always my favorite. Right now, however, I find HTDAAB more engaging and more personal - and more interesting really. It's hard to tell where it stands in the canon because I've been listening to most of the other stuff for a decade so it's deeply ingrained in my mind.

POP is still one of my favorite albums. Two of the single releases were clearly better - mainly because of the removal of Bono's "scat" singing. Last Night on Earth and IGWSHA are those songs. The album versions are missing the proper singing in the bridge. I prefer the album's version of Please to the single.

For me, the whole album is a highlight and an amazing look into the conflicts between pop culture and faith. You start out going full throttle and then dive into the complexity and confusion of the day.

The final one-two punch is U2's best ending to a record ever. Please and Wake Up, Dead Man surpass the previous title holders off AB: Acrobat and Love is Blindness. I love Velvet Dress, especially Edge's very sulky solo work in the bridge. Playboy Mansion is heavily, heavily underappreciated and and interesting observation on misplaced faith in culture - it really juxtaposes it to saving faith and comes to the conclusion that "who you know gets you through the gates."

I LOVE Miami, though it took some growing. They ripped off Led Zep for the drum beat on the second half, but I think that was very intentional - recycling of ideas.

Gone is a great song, nice work by Edge. LNOE is good, though the concert version was far superior because of Edge riffing at the end. SATS is classic singalong but also tries to force God into taking sides based on human observation. IGWSHA - wow. Loss of faith and hope for direct divine intervention - and the loss may have to do with no obviously direct intervention. MoFo is a heavy song and the story of the band. Do You Feel Loved? is a relational song, but has quite a bit of doubt played into it. Discotheque is great too - looking for love or for God but instead being somewhere else, getting lost somewhere along the way - lured by the bright lights.

U2 has not released a bad or mediocre album - one of the things I can't say for other artists I adore. Truthfully, I find it hard to determine their best work because they vary so much and have put out so much great material.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

The Boom-Chas!

From the “Looking for the sound that’s going to drown out the world” moment until the ending on MOFO. I like the effect on Bono’s voice and the whole last chorus with the mother, brother, sister thing.

The whole “And the love, what’s that you say to me…” part on IGWSHA. I don’t understand how a lot pf people don’t like this song.

When Adam starts playing his bass riff on LNOE, then the shaker comes in and finally the drums with a guitar scratch.

That last riff on LNOE, the one where Edge does a solo over it in the live version. I love that riff!

What Larry plays on Gone at 2:16. I love that!

When the second part on Please starts, with the wah-wah and the drums leading to the climax!

What Edge starts playing at 0:17 on Do You Feel Loved and the heavy bassdrums! Also what Edge starts playing at 4:27.

The “Don’t know if I can hold on…” part with those beautiful harmonies from The Edge on The Playboy Mansion. The bass on that song too. I love the whole song really.

All basslines in this album are fantastic!




EDIT: I forgot to name some of the songs I was talking about.

 

[The OOTS]

Bono's best lyric = BOOM CHA!
so moving and meaningful...