The Song 'Zooropa' - What's the verdict on this one?

[rjhbonovox]

This album was well received by the critics at the time. I have a Q review that gives it 4 stars and another that gave it 9/10. Its an album that when played a lot has a lot of hidden depth not like the intant pop stuff they churn out today which after 3 listens sounds like a greatest hits record. Tracks such as Zooropa, Numb(the original version and not the absolute shite lets add some Edge 80's guitar sound cos it don't sound like U2 if we don't, version from the best of 1990-2000 album), Lemon, Daddy's Gonna Pay, Dirty Day, Some Days Are Better Than Others etc are great album tracks and worthy of repeated listening. The only downside on this album for me is Johnny Cash singing The Wanderer. If I want to hear Johnny Cash sing I will go buy a Johnny Cash album but Bono should have sung this song, its still a good song but spoilt by Cash singing the vocal. A great album and 4th best U2 album.

 

[YBORCITY]

It was like a scandal in 1993. Dorm rooms, house parties, nites out with old high school friends. Nobody could believe how bad Zooropa was.

"This isn't U2"

"It sounds like shit"

"They've stopped rocking"

"They've lost the plot"

Nobody remembers this? Who here bought Zooropa on July 6th, 1993?

I bought Zooropa immediately. It definitely took me off guard but I liked it pretty much right away. I'm a U2 fan from the late '70's and I thought it was mold-breaking.

The song Zooropa kicks a**. The first sounds coming from Edge's guitar is just so original.

 

[hedgehog]

Zooropa is one of my favourite songs, wierd and wonderful.
If it wasn't for Stay (which is even better), it would be my favourite song on the album.

The album itself is great too, Stay, Lemon, Numb and Zooropa are excellent songs and the others on the album aren't bad either, IMO.

 

[thesuburbskill]

Who here bought Zooropa on July 6th, 1993?

me me... i was just starting to come down off my achtung baby high... and i needed another kind of fix... which zooropa, the disc and the song, provided


"shes gonna dream up the world she wants live in.. shes gonna dream out loud"

 

[XHendrix24]

The only downside on this album for me is Johnny Cash singing The Wanderer. If I want to hear Johnny Cash sing I will go buy a Johnny Cash album but Bono should have sung this song, its still a good song but spoilt by Cash singing the vocal. A great album and 4th best U2 album.

Bollocks. Do you honestly think Bono could hit the low notes like Cash does? No way in hell, man. Cash makes that song.

I agree that Zooropa rules, though. Depending on my mood, it ranges from second to fifth on my U2 album rankings list.

Though, admittedly, before I heard the album as a whole and had just heard Numb, I thought Numb was the worst U2 song ever recorded by a wide margin. My opinion's obviously changed a lot since then, however.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

I read somewhere that Stay and Numb were big hits in Europe (specially Stay). I love The Wanderer, it's one of my favorite songs from that record. Best lyrics on the record and great bassline. Johnny Cash is absolutely perfect.

 

[Exit thru Wire]

Pretty new to U2, from about 2002. Zooropa was the last album I bought, but one of the best. Of the 10 songs only Daddy's gonna pay.. I didn't like, but zooTV Sydney version converted me.

The song zooropa is amazing, the best on the album. Great buildup, doesn't follow the standard formula of a song, and Bono sounds great. Didnt sound as good live though, oh well.

 

[onemoresolo]

Zooropa is one of my favourite U2 songs ever.

Does anyone else think the new Coldplay song rips off the intro?

 

[labell]

which one?

 

[rjhbonovox]

Zooropa is one of my favourite U2 songs ever.

Does anyone else think the new Coldplay song rips off the intro?

Similar piano riff to Speed Of Sound maybe but I gotta say as much as I love the new Coldplay album they could NEVER do an album like Zooropa!

 

[MattFromNYC]

Coldplay.. now that's a band I wouldn't mind throwing some cd's of in the literal trashcan.

 

[u2granny]

Who here bought Zooropa on July 6th, 1993?

I did, but I'm older than dirt. I also liked it. WalkOnTheEdge, are you really Jick?

 

[MattFromNYC]

A Jick Dick Walking on the edge.. of a Trashcan???

 

[MattFromNYC]

since he loves trashcans so much and throwing cd's he's only given 10 minutes of a chance to into trashcans, maybe he should just rename himself "trashcan".. or "dispose man" or.. "jick shitcan"...

 

[U2DMfan]

It was like a scandal in 1993. Dorm rooms, house parties, nites out with old high school friends. Nobody could believe how bad Zooropa was.

"This isn't U2"

"It sounds like shit"

"They've stopped rocking"

"They've lost the plot"

Nobody remembers this? Who here bought Zooropa on July 6th, 1993?

I bought it the first day it was out.
I also was able to hear it about 5 days or so before it came out on the radio, amazing.

I was truly blown away the first time I heard it, and it's still one of my favorite U2 albums (probably #3)

as for fan reaction, everyone I hung out with loved it. Not neccessarily hardcore U2 fans, but pretty much everyone I hung around with loved it. I guess I had at the time (18 years old) 8-10 close partying buddies. I'd say maybe 3 of us were pretty big U2 fans, but even the other guys thought it was cool.

I think Acthung was the harder pill to swallow for the folks I know. I mean, obviously Achtung is great, but that change was more dramatic, IMO.

as for those comments you mentioned, pretty funny. But we were listening to the more progressive stuff, my metal head friends, punk friends and butt rockers probably thought it sucked but that's hardly a surprise, I wasn't hanging around them much at the time anyways.

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

A Jick Dick Walking on the edge.. of a Trashcan???

Some of you guys really need to get over the fact that I threw Zooropa in the trash. I bought it, hated it, gave it a week, and gave up on it. Hated it. I'd throw it away again.

I mean, it's so drastically out of character for this band......can you not understand why I trashed it? It's no big deal. It's one album out of how many? It's not my idea of U2 and it never will be. Again, the album, not the song. Strangely enough, the song is one of my favs.

 

[LJT]

Some of you guys really need to get over the fact that I threw Zooropa in the trash. I bought it, hated it, gave it a week, and gave up on it. Hated it. I'd throw it away again.

I mean, it's so drastically out of character for this band......can you not understand why I trashed it? It's no big deal. It's one album out of how many? It's not my idea of U2 and it never will be. Again, the album, not the song. Strangely enough, the song is one of my favs.

You know its taken me about 4 years to really love Zooropa?

I pretty much loved Zooropa, Babyface, Lemon, Dirty Days, The Wanderer from the off....took me the rest of those years to actually like and then love the other songs on it.... a week really isn't enough...

 

[u2granny]

Some of you guys really need to get over the fact that I threw Zooropa in the trash. I bought it, hated it, gave it a week, and gave up on it. Hated it. I'd throw it away again.

I mean, it's so drastically out of character for this band......can you not understand why I trashed it? It's no big deal. It's one album out of how many? It's not my idea of U2 and it never will be. Again, the album, not the song. Strangely enough, the song is one of my favs.

That really has nothing to do with my question. Let's just say your style of posting is what caused me to wonder.

 

[yimou]

Some of you guys really need to get over the fact that I threw Zooropa in the trash. I bought it, hated it, gave it a week, and gave up on it. Hated it. I'd throw it away again.

I mean, it's so drastically out of character for this band......can you not understand why I trashed it? It's no big deal. It's one album out of how many? It's not my idea of U2 and it never will be. Again, the album, not the song. Strangely enough, the song is one of my favs.

You threw out Zooropa !!!;, and thats the dumbest thing i have ever read on this forum. And that says alot.

 

[Lemonfix]

Some of you guys really need to get over the fact that I threw Zooropa in the trash. I bought it, hated it, gave it a week, and gave up on it. Hated it. I'd throw it away again.

I mean, it's so drastically out of character for this band......can you not understand why I trashed it? It's no big deal. It's one album out of how many? It's not my idea of U2 and it never will be. Again, the album, not the song. Strangely enough, the song is one of my favs.

Yeah, but....throwing AWAY a perfectly good CD? Why didn't you take it to a resale shop? I bought my Zooropa copy used. Maybe some other 16 year old kid might do the same, and love it just as much as I did. Throwing away a CD just sounds, I dunno, wastefull.

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

You threw out Zooropa !!!;, and thats the dumbest thing i have ever read on this forum. And that says alot.

I'll tell you what, I know a LOT more people that share my opinion than yours. I have some friends that are ENORMOUS U2 'groupies' and they shuttter just when I say I love the song Zooropa. They can't even stomach this album. Face it, it's just so non-U2..........WAY too dramatic of an experiment.

I'm happy for those of you that like it.......you're lucky to another album to pop in now and then. I wish to god I could see what you all see in it.

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

Yeah, but....throwing AWAY a perfectly good CD? Why didn't you take it to a resale shop? I bought my Zooropa copy used. Maybe some other 16 year old kid might do the same, and love it just as much as I did. Throwing away a CD just sounds, I dunno, wastefull.

Sorry, but in 1993 there were no "We buy used CD's" stores and obviously there was no Ebay. For crying out loud, what did it cost me, $15? Who cares.....

 

[OnFire]

I love it when somebody new comes along and inadvertently offends the sensibilities of the regulars. You pay your money, you buy your product and do whatever you want to with it including throwing it away.

Would have been nice to find somebody to give it to but who really friggin cares. I don't know if his method is any more wastefull than mine with a purchased cd I don't like, which is to just let it collect dust on my cd tray.

 

[MattFromNYC]

Some of you guys really need to get over the fact that I threw Zooropa in the trash. I bought it, hated it, gave it a week, and gave up on it. Hated it. I'd throw it away again.

I mean, it's so drastically out of character for this band......can you not understand why I trashed it? It's no big deal. It's one album out of how many? It's not my idea of U2 and it never will be. Again, the album, not the song. Strangely enough, the song is one of my favs.

whatever. you gave it a week? it sucked because it was soo different to you.. as if you were holding the literal devil's penis in your hand or something? so you wanted to rid of it as soon as possible? you make it sound like it was the most vile thing you ever heard or touched.. with so much hatred.

know what? the second half of Joshua Tree... i hated. i loved the first few.. streets, still havent found, with or without you, etc.. but the rest i thought was bland, tuneless, filler music... (yes, even songs like one tree hill, trip through your wires, god part 2, bullet the blue sky, etc..)
i thought it was odd... and wtf is all this... cowboy like shit?? wtf are they doing?? i didnt listen much for a while.. and then KABAAM, it hit me one night.. that those songs are some DAMN GENIUS SONGS... and are now some of my most favorites. sometimes your current state of mind can effect how music sounds. i noticed there are times i'll listen to my fave album of all time "achtung baby" and it just not.. groove me one night... because of my mood.. whatever... and then the next night, its all like brand new again.

however, i think your state of mind is perpetually fucked up like a dog humping trashcans. which is probably what you literally do anyway.. since we know how much you love trashcans.

you came on here... posting in a very suspicious way.. very reminiscent of this other jackass named "Jick" who only posts negative shit about U2... and usually its the most illogical bullshit ever suggested.. like "bono introduced adam last in the list lastnight while on stage... so they must be having a spat.." shit. and making a whole analysis on it.

so. if you arent jick, then you must be his little ass buddy or brother or something. maybe you guys can both have a party in a trashcan.

whats with the trashcan business? like we all said, you could have at least SENT IT BACK TO THE STORE.. you know, you said it was only a week since you had bought it, so i am sure they would have taken it back.. you know.. refunds.. receipts.
or, given it away.. or sold it to someone.. or whatever.
oh, thats right... it was vile and disgusting to you.

As soon as we know it, you'll be joining the band "Jick's Atomic Trashbin".

See ya.

 

[MattFromNYC]

I love it when somebody new comes along and inadvertently offends the sensibilities of the regulars. You pay your money, you buy your product and do whatever you want to with it including throwing it away.

Would have been nice to find somebody to give it to but who really friggin cares. I don't know if his method is any more wastefull than mine with a purchased cd I don't like, which is to just let it collect dust on my cd tray.

thats not exactly our point.

but, whatever 'walkontheedge' thought Zooropa was the devil's penis and had to have it rid of before it took over him.

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

whatever. you gave it a week? it sucked because it was soo different to you.. as if you were holding the literal devil's penis in your hand or something? so you wanted to rid of it as soon as possible? you make it sound like it was the most vile thing you ever heard or touched.. with so much hatred.

however, i think your state of mind is perpetually fucked up like a dog humping trashcans. which is probably what you literally do anyway.. since we know how much you love trashcans.

you came on here... posting in a very suspicious way.. very reminiscent of this other jackass named "Jick" who only posts negative shit about U2... and usually its the most illogical bullshit ever suggested..
whats with the trashcan business? like we all said, you could have at least SENT IT BACK TO THE STORE.. you know, you said it was only a week since you had bought it, so i am sure they would have taken it back.. you know.. refunds.. receipts.
or, given it away.. or sold it to someone.. or whatever.
oh, thats right... it was vile and disgusting to you.

.

Wow, man.....youve got serious issues.

I bought the record, didn't like it one bit, and threw it away. Relax....it's not the end of the world. And last time I checked, you can't return open CD's for refunds.

Me : " Hi. I was in here last week and bought this CD. Well, I really don't like it.....can I get my money back?"
Clerk: "Why sure, here you go, sir. Here's your $14.99 back. Please come again."

I also welcome you to research every post I've made. If anything, I've been very positive and saying how much I like everything including ATYCLB and HTDAAB. Regarding this thread, go back and read it again. All I've ever said is how surprised I am that people like Zooropa the album. My assumption was that long time U2 fans rejected it much like every other band out there has records that flopped. I was wrong....you people do like it. However, I thought it stunk in 1993 and I think it stinks now. Big deal. One album out of how many that I don't like? Relax bud.

The only thing that explains your moronic behavior is that you must be a Yankees fan. Nice team you've got there.

 

[MattFromNYC]

Wow, man.....youve got serious issues.

I bought the record, didn't like it one bit, and threw it away. Relax....it's not the end of the world. And last time I checked, you can't return open CD's for refunds.

Me : " Hi. I was in here last week and bought this CD. Well, I really don't like it.....can I get my money back?"
Clerk: "Why sure, here you go, sir. Here's your $14.99 back. Please come again."

I also welcome you to research every post I've made. If anything, I've been very positive and saying how much I like everything including ATYCLB and HTDAAB. Regarding this thread, go back and read it again. All I've ever said is how surprised I am that people like Zooropa the album. My assumption was that long time U2 fans rejected it much like every other band out there has records that flopped. I was wrong....you people do like it. However, I thought it stunk in 1993 and I think it stinks now. Big deal. One album out of how many that I don't like? Relax bud.

The only thing that explains your moronic behavior is that you must be a Yankees fan. Nice team you've got there.

I fucking hate sports now.

I can't see how you can not like "Lemon", "Dirty Day", "Stay", "...Crashed Car", "Babyface", blah blah.

I remember the chill I got when I first heard these.

Can't a band experiment and see where else their own minds can take them without sticking in the same old.. dead-end style? oh like DAVE MATTHEWS BAND or SUGAR RAY... or JIMMY BUFFET??

As long as they aren't doing it like puppets and changing who they are... but still remaining themselves but exploring further depths of themselves.. i have no problem with it! IT KEEPS SHIT INTERESTING.

I dont have issues. You, my friend, have issues. And don't start on insulting me because I am a New Yorker. Don't even go there. Further proof of a superficial jickass.

 

[namkcuR]

WalkOnTheEdge...

While not expressing in quite such harsh terms as Matt, I too think actually throwing the CD in the trashcan is pretty extreme. If you didn't like it, fine - I disagree strongly, but fine. But what would have been so bad about putting on your CD shelf(or stand or rack or whatever) with the rest of your CDs, and maybe coming back to it a few years, or a decade, or whatever later? Is it too unacceptable to even just let it sit with your other CDs?

I mean, the way I look at it is....when HTDAAB first came out, I got the $30 limited collector's edition. I was disappointed with the extra book that came with it, I was disappointed in the fact that it didn't even come with a proper lyric book, I was disappointed in the packaging, and while I enjoyed the music for the first few weeks, it did eventually grow boring to me, something I can't say for any other U2 record except for, at times, ATYCLB. But did I throw it out? No. Because that's my $30 I spent on it. If I throw it out, I might as well have flushed my $30 down the toilet. Would you throw your own money in the toilet? I doubt it. I don't spend my money for, when all is said and done, nothing. If I spend my money, whatever I brought is at least going to stay in my house as long as it still works and is functional. In this case, if for no other reason, since you are a big U2 fan, keep it just for the hell of keeping the collection complete.

And if you just have to get rid of it, then give/sell it to a friend(or even someone you know who isn't a friend). Or sell it in a future garage sale. Or wait for second-hand CD stores to come into existance(btw, I'm sure there already were some in 1993, maybe not near you though). At least that way, at some point you can at least get some money back. But to just throw it in the trash can like it's this awful terrible thing that you won't accept in your home, and to render your money gone and wasted, is just a wasteful, hasty, and kind of weird act, imo.

 

[WalkOnTheEdge]

WalkOnTheEdge...

While not expressing in quite such harsh terms as Matt, I too think actually throwing the CD in the trashcan is pretty extreme. If you didn't like it, fine, but what would have been so bad about putting on your CD shelf(or stand or rack or whatever) with the rest of your CDs, and maybe coming back to it a few years, or a decade, or whatever later? Is it too unacceptable to even just let it sit with your other CDs?

Would you throw your own money in the toilet? I doubt it. I don't spend my money for, when all is said and done, nothing. If I spend my money, whatever I brought is at least going to stay in my house as long as it still works and is functional. In this case, if for no other reason, since you are a big U2 fan, keep it just for the hell of keeping the collection complete.

And if you just have to get rid of it, then give/sell it to a friend(or even someone you know who isn't a friend). Or sell it in a future garage sale. Or wait for second-hand CD stores to come into existance(btw, I'm sure there already were some in 1993, maybe not near you though). At least that way, at some point you can at least get some money back. But to just throw it in the trash can like it's this awful terrible thing that you won't accept in your home, and to render your money gone and wasted, is just a wasteful, hasty, and kind of weird act, imo.

Nam....thank you for expressing your thoughts like a civilized person......very refreshing.

That being said, you people need to lighten up! My god, you'd think I ran over a pack of school children at a bus stop or something. It was 1993. I threw a $15 CD away because I thought it sucked. The $15 was gone whether I listened to the CD or not. It's gone. I couldn't have cared less about trying to re-sell it to make back $5. Hell, I doubt I cared too much about the $15! I was bartending at the hottest bar in the city and probably made back that $15 in tips in about 30 minutes. But like I said, NOBODY I knew would have wanted it. Like me, everyone around me HATED this record. HATED it. I couldn't have GIVEN it away.

Again, I apologize whole-heartedly to everyone who is so offended by my actions 12 years ago. I will never again throw any CD's away. My god, you'd think I knocked over Mother Theresa and stole her lunch!

 

[rjhbonovox]

Some of you guys really need to get over the fact that I threw Zooropa in the trash. I bought it, hated it, gave it a week, and gave up on it. Hated it. I'd throw it away again.

I mean, it's so drastically out of character for this band......can you not understand why I trashed it? It's no big deal. It's one album out of how many? It's not my idea of U2 and it never will be. Again, the album, not the song. Strangely enough, the song is one of my favs.

Zooropa is a sonic experience of the highest order! You have commited an absolute outrage in throwing a great album in the trashcan or bin as we say here in the UK. How can you come to a conclusion of an albums brillianceor not by giving it just a week. I suppose you said that HTDAAB was great after listening to it once! Albums that don't hit you straight away are the albums that become classics, the ones that grow stronger with each listen. Achtung Baby, Pop, Zooropa, Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Ok Computer, The Bends, Kid A are the albums that come into this category. They grow with each listen. Now if ever there was a throwaway album in U2's catalogue then it would probably be the last 2 but even though I don't like the absolute immediate feel of the last 2 greatest hits sounding albums, I still haven't lobbed them in the bin!