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...