I absolutely loved it. It wasn't any Achtung Baby.. but it was definitely still up there and they were making yet another grand venture into their experimentation, without losing their soul core. Though, others may have said otherwise.. but if they really knew U2, they'd see they were still the same old U2.
I remember my first time hearing "Lemon" especially... and thinking "what in the fuck is this???? its... definitely... different.. .. damn this is brilliant!" It was a sure shock, but I loved it. I love that "shock". Its a good kinda shock, heh. "Zooropa" the song took a short while for me to get into soundwise.. then it all 'clicked'. But, its the perfect opener to the whole theme.. Everything else, had me at hello, per se! lol. The whole theme of it... thats another thing. Listeners outside of the whole U2 circle, probably would not have gotten the jist of it.
So many people seem to dislike "The Wanderer" (the perfect ending to the whole theme.. the little siren thingy and all, lol) but I instantly loved it. I find my appreciation for this album just gets stronger and stronger... but like I said.. it could never compare to "Achtung".... (I dont think anything can.. imho.)
Thats in a whole other highest of the highest category of greatness that stands above anything else.
I just found the entire "Zooropa" thing exciting, and imaginative.. and sent my mind into a whole other world. Never heard anything like it before. I think the award it won, was greatly deserved and that this album is very sadly very unappreciated.
Funny though... everyone else around me who had gotten it or just heard it on the radio... thought it was shit, or too strange. "Lemon" especially... and it royally pissed me off! Maybe U2 are way above some people's heads... seriously. But, that's their loss...
U2 isn't a band that repeats stuff.. they keep going forward... into different worlds within themselves... and it never gets boring.. thats for sure.