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20 years ago seems like yesterday to me in a happy way. A great CD from song one until the end.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I first heard songs from Pop when a friend of mine played some for me. I loved them instantly, and finally got around to getting the CD. The songs are romantic, sensual and poetic as well as smooth. Even though it's labeled Pop, it's still rock, it's still U2, it's still good. Trust me, if I thought it was schlock (like Beck's Sea Changes), I'd let you know.
Pop is among U2's most maligned albums. It is one of the lowest selling, despite the fact that it was released well into their career, and it is one of the lowest regarded by fans. Part of the reason Pop is so often attacked is that it represents U2's foray into techno music. For a band which spent the 90s in experimental mode, Pop was just too much for many fans. When, in December 1996, the first single, "Discotheque", was leaked on the net (one of the first examples of internet piracy), the 30 second clip sent shockwaves through the fan community with many claiming that U2 had abandoned their rock roots. Nevermind that the track was one of U2's most popular (#1 in the UK and #10 in the US - their last top 10 hit) and contained some killer guitar by the Edge. The fact of the matter was that this album contained a lot of dance music and many bare-bones, rock-free songs. Pop is U2 at their most inaccessible. Indeed, many songs from the album, especially "MOFO", are barely listenable. And the lyrics are as dark and abrasive as the music. But U2 accomplished something here that they didn't fully achieve anywhere else with the possible exception of Achtung Baby. They created an album that was a full experience. From the whooshing effects that start of "Discotheque" to the aching vocals of "Wake Up Dead Man", the listener is drawn into U2's world. And a desolate world it is indeed. Songs like "Discotheque" and "Do You Feel Loved?" seem inspired by infidelity and meaningless sex, while "If God Will Send His Angels" and "Please" deal with humans subject to harsh lifestyles. Bono's lyrics are some of the most bleak of his career, and the music compliments them. But, like the music, they are also some of the most powerful. U2's Pop is not an easy or even an enjoyable album to listen to. But it is a huge success and a wonderfully encompassing experience.Read full review
An excellent album, from the beginning to the end, here U2 actually started to get into a different sound without leaving aside their characteristic kind of music. Here lies, to my very own point of view, a couple of the best songs that U2 has never done: "The Playboy mansion" and "If you wear that velvet dress", both songs (That as very common situation, never were really as popular as "Discotheque" or "Staring at the Sun" held the very spirit of U2 music, the critic and mordid view of the world as well as the hopes and feelings very unique to them: Love and Sensuality, War and Religion, Pop culture and Vanguard. This is the album that sets U2 ready for the new millenium.
Not sure why this U2 album is my favorite...maybe cause it's kind of weird? I just don't know...I just don't know...?
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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