U2
Pop

THE REVIEW

March 1997: after four years of anxious waiting (exactly 10 years after the great "Joshua"), the new U2 album is released. The disappointment of both the public and critics was unforgettable after its release - even because of the title. When interviewed by MTV, U2 were as brilliant as ever, turning their interviews into hilarious sketches with one joke after another. But when it came to discussing the music, they evaded the questions or made bold statements: "‘Pop’ is the best album we’ve ever made. This is the music of the future."

Many were struck by the cover, which is nothing more than a creative plagiarism of "Let It Be" (the Beatles' breakup album) and "Hot Space" (the "silent" breakup album of Queen). Many wrote that, considering the ongoing disputes within the group (due to drummer Larry Mullen’s strong opposition to the electronic shift begun with "Zooropa"), this would be their swan song, with the cover acting as the visual foreshadowing.

Sales were disastrous (7 million copies) compared to "Achtung Baby" (18 million). But even more disastrous was the supporting tour, the "PopMart Tour" (an embarrassing display of sick gigantism and kitsch), with a massive stage and empty stadiums. Why did it fail? The answer is obvious. Because half of the songs on "Pop" are characterless mediocrity which no one would have talked about if they weren't U2 tracks. Moreover, while in "Zooropa" we find a questionable yet elegant production, here the overproduction – surprisingly driven by Edge, once a fanatic supporter of sonic minimalism – is borderline tacky.

That said, "Pop" is not total garbage. Despite everything, this album includes several band classics, even though they're very distant from their classic 80s hits. In crescendo: "Discotheque" (a slightly bombastic lead single, with dance music interrupted by a sparkling arpeggio, but with a bitter lyric about the use of ecstasy prevalent in clubs at the time); "Staring at the Sun" (a routine acoustic ballad marred by unnecessary electronics, yet memorable from the first listen, with lyrics about the struggle to keep one's eyes on the light and not fall into darkness); "If You Wear That Velvet Dress" (a splendid mournful slow jam that would have been a masterpiece if Edge had accompanied Bono with his arpeggios); "Gone" (a great song, with Bono speaking of the guilt of having had so much by singing songs); "If God Will Send His Angels" (perhaps U2's last masterpiece, with a mournful arpeggio perfectly underpinning an almost apocalyptic lyric, and that would have been a perfect ending).

If they hadn't wasted the three gems of the clever "Zooropa" ("Lemon," "The First Time," and "Stay") and the two textbook numbers from the pointless "Passengers" (the touching "Miss Sarajevo" and the magnificent organ slow jam "Your Blue Room"), today U2 would have two fewer albums in their discography, fewer millions of copies sold on Billboard, less money in the bank, but one more great album in their repertoire. And perhaps we wouldn't say that U2 died with "Achtung Baby."