But get one thing clear right up front - this is no simple techno or dance record. To be sure, the first three songs have those elements, but so do alot of other U2 songs from records that do not garner such criticism (such as its predecessors 'Achtung Baby' (1991) and 'Zooropa' (1993)). Despite the title, 'Pop' (1997) requires the listener to "look for baby Jesus under the trash." Lyrically speaking, the most techno-drenched tune, "Mofo", is also one of Bono most laid-bare lyrical moments ever. And musically, for every tune with phat beats, there is a traditional balladesque number ("Staring at the Sun" and "If God Would Send His Angels") or a scorching rocker ("Gone" and "Last Night on Earth"). Indeed, an actual listen to this record should dispel any notions that the band lost connection with their musical influences and larger themes.

To be sure, there is clearly fluff that could have best been left to b-sides ("Miami" and "The Playboy Mansion") that keeps this record from being ranked among classics 'The Joshua Tree' (1987) or 'Achtung Baby' (1991). But if there is any fair comparison to its much-lauded, "return-to-form" successor 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' (2000), it would be the distinctive darkness of 'Pop'. From the outright cynicism of "Do You Feel Loved", to the brooding atmosphere of "If You Wear That Velvet Dress", to the spiritual pleading of "Wake Up Dead Man", this is one heavy mother. Nonetheless, it must be said that "Please" is simply one of U2's best lyrical and musical moments ever and was criminally-omitted from the recent 'The Best of 1990-2000' (2002).

In sum, in the same sense that there could not have been a classic like 'The Joshua Tree' without its experimental predecessor, 'The Unforgettable Fire' (1984), there could not have been an optimistic record like 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' without 'Pop'.

Rejected For All The Wrong Reasons
With the massive "ZooTV" tour and record-combo of "Achtung Baby" and "Zooropa" behind them, the attitude as U2 re-convined in 1995 for a work on a new record was decidedly progressive: they would continue to push the envelope as far as they could musically, technologically, and conceptually. Because of technological aspect of it, this was U2's hardest record to produce. It took so long to complete that it went into what was supposed to have been tour rehearsal time(for the new "Popmart Tour", which was to be bigger and more massive than even "ZooTV"). As a result they were not ready when the tour started in Las Vegas. More importantly, the string of critical success that U2 had going back to the late 80s finally came to an end in 1997 when "Pop" was released, as the reviews were very lukewarm, even poor. U2 were disappointed with its sales...and the fact that "Pop" sold 6,000,000 copies should tell you something about their standards.

U2's peak was over, but I will forever hold that this record was unfairly criticized just because it was so different from everything U2 did before it, but that's a staple of U2's career: change. 'Do You Feel Loved', 'If God Will Send His Angels', 'Staring At The Sun', 'Last Night On Earth', 'Gone', 'If You Wear That Velvet Dress', and 'Please' are just great songs. Also standing out is the closer, a song of desperation and despair, 'Wake Up Dead Man'. This album may have seemed about lemons and arches and colors and videos making fun of the village people(the opener, 'Discotheque') and all fun and games on the outside, but in reality the lyrics of this record are the most serious and cynical of U2's career. Not many people realize that 'Staring At The Sun' is a political song, describing how suits and ties can be just as deadly as soldiers with guns. 'Please' is as serious as it gets lyric-wise: "And love is big, bigger than us, but love is not, what you're thinking of".

U2 did a lot to help this record by putting out some great performances of its songs, especially 'Staring At The Sun' and 'Please', including a emotion-high show in Sarajevo, the first rock show their since their war ended. But towards the end of the tour, it became obvious that they had gone as far as they could in the direction started in Berlin in 1990. They felt the need to tone everything down and just be four guys in a band again. This first came to the public's eyes in the form of old songs that hadn't been performed in a long time, showing up in the setlists of the later "Popmart" shows, such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday". The public would soon get a more blatent show of this change of direction, but unfortunately, it would also leave this album in the dust. Vastly underrated and underappreciated, this is still a very good record.

Languid, Pulsing, Throbbing, Rock-Tech.
This CD is brilliant. It is powerful, moving, and intense. Let me tell you why.

Crystal Method is a perfect example of what happens when poor musicians attempt to amalgamate two musical genres. You get a product like, "Legion of Boom," their newest cd, where Wes Borlyn is on guitar and Rahzel is doing vocals. They wish to call it rock-techno, except that it sucks.

Pop is an album for high-energy people, or nights when something big is going to happen. Rushing downtown to hit a club or lounge on a buddy's birthday, on your way to a sick drink off, I don't know . . .

This is the first CD after Larry Mullen went through his modern percussion training in New York, and boy can you tell. While it is true that Edge and Adam became a little aggravated during this albums production, when the songs were heard by the band, all the bizarre hard electronica work of Zooropa paid off.

The only weaknesses of this album are the faded vocals/ weak lyrics on the high-energy songs. This of course does not qualify for a valid criticism, since it is only my opinion, but I felt it necessary to point out at least one thing I found wrong with the album.

All in all, this CD is a wonderful mixture of styles and genres. The down tempo songs have great depth, and the high-energy anthems are sincerely crackling with power. If you enjoy dabbling into electronica, and are open-minded aesthetically you will enjoy this cd.

Lame attempt by U2
U2 tried a new direction with POP, and it failed. I am very strong U2 fan, and this is by far the worst album they ever recorded. Past experiments by U2 have mostly suceeded, such as Achtung Baby and Zooropa. But I have listened to POP several times, and it still just doesn't sink in. No matter how many times I give it a try, it always comes up empty. Save your money and concentrate on Boy, War, Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. POP is a very forgettable recording.
Get one thing straight: Techno is merely the fairy dust sprinkled atop another massive, brilliantly conceived slab of dense, drug-like rock & roll from the only band this side of the Smashing Pumpkins who could pull off such a feat. Mainstream audiences are desperate for something fresh yet familiar, and this Warholian treatise on the plasticity of pop culture expertly mixes new sonic colors with the band's signature art-rock genius. "Discotheque" is an exhilarating opener, "Staring at the Sun" is their answer to relative upstarts Oasis's hit "Wonderwall," and "If God Will Send His Angels" has the makings of a crossover anthem. This is U2 in peak unit-shifting form. --Jeff Bateman
The Japanese Version of Pop with One Extra Track- 'Holy Joe'(Guilty Mix).