Albums
Pop
Few records sum up the strange state of late-1990s alt-rock like Pop—the final album of U2’s remarkable decade-long run, and certainly the band’s sweatiest. Recorded and released under tight deadlines, Pop would go down as one of U2’s biggest misfires: an overlong, overcooked attempt to convince the world that a band that had spent years pushing for social justice and spiritual salvation suddenly just wanted to dance. But for those listeners willing to indulge in U2’s trip to clubland, there are several moments of big-budget experimental ecstasy to be found within. In Pop’s defense: This was never gonna be an easy album to pull off. By the late ’90s, the record industry was struggling to understand where rock was headed next. Grunge was on its way out, replaced by a strange combo of bratty pop punk, third-eye-blinding guitar anthems, and whatever weirdo-cool stuff Beck was cooking up at the time. In the middle of this limbo was U2, a band that had reimagined its sound so thrillingly on both Achtung Baby and Zooropa—records that dirtied up and digitized the group’s solemn, arena-ready anthems. U2 had already pushed modern rock as far as it could, and it was time to look to a new frontier—specifically, the vibrant electronica and techno scenes that were bubbling up in Europe. The band headed into the studio in 1995 with the idea that it would be finished in time for a massive 1997 world tour. A team of producers and electro-consiglieres were brought in to help Bono, the Edge, and Adam Clayton find their groove, while drummer Larry Mullen Jr. dealt with back issues. After a few starts and stops, the band began crafting actual songs from the various fragments, loops, and samples they’d stockpiled in the studio. But with the tour’s start date looming, U2 had no choice but to rush-release Pop in order to get it in stores in time. The result is chaotic and sometimes confused—a record that features plenty ...