My least favourite U2 album. Some songs are really good, and I highly respect the innovative concept, but the overall sound is just not my cup of tea. Sorry folks.
I don't care about the complaints of ATYCLB and HTDAAB being recycling and boring soundwise; I just prefer a rock band sound over the techno- related experiments of Pop and Zooropa. With AB they really nailed it - it's one of their two perfect albums (the other one being JT). With the two follow- ups they shot it over the top.
I guess it was kind of a shock to the fans because they expected the heavy sound of Achtung (The Fly, Love Is Blindness, Zoo Station...), but never expected anything quite like Pop all those years later with the dance influence. Probably because they were so embarrassed with the criticism the critics and press put on it back at the time, they just want to forget it - kind of a failed experiment.
But what band listens to its fans for their opinions?
i'd rally like to 'love' this album. I understand it's brilliance, it's balls and how under rated it is but I just don't like it as much as i'd like to.
This album is so terrific, probably my number 2 or 3 of favourite U2 albums. It's incredibly underrated and amazingly innovative, way ahead of its time. I love it
The amazing thing about this album is that it combines a lot of innovative aspects with the classical, raw early U2 sound.
If you take away all the bling bling with the sequencers and stuff, you have Boy or War part 2.
A 'stripped down' version of last night on earth flows perfectly with I will follow or The Electric Co.