Originally posted by Sydney_MIke:Without challenging or criticising your perspective, this was the moment U2 almost lost me as a fan. It just felt like Eno was having too much influence and taking them too far left of their original fan base with esoteric artiness. But I persevered and, much later, came to appreciate the dark lyricism of Pop.
I understand your point, for sure. I was only 14 when Pop was released. I had spent the previous year delving into U2's back catalog, and my mind was blown! The HMTMKMKM/Batman hype is actually what put U2 on my radar. Then I remember listening to my Dad's CDs of JT and RH. I "Borrowed" the cassette of UABRS from my Uncle, and my collection grew from there. But Pop was the first time U2 did anything new since I became a fan, and I was just fucking ON BOARD. They could've done anything and I would've probably been over the moon about it!
But I understand what a long time U2 fan from the 80's must've thought when Pop came out. I liken it to Coldplay with me. Parachutes, AROBTTH and X&Y were all albums that came out roughly during my "relevant college years", even though I'm pretty sure I had graduated by the time of X&Y, but I was still in that mindset. So that is MY Coldplay. They changed some over the years, but once they released A Head Full of Dreams, that was just a bridge too far for me. Fortunately, I like Everyday Life quite a bit.