Electronic Summit

It must have been a strange situtation for U2 going into the recording for "Pop." I'm sure there was a great deal of interest in what they would do next, after the creative explosion of "Achtung Baby" and the electronic direction of "Zooropa." In addition, the huge spectacle of the Zoo TV tour had created quite an impression. Bono and U2 had decided to stop trying to fight against the corporate and commercial nature of what they were doing, and instead, by blatantly embracing it, attempt to get past it.

The concept behind the release of "Pop", announced at a K-Mart store in New York City (perhaps the consumer capital of the world?), and plans for their subsequent "Pop-Mart" tour, continued this vein of embracing of the commercial world. But beneath the bluster and showmanship was an album that broke new creative ground, as well as providing some engaging lyrics.

Some of the songs on "Pop," such as "If God Will Send His Angels," and "Wake Up, Dead Man," actually came out of the sessions for "Zooropa." Bono and The Edge had come up with so much material that they had to decide what to keep and what to put aside in order to establish a thematic continuity. Listeners familiar with "Zooropa" can pick out similar stylistic elements in these songs.

The album, however, is a definite change from the subdued "Zooropa." The album starts off with the driving "Discotheque," followed by two more adrenaline-fueled tracks, "Do You Feel Loved," and "MOFO." The album, however, goes beyond simply providing dance fodder, just as "Lemon" wasn't just about dancing, but about man's search for expression, communication, and sense of himself.

The lyrics on the album in some places are deeper and closer than any Bono has written. "MOFO" is actually a song from Bono to his mother, who died when he was young, with this interesting bridge lyric: "Mother / Am I still your son / You know I've waited so long / to hear you say so / Mother / You left me alone / Now I'm still a child / No one tells me no." Interesting take by Bono on the fact that, as a rock superstar, he has the ability to get anything he wants, just like a spoiled child. He also comments on this in "Do You Feel Loved," where he says "Take these hands / They're good for nothing / You know these hands / Haven't worked a day." I also like the pleading, plaintive tone of "Please," which also bites: "So love is hard / And love is tough / But love is not / What you're thinking of" and later, "It's what lovers deal / It's what lovers steal / You know I found it hard to receive / Cause you my love I could never believe."

One major topic of exploration on this album is God and Jesus, although in some way an oblique rather than overt way. God or Jesus is mentioned in "Mofo," "If God Will Send His Angels," "Staring At the Sun," and "Wake Up Dead Man." The lyrics seem to be about someone who has lost God/Jesus, and is looking for him. It is as if this person is exploring what stimuli the world has to offer, in the hope of replacing what he had through religion.

Bono's vocals display a great range here, going through everything to whispering, to soaring falsettos, to plaintive cries, to languid crooning. The music also offers many sonic textures, with hard, electronic dance tracks, peaceful ballads, and creepy, after-midnight dirges. I often find myself driving much faster than I should be when I put "Pop" on in the car and hear the trilogy of the first three tracks.

A lot of people dismissed "Pop" because of the hype and bizarre promotional activity surrounding its release. However, this is a very strong album, both lyrically and musically, and continues the creative journey that U2 has been travelling during the course of its career.

The new album is due out in September, with Eno and Lanois assuming production duties again. "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," (lyrics by Salman Rushdie, from the book of the same title) from the soundtrack to "The Millionaire Hotel," (screenplay by Bono) is in release now, and will be on the new album. If the song is any indication, the album should be another masterpiece