Review Summary: U2 may not have radio hits, but this minor work of art is experimental enough to carry it's own weight.
U2 are one of the few bandsaround who seem to want to experiment and write hits at the same time. These two pursuits don't always go together smoothly, but on 1991's Achtung Baby, it worked. Quite well, actually. Brian Eno and The Edge added the experimental side, while Daniel Lanois and Bono provided the hits, which included "The Fly", "Mysterious Ways", and "One". Now, in a one-two punch effort for the Zoo TV tour, U2 provide more experimentation and less hits. But for Zooropa, less is more.
Under extreme time constraints, U2 wrote and recorded the songs for Zooropa during brief breaks in the Zoo TV tour. And while the album itself does not feel rushed, the neon, electronic irony of Zoo TV is on display throughout the album, and the album corresponds to Zoo TV more than Zoo TV corresponds to the album. You can tell these songs were born to be performed on the tour.
As usual, U2 call up their old pal Brian Eno to help them conjure up a more experimental work. And that's exactly what Zooropa is. It's a fairly minor album compared to Achtung Baby, but still, very experimental.
Upon first hearing one of this album's first two singles, one cannot help but wonder whether too much creativity is a bad thing for a rock band like U2. Zooropa's lead single, "Numb", which seems to be the sequel to "The Fly", consists of a mumbled rap by The Edge over a series of bizarre, distorted chords over Bono wailing in his "Fat Lady" voice. Edge is so repetitive in this track you'll begin to think "Hey Jude" should've gone on for another two minutes. But unamusing musical jokes aside, it wasn't exactly a fantastic choice for lead single, though it works fairly well in its album setting. The 2nd single is even more experimental, but it's also a better song. The 7-minute epic "Lemon", which is the first time Bono really shows us his haunting falsetto throughout an entire song, is probably the album's most daring track, particularly since it was released as a single. The song could be about Bono's mother, or technology, or both. Either way, it's probably the weirdest thing U2 have ever done. The track goes on a little too long, however, and doesn't seem as natural and real as the title track or the third single, "Stay".
The opening song itself represents everything right about this album. It's basically a three-song medley, but it never feels disjointed. It basically serves the same purpose of the opening track on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", except in more dramatic fashion. The opener promises a lot, and the album pretty much delivers. Because while the first two singles didn't quite work as singles, they sound good when paired together with "Stay". And "Babyface", while not an album highlight, has interesting lyrics about obsession.
As with Achtung Baby, U2 keep up their momentum in the 2nd side. "Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car" is the most industrial song on the album, and though the melody isn't especially infectious, the song is jam-packed with metallic hooks. "The First Time", probably the most underrated song on the album, would seem average on any pre-Achtung Baby album, but here, the quiet piano chords and poetic lyrics are welcome amongst all the "experiments". As many others have noted, "Some Days Are Better Than Others" is fairly average, and the album's lowpoint, but "Dirty Day" has a great riff and nice, Unforgettable Fire-essie atmospheric work. The album also ends on a fantastic note with Johnny Cash taking the mic in a song about finding God and/or the meaning of life. It's a good ending, and sums up the album's theme.
Any problems here? Bono's voice is much more restrained and less passionate, but that suits the lyrics and the music better. Not every track is stellar, and the album doesn't reach the superb status of Achtung Baby, but it's still quite an underrated work by U2 fans, and one that deserves to be heard. Let's just hope U2 doesn't get lost in the electronics next time around.
