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  1. Pop is such such such a brilliant album. It's a shame that the tour was underwhelming in so many regards. But the album is up there with their best ones for sure. Actually, it's quite probably at 3rd place after the 2 masterpieces. The songwriting, the irony, the politics, the design, the attitude, even the "rushed" feeling. Everything in Pop is just perfect.
  2. PopMart has been "the 3rd Great rock n roll swindle"
    ....and who is enough "old" should Know which are the others two_O-
  3. They were at their coolest then... from Hold Me, Thrill Me to Passengers then the news coming through late 1996 of dates being pushed back and delays (no internet or forums then just NME and Q mag). Exciting stuff... queuing for tickets on Feb 97 before I had even heard the album.
  4. Originally posted by LikeASong:Pop is such such such a brilliant album. It's a shame that the tour was underwhelming in so many regards. But the album is up there with their best ones for sure. Actually, it's quite probably at 3rd place after the 2 masterpieces. The songwriting, the irony, the politics, the design, the attitude, even the "rushed" feeling. Everything in Pop is just perfect.
    Agree with all that. As for the tour, yes, it was somehow underwhelming at that time, but now, watching the Mexico DVD and those many bootleg DVDs that are around, I really enjoy it a lot and I think even the tour was in fact absolutely amazing. Shame it was not appreciated back then and shame, that the album is still not appreciated. By the band, that is.
  5. Originally posted by Happy24:[..]
    Agree with all that. As for the tour, yes, it was somehow underwhelming at that time, but now, watching the Mexico DVD and those many bootleg DVDs that are around, I really enjoy it a lot and I think even the tour was in fact absolutely amazing. Shame it was not appreciated back then and shame, that the album is still not appreciated. By the band, that is.
    I have to admit I remember feeling a bit disappointed after seeing my first Popmart show in NJ, but I think it was only because it was naturally being compared to what had come immediately before it, i.e. Zoo TV, and when you put it side by side with that, then it's hard for any show to measure up - I think that's why there was a lot of disappointment, and it was obvious Bono had damaged his voice quite badly, he really was struggling a lot, where it would all have been effortless for him on Zoo TV - probably down to the excesses of that tour and smoking and drinking in the downtime leading up to Popmart.

    But when it came to Europe I was loving the show and tour, it was spectacular, no Zoo TV, but spectacular and very enjoyable nonetheless. Popmart was a brilliant show in its own right, especially if you put Zoo TV out of your mind and pretend it never existed.
  6. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Wow, I've never seen that footage before

    Thanks!

    Damn the boys looked cool as heck back in those days eh? What happened when they went on tour?

    I actually don't like any of those versions compared to the final ones, but cool nonetheless.

    I've been listening to this album so much more lately. It's climbing the rankings quickly..
    Yeah I loved that whole vibe that they were going with there, laid back look and feel, the whole Cuba / Miami thing, personally I think they should have rolled with it bigtime.

    The songs on that promo are quite clearly roughs from 1996 so it's kinda hard to make too much of a judgement call, but again I like the vibe. I think it might have been at this point that some of the execs at Island / Polygram were getting a bit worried about U2's 'direction', hence the release delay and the album then becoming more of a typical U2 'heavy mutha of a record' rather than the much-touted envelope-pushing dance record it may have become.

    Maybe when the dust has settled we might get to hear an alternative mix of that album from 1996, though I'm not holding my breath. Don't get me wrong though, I loved and still love 'Pop', U2's creative energy was riding high at that time, I'm just greedy for more U2
  7. Originally posted by LikeASong:Pop is such such such a brilliant album. It's a shame that the tour was underwhelming in so many regards. But the album is up there with their best ones for sure. Actually, it's quite probably at 3rd place after the 2 masterpieces. The songwriting, the irony, the politics, the design, the attitude, even the "rushed" feeling. Everything in Pop is just perfect.
    Agreed on all accounts. I think Popmart could've been as good as ZooTV, they JUST missed the mark in terms of presenting the ideas in as much of a coherent and clever way. I think that's why it came across as "nah, they went too far and they're off their rockers". They knew what they were doing, just not many other people did (I think, anyway).

    Even now I have a little more difficulty explaining Pop and Popmart than I do Achtung Baby and ZooTV.

    All that being said, I think the Popmart stage (the structure itself, the images they showed on-screen, the lighting) is fuckin' beautiful. Just gorgeous to look at, STILL in 2017.
  8. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Wow, I've never seen that footage before

    Thanks!

    Damn the boys looked cool as heck back in those days eh? What happened when they went on tour?

    I actually don't like any of those versions compared to the final ones, but cool nonetheless.

    I've been listening to this album so much more lately. It's climbing the rankings quickly..


    Another one here....
  9. Originally posted by LikeASong:Pop is such such such a brilliant album. It's a shame that the tour was underwhelming in so many regards. But the album is up there with their best ones for sure. Actually, it's quite probably at 3rd place after the 2 masterpieces. The songwriting, the irony, the politics, the design, the attitude, even the "rushed" feeling. Everything in Pop is just perfect.
    agreed. #3 on my list as well. and it was my favorite tour also. it's a great record i still listen too, and the boots from the tour i still listen too also. i think the criticizm of the whole "pop era" is unwarranted. even though the band bought into the criticizm.
  10. Originally posted by thet1000:[..]
    agreed. #3 on my list as well. and it was my favorite tour also. it's a great record i still listen too, and the boots from the tour i still listen too also. i think the criticizm of the whole "pop era" is unwarranted. even though the band bought into the criticizm.
    It's weird, because they also acknowledged that pretty much everyone in the world "got it" except for America. I guess they care THAT much what the States think lol.
  11. Originally posted by LikeASong:Pop is such such such a brilliant album. It's a shame that the tour was underwhelming in so many regards. But the album is up there with their best ones for sure. Actually, it's quite probably at 3rd place after the 2 masterpieces. The songwriting, the irony, the politics, the design, the attitude, even the "rushed" feeling. Everything in Pop is just perfect.
    I agree the tour as a whole certainly was underwhelming or is widely regarded that way. However, I think eventually there was some amazing performances and the show itself became pretty amazing.
    A lot of the European dates did quite well crowd wise and seemed to bring out the best from them. The songs played from the album were done to a great standard too, again getting better with time. I'd also say the best shows from the Popmart tour live up to the best shows from other tours obviously depends on your view of the album they're touring as that will feature heavily but performance wise right up there.
  12. Originally posted by thefly108:[..]
    I would give an arm to hear a full version of the 1996 version of Mofo
    The minute or so available via YouTube is jaw-dropping.

    yeah, jaw dropping is right!!! holy crap.