Dark, flippant, introspective, and anything but formulaic, this album is worth a closer look
When it comes to popular music, there are a variety of things that come to mind. Several people embrace pop stars such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Usher, Beyonce Knowles, Justin Bieber, Adele and Drake. Others might embrace bands like the pop-rock outfit Maroon 5, longtime funk-rockers Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the anthem pop band Coldplay, or elder statesmen like The Rolling Stones.
And then there is U2. The Irish rock band from Dublin has been around since 1976, and they’re still going strong as men in their early sixties. While they shot to prominence in the early 1980s, the group proved to be a live draw in concert and a strong presence on radio. Their third album, War, launched them as anti-war activists and brought them to wider fame in America. By the time of their fifth album The Joshua Tree, U2 had become the most popular band in the world and the recipient of many accolades. However, over the years, the group has had many high points, some low points, and a few moments in between.
Which brings us to Zooropa.
Back in the early 1990s, U2 was in the middle of a massive career resurgence. Having tired of pacifism and anthem rock, the band sought to reinvent themselves and ventured into alternative rock, industrial rock, and alternative dance music. The result was Achtung Baby, an album that was described as “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree.” U2 then embarked on the legendary Zoo TV Tour to promote their new sound and self-deprecating image. Amid the Zoo TV era, they decided to make a new album to reflect how live touring had affected them. That was their eighth record, Zooropa, which was released in the middle of the tour.
The album celebrates its 30th birthday this year, but U2 has done nothing to celebrate this milestone. Indeed, Zooropa is often overlooked by fans, and even the band themselves regard it as being a lesser work. Commercially, it sold very well worldwide, received positive reviews from critics, and even won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. Yet it doesn’t get a lot of focus in comparison to War, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, or How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
Zooropa is an alternative, experimental album by its standards. The record is eclectic in that it has a variety of sounds that don’t exactly bring U2 to mind. It is edgy in looking at darker, more introspective themes such as the uncertainty of a fragile European Union, senses being dulled due to information overload, the perils of addiction, and the power of memory. It also
examines the dangers of obsession, how technology can have a negative influence on individuals (very very true), and the uncertainty of the world in which we live.
The titular “Zooropa” song is quite a track to behold. For nearly two minutes, the only sounds are a sustained synthesizer, a cacophony of muttered advertisements, and a somber piano melody. Suddenly, the Edge’s guitar cuts through and leads the track into a futuristic-sounding dystopia. Bono’s vocals are both flippant and ironic (“Be all that you can be”, “Be a winner”, “Eat to get slimmer”) in a parody of advertising slogans. However, by the song’s second half, he grapples with the changing world (“I have no compass, and I have no map”) and how to move forward (“Uncertainty can be a guiding light”). Why it wasn’t released as a single in the US is a mystery, because it epitomizes U2 at their creative, energetic peak.
“Babyface” is a more subdued, sinister tune in its depiction of a man obsessed with celebrities on television. A toy piano’s soft melody is heard throughout the track, and Edge’s guitar is present in an intense, piercing riff. “Numb” is even more of a departure from the U2 sound by having Edge rap monotone verses starting with “Don’t” instructions over hip-hop beats and guitar. The track is about being overloaded with information, hence the name of the song. Bono provides a haunting falsetto, and drummer Larry Mullen Junior gives his first backing vocals with a repeated “I feel numb” chorus. It is almost as if the band contemplated venturing into alternative hip-hop or rap-rock on this track.
“Lemon” is an alternative dance number that sounds like one has walked into a discotheque or nightclub. With Bono’s heartfelt vocals, it explores the power of technology in capturing memories and images for people to enjoy. The song was written about Bono’s late mother, whose image is described as being of her wearing a lemon dress. “Stay (Faraway So Close)” is a somber alternative rocker about living in a toxic atmosphere and having nowhere to go but back home. The quiet, detached melody and Bono sharing harmonies on the chorus with Edge give it a downbeat, subdued feel.
“Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car” is a hard-hitting, offbeat rock tune that feels like a mixture of David Bowie’s “Always Crashing In The Same Car” and the music of Talking Heads. The intro starts with a sampled selection from a Russian orchestra before jumping into Mullen’s drumbeats. Bassist Adam Clayton has several memorable baselines on many of the songs, but he shines front and center on this one. Another solid song where his bass-playing stands out is “Some Days Are Better Than Others”, which feels like a funk-rock tune of the 1970s.
The album delves into ballad territory with “The First Time”, which is a sad, heartfelt take on the Prodigal Son storyline. Bono’s delivery of the lyrics is quite poignant and even mournful at times. Next, U2 dives back into alternative rock with “Dirty Day”, which is chock full of malapropisms and one-liners that Bono’s late father allegedly came up with (“I don’t know you, but you don’t know the half of it” and “No blood is thicker than ink”). Its low-key energy, soft drumming, and subtle baselines pick up as the chorus kicks in, which leads to a more rapid tone. Finally, the album closes with “The Wanderer”, a country-rock song with Johnny Cash delivering
lead vocals about trying to make one’s way in an uncertain world. Curiously, Edge provides the backing vocals, while Bono only contributes a howl. As the record comes to a close, a “dead air” alarm rings for thirty seconds; it is almost as if the listener is being trolled.
So why has U2 not given Zooropa its due or more recognition? If the album was commercially and critically praised, surely it deserves to be acknowledged on its own merits as a brilliant record. What impressed fans and critics was U2’s fearlessness in not being afraid to experiment and embrace new sounds. However, it doesn’t appear to be widely acknowledged or appreciated by today’s music listeners, whether they’re U2 fans or not.
Part of the reason is that Zooropa was not as strong as some band members would have liked it to be. The Edge admitted the album feels “more of an interlude” for the band than its era, but he described it as “by far, our most interesting.” What’s more, the record was originally intended as an Extended Play record before U2 turned it into a full album. Bono himself felt Zooropa was a brilliant piece of art and “our Sergeant Pepper” at the time of its release, referencing the Beatles’ magnum opus. However, unlike Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Zooropa did not have any hit songs that people sing along with, dance to in the clubs, or while listening to the radio. Sure, “Stay” became a hit in the UK and Europe, but the other three singles (“Numb” and “Lemon”) did not chart well in the United States or elsewhere. Funnily enough, Clayton likes the album and cites it as one of his favourite records.
Another factor is that the album does not feel like a U2 record. Whereas other band albums feature Edge’s signature guitar, Zooropa has more experimental work along the lines of German electronic band Kraftwerk or the rock group Nine Inch Nails In the band’s autobiography U2 by U2, Edge confesses that some of the Zooropa songs are “not potent enough.” He also revealed the band only works on songs they feel connected to rather than doing something for the sake of sounding different. Perhaps this is the reason why U2 views the album as being one of their lesser works.
In subsequent years, U2 did not speak much about Zooropa or play its songs in live performances. Their next album, Pop, tried to embrace club sounds and electronic dance music to further develop their artistry, but the final product drew mixed results. After a commercially successful but critically-mixed concert tour called Popmart, the band decided to go back to basics and returned to their classic stadium/anthem rock sound.
Lately, however, the band has shown Zooropa some love. “Stay” became a recurring song on the Elevation Tour, and it has appeared on various tours ever since. During the Vertigo Tour, Bono debuted “The First Time” live onstage, and it became a recurring fixture in the setlist. On the 360 and Innocence and Experience Tours, “Zooropa” was sung by Bono as a reference to the structural changes happening within the European Union. What’s more, “Dirty Day” was performed a few times on the Experience and Innocence Tour, and “D Even “The Wanderer” made a few concert appearances in 2005 and 2011, respectively. However, there has been no
resurrection of “Babyface”, “Numb”, or “Lemon”. To date, “Some Days Are Better Than Others” is the only Zooropa album track that has never been played live.
So perhaps there is hope that U2 will dust off Zooropa someday. They’re currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Zoo TV Tour with a concert residency in Las Vegas. Perhaps the band will do something similar or even an official anniversary tour to give Zooropa its due. If U2 could “dream it all up again”, this album deserves to be recognized for the brilliant work it is.
