Zooropa by U2

Pros: Most of the electronic tinkering and atypical songwriting pays off.
Cons: Uneven pacing, a few lyrical duds... and Johnny Cash? WTF???!!!

As I arrive at my next destination in my trip backwards through the U2 canon, I feel the need to state the obvious before dissecting Zooropa - this is definitely the weirdest thing you can ever expect to hear out of U2. At least, it is if ...

Pros: Writing that fits the music, Interesting instrumentals, Intriguing vocals, Endures over the years
Cons: None (a few repetitive lyrics)

There is something nice about returning to things after the hype. After all, especially in the music world, few things truly live up to the hype and promotion that is associated with it. One of my favorite examples would have to be the Oasis album "Be ...

Pros: some excellent pop songs, a nicely crafted album
Cons: Lemon is HIGHLY annoying, The Wanderer is out of place

Most everyone agrees that Irish rockers U2 are one of the greatest bands of all time. Most everyone also agrees that the band's two best albums without question are 1987's The Joshua Tree and 1991's Achtung Baby. And despite the pro ...

Pros: The first 5 songs.
Cons: The last 5 songs, minus The Wanderer which is a minor gem.

I've just decided to take it upon myself to go through each and every album by this here seldom-played indie band, U2, to familiarize you, the Epinions reader, with a fantastic group that seems to have slipped under pop-culture's radar for the ...

Pros: Great, diverse tracks
Cons: Short, very short

I’ll be the first person to admit that I love U2. I think that the band is brilliant; nearing the level of genius. That aside, this album is superb. Zooropa is a refreshing and welcome change from some of their earlier albums.
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Pros: Very much a vibe album.
Cons: Very much a vibe album.

Zooropa wasn't supposed to happen, was it? U2 had six weeks off from the Zoo TV tour, and they recorded an album? Kind of. Zooropa was originally just a side job, then a soundtrack without a movie, then something else, then an EP,...

Pros: A few good songs...
Cons: Even those few are more "interesting" than "good."

I love U2. This sometimes creates confusion with my wife, in those urgent whisperings of "I love you" and "I love you too." Sometimes we have to say "I love you back," to avoid the consternation of thinking, "what an inappropriate time to bring up his...

Pros: Parts of "Babyface," "Lemon," "Numb," and "The Wanderer" show promise.
Cons: Devoid of emotion, quality songwriting, and actual instrumentation.

A band as brilliant as U2 is, often, a paradox. Whereas lesser artists might need to mess around with different styles, they rarely have the financial resources to do so. Yet, U2, an utterly brilliant band, doesn't need to experiment and embrace new...

Pros: "Numb" is okay, as are "Babyface" and "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"
Cons: The rest of the disc is horrible; did Johnny Cash go back on the bottle?

Oh, where and how can one begin to describe this absolutely terrible album? Well, perhaps I should start out by mentioning that this thing doesn't sound a bit like a U2 album. The fun and creativity on such great albums as The Joshua Tree,...

Pros: Stay, Numb, and Lemon. That is absolutely, positively it.
Cons: The songs sound soulless, hastily written, and completely devoid of inspiration.

Hi, I’m Pyfr. And I’m here to beat up on your favorite band. Don’t feel bad, though- they’re the favorite band of everybody in Ireland as well, not to mention half of America. They sure as hell better be the most popular band in every country south of ...

Pros: "The Wanderer", "Stay Farway So Close"
Cons: "Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car"

If you listened to all the U2 albums but were unaware of their actual chronological order, you would still probably figure out that this one came between "Achtung Baby" and "Pop". This is where U2 really started losing their minds, trying to be...

Pros: When U2 challenge themselves, they really challenge themselves
Cons: A couple weak tracks, but not enough to bring down the album

"Achtung Baby" was a hard act to follow. The album was an amazing transition from the 80s into the 90s that proved U2 were still the best and biggest band in the world long after "The Joshua Tree." But as the 90s went on, U2 tried to find ways to ...

Pros: Funky and entertaining but...
Cons: Casual fans may be scared off

As with my reviews in the past, I will be doing a track by track breakdown of the U2 album Zooropa. Each song is rated on a scale of one to ten, ten being the best (i.e. 7/10) ZOOROPA After getting past the opening line of the song ("Versprung durch ...

Pros: There are some really good songs to be heard.
Cons: Only a few minor ones; see the review.

Let me start by saying that Zooropa is an album that takes time to grow on you, if you're not a fan of the techno/electronica/dance genre. However, I'm a big fan of the genre, so naturally, I loved it from the start. Zooropa Zooropa ...

Pros: Some fine lyrics, subtle tunes, daring experiments, and Johnny Cash
Cons: Not really that cohesive, but I don't see it as a negative.

U2 was the best mainstream rock group of the 1990s, although the term 'rock' might be fitting only in terms of their larger-than-life personalities and live shows. They always struck me as more of a soul group, albeit with heavier guitars and techno...