Waller Reviews:
Written by UnhitchedWildhorsey for U2 Graffiti Wall: My Favorite Songs= 'Lemon', 'Stay', 'Dirty Day' and 'The Wanderer'.
The Zoo Baby's Baby. Obscure, experimental, mismash, quirky fun. Fun that masks the serious tones that are a constant in the lyrical content that is U2. A successful musical trip to the future. Listening was at once like a brand new friend and a very old one coming together. The expansion of Achtung Baby and ZooTV.
This album is a tour experience album. It is the barage of technolgy in the early 1990's put to song. It is a continuum of the over-the-top spectacle that was the ZooTV Tour. Just like the opening confusion of ZooTV; the opening song on this album- 'Zooropa', begins and builds in voluume a head spinning, illogical mix of traditional instrumentals(piano) and space age sounds. It is like the old U2 was morphing and contorting to cope and fit in somewhere in the new mainstream music scene. They weren't going to be that big 80's band that had their day and then faded away to oblivion. In a media world that cried out for more, more, more...U2 rose up to the challenge. They heard the cry. In fact they not only heard it, but they used it and bent it to suit their needs. If more was what the MTV generation sought; then U2 were going to give it to them...in spades. But, not just vacant noise and great to look at graphics. No. Not just big honking video screens and flashy costumes. Nope. They also gave messages and politics, religion and analogies of life. All of this was classic U2 wrapped up in a shiny new box. Zooropa(like ZooTV) is a deceiving little devil. You are so enchanted by the sounds that sometimes the full meaning/agenda goes over your head. This is because of that mesmerizing wall of sound. That is one of the most stand out traits of this particular album to me. The sound absolutely fills up a room at once. It is hypnotic and so rich...so big it is hard to believe it is just the guys in U2. Masterful. Simply masterful sound exhibited here. But, the lyrics are there also. If you listen you will catch some dark tales and warnings of excess living ('Zooropa',"Numb','Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'). You will hear of religious conflict('The Wanderer') and pained family relationships(' Dirty Day'). You will learn of unconditional love ...that of God, parents, a spouse, and friends('Lemon', 'The First Time'). It is all here as before with U2, but presented in a whole new way. With Zooropa, U2 forged on in new directions they had to take in order to stay alive, fresh; and on their quest to be relavent to the times and make cutting edge music. U2 didn't want to be the same band looking the same way and playing the same way; like a needle that got stuck in the records groove. So they skipped that stuck needle and replaced it with one that played a whole new tune....but on the same old system.
Personal note time now: What stands out to me about Zooropa (other than my aforementioned favorite songs) is the genuine surprise it was. That doesn't happen anymore thanks to the internet; but in 1993 it still could. I will recall this album forever now as the last time I had no real notice that the biggest band around, had a new album out. I remember the pure joy of walking into a mall in Florida while I was there visiting my Grandma, and seeing posters lining the windows of the record store for Zooropa --which would be out the next week. It was so exciting to me. I absolutely loved Achtung Baby and had seen ZooTV live...so to have another album to listen to this fast was fantastic. I still had the ZOO Fever and I will always remember the anticipation of Zooropa. Zooropa was a quick little surprise. A pleasant one.
Zooropa---That Achtung Baby which was born and came from U2's creativity screaming and bawling with new life---becoming its own little person.
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
