This was actually one of the first U2 albums I bought after TJT and AB, and one of the first ones I dove into, back three years ago. Some of the first ones that stuck out to me were Velvet Dress, Playboy Mansion, Discotheque, SATS, IGWSHA for how different they were and also how accessible it was, in the case of IGWSHA and SATS.
The album seemed rather mythical to me before hand and diving into it was almost like going on an adventure, and it is in many ways but I feel like it's almost a necessary addition to U2's discography. You need Pop in order to get ATYCLB and Pop also connects that part of the discography with ATYCLB, Atomic Bomb, etc. to the '90s works & Pop also allows OS1 to fit into the discography since many of the slower moments in the Pop era, like Two Shots of Happy and Velvet Dress, wouldn't have happened as they did without OS1 (OS1 really broadened the band's horizons as well). As you listen to it more, the album makes sense in that way and also that there's more to the album than what you first hear. Bono's explanation of how it starts at a party and ends at a funeral is brilliant, and you have to think of it through the eyes of the character created and the journey he/she goes on from the party to the funeral-like setting.
Best songs have to be Mofo, Gone, and Staring at the Sun.
I love how much of a monster Mofo is live and I wish they would've done the studio recording just like that, structure, guitar work, and all. To me, it sounds like an existential crisis put to music but in a good way and in that context, some of the randomness of what Bono sings makes more sense.
Gone is the centerpiece of the album, describing someone who is disenchanted with society and wants to leave it all behind & just get away from it. The 747 effect is just glorious in both of these songs.
Staring at the Sun has one of the best arrangements of any song on the album imo. It's an interesting mix of acoustic, rock, and electronic that would fit in nicely if it was released today. I'm not a big fan off the updated mix but the Pop mix is just right and the song is full of good lyrics that deal with disenchantment with society and wanting to ignore it all but finding it hard to. Not only is the sound made for 2018, the lyrics are too, and I'm REALLY glad U2 brought it back for the US leg of the E+I Tour. It puts into perspective what the song is all about.
I used to really not like Miami, but after hearing comments of how the song perfectly describes Miami, lyrics and feel and all, I like it a bit more. It's a wild experiment and I applaud the band for doing it, but it's not something I'd listen to regularly like other tracks on here. WUDM is the same way. I understand its significance and like the sound but it's very dark and despair that I don't find myself regularly listening to it. Although, I couldn't imagine Pop without WUDM, so there's that, while I could imagine Pop without Miami. The one song I wish could've had better lyrics is TPM. I see so many people leaving out TPM for its dated references but the essence of the song is brilliant, trying to find a higher meaning in pop culture or something that isn't supposed to have a higher meaning and reaffirming your faith/spirituality. Comparing The Playboy Mansion to Heaven and making fun of society for doing such a thing is absolutely brilliant, but so many people overlook it and think that they were just aiming to throw in references to seem cool when it's just not true.
Discotheque ---> Gone and then The Playboy Mansion ---> WUDM would've been just the right tracklisting imo, but as it is, it's a brilliant piece of work by the band and one of their biggest risks they've ever taken, and I love it.
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