If someone was making posts like the ones above from saint in a thread about ATYCLB or HTDAAB there would be people having a right good moan as they are right now elsewhere in the forum about 'negativity/trashing stuff people love' etc....
As it happens I personally just see differing opinions as just that - differing opinions but it does seem that because u2 seem to dislike (for want of a better word) Pop that it gives people 'the right' to have a dig - a dig like people moan about when it is aimed at records that they like or that are 'u2 approved'....
It all smacks a little of double standards to me.
I believe I went out my way to emphasize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, I am seeing a lot of 'Why' questions. Why don't U2 ___________ when it comes to Pop? Why no special edition? Why no anniversary acknowledgment? Why not throw us a bone?
Because it was a massive failure in the United States. I am not speaking to or about the rest of the world. As far as the U.S. went, Pop and PopMart were failures, and I can't imagine U2 have many good memories of playing to stadiums that were 40 percent full in the United States on the heels of the record-breaking Joshua Tree and ZooTV tours.
PERSONALLY, I like Pop more than I do HTDAAB. But that's just me. I don't think I liked SOI as much as some people here did -- though I did like it. I adore No Line. Love that album. Love. It. But if U2 are still kicking when NLOTH turns 20 or 30, I'm not going to be clamoring for answers as to why they don't release a box set or tour behind it again. They had to drop half of the songs they were playing from it mid tour due to audience indifference, JUST LIKE ON POPMART. It didn't go over very well. Not every album is going to get its own starring role. I'm still miffed as all get out that Zooropa was treated like a red-headed stepchild and folded in with Achtung Baby. If they are going to treat Zooropa like that, what did y'all expect from Pop?
So again, please don't read my comments and think I am trashing Pop or PopMart. I am just telling you that you have to put yourselves in U2's position. We are the hardest of the hardcore fans. Of course we are going to think more favorably of Pop than the rest of the average U2 fans out there. I am just reminding y'all that outside of this tiny little community we have here, Pop was a disaster. The tour almost bankrupted the record label, remember? 40 percent sales at some shows. Songs that had to be aborted in the middle of shows. The worst rated broadcast TV show in the history of network television. Any of this ringing a bell for y'all? Because I bet I could name four guys who remember all too well. SNL jokes about their appearance. LMJ looking mortified during the Discotheque video. It goes on and on.
Do you think that's something U2 are eager to go back and re-live every night? 'Oh, let's play If God Will Send His Angels, a song we agonized over for four years before releasing on an album, only to release a different version as a single and still another to accompany the video because we never got it right. And that we had to drop from our setlists because we couldn't play it. Good times!'