U2's Albums: #9

#9. Zooropa (1993)


Votes: 31

Highest Rank: 6th (3)

Lowest Rank: 11th (1)

I am willing to go on record as saying that Zooropa is U2's weirdest album, though I disagree that it should be ranked this low on the list. An extension of "Achtung Baby" in many ways, it was initially conceived as an EP the band was putting together during the Zoo TV tour that turned into an album of its own. I would offer that no album does a better job of allowing the listener to completey immerse himself in a specific mood than does Zooropa. Recorded during a time in the 90s that provided the world with ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, economic downturns in Western Europe and the rise of nationalism throughout the West, this album truly does bring to mind, as Rolling Stone said, "a fever-dream last waltz on the deck of the Titanic." By its 9th place ranking however, many of the panel disagree with my rosier painting of the album, and to an extent I can see their point.

Perhaps more than any other album, Zooropa is much greater than the sum of its parts. Except for "Stay (Faraway So Close)" there are no real great singles on this album, yet as a whole I believe that this record is much stronger than the individual links of the ten songs it contains.  From the first strains of the title track, the mood is quickly established and the confusion of the world is made apparent through its questioning yet spiritually muddy lyrics ("What do you want?") and meandering distortions. Though it's probably the best known song on the album, I happen to really dislike "Numb" and find it mind numbing to listen to, yet I appreciate the creativity that went into it. It sounds like nothing else on the radio and for that they should be commended. Of course, nothing sounds like hyenas on the radio (other than Avril Lavigne) and that wouldn't exactly be a plus.  In addition, the video where everyone tries to distract the Edge is damn entertaining.  "Stay(Faraway So Close)" is the overwhelming highlight of the record with some of Bono's most descriptive lyrics ("Dressed up like a car crash" conveys more detail than many complete songs have managed to get across) and nails the essential point of the album: that we are farther away and more disconnected from each other, and only God knows where that may lead us.

"Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car" explodes on the second half of the album and contains some of the freshest and most satisfying music the band has ever done. Yet despite the music experimentation and some of the most un-U2 like music the band has ever done, the spiritual undertones slowly reveal themselves through the tracks "For the First Time" and "The Wanderer." Both explore a feeling of hope that, while nearly destroyed, still exists. In the former, it is in the rejection of the easy way and to "enter by the back door" while in the latter the singer is searching, not knowing if there is even anything left to find...but hoping there just might be.

I have to mention Jack's criticism of "The Wanderer" though, because it's very true: "That ending screechy-squelch noise alarm thing still makes me mad when I have to go turn down the stereo to avoid it." Very unnecessary. Also, "Lemon" is just silly and "Babyface" could be sung by any band - nothing distinguishes it at all.