Pop added to BMG catalog

yohan ([email protected])
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 17:00:08 -0700 (PDT)

Strangely enough, BMG (yeah, yeah, a bunch of corporate nonsense, I know) is
now carrying Pop. I just got the recent BMG magazine mailing (OK, so I just
*might* be a member, alright?) which features U2 on the cover (odd-looking
picture) and a very kind and well-written review by the editor (well, I
guess he kind of *had* to write a good review, but it's a nice read in any
case), reprinted below:

                  --------------------------

Your Featured Selection: U2 Pop
by Alternative Editor Marc Cusa
BMG Music Service

What was it about U2's "Pop" that generated a 1998 Grammy nomination for
"Best Rock Album," critical accolades, and the noteworthy "Popmart" world
tour? The reason goes beyond the simple fact that it's U2. On their first
outing since 1993's "Zooropa," the alternative godfathers reinvented
themselves yet again. But this time, they deconstruct what you might expect
from them, while still keeping their sound as "U2" as ever. It's one of the
band's most accessible releases, but the album isn't actually pop -- it's
more of a hyper-intelligent twist on the state of pop.

It's apparent from the first snare hit of the rugged bass 'n' drums 'n'
guitar flag-waver Discotheque that U2 has been paying attention to what's
going on in the clubs. The break-beat-driven Mofo is a noisy acidhouse
groover that feels like it was yanked out of a London nightspot. And the
sinewy Gone is a trip-hop jam with an edge (or should I say a trip-hop jam
with The Edge?).

Don't let the idea of "techno" frighten you, because "Pop" is still very
much in the U2 tradition, full of big ideas and emotions, rock 'n' roll
anthems and anguish. Tunes like Staring at the Sun and the eerie If You Wear
That Velvet Dress are heavy with Bono's patented pathos. The Playboy Mansion
is a laid-back bluesy rumination on commercialism and its destruction of
society. And the romantic If God Will Send His Angels conjured up U2's
patented dramatic effect in the film "City of Angels."

U2 knew exactly what they were doing when they titled this album "Pop." But
that's just the kind of slanted world view that makes U2 so unpredictable,
and allows them to keep reinventing themselves with each new album.

                         --------------------

BMG also added Zooropa to its catalog very recently, which I thought was a
bit odd considering it's been five years since it was released. I'm not sure
how record companies (such as Island) and distributers (such as BMG) work
these things out, but I wonder if there was yet another big $ deal behind
this. Hmm...

yohan
http://u2exit.home.ml.org/

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