POP (bare bones version)

Originally posted by dieder:U2 was very satisfied with the cover... I like it too. I think the new mixes of Gone and Discotheque are awesome. They mirror the way they were played on the Elevation tour. Wake Up Dead Man live is just a sort of a snippet, the album version is amazing with the drums and distortion. SATS is better on the POP album. It's a pity they didn't work out how to play Do You Feel Loved live... Last Night On Earth is awesome live but the album version is slightly better imo, except for the solo. Playboy Mansion is just a funny song and the single versions of If God will...., Please are better than the album versions. But overall it's a masterpiece... my second favourite after Zooropa.

Originally posted by anstratdubh1979:[..]
I highly recommend Steve Averill's "Stealing Hearts At A Travelling Show" book, available at:
http://www.four5one.ie/shop/

It shows artwork for all of the albums and singles but has many of the early outtakes of artwork too! You can see all the various things that POP was ALMOST called! (U2 Atomic, Godzilla, Discola - being a few of the almost titles for Pop). There is also t-shirts, tickets and tour book things that Steve has created for U2. Fun book and definitely worth the price.

Originally posted by anstratdubh1979:[..]

The silver hue of the Pop cover matches the sort of DJ culture they were going for. The different coloured photos match the Pop-Art trash aspect of what they were going for.

Did it succeed? I don't think so but others do. I think that album cover didn't help sales of the album and could have hurt it some.

I heard Steve Averill talking about the art for all of the albums during a presentation he gave at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland) in June 2003. His stories of the various artwork were fun, enlightening and at times - funny. About Pop, he said thier was a kerfluffle over the color for each member. The original mockup had Larry Mullen Jr. pink. Larry spoke up and said "I am NOT going to be pink!". Averill assured him that he would change it. But then someone else spoke up and said well can I be 'this' color instead of the one that I am?

I highly recommend Steve Averill's "Stealing Hearts At A Travelling Show" book, available at:
http://www.four5one.ie/shop/

It shows artwork for all of the albums and singles but has many of the early outtakes of artwork too! You can see all the various things that POP was ALMOST called! (U2 Atomic, Godzilla, Discola - being a few of the almost titles for Pop). There is also t-shirts, tickets and tour book things that Steve has created for U2. Fun book and definitely worth the price.

Originally posted by thefly07:[..]

great book. I quite like Novelty Act as a nice tongue-in-cheek title. but Pop is the best for sure

Originally posted by yeah:Isn't it great how opinions differ?

Originally posted by stj0691:it would be cool, especially since the main idea behind POP was hand played electro and whatnot. Strip it of its effects and see the genius that really makes this album special.