//SALU2 Podcast #125:
U2: Native Son, Peace on Earth, When I Look at the World, Gloria, I Fall Down, Twilight, Stories for Boys, Tomorrow, Stranger in a Strange Land, Sunday Bloody Sunday (Pillar Tribute), CLIP Q 104.3 U2 MARATHON, news. Others: SKAPULARIO, Kiss, Metallica, Def Leppard, QüeensrŸche, ACDC.

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"POP"

U2's ninth studio album was released worldwide in March 1997. The whole album marked another change in musical direction for U2 with emphasis on a heavier production using tape loops, programming and sampling, leading to accusations of U2 having gone "techno" or "jungle". Critically, the album received mainly favorable reviews.  Some fans were not so convinced though sales were not as high as for some of the earlier albums.   It entered the UK, US and many other charts at number 1, though in several countries its time in the charts was limited.

Tracklisting: Lyrics
1. Discothèque (5:19)
2. Do you feel loved? (5:07)
3. Mofo (5:49)
4. If God will send his angels (5:22)
5. Staring at the sun (4:36)
6. Last night on earth (4:45)
7. Gone (4:26)
8. Miami (4:52)
9. The Playboy mansion (4:40)
10. If you wear that velvet dress (5:15)
11. Please (5:02)
12. Wake up dead man (4:52)
13. Holy Joe (Guilty mix) [Only in Japan] *track length unknown
Source: U2: The Complete Songs (Wise Publications, London, UK, 1999)

Release Date: March 3, 1997

Singles: "Discothèque" (February 3, 1997)
               b-side: "Holy Joe"

              "Staring at the Sun" (April 7, 1997)
               b-side: "North and South of the River", "Your Blue Room"

              "Last Night on Earth" (July 21, 1997)
               b-side: "Pop Muzik", "Happiness is a Warm Gun"

              "Please"  (September 22, 1997)
               b-side: "Dirty Day (Junk Day mix)", "Dirty Day(Bitter Kiss Mix)", "I'm not your baby"

              "If God Will Send His Angels" (December 8, 1997)
               b-side: "Slow Dancing", "Two shots of happy, one shot of sad", "Sunday Bloody Sunday (Live from Sarajevo)"

              "Mofo" (December 8, 1997)
               b-side: "Mofo (Phunk Phorce Mix)/(Mother's Mix)", "If God will send his angels (The Grand Jury Mix)"

Producers:   Flood, Howie B. and Steve Osborne

Comments:
"Pop" showcases U2 with a new musical style based on influences from dance/disco music from the 1990s.  The reaction from fans was divided but the album sales and "Pop Mart Tour" were successful.  The band had to delay the release of "Pop" for a period of six months due to a arm injury Larry suffered prior to the beginning of the tour.

On the cover of "Pop" if you look at one of  Larry's eyes you may be able to see the silhouette of the Playboy bunny icon. "Playboy" alerted the cover designer's about the similarity and they responded that they had not been aware of it.  In the end no legal actions were taken.