Zooropa – U2 ★★½

Year	Album	Artist	Stars	Score	Genre
1993	Zooropa	U2	★★½	55	Rock	Alternative Rock

To call Zooropa a misstep for U2 would be unfair. It would be tough for any album to match the success and status of Achtung Baby or Joshua Tree; anything coming after was sure to mildly disappoint, at a minimum. 

U2 had to evolve a little as a band, and the introduction of more synthetic sounds on Zooropa was a good way to ease fans into the vision the band had for the more abstract and electronic albums to come later that decade, before they returned to anthemic pop rock in the early 2000s. 

The album itself actually does sound like a cohesive work, so Zooropa’s problem isn’t the modified style as much as its inconsistency in the quality and execution. As a result, we get a combination of these really ambitious, over-the-top, kind of interesting but weird songs, mixed with these safe, sometimes uninspired alternative rock tracks. Some of them are really enjoyable and others quite forgettable. 

The opening track of the album is one of the more interestingly structured tracks in the band’s catalog, and does set you up for what’s to come later. U2 packs three distinct song sections —  each with their own style and tempo — into a 6 and a half minute track, starting with a slow, ambient, instrumental Brian Eno-influenced atmosphere setter, then a smooth, underwater sounding section where Bono singing in a zen, almost meditative way and finally, a quick outro that matches the energy of  Achtung Baby’s best rockers.  

“Lemon” — a looped electronic dance number with crazy falsetto performance by Bono and backing vocals by the Edge that juxtapose one another — is one of my favorite U2 tracks. The song starts building right away, and gets more and more detailed and beautiful as the synths surround you. It’s a song that feels like it could go on forever and build endlessly. No, it doesn’t sound like typical U2, and I love it. 

For ballads, “Stay” and “The First Time” are simple, but some of U2s most touching. They’ve got a conventional, radio sound, but the subtle instrumentation of soft guitar and backing synths just works. 

The rest of the record though doesn’t really grab me. Babyface,” “Dirty Day” and “Some Days Are Better than Others” are forgettable mid tempo tracks that have a bit of a groove to them and sound like Achtung Baby B-sides reworked with 1990s electronic sound effects. “Numb” — an awkward and lethargic, spoken word track with The Edge rapping lead vocals over a fuzzy, electric guitar loop —  is just a miss for me. Even if the production and harmonies build at the end, it feels like a song that’s intentionally weird but unintentionally uninteresting. I get that the song is called “Numb” a reason, but lethargic doesn’t usually lead to a hit.

“The Wanderer” is a fine song featuring Johnny Cash on vocals, but doesn’t really sound like U2 or classic Cash. It’s a nice tribute and moment, but one that would have been better as a rough single or B-side instead of as the album’s closing note.  

“Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car” is kind of fun and different, and I dig the sound effects, but lyrically it’s nothing special, and the synthetic backing track does the heavy lifting instead of any of the performance. 

Overall, Zooropa may have been essential for the band’s growth and has contributed good moments at concerts, but it’s one of U2’s least essential projects to dive deep into and is probably my least favorite of their works up until the band was way past their prime. But, it’s worth exploring the innovation and tenderness on the best tracks.