Zooropa
| U2
Zooropa
Zooropa is the eighth studio album by Irish rock band U2. Produced by Flood, Brian Eno, and The Edge, it was released on 5 July 1993 on Island Records. Inspired by the band's experiences on the Zoo TV Tour, Zooropa expanded on many of the tour's themes of technology and media oversaturation. The record was a continuation of the group's experimentation with alternative rock, electronic dance music, and electronic sound effects that began with their previous album, Achtung Baby, in 1991. --Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
The album’s true strength lies in capturing the sound of verities shattering, of things falling apart, that moment when exhilaration and fear are indistinguishable as the slide into the abyss begins.
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Spin
In 1993, one LP launched an era so problematic the band spent its entire next era apologizing for it...
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Vox
U2 decided to stop being U2 for a little while.
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Stereogum
It may never rise above a general estimation as a minor work in U2’s catalogue, but it’s important because it’s an example of a massively successful pop band taking some big chances, molding their sounds with all sorts of elements of the underground.
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AV Music
In a decade where U2 got weird, Zooropa was the band's weirdest effort - The band was afforded uncommon freedom to experiment, secure in the knowledge that it had enough momentum to transform itself into something else.
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BBC
Remarkably, once again, U2 had pulled it off.
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The Quietus
...the stadium bestriding rock band's eighth album is an often overlooked gem in their back catalogue
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All Music
...the best moments of Zooropa rank among U2's most inspired and rewarding music.
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Diffuser
It’s not U2’s greatest record, but it’s their most thrillingly experimental -- and, contrary to popular belief, it contains some of Bono’s most vivid songwriting.
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New Noise Magazine
...crammed with themes of technology and sensory overload, and that’s reflected not only in the lyrics, but the synth-heavy music itself. Though still a great album, Zooropa lacks both lasting singles and suffers from a bit from its rushed nature.
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Tiny Mix Tapes
While 1997’s Pop and 2001’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind had their moments, Zooropa was the last time that U2 justified their status as ostensibly the most popular band in the world.
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Entertainment Weekly
For an album that wasn’t meant to be an album, it’s quite an album.
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U Discover Music
U2 Explore New Soundscapes with ‘Zooropa’ The band’s 1993 release became the fastest record they’ve ever made.
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Monster Children
Despite how you might feel about them now, there was a time when U2 were the shit, and, for me, this record marks the end of that glorious epoch.
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The New York Times
A Raucous U2 Moves Farther Out on a Limb
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Backseat Mafia
U2 may have considered Zooropa to be a relatively disposable and throw-away album, but it’s also one of the best things one of the biggest bands in the world has ever done.
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The Online Reviews
Although Zooropa is often overlooked, it's an ambitious record that marks a crucial point in U2's evolution.
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Interference
It’s weird. It has its moments where the only question is ‘Why would they do that?’ Other moments leave hairs standing up on the back of your neck.
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Consequence of Sound
...while it may not have achieved the instant classic acclaim Achtung garnered, it's a record that stands on its own.
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Anti Music
...the strangest and yet one of the most accessible of U2 albums.
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People
By letting spontaneity rule, U2 has defeated its tendency toward heavily layered, sometimes mannered music. But some of these songs needed more planning and polishing.
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NZ Herald
It's interesting enough in its mood and sound, if not song-wise. But it's more perplexing than challenging, and sounds like the biggest band in the world having one of the biggest, strangest mid-life crises.
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Orlando Sentinel
Thanks to the production, Zooropa has its interesting moments - even though the songs are not very memorable.
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Robert Christgau
...when I'm feeling snippy the whole project seems a disastrously affected pastiche of relinquished principle.
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