39. POP by U2

Though much maligned when it was released, this 1997 U2 record is actually my favorite. The band was rushed in completing the album as their manager had already committed them to a huge worldwide tour in support of it. Consequently, many of the songs were not completely fleshed out in a way that was satisfactory to the band. In fact, in later years, U2 ended up re-recording and remixing 6 of the 12 songs for either single or compilation releases. So, unfortunately, the only way to get a real sense of the way U2 intended for the album to sound is to seek out these 6 single/remixed versions and combine those with the remainder of the unchanged tracks to recreate the fully realized album. Here’s what to look for (either on streaming platforms or YouTube):  the single versions of ‘If God Will Send His Angels,’ ‘Last Night on Earth’ and ‘Please;’ and, the Mike Hedges mixes of ‘Discotheque,’ ‘Gone’ and ‘Staring at the Sun.’