Unforgettable Fire, The - U2 > Reviews

Advantages: Epic stadium rock
Disadvantages: A couple of duff noodles

The Unforgettable Fire, released in 1984, was U2's fifth album in four years. This release followed: Boy October War Live Under A Blood Red Sky. In all they've released 12 albums (13 if you include the limited edition import Wide Awake In America and 14 if you count the contributions to the Million Dollar Hotel film soundtrack). Until the release of this album, vocalist Bono (real name Paul Hewson), guitarist The Edge (David Evans), bassist ... Read review

Advantages: Beautiful 'soundscapes', lyrics tackle serious issues such as war atrocities and heroin abuse
Disadvantages: Overly reflective, not much FUN.

...the year U2 released "The Unforgettable Fire." After the heady success of "War," the band wasted no time rushing back to the studio to begin work on a follow-up, but it wouldn't just be business as usual. After the release of the live album "Under a Blood Red Sky," the band wanted to recoup and find a new sound and direction instead of simply relying on the soapbox anthems it worried would become its stereotype. This was helped in no small measure ... Read review

Advantages: U2's self-professed first backslidden LP
Disadvantages: quite incoherent at times (even backwards)

...my review... U2's fifth album THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE released in 1984 marks the continuity of the band from where they took off that previous year with their first breakthrough album WAR, an album that continued its four members as a band unit - whilst on the other hand excommunicating them from the church where which they are affiliated with. It's not only until this album that the band claimed of themselves as a "backslidden" christian band ... Read review