...
The Unforgettable Fire is my favourite album by U2, and was released in 1984. Over the following years I moved away a little from U2, returning again in recent years, but 'The Unforgettable Fire' stayed with me throughout. Moving away from Steve Lillywhite, the album was produced by Brian ... Read review
An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of albums, ... more
The Unforgettable Fire is its first with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. And while they take a strong hand in wrestling U2's music out of the...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of albums, ... more
The Unforgettable Fire is its first with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. And while they take a strong hand in wrestling U2's music out of the mainstream and into a more individualistic area, it's the songs themselves that demand a more subtle approach. Moody gems such as "A Sort of Homecoming" and the entrancing "Bad" set the table for more explosive fare such as "Pride", "Wire" and the title track. This is the album that made U2 a career act, showing that their music could grow by leaps and bounds, even at the hand of another, without sacrificing its soul. --Daniel Durchholz
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of ... more
albums,The Unforgettable Fireis its first with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. And while they take a strong hand in wrestling U2's music out of the mainstream and into a more individualistic area, it's the songs themselves that demand a more subtle approach. Moody gems such as "A Sort of Homecoming" and the entrancing "Bad" set the table for more explosive fare such as "Pride", "Wire" and the title track. This is the album that made U2 a career act, showing that their music could grow by leaps and bounds, even at the hand of another, without sacrificing its soul.--Daniel Durchholz
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of albums, ... more
The Unforgettable Fire is its first with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. And while they take a strong hand in wrestling U2's music out of the mainstream and into a more individualistic area, it's the songs themselves that demand a more subtle approach. Moody gems such as "A Sort of Homecoming" and the entrancing "Bad" set the table for more explosive fare such as "Pride", "Wire" and the title track. This is the album that made U2 a career act, showing that their music could grow by leaps and bounds, even at the hand of another, without sacrificing its soul. --Daniel Durchholz
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of ... more
albums,The Unforgettable Fireis its first with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. And while they take a strong hand in wrestling U2's music out of the mainstream and into a more individualistic area, it's the songs themselves that demand a more subtle approach. Moody gems such as "A Sort of Homecoming" and the entrancing "Bad" set the table for more explosive fare such as "Pride", "Wire" and the title track. This is the album that made U2 a career act, showing that their music could grow by leaps and bounds, even at the hand of another, without sacrificing its soul.--Daniel Durchholz
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of ... more
albums,The Unforgettable Fireis its first with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. And while they take a strong hand in wrestling U2's music out of the mainstream and into a more individualistic area, it's the songs themselves that demand a more subtle approach. Moody gems such as "A Sort of Homecoming" and the entrancing "Bad" set the table for more explosive fare such as "Pride", "Wire" and the title track. This is the album that made U2 a career act, showing that their music could grow by leaps and bounds, even at the hand of another, without sacrificing its soul.--Daniel Durchholz
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The Unforgettable Fire is my favourite album by U2, and was released in 1984. Over the following years I moved away a little from U2, returning again in recent years, but 'The Unforgettable Fire' stayed with me throughout. Moving away from Steve Lillywhite, the album was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.
The album saw a slight change in direction for the band, though it was still unmistakenly ... ...recording went ahead, and The Unforgettable Fire was released in October 1984.
The cover I feel is quite fitting to the whole mood of the album, and this is one of the things I miss about vinyl albums these days - the covers! Yes you get a small, scaled down version on CD's, but they will never replace or have quite the same effect as an album cover could have on you!
The front cover features Moydrum Castle, under ... more
U2 are a band I have liked for many years since New Years Day first appeared in the singles chart in the early 80's, although the band actually formed back in 1976!
The Band :-
Bono - vocals Larry Mullen Jnr - Drums Adam Clayton - Bass The Edge - Guitar & vocals
Over 30 years later, and while many people dislike Bono these days, there is no denying that U2 are still one of the top bands in the world today, currently on tour playing to sell-out stadiums worldwide.
The Unforgettable Fire is my favourite album by U2, and was released in 1984. Over the following years I moved away a little from U2, returning again in recent years, but 'The Unforgettable Fire' stayed with me throughout. Moving away from Steve Lillywhite, the album was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.
The album saw a slight change in direction for the band, though it was still unmistakenly U2, with the familiar guitar sound courtesy of The Edge, the tracks had more of what I would describe as a 'haunting' feel about them. 'Ambient' is a word often used to describe this album, which was largely down to the Eno influence.
The band were looking to create a more serious album, but their record company boss at the time tried to dissuade the band from involving Brian Eno, believing that he would 'bury them under a layer of avant-garde nonsense'. The band were undeterred, recording went ahead, and The Unforgettable Fire was released in October 1984.
The cover I feel is quite fitting to the whole mood of the album, and this is one of the things I miss about vinyl albums these days - the covers! Yes you get a small, scaled down version on CD's, but they will never replace or have quite the same effect as an album cover could have on you!
The front cover features Moydrum Castle, under a dark and grey sky. The back of the vinyl album cover featured another shot of the castle, the track listing and the lyrics to 'A Sort of Homecoming' in the centre. The album was named after an art exhibition at the Peace Museum in Chicago, by survivors of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
The tracks :-
1. A Sort Of Homecoming 2. Pride (In The Name Of Love) 3. Wire 4. The Unforgettable Fire 5. Promendade 6. 4th of July 7. Bad 8. Indian Summer Sky 9. Elvis Presley and America 10. MLK
I remember the first time I listened to this album, the first four tracks really drew me in. Each one a 'big' track and I remember thinking this was the best album I had heard for quite a while.
My favourite track on the album, and also my favourite all-time U2 song, is the title track 'The Unforgettable Fire' . It was released as the second single from the album, reaching a top 10 position in the UK charts. From its intro - a haunting twang of guitar, and ambient strings, the drums come in and the song slowly builds. Described as having a heartfelt sense of yearning, this is a brilliant track which I fell in love with upon first listen, for its moving music and lyrics :- "So sad to besiege your love so head on Stay in this time, stay in this lie I'm only asking but I think you know Come on take me home again..."
My second favourite track is 'A Sort Of Homecoming' the opening track on the album. If you like 'With Or Without You' then you surely will like A Sort Of Homecoming, as its up there with the best of U2 in my opinion. Featuring an emotive vocal delivery from Bono and a steady rhythm throughout, the song also has stirring, strong lyrics:- "The wind will crack in winter time This bomb blast lightning waltz No spoken words, just a scream..." From the first line of this song, the lyrics build until the last, when Bono raises his vocals to a passionate cry " For tonight at last I am coming home"
Pride (In The Name Of Love) is probably the track everyone will recognise on this album. It was the first single release from the album and reached the top 5, at that point it was the band's biggest hit. Another strong, stirring anthem, which Noel Gallagher has said was one of the best songs of the 80's. The song was written as a tribute to Martin Luther King Jnr.
'Bad ' is another strong track on this album and a favourite of many fans. It is a song about Heroin addiction and described as an 'unfinished sketch' by Bono, as he tries to describe the rush and then the come down of heroin addiction.
'MLK' is another stand out track for me on this album . An elegy also to Martin Luther King Jnr, it is an almost dreamlike track, whist 4th of July is an instrumental which started out with Eno recording Adam Clayton playing bass, and Clayton unaware he was being recorded. The Edge had joined in, also unaware of the recording. Eno worked his magic, and played it back to the band, and that was the song finished.
'Promenade' is also worthy of being cited as a great track on this album, whilst 'Wire' and 'Indian Summer Sky' see the band back to their post punk- type songs, which balance the album out nicely. If there is a weak track on this album then it has to be 'Elvis Presley and America' in my opinion. A track which I would describe as more of a b-side than an album track, although I have friends who disagree with me on this!
Overall, 'The Unforgettable Fire' for me, is U2 at their best. If you like U2 but have not heard this album, then I would highly recommend you get your hands on a copy and catch up with all that you have missed!
The Unforgettable Fire is available from Amazon priced at £3.98 new and from £2.45 used.
Label : Island Records ASIN : B000001FA4
*Review also appears on Dooyoo under same username.
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 Adam ... ...Red Sky proves.
The Unforgettable Fire was their make or break album, then, and to be honest the anthemic rock of War is carried over to this album. In bursts. They employed ambient-inventor Brian Eno and alt-rock specialist Daniel Lanois to produce this album and their influence certainly shines through on the weird Elvis Presley And America and the instrumental meanderings of 4th Of July.
So what of the tracks? Well....
**1. A Sort Of Homecoming**
...
waynehorrigan 03.02.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Unforgettable Fire, The - U2
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 ... ...before the start of the Unforgettable Fire Tour, Bono was forced to go ahead with the lyrics already written, despite his adamant reserve the band found itself forced under the wire yet again.
The mixed reviews for U2's fourth album may have reflected that hurried strain at the end. In his review of "The Unforgettable Fire" for Rolling Stone Kurt Loder wrote, "This is not a 'bad' album, but neither is it the irrefutable beauty the band's fans anticipated ...
sallycinnamon78 22.05.2006 (23.05.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Unforgettable Fire, The - U2
Advantages: U2's self-professed first backslidden LP Disadvantages: quite incoherent at times (even backwards)
...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 - perhaps with ... ...Sort of Home Coming", "The UnForgettable Fire", "Bad" nope not the Michael Jackson tune heheh, and "Mlk")
There are parts in the album that'll totally freak you out -specifically the track "Elvis Presley & America".
Here goes my track by track comments as follows:
1) A SORT OF HOMECOMING Great groovy tune , reminiscent of their sophomore OCTOBER album days. From the start you really wouldn't get what the heck Bono's yapping about concerning this ...
CrutcHead 30.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Unforgettable Fire, The - U2
Advantages: Groundbreaking Songs and Sound Collaboration Disadvantages: None
The Unforgettable Fire was the first U2 studio album that I bought. The title refers to he blast produced by the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, probably the most destructive single acts of mass human destruction in history.
The album's cover gives a feeling of emptiness and desolation featuring the band looking very small against the backdrop of a huge ruined castle, again backdropped against an angry sky , bordered on the top and bottom by a ... ...gold lettering.
The feeling of emptiness and desolation is kept for the sound of the album , produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois who were kept on for the follow up "The Joshua Tree".
The album opens with "A Sort of Homecoming" a typical anthemic U2 rocker driven by The Edge's trademark double guitar sound. This is followed by the single form the album "Pride (In The Name of Love)", about the death of Martin Luther King. The lyrics may sound ...
mikeydred 22.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Unforgettable Fire, The - U2
Advantages: A classic '4 men in a room' album Disadvantages: I can't think of any...
The Unforgettable Fire was U2's follow up to Under A Blood Red Sky, A Live album recorded at Red Rocks. It was their 3rd studio album, and their first of many produced by Brian Eno. The first track of the album, 'A sort of Homecoming' sets the mood for the album, with Edge's clean cut guitar noises, a different choice of sound to his useual distorted sound on previous songs such as 'I Will Follow'. This album includes 2 of U2's most famous songs, ... ...King, and 'Bad', a song which echo's the effects of drugs. Both songs are 'crowd pleasers' and can get an audience of 100,000 people singing along with U2.
Without a doubt this is one of U2's best albums, and should be bought if you like the sounds on 'The Joshua Tree' and 'Rattle and Hum'. ...
TomHolt 14.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Unforgettable Fire, The - U2
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Advantages: Brilliant album - the band at their best Disadvantages: None
builds with moving lyrics.
Jim Kerr provides quite a haunting echoing vocal on this track, then add to this a great keyboard section, Charlie Burchill's jangling guitar and the pounding drums from Mel Gaynor, which are a large part of the sound on this album, and accompany the bassline so well.
The instrumental section in the middle of this track always sends a shiver down my spine, which I can only liken to the feeling I get whenever I listen to the brilliant 'UnforgettableFire' by U2!
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This album cam after U2's mega breakthroughs of "THe UnforgettableFire" and "The Joshua Tree". It was accompanied by a film that caused a lot of ill will as the band came across as pompous and pretentious.
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Advantages: the singles, past present and future. Disadvantages: the slower tracks - mediocre I'm afraid
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Product Information for "Unforgettable Fire, The - U2" »
Product details
Title
Unforgettable Fire, The
Performer
U2
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Alternative
Release Date
09/1996
Recomended Retail Price
8.99 GBP
Original Release Year
1984
Label / Distributor
Island / Universal Music
Engineer
Kevin Killen
Producer
Brian Eno; Daniel Lanois
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
42282289827
SPAR code
ADD
Additional notes
Album Notes
U2: The Edge (vocals, guitar, piano); Bono (vocals); Adam Clayton (bass); Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums). Recorded at Slade Castle Co., Meath, Ireland and Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland. The title of this album was taken from an exhibition of paintings by survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It confirmed U2 as one of a handful of bands able to tackle such vast and emotive subjects with dignity and musical integrity. There are few artists capable of writing about religion, war, race, the Irish problem and life with such ferocity and global commercial success. 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)', a hymn to Martin Luther King, was a worldwide hit, and almost every track is an anthem sung by millions. The production by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois was a taste of things to come.
Album Reviews
Q (10/96, p.189) - 5 Stars - Indispensable - "...the making of THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE witnessed the first signs of a remarkable chemistry between an artfully analytical producer and a peak-of-powers group....simply sounds timeless..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Sort Of Homecoming
2.
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
3.
4th Of July
4.
Wire
5.
Unforgettable Fire
6.
Promenade
7.
Indian Summer Sky
8.
MLK
9.
Elvis Presley And America
10.
MLK
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