Unforgettable Fire, The - U2

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** ... 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 ...
...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 ... Read review

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 ... Read review

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 ... Read review

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'. ... Read review

Advantages: the singles, past present and future.
Disadvantages: the slower tracks - mediocre I'm afraid

...Coldplay have undergone quite a lot of stick for being nothing more than a younger Travis. Having heard Parachutes its clear they are a better band, with a better songwriter. They are capable of tackling melancholy issues, in the same way that Travis do, but, unlike their peers, they don't sound dull or dreary. Opener 'Don't Panic' is beautiful, reminiscent of 'Unforgettable Fire' era U2 - its only downfall is that it's too short. Former single 'Shiver' is the closest thing Coldplay get to urgency, but that's not the raison d'etre of 'Parachutes' - it's a primarily downtempo album, but I feel that that lets them down - especially considering how great 'Shiver' is.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average off topic

Advantages: 80s revivalists, great tunes
Disadvantages: None, for a change

...THESE ------------------------------------------- Ultravox: The Collection (1985) Joy Division: Permanent (1995) New Order: Power Corruption & Lies (1983) Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (2004) Interpol: Antics (2004) U2: The Unforgettable Fire (1984) Hot Hot Heat: Bandages single (2002) IN A NUTSHELL ----------------------- The sounds of synth drenched 1982 in 2004 with Duran Duran, Blancmange and U2 driving the bus while Gary Numan fights with Joy Division on the top deck! Thanks for reading.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Brill band, outstanding music...
Disadvantages: none...........

...U2's best of is probably the most well put together greatest hits album I've ever seen. It picks songs from every era they're focusing on, and perhaps more mportantly puts them in the right order. Being a huge U2 fan anyway, I ran out and bought this as soon as it came out, wanting to get the limited edition. I brought it home, and ran through the A-Side disk. The main attraction of the disk, however, is the b-sides compilation that was supposed to only be available in this limited edition. It contains 15 songs that had previously only appeared on singles over the 1980s, and is actually a better reason to buy the disk. First though, a bit about disk 1. The first disk starts off with "Pride (In the Name of Love)" from The Unforgettable Fire, which of course was the song that rocketed U2 to superstardom at Live Aid in 1985... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful