The Unforgettable Fire

U2 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: UNIVERSAL
• ASIN: B000001FA4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (205 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,925 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

An appreciable leap forward in almost every fashion from the group's first trio of albums, 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

Product Description

CD format: featuring the remastered album

This special edition marks 25 years since the album's original release in October 1984. Recorded at Slane Castle, Ireland, The Unforgettable Fire was the first U2 album to be produced by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, and spawned two top 10 UK singles - "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" and "The Unforgettable Fire". --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite of U2, August 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unforgettable Fire (Audio CD)

This album is their least commercial of all, but the most artistic, in my view. The cascading drums of 'A Sort of Homcoming' begins the passionate journey, which is The Unforgettable Fire. It's interesting to hear the musical progression from 'Boy' to this record, in only 4 short years (I'm assuming that Eno and Lanois' influence had a big part in that evolution). 'Pride' is the only departure on an album that cares more about taking you on a passionate journey, than feeding you songs with a hooky chorus. Some of my favorites include, ' A Sort of Homecoming', a great opening force of raw passion and spirit, 'Wire', which reminds me of some the music of today, although with more depth and focus, 'The Unforgettable Fire', with its haunting guitar overlaying and strong supporting string arrangement, 'Prominade', for it's beautiful story of falling in love in a seaside town and it's poetic lyrics, and of course, 'Bad', which is a fantastic build type song that reaches a pinnacle of emotional passion.

I love every song on this album, including Elvis Presely and America, and everytime I hear the opening of Edge's guitar on 'Pride', it reminds of of that fall of 1984 when the airways were filled with Cindy Lauper, Madonna, hair bands, and a host of New Wave synth [stuff] and remembering that great guitar work just blowing me away. For a 20 year old who wanted something raw, yet powerful, that was music to my ears and thank God U2 was there to keep mainstream rock honest and back on course.

'Joshua Tree' and 'Achtung Baby!' may have a better collection of pop tunes, but when I want to hear U2 at their artistic pinnacle I always put in Unforgettable. This record is timeless and it still stands up today.

I'm somewhat looking forward to U2's next, which should be coming out late this year, but I'm not expecting anything to match what was done from '84-'91. I just hope they continue to be as passionate as ever, regardless of what Henry Rollins says about them. (...)

36 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars U2 arrives as an arena rock powerhouse, November 11, 2004

By 

Jack Fitzgerald "JFD" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Unforgettable Fire (Audio CD)

The 1985 release of "Unforgettable Fire" vaulted U2 into heavy video rotation and arena rock. With the production team of Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois at the helm, the group's sound shaped with new keyboard textures and lots of layering of The Edge's guitars. Some might say the disk was over-produced. We also get Bono's trademark emotive breathing on several tracks.

I wavered between giving this 4 or 5 stars, so 4.5 might be the best assessment. The primary reason most people got this album was for the mega-popular anthem "Pride (In the Name of Love)" with its Christ imagery ("one man betrayed with a kiss...") and Martin Luther King, Jr. theme ("early morning, April 4, shot rings out...") and memorable guitar melody. Great vocal performance by Bono and backing by The Edge (oh-oh-oh-oh). An instant classic.
"Pride" aside, this disk has a number of excellent tracks. One of my all-time favorites is "A Sort of Homecoming" and I especially like the lyric "faces ploughed like fields that once gave no resistance." There's a strong Ireland theme here, and this is a great leadoff song. One drawback is that I think the mix is a little muddy.
"Wire" is a high energy piece with a chunky bassline, great drums, and very cool guitars.
"The Unforgettable Fire" really brings out the guitar atmospherics, along with a string section, and another powerful vocal from Bono.
"Promenade" is not a bad song, but it's really a sound-alike to many of the other songs, and not a particularly memorable memory.
"4th of July" is a sonic instrumental introduction to "Bad", which is one of the best songs on the disk. Great simple guitar melody and vocal performance with the "I'm wide awake...and I'm sleeping" rise and fall dynamics. Perhaps some of Adam Clayton's best bass work to this point. Check this song out on the "Wide Awake in America" live EP. It's a beautiful tune.
"Indian Summer Sky" is like "Promenade" in that it's not a bad song, but not as good as its sound-alike, "Wire."
"Elvis Presley and America" shows U2's growing love affair with Americana. It's a nice ballad.
"MLK" is the true Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute, a gospel-like vocal over some light keyboard textures. It's a great under-stated performance by Bono and nice closer for the disk.
The strengths by far lift up the few weaker tunes, and this disk is very listenable in its entirety.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic remaster!, October 26, 2009

By 

Chauncey Gardner (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Unforgettable Fire (Audio CD)

U2 in a rare pantheon of artists, being together for over 30 years, fans get the rare gift of seeing the band evolve musically before their collective eyes. The Unforgettable Fire was the first album produced with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and represents a huge leap forward both musically and lyrically. This album represents the sound of the band that would become the mega-selling act for decades to come.

The remastering reveals who new layers to the music, a crispness and clarity that only enhances epic tracks like THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE, BAD and PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE).