The Unforgettable Fire
| U2
The Unforgettable Fire
The Unforgettable Fire is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and released on 1 October 1984 by Island Records. The band wanted to pursue a new musical direction following the harder-hitting rock of their previous album, War (1983). As a result, they employed Eno and Lanois to produce and assist in their experimentation with a more ambient and abstract sound. The resulting change in direction was at the time the band's most dramatic. The album's title is a reference to "The Unforgettable Fire" an art exhibit about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The band saw the exhibit during the War Tour. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
U2 flickers and nearly fades, its fire banked by a misconceived production strategy and occasional interludes of soggy, songless self-indulgence.
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Pitchfork
U2's first collaboration with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois comes across as a transitional album of the highest magnitude.
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Billboard
...marks the moment when U2 became "U2" -- the band that people now love and/or hate and need special tools to remove from their iTunes libraries.
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The Quietus
There is no doubt that, for all the majesty of this music, it would dull my senses, back then — but not now. Now I find an urgency.
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BBC
U2 would never be the same again.
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Classic Rock Review
...this album brought the group to a higher artistic level, while still carrying enough pop/rock punch
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XS Noizez
...magnificent and worthy of respect.
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All Music
U2 created a dark, near-hallucinatory series of interlocking soundscapes that are occasionally punctuated by recognizable songs and melodies.
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Uncut
...stands as a fascinating document of a band on the cusp of something, their eyes opening wide to the world; tellingly, however, there were no experimental interludes on The Joshua Tree.
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Treble
It was a collection of songs that sparked a fire within the heart and mind, and it is an album that is certainly unforgettable.
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Clash
...its atmospheric framing still entrances today, not without flaws but a classic none the less.
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The Solute
Slightly less consistent as its predecessor War of same track length, but the ambition in each track more makes up for that, and in turn makes the record feel even greater.
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Record Collector
...here is where Bono the social and political commentator really flexed his muscles
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Robert Christgau
Eno has shaped this record to accentuate Bono's wild romantic idealism, and while I prefer his moral force I have to admit that the two are equally beguiling to contemplate and dangerous to take literally.
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Opus
...I find it consistently haunting and involving.
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Spectrum Culture
The vision, intelligence, foresight and musical innovation contained here resonate even more so now than they did 26 years ago.
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The Online Reviews
...confirmed U2 as one of a handful of bands able to tackle such vast and emotive subjects with dignity and musical integrity.
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Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
My initial reaction was to think the record's pretension index was off the scale ... But take my word for it, after a while it grows on you.
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The Austin Chronicle
Like any true classic, Unforgettable Fire stands the test of time. It is now like it was in 1984: bittersweet, deep, and magical.
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Chicago Tribune
At times sensual and beautiful, more often muddled, this album is a transitional work that begins the band`s collaboration with those avatars of atmosphere, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.
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Entertainment Weekly
The collaboration with production and electronics wizard Brian Eno (known for his work with Talking Heads) and his protege, Daniel Lanois, began here. The pair do their best to craft U2’s sometimes overblown ideas.
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