The Unforgettable Fire

The Unforgettable Fire is an album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music). It is the group's fourth album and their first collaboration with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The title refers to a series of paintings made by survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Related Topics:
Irish - Rock - U2 - 1984 - 1984 in music - Brian Eno - Daniel Lanois - Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

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It was recorded at Slane Castle and finished at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. Contrary to expectation, the castle depicted on the cover is not Slane but Moydrum Castle http://www.u2faqs.com/geography/#1.

Related Topics:
Slane Castle - Dublin - Moydrum Castle

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The album has an indistinct, atmospheric sound that emphasizes mood and ambience over hooks and melody and explores the intricacies of The Edge's uniquely minimalist guitar sound. Its recording was rushed to meet the band's tour schedule, giving it an unfinished feel that complements its somewhat recondite songcraft. "The Unforgettable Fire was a beautifully out-of-focus record, blurred like an impressionist painting, very unlike a billboard or an advertising slogan." --Bono, 1987 http://www.u2.com/music/index.php?album_id=6&type=lp

Related Topics:
The Edge - Impressionist - Bono - 1987

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Thematically, the album began the band's fascination with America and centered around the "two kings", Martin Luther King, Jr. and Elvis Presley. The former was elegized with the rousing, anthemic "Pride (In the Name of Love)"--the first single from the album, which cracked the UK Top 5 and the US Top 50--and the sparse, dreamlike "MLK". The latter is acknowledged by the murky, bumbling "Elvis Presley and America", an improvised track that takes the album's emphasis on feeling over clarity to its furthest extreme.

Related Topics:
America - Martin Luther King, Jr. - Elvis Presley - UK - US

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The album was a success, initially on the strength of "Pride" as a single and later due to the band's attention-grabbing Live Aid performance. In 1985, Rolling Stone magazine called U2 the "Band of the 80s", saying that "for a growing number of rock-and-roll fans, U2 has become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters".

Related Topics:
Live Aid - 1985 - Rolling Stone

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