U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
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Free Music Notes for The Unforgettable Fire
Free Music Review: A magnificent departure
Hit: 5 Stars
What we have in 'The Unforgettable Fire' is absolute classic U2 that shows what makes them a top class rock band and pre-dates the more preachy nature that the band have introduced in more recent years.
The album opens with 'A Sort of Homecoming', the kind of genuine U2 rock song that they have, to an extent, lost along the way. Indeed much of what is on show here has been lost along the way by U2. It is not that their new music is bad, but somewhat more predictable. It is difficult to picture them doing a completely instrumental number like '4th of July' on a newer album. 'Bad' is another form of their music that has all but disappeared and is a classic that is typical of their earlier albums.
This is the album that truly launched U2 in America and it is easy to see why. This is the first U2 album that clearly defines their sound and defines the sound that they would follow for years to come. Here there is a very marked departure from the days of 'Boy' and 'October'. 'The Unforgettable Fire' marks the beginning of U2's musical expression of their connection to American rock and also marks the starting point of what was to become their world renowned style.
Free Music Review: Lot's of emotion, lot's of Eno feel...white flash.
Hit: 5 Stars
What a great CD! The songs that appeal to most listeners may well be Pride and Bad, but the pure emotion Bono rings out of "Elvis Presley and America" can't be denied. It is one of my favorite U2 tracks of all time. The Edge and Adam sound amazingly in sync with Larry throughout the cd, yet it sounds more like a comfortable jam session rather than a cd of take after take.Free Music Review: Remember Martin Luther King
Hit: 2 Stars
On the whole, I find this album rather disappointing. 8 out of the 10 songs of the album are not appealing at all. It may be that the album is too focused on America, if we consider the wording of the song titles: "Elvis Presley and America", "4th of July". Having listened to 7out of 10 albums (not counting the 2 `Best Of'), I still see War as the best U2 album, in spite of it being so noisy.
But from this rather mediocre record, two songs stand out. Though I still have difficulty to fathom what this song is about, The Unforgettable Fire is a catchy track. But then there is Pride (In the name of love), one of the band's best ever songs, to be put into the same category as New Year's Day (1983) or One (1991). Pride is a touching tribute to one of the greatest ever Human Rights' fighters, Martin Luther King. Maybe a little bit of history might help to understand the song better. Luther King was a pastor in the state of Alabama. He fought actively for the rights of the oppressed Afro-American community, and in spite of being faced with constant injustice, maintained an approach of peace and non-violence in his efforts to fight racial discrimination. On April 4th, 1968 he was killed in Memphis by a sniper. The last part of the song clearly refers to this event:
"Early morning, April 4th
Shut rings out, in the Memphis sky"
Then, Bono and his band also show a great knowledge of certain little details that make the song more credible as a tribute. On the tombstone of King was carved the following inscription: "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty I'm free at last." This quote from a religious folk song was often used by King in his speeches. In turn, Bono and his acolytes make use of these lines:
"Free at last,
They took your lives
They could not take your pride."
U2 have always supported noble causes: fighting against poverty; fair trade; fight against apartheid; human rights. Here, they also pay a tribute to a great person. Pride is not only a wonderful song but also a fitting homage. May Martin Luther King rest in peace, and let us hope that his fight will never be forgotten...
P.S: Another song on the album "MLK", pays tribute to Luther King.
Free Music Review: The Beginning of U2's Post-"War" Phase
Hit: 5 Stars
"The Unforgettable Fire" commences U2's post-"War" direction and what a direction it is. It's first with production team extraordinaires Brian Eno and Daniel Lanios, this album includes some excellent cuts such as "A Sort of Homecoming", "Pride (In the Name of Love)", "Wire", "Bad", and the title track, "The Unforgettable Fire". "Indian Summer Sky", which never received any airplay, is solid. But there are some forgettable cuts like "4th of July" and "Elvis Pressley in America" that prevent me from rating this five stars. All in all, a very solid release and one that should be added to your U2 collection.Free Music Review: When Bono met Eno
Hit: 4 Stars
U2, even at the beginning, were always restless as artists. Having already hit an artistic peak with the preceding "War," the band chose to look outside their relationship with Steve Lillywhite to expand their horizons. They chose Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Much like he did for Talking Heads, Eno brought the band to a new realization of what their sound on record could be, and the result was an album that propelled them into rock-star super-status.
The mood on "The Unforgettable Fire" altered significantly from "War," as the moody "A Sort Of Homecoming" found U2 switching to a subtle approach that had only been hinted at on their prior three discs. The texture to songs like "Wire" and "Bad" were obviously inspired by Eno, and these songs have since entered into U2's list of classics.
That is not to say that Eno's influence on "The Unforgettable Fire" was a complete match. Both "MLK" and "Elvis Presley and America" found the still young band giving into a case of over-reaching. These kind of growing pains are what make "The Unforgettable Fire" one of U2's non-five-star CD's, and also leaves it as the transitional album between a pair of masterpieces, "War" and "Joshua Tree." It gave U2 a chance to expel a burst of artiness and fans a glimpse of where the introspective "Joshua Tree" would take root. But still, any CD that contains songs as amazing as "Bad" or the radio-hit breakthrough of "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" has got to be recognized as a terrific effort.
(Also, why has this album and the U2 catalog not been upgraded? U2 are easily one of the best and most influential bands on the planet, and their early albums deserve more than to have shoddy liner notes and a late 80's quality CD transfer.)