Track Listing

1. A Sort of Homecoming - U2, Bono
2. Pride (In the Name of Love)
3. Wire
4. The Unforgettable Fire
5. Promenade
6. 4th of July
7. Bad - U2, Bono
8. Indian Summer Sky
9. Elvis Presley and America
10. MLK - U2, Bono

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5206 in Music
• Released on: 1990-06-15
• Number of discs: 1

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

Amazon.com
The Unforgettable Fire finds U2 caught between the taut angry rock of War and the kinetic, spiritual energy of The Joshua Tree. That's not a bad place to be, but like any crossroads it has its moments of indecision. "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "Wire", and the heroic "Bad" rank with their finest work. "4th of July" and "Elvis Presley and America" do not; hence this album's unstable foothold in their canon. Its strengths make it a must for fans, but its weaknesses make War, Joshua Tree, or Achtung Baby a better place to start. --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews

The Alternative U2's album of th 80's
Great disc, if you qre a huge fan of U2 you need to buy thi album right now. In my opinion this album shows the alternative side of U2.

I LOVE THIS CD!!
I have U2:The Unforgettable Fire t-shirt.
This cd is a favorite to listen alot.I hope
for a remastered of U2:The Unforgettable
Fire cd.

U2 At Their Best
I was a freshman in college when this album was released. I remember begging my parents to go buy it for me before they came to visit me on campus (in very rural Tennessee - no place to buy new vinyl). In my opinion this album was the culmination of the raw talent in U2 with the production skills of Eno and Lanois, producing U2's best, most creative work throughout their career. Sure, they became mega-stars later on, but never again did they release anything with the creative range this album offers. Eno and Lanois' were able to comprehend the appropriate mood and atmosphere for the topic of the songs and capture it perfectly in the studio, producing an album that stands out amongst many great ones.

My power went out for about 8 hours last Saturday night during a tremendous thunderstorm. Left with nothing but a fully charged iPod I lay in bed and listened to this album for the first time in a long time and remembered just how great it is, from Bono's soaring vocals to the layered atmospherics of Edge's guitar, and of course the driving rhythm section of Mullens and Clayton. I highly recommend listening to this from start to finish in a dark room with headphones - truly one of my all-time favorite albums. It's no coincidence that Brian Eno has had a hand in many of my all-time favorites (see Talking Heads' Remain in Light).