The Unforgettable Fire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
For the song of the same name from the album, see The Unforgettable Fire (song).
The Unforgettable Fire
Studio album by U2
Released 1 October 1984
Recorded March–August 1984, Slane Castle, Slane, Ireland and Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland
Genre Rock, post-punk
Length 42:38
Language English
Label Island
Producer Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois
Professional reviews
U2 chronology
War
(1983)		 The Unforgettable Fire
(1984)		 The Joshua Tree
(1987)
Singles from The Unforgettable Fire
  1. "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
    Released: November 1984
  2. "The Unforgettable Fire"
    Released: April 1985

The Unforgettable Fire is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1984. Far more ambient and abstract than the hard-hitting War, it was at the time the band’s most marked change in direction,[1] featuring atmospheric sounds and lyrics Bono has described as "sketches". The album contains tributes to Martin Luther King Jr. and Elvis Presley. The Unforgettable Fire produced the band's biggest hit at the time, "Pride (In the Name of Love)", as well as the live favorite "Bad", a song about heroin addiction. The album was the group's first collaboration with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

Contents

[edit] Recording and production

As Adam Clayton recalls, "We were looking for something that was a bit more serious, more arty."[2] The Edge admired the ambient and "weird works" of Brian Eno, who along with his engineer Daniel Lanois eventually agreed to produce the record. Island Records boss Chris Blackwell initially tried to discourage them from their choice of producers, believing that just when the band were about to achieve the highest levels of success, Eno would "bury them under a layer of avant-garde nonsense".[3]

Recording for the album began in March 1984, with the initial sessions being held at Slane Castle, County Meath; held in a Gothic ballroom built specially for music, the sessions had a relaxed and experimental atmosphere.[4] Recording would eventually move to Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin.

We knew the world was ready to receive the heirs to The Who. All we had to do was to keep doing what we were doing and we would become the biggest band since Led Zeppelin, without a doubt. But something just didn't feel right. We felt we had more dimension than just the next big anything, we had something unique to offer. The innovation was what would suffer if we went down the standard rock route. We were looking for another feeling.

—Bono on The Unforgettable Fire's new direction.[2]

The band feared that following the overt rock of the War album and tour, they were in danger of becoming another "shrill", "sloganeering arena-rock band".[5] The success of the Under a Blood Red Sky album and the Live at Red Rocks video, however, had given them artistic—and for the first time—financial freedom.[1] Thus, rather than become another formula band, experimentation was sought.[6]

The melody and the chords to "Pride (In the Name of Love)" originally came out of a 1983 War Tour sound check in Hawaii. The song was originally intended to be about Ronald Reagan's pride in America's military power, but Bono was influenced by Stephen B. Oates's book Let The Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a biography of Malcolm X to ponder the different sides of the civil rights campaigns, the violent and the non-violent.[7] Bono would revise the lyrics to pay tribute to King, Jr. Another song, the sparse, dreamlike "MLK" was written as an elegy to King, Jr.

The ambient instrumental "4th of July" came about almost entirely through a moment of inspiration from Eno. At the end of a studio session, Eno happened to overhear Clayton improvising a simple bass figure; he liked what he was hearing, so recorded it "ad hoc" as it was being played. The Edge happened to join in, improvising a few guitar ideas over the top of Clayton's bass; neither knew they were being recorded. Eno added some treatments and then transferred the piece straight to two-track master tape — and that was the song finished, with no possibility of further overdubs.[8]

The last two weeks of recording were a panicked scramble to finish the lyrics,[4] such that Bono felt songs like "Bad" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" were left as incomplete "sketches."[3] The band finished the album in August 1984 at Windmill Lane Studios.

[edit] Composition

A far more atmospheric album than the previous War, The Unforgettable Fire has a rich and orchestrated sound and was the first U2 album with a cohesive sound.[1] Under Lanois' direction, Larry's drumming became looser, funkier and more subtle, and Adam's bass became more subliminal, such that the rhythm section no longer intruded, but flowed in support of the songs.[4]

The album's lyrics are open to many interpretations, which alongside its atmospheric sounds, provides what the band often called a "very visual feel".[1] Bono had recently been immersing himself in fiction, philosophy and poetry, and came to realise that his song writing mission—which up to that point had been a reluctant one on his behalf—was a poetic one. Bono felt songs like "Bad" and "Pride In The Name of Love" were best left as incomplete "sketches"[3] and said that "The Unforgettable Fire was a beautifully out-of-focus record, blurred like an impressionist painting, very unlike a billboard or an advertising slogan." [9]
"The Unforgettable Fire" (1984)
From the album The Unforgettable Fire.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Typical of the album, the track "The Unforgettable Fire", with a string arrangement by Noel Kelehan, has a rich, symphonic sound built from ambient guitar and driving rhythm; a lyrical "sketch" that is an "emotional travelogue" with a "heartfelt sense of yearning".[10] Bono tried to describe the rush and then come down of heroin use in the song "Bad".[11]

"Elvis Presley and America" is an improvisation (based on a slowed-down backing track from "A Sort of Homecoming") that takes the album's emphasis on feeling over clarity to its furthest extreme. Another song, "Indian Summer Sky", was a social commentary on the prison-like atmosphere of city living in a world of natural forces.[citation needed]

[edit] Release

The Unforgettable Fire was released on 1 October 1984. The album took its name and much of its inspiration from an exhibition of paintings and drawings at The Peace Museum in Chicago by survivors of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.[3] The castle depicted on the cover is Moydrum Castle. [12]

[edit] Singles

"Pride (In the Name of Love)" was released as the album's lead single in November 1984, and it was at that point the band's biggest hit. It cracked the UK Top 5 and the U.S. Top 40 and would ultimately become the group's second-most frequently played song in concerts.[13]

"The Unforgettable Fire" was released as the second single in April 1985. The song became the band's third Top 10 hit in the UK, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart and #8 on the Dutch singles chart, but it was yet to break them into the U.S.

[edit] The Unforgettable Fire Tour and Live Aid

Main article: Unforgettable Fire Tour

The Unforgettable Fire Tour saw U2 shows moving into indoor arenas in the United States, although in Europe they were not quite there yet. The tour commenced in Australia in September 1984 where translating the complex textures of the new studio-recorded tracks to live performance proved a serious challenge.[1] One solution was programmed sequencers, which the band until then had been reluctant to use. They were used to overcome difficulties in live performance of sonically elaborate new songs such as "The Unforgettable Fire" and "Bad"; since then sequencers are now used on the majority of U2 songs in performance.[1] Songs criticised as being "unfinished", "fuzzy" and "unfocused" on the album, made more sense on stage. Rolling Stone magazine, for example, critical of the album version of "Bad", described its live performance as a 'show stopper'.[14]

U2 participated in the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium for Ethiopian famine relief in July 1985.[15] U2's performance was one of the show's most memorable; during the song "Bad", Bono leapt down off the stage to embrace and dance with a fan. Initially thinking they'd "blown it", it was, in fact, a breakthrough moment for the band, showing a television audience of millions the personal connection that Bono could make with audiences.[16] All of U2's previous albums went back into the charts in the UK after their transcendent performance. In 1985, Rolling Stone magazine called U2 the "Band of the 80's," saying that "for a growing number of rock-and-roll fans, U2 have become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters."[17]

[edit] Track listing

All songs written and composed by U2, with lyrics by Bono. 

# Title Length
1. "A Sort of Homecoming"   5:28
2. "Pride" (sample) 3:48
3. "Wire"   4:19
4. "The Unforgettable Fire"   4:55
5. "Promenade"   2:35
6. "4th of July"   2:12
7. "Bad"   6:09
8. "Indian Summer Sky"   4:17
9. "Elvis Presley and America"   6:23
10. "MLK"   2:31
42:38

In 1995, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab remastered the album and released it as a special gold CD. This edition has slightly different running times, most notably an extended 2:39 version of the instrumental "4th of July".

In 1985, the band also released the supplementary Wide Awake in America EP, which offers live performances of "Bad" and "A Sort of Homecoming" along with a two B-sides (previously unavailable in North America).

[edit] Chart positions and sales

Album
Country Peak position Certification Sales
Australia 1[citation needed]
Canada 3x Platinum [18] 300,000+
France Gold[19] 100,000+
The Netherlands Gold[20] 40,000+
United Kingdom 1[citation needed] 2× Platinum[21] 600,000+
United States 12[citation needed] 3× Platinum 3,000,000+[citation needed]
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1984 "Pride (in the Name of Love)" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 2[citation needed]
1984 "Pride (in the Name of Love)" The Billboard Hot 100 33[citation needed]
1984 "Wire" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 31[citation needed]
1985 "Bad" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 19[citation needed]

[edit] Personnel

U2
Additional personnel

[edit] The Unforgettable Fire Collection

The Unforgettable Fire Collection
Video by U2
Released 1985
Recorded 1984–1985
Genre Rock
Length 51:00
Language English
Label Island, PolyGram, Columbia
Director Meiert Avis, Barry Deviln, Donald Cammell
Producer James Morris
U2 video chronology
Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky
(1983)		 The Unforgettable Fire Collection
(1985)		 Rattle and Hum
(1988)

After the album's arrival in 1984, U2 released The Unforgettable Fire Collection—a VHS compilation of the album's music videos with a 30-minute making-of documentary of the album. The documentary was later included as a bonus feature on the band's live video release, U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, as the site of the concert film—Slane Castle—was the same as the location of the documentary.

  1. "The Unforgettable Fire" – directed by Meiert Avis
  2. "Bad" – directed by Barry Devilin
  3. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" – directed By Donald Cammell
  4. "A Sort of Homecoming" – directed by Barry Devlin
  5. The Making of the Unforgettable Fire documentary – directed by Barry Devlin

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Parra, Pimm Jal de la U2 Live: A Concert Documentary, pp.52-55, 1996, Harper Collins Publishers, ISBN 0-7322-6036-1
  2. ^ a b McCormick (2006), p.147
  3. ^ a b c d McCormick (2006), p.151
  4. ^ a b c Stokes, Niall (1996). Into The Heart: The Story Behind Every U2 Song. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. pp. 50–51. ISBN 0-7322-6036-1. 
  5. ^ Pond, Steve (1987-04-09). "The Joshua Tree Album Review". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/u2/albums/album/108063/review/6067670/the_joshua_tree. 
  6. ^ Graham, Bill; can Oosten de Beer, Caroline (2004). U2: The Complete Guide to their Music. London: Omnibus Press. p. 21. ISBN 0-7119-9886-8. 
  7. ^ U2 Limited (2006). U2 by U2. London: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 145. ISBN 0-00-719668-7. 
  8. ^ Stokes, Niall, Into the Heart: The Stories Behind Every U2 Song.
  9. ^ U2.com | Discography
  10. ^ Stokes, Niall (1996). Into The Heart: The Story Behind Every U2 Song. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 55. ISBN 0-7322-6036-1. 
  11. ^ McCormick (2006), p.152
  12. ^ U2: U2faqs.com - Geography FAQ
  13. ^ All songs U2 played without snippets - U2 on tour
  14. ^ Henke, James (1985-07-18). "''Wide Awake in America'' Album Review". Rolling Stone. 
  15. ^ Live Aid: A Look Back At A Concert That Actually Changed The World MTV.com. Retrieved 31 October 2006.
  16. ^ Parra (2003), pp. 72-73
  17. ^ U2, the Only Band that Mattered in the '80s? about.com. Retrieved 31 January 2007
  18. ^ CRIA
  19. ^ Disque En France
  20. ^ NVPI
  21. ^ BPI

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Tonight by David Bowie		 UK number one album
13–26 October 1984		 Succeeded by
Steeltown by Big Country
Preceded by
Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen		 Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
29 October – 4 November 1984		 Succeeded by
Red Sails in the Sunset by Midnight Oil
The Unforgettable Fire Track Listing
"A Sort of Homecoming"  • "Pride (In the Name of Love)"  • "Wire"  • "The Unforgettable Fire"  • "Promenade"  • "4th of July"  • "Bad"  • "Indian Summer Sky"  • "Elvis Presley and America"  • "MLK"
v • d • e
U2
Bono • Adam Clayton • The Edge • Larry Mullen, Jr.
Studio albums
Compilations and EPs
Live and other albums
Videos and films
Tours
Additional personnel
Lists
Category • Portal • WikiProject
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unforgettable_Fire"
Personal tools