In 1984, after wrapping up the War Tour, U2 had climbed nearly to the top of the mountain of rock n roll greatness without having quite yet summitted. They had released three records with two of them being smash hits. They had gradually gone from being the darlings of college radio to being a feature on FM pop and rock stations. They had sold millions of albums, but they were also in danger of simply churning out the same kinds of songs that had given them success in the first place. If they had climbed so close to the rock n roll peak, the last thing they wanted to do with their fourth record was plateau. So, in early 1984, the band enlisted the assistance of ambient musician, Brian Eno (of Roxy Music fame) and the young but prodigious talent of Daniel Lanois to produce their next album.
Rather than going straight into a normal recording studio, the band decamped to Slane Castle for added inspiration as they created the soundscapes and audio tapestries that became The Unforgettable Fire. This record is at once full of hit rock anthems, most notably Pride (In the Name of Love), while also featuring ambient and even esoteric tracks like Promenade, Elvis Presley and America, and MLK. Somehow, Eno, Lanois, Hewson, Evans, Clayton, and Mullen held it all together, creating a classic record that was not bettered in the 1980s until three years later when the same group of men wrote, recorded, and produced The Joshua Tree. If the latter record might be compared to an Ansel Adams photograph, the former album might be a Monet or Renoir painting.
Album Charts - #53 Ireland, #1 UK, #12 US.
Worldwide Sales to Date - 8.1 Million
Singles - Pride (In the Name of Love) #2 Ireland, #3 UK, #33 US. The Unforgettable Fire #1 Ireland, #6 UK. Wire #31 US Main Rock Chart. Bad #19 US Main Rock Chart.
Standout Songs - A Sort of Homecoming, Pride (In the Name of Love), Wire, The Unforgettable Fire, Promenade, Bad, Elvis Presley and America, MLK.
Weakest Track - 4th of July
Hidden Gem - Promenade
The Unforgettable Fire is an abstract masterpiece. - Shay
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