Customer Reviews
U2 At Their Best 
2008-08-07
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).
Powerhouse no.....this is U2 
2008-05-15
U2 are not and will not ever be a powerhouse. Maybe a pop powerhouse.
So many are missing the REAL beauty here 2008-04-16
I am absolutely amazed by the reviewers who state: "Promenade", "4th of July", "Indian Summer Sky" and, in particular, "Elvis Presley and America" are somehow weak or sub-par. These are some of the best moments U2 has EVER created. This is clearly a band in the begining stages of musical and emotional maturation and unabashedly unafarid to put it out there as such.
His 1st person observation in "Promenade" is nothing short of breath-taking, and the way "4th of July" creeps into my skin is almost frightening.
The only thing that "Indian..." and "Wire" share in common is tempo, and even that's not quite the same.
A little known fact: Bono made up the lyrics on the spot to "Elvis...", that's why it's so ethereal. it still makes me cry when he and the band crescendo together towards the end, begging to be forgiven.
listen to these songs again and TRY TRY TRY to remove yourselves from the constraints of pop music and what is only heard on the radio. allow yourself to feel and be moved by these gems, they are brilliant.
My favorite...not their best 
2008-04-07
This CD broke right about the time that I was finishing high school and heading off to college and U2 was bridging the gap between being a college radio Irish band and musical supergroup. "The Joshua Tree" and other later discs will be lauded by most as the bands best...bit this one is my favorite.
It is a monumental jump in craft and production from the anger fueled "War". Songs like "Promenade" "A Sort of Homecoming" and the "Unforgettable Fire" provide the sonic foundation for songs like "Pride" and "Bad" (Which ranks up there with "Rosalita" as the best songs that I have ever seen performed live.)
There are a few uneven moments, but even with that being said...I would not call any of them mistakes. Almost 25 years after release I still pull this CD up and listen to it from start to finish.
Remaster This Masterpiece NOW 2007-11-27
Why are U2 making their legions of worldwide fans suffer through the excruciatingly awful sounding albums that remain on the market. None have yet to see a remaster job on the level of the new Joshua Tree reissue: Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire, and Achtung Baby. Hell, even Rattle and Hum and the EP's Wide Awake and Under a Blood Red Sky need to be remastered from the original tapes (not just remixed from the existing stock). Am I the only one who would buy these? Soooo many lesser bands have had their entire catalogs reissued, why not one of the biggest selling bands in the world?
I'm not asking for vault-clearing excess, but I need to hear The Unforgettable Fire the way it was meant to be heard (some of the era's B-sides would also be nice). Yes, I know many have made it on to the Greatest Hits CD's. This is U2 nearing it's creative peak (culminating with JT) and picking up again with Actung Baby. Get this CD out now, please. Stop making lackluster "new" records long enough to correct this grievous error, and possibly win some new fans in the process.
What happened to U2? 2007-08-13
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
Starts off very impressive, then fizzles a bit..... 2007-08-05
U2 really starts to define its sound a bit more with 1984's "Unforgettable Fire" Even though there are still hints of the New Wave grooves from the first three albums, "The Unforgettable Fire" seems to be more rock based, which is very strange considering the time period, then again U2 always seemed to be a step ahead of everyone else. The album starts off very strong with "A sort of homecoming" and really has some outstanding tracks up until "4th of July" Then the album falls off, with some really slow, and I mean slow paced tunes,(the only one I like toward the end is "Indian Summer Sky") that usually only wound up taking up a song or two from the previous albums. This kind of kills the album, in my opinion, as I am a huge fan of the faster paced material, because sometimes Bono gets on my nerves with the almost whiny type slow paced songs. Then again, thats just my opinion, but I am sure there are those that will love every song on this album. Its still a great album, and the last great album (once again in my opinion) that U2 would give us before they start playing around with more commericalized music. This is still a great one to have in your collection, and its needed for every fan of classic Rock!
On Borderland We Run 2007-08-02
You won't get a negative thought from me about this CD. I love it. It's one of the more poetic renderings of a U2 forthcoming. It's great on its own, but especially intriguing to look back and see how this release was in the middle of a constantly evolving sound.
Very good and unforgettable songs 2007-03-25
"A sort of homecoming", "Pride", the beautiful ""The unforgettable fire", "Bad" and "MLK" are the highlight of the album.
I like this cd very much, greatly done U2 !
A Developmental Album 
2007-03-13
U2 was dealing with a lot at this point in their career. After becoming the darlings of critics all over the world with "October", they responded with a huge triumph on 1983's "War", quickly becoming major superstars, particularly in Europe. For their next album, though, they were facing multiple pressures. Their label certainly wanted their success to advance; but the band was committed to a concept album celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King.
The results remain uneven to this date.
"Pride" is the showcase of this album and a staple today, a frank and specific showcase of Dr. King; the title track and "MLK" also are direct references to the civil rights leader. But the album's reamining tracks are muddy and seem to wander a bit. My feeling to this day is that the band's subsequent efforts such as "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby" would not have worked as well as they did without the commitment to experiment that is evident throughout this album. The results of their forays are not immediately apparent when you listen to "The Unforgettable Fire" - but it would be in the 20 years to come.
