U2 – The Unforgettable Fire

U2 THE UNFORGETABLE FIRE
ISLAND RECORDS
1984

When I first heard this album I was absolutely shocked!

It was so different from the other U2 albums. It had a certain melodic soundscape, and sounded like nothing else that was around at that time. It had a consistent mood and tone for the whole album, you never tried of it. Compositionaly it was out of this world.

It's absolutely staggering that U2 scaled even dizzier heights with the Joshua Tree, Rattle And Hum, and Actung Baby.

Looking back know, I view The Unforgettable Fire as U2's  Irish classic!

What I mean by this, is that this was U2 firing up,  on all cylinders, with The Unforgetable Fire album. It was almost a statement of Intent!

U2 in 1984 where pretty much still an Irish band, but a few short years later, they became global, and became a phenomenon, and shot Into the stratosphere with The Joshua Tree album, not only one of the best albums of the eighties, but many view The Joshua Tree as the best album of all time! It's up their, and pretty much a contender!

I view The Unforgetable Fire as the primer for all the future success. They just seemed to nail down there sound with this record. It made them different from the rest of the rock bands around at the time.

The band,  just seemed to keep layering this successful formula,and gave them the foundations of being the best, most original sounding group of the late eighties right into the nineties. During that time, very veiw, could hold a candle to them!

This was an unforgettable band, totally on fire!

A Cool Vault Chin wag

This is definitely not the best pressing of this album i own a usa 1st this uk 1st the 2009 -re-issue and the 2019 wine color reissue i need to check my 2009 usa press against the 2019 wine re-issue to see which is best i also own the anadisc mofi version but im not opening it lol . I noticed a lot of sibilance on this pressing and im using a sumiko moonstone on a pro-ject carbon evo so its not my table causing it i do believe it was cut and mastered with it unfortunately

I regularly calibrate my setup but notice defects in this pressing deteriorating badly by the end of side 2 where it becomes more unlistenable than "unforgettable" with shrill sibilance. Another owner also commented on the label. The label and centre hole appear off centre which i assume casues the mistracking and distortion. Overall just seems badly made and this isn't the first mediocre vinyl release I have of U2. Their 2008 pressing of Boy (LC 00268) i have is even worse than this.

Love this album. Brings back so many memories. Youth. Hope. A better future.

The album cover to U2 album the Unforgettable fire was taking in front of a castle in county Westmeath Ireland.
Big houses were burned during the war of Independence and one can imagine the emotions running in everybody at that time, so it is a very emotive title for the music in this Rock album.

I highly recommend the coloured version of this album.Great pressing and finally I can listen to this classic album with no pops or clicks.

If you have the original War then the records thickness is the same, i.e pretty damn thin. To compare, the vocals are mixed better than on War, the drums are also quite loud in the mix. The bass which I applauded on War is less noticeable here.

My copy has constant surface noise which is mostly only audible at quieter moments.
The inner sleeve is artwork on paper and not poly-lined which has probably not helped. I'll be putting Nagaoka's inside of it for future archiving.

Overall this is a very acceptable pressing, not that I can compare, but I imagine a different pressing would be considered the definitive version to own for quality.

On mine, Matrix = Side 2 2 Stamped: U25 B-7U 1-1 ; Side 1:U25 A 7U 1 2

Is there exist any other mix even Eno's work? I feel this is a concept, but very dull and sound like u2 playing on other room.. what a shame, U2 was very dynamic and rough that period, and this sounding just dull and not good at all...

Side 1 matrices on my copy: U 25 A-7U-1; Side 2: U 25 B-6U-1. Not listed above, but I'm assuming it's consistent.