U2's "The Unforgettable Fire" - Their Most Ambitious & Artistic Work

 

When my family and I travelled to Ireland for our summer vacation in 2016, I knew the most important place we needed to visit was the castle U2 used for the cover of their album, The Unforgettable Fire, in 1984. Released on October 1st, 1984, the Unforgettable Fire is one of U2's strangest, most artistic albums- and it is also my favorite. It marked a change in sound from their earlier works, and the decision was completely deliberate by the band, along with ambient music legend, and the album's producer, Brian Eno. At the time, the band was worried about being pigeonholed as a "stadium rock" or more basic, mainstream rock band, as they were starting to establish a name for themselves after releasing War one year prior. The sound on the Unforgettable Fire is the most atmospheric and ambient of anything they've released to date, and the lyrics are the most obscure and poetic... you can probably start to understand why it's my favorite already, but let's take a closer look at the history and significance of the record, to give you the full story.

Moydrum Castle in Ireland, photographed by Alex Byrne, 2016.

The castle the band photographed to use for the cover of the Unforgettable Fire, was Moydrum Castle, which has been in a state of ruin, since it was set afire by the Irish Republican Army in 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. This was U2's first time working with photographer Anton Corbijn, who photographed the castle and placed a sepia tone over it, and later imposed the image of the band members. The photo was actually an exact copy of an already existing image (minus the added filter and band members), so the band had to pay an unknown sum for the rights to use it. 

I didn't know any of this when I begged my parents to drive us around Ireland in our rental car, until we could find this ruined castle, in the middle of nowhere. But they didn't mind so much- they have both been huge U2 fans since the early 80's. In fact, I wore my mom's original Unforgettable Fire tour shirt she got after seeing them play the Aragon Ballroom in '84, that day we went to find the castle. To add yet another level of nerdiness to it all, we were playing the album through the car speakers as we took our own pictures of the castle, one of mine you can see pictured above. It was a borderline spiritual experience, and definitely the highlight of the trip for me.

U2, photographed by Anton Corbijn in 1984, for the Unforgettable Fire album.

There is so much rich history and references enveloping the Unforgettable Fire album, that it would be impossible for me to talk about the record without mentioning it. But for now, let's talk about the music. The album itself is almost a concept album, in that it seems to follow a sort of story, and have an entirely cohesive sound and theme. "A Sort of Homecoming", as its opener, puts this story idea into place, as the song is partially a reference to the band changing, and reflects singer and lyricist, Bono's now more serious approach to songwriting. Followed by the song that became the most popular off the album, "Pride (In the Name of Love)", which is Bono's anthemic ode to Martin Luther King Jr., who would be referenced and memorialized on later tracks of the album as well. "Pride" is probably the most straightforward "rock" song on the album, and has fairly simplistic lyrics, but it still fits the mood of the record. It is more the powerful way in which Bono sings the lyrics that gives them meaning. That, combined with the Edge's iconic, standout guitar-playing, makes the song sound as strong as it does. Listen to its power for yourself, below.

Moving forward a bit, to get to the song I'm most excited to talk about- the title track. Here is what I deem the best thing to have come out of the U2 / Brain Eno collaboration. It is the most mysterious, atmospheric song, with the most poetic, fragmented lyrics. The title and lyrics are said to have been inspired by the band's viewing of an art exhibition by the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With this in mind, one could start to make sense of the lyrics, but there is still something left purposely obscure, which I think is just part of its charm. It doesn't sound like any other U2 song out there, before or after it. It sounds just as magical and mysterious as that ruined castle on the cover. Hear it for yourself, below.

Something that makes U2 fans past and present disenchanted with the Unforgettable Fire, is the amount of "filler" or short, interlude-like tracks on the album. But, for that reason it did exactly what the band wanted it to do. It weeded out those "fake fans" who couldn't handle the band stepping outside their simplistic rock format, and letting their creative spirits fly. I for one do not find those shorter, instrumental or limited-lyrics tracks to be "filler", but that in fact they add something to the album, that would make it feel less powerful, were they not there. 

For example, between the title track, and the next song I want to talk about, "Bad", there are two short, nearly instrumental, or fully instrumental tracks- "Promenade" and "4th of July". Both of those tracks bridge the gap between my two favorite songs on the album, and set such a dramatic, yet meditative mood, before the anthemic, "clench your fist and cry" (as I like to call it) energy of "Bad" comes rolling in. One should enter that meditative state before "Bad" comes on, or they may not be ready for it. A powerful, emotional song that is loosely based on heroin addiction, but has become so much more as it has aged. Bono has stated that the song never got finished, and that its lyrics are "fragments"- again, leaving that air of obscurity and mystery, that allows us to put our own experiences and meaning into the words. As someone who has never had an experience with the drug it's supposed to be about, I relate to it in my own, different way, but one that is still deeply spiritual. It feels to me like the washing away of this great sin, or guilt, or sadness. It feels like emerging from this cave and seeing the light, and realizing that it feels good to be alive again, even though you may still feel pain. I know it's not just me who feels so strongly about it, as it has been a crowd favorite at their concerts since the album's release all those years ago. Maybe it doesn't make as many tears flow as one of their later songs like "With or Without You", but it's probably a close second. Hear its power, and get goosebumps for yourself, by listening below. 

I'd like to end by talking about the final song on the record, "MLK". It is like the follow-up to "Pride (In the Name of Love)", in that it revisits Bono's reverence for Martin Luther King Jr., with a more straightforward elegy, rather than a harder rock song. It has simple, but thoughtful lyrics, that are so emotional, it is a shame they couldn't have been read at MLK's actual funeral. But it was still greatly appreciated by King's wife's organization, the King Center, where Bono received the highest honor for writing it, as well as "Pride". Even on their more ambient, atmospheric album, U2 still managed to bring forth the social and political commentary that makes them stand out amongst other popular rock bands (to some people's delight, and to other's annoyance). I think it was done in a way that complements the rest of the album, and isn't overbearing. 

The Unforgettable Fire is an enigma of an album. It was U2 purposefully wanting to be different, and seen more as creative artists, and less as rock hit-makers. And it worked! The previous fans that liked it stuck around for more, and those that didn't, saw themselves out. For me, it is my favorite U2 album, and even their "magnum opus", the Joshua Tree, doesn't hold a candle to the lyrical and musical power it has. Seeing that castle in person, with the Unforgettable Fire playing in the background, was an experience I'm sure not many others have been able to have, and one I cherish. To me, it was like a monument to their work, and a physical embodiment of the magic the album possesses. If you appreciate the album as much as I do, I hope you get to make the same pilgrimage to Ireland to see it, that I did one day. And if this is your first time hearing about it, or listening to it, I hope you liked what you heard / read! Thank you as always for reading, and I hope I'll find you on the next post! 

The Unforgettable Fire tour shirt my mom got while seeing them live in Chicago, in 1984.