With The Unforgettable Fire (1984), U2 opts for a clear change of course. Producer Steve Lillywhite is exchanged for the more experimental Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, with which all the bombast of the three previous albums evaporates. As master of the soundscape, Eno is responsible for the more atmospheric sound with plenty of room for the hallucinatory guitar sound of The Edge. The rhythm section
… of bass and drums transforms into a smooth layer that subtly follows the course of the text (as in Bad). And Bono's impressionist texts are also less explicit due to the multiple layers of meaning. The result is 'something a bit more serious, more art', says bassist Adam Clayton. Despite all the artistic aspirations, political consciousness is still very much alive. Martin Luther King Jr. is honored in the homage Pride and the MLK elegy. In addition, form and content coincide in the title track, which refers to an exhibition of paintings made by victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. And with this the circle is complete again. (JWvR)more
