The Unforgettable Fire

Libby Cudmore's (blog: Mix Tape Blues) recent writings which touches a little on u2's song 'A Sort of Homecoming' makes me want to give my two-cents worth on the album which the song is taken from-The Unforgettable Fire. Such a fine title of which was taken from an exhibition in Japan on the horrors of the Second World War.

Have to say it has grown with me. And i have not grown out of it. I still recall the sense of awe after playing the entire album for the first time. Only came to this piece after listening to all their 80's albums (the first was the excellent 'The Joshua Tree'). Of course, it sounded different from all their works. The "incomplete" songs in the second half of the album (although did not think of them as such until i read those reviews on the web!) namely Promenade and 4th of July, sounded fully realised to me. Promenade and the title track are beautiful songs with thoughtful lyrics.

The mood created by those two songs are so heartfelt that once upon a time it made me think that the reason synthesizers and keyboards were made is to produce such gorgeous sound which musicians 'add' to their music to take it to a higher level, if that make any sense! And what makes 'The Unforgetabble Fire' so beautiful is the 'drama' in the singing on phrases like "stay this time, stay tonight in a lie..." It's also worth to note both 'Promenade' and the title track are not in the typical pop music verse-chorus-verse structure. A refrain was used instead of a chorus in the title track (i'm no good in music theory, however). Critics and reviewers said 'Promenade' sounds 'unfinished' probably because it does not adhere to aforementioned 'verse-chorus-verse' arrangement. No catchy hook to grab listeners 'ever shorter' attention. Contrast this with the typical rock song 'Pride' where the hook is the big chorus "In the name of love, what more in the name of love...". So that's it. Are we not now condition to love music with a catchy, repeating chorus line?

Every song here is different in sound to the other. The ryhthm section is particularly interesting with fascinating drumworks, not only in style of play but in the recorded drum sound of each song. Careful listening reveal mesmerizing drum pattern in songs like 'A Sort of Homecoming' and 'Elvis Presley And America'. The bass are way down in the mix and it is what makes the album sound 'low-fidelity' by today's standard. The toning down of the lead guitar is could only add to the atmosphere of the music. It is still a rock record but it's not loud, brash rock. Mostly, it is rock music with a purpose, a story to tell and not the cliched, pointless, and niche rock that most modern rock music is or is becoming today.*

Finally, the sound and atmosphere evoked by the album will never come again to me. There has never been another album so far that could bring out these feelings. In the past, I had hopes that they will make another record like this but like childhood, once it's gone there is only memories to keep. But what is life if not for memories that we keep to make it meaningful? (Damn, sounding like a old man now.)

*What's disturbing is the trend that the majority of people in the world are listening to run of the mill or worst, utterly mediocre rock music and think it is great music. It seems music is secondary to the looks of these singers these days, which is a shame as people tends to look past much good music this way. And it's my belief that they will never learn to listen to music beyond what the radio plays for them. As the aforementioned writer and certainly an observant one, said and i quote "Where we once controlled the radio, the radio now controls us, telling us this is how we have to feel, this is what we have to think." Poetic words indeed as it not only applies to music but everyday life in general. The media dictates what we listen, see and think and many people will gladly follow the majority with blind faith. I speak from experience as i used to be that too at one time. Why do people stop using their minds to think for themselves what is good and stop accepting what the media and music companies tell us are 'good'? This is not only in the music we listened to but in other areas in life - politics, education, health-care are just a few. The internet is the great liberator and possibly the last frontier to freedom of thoughts but corporate encroachment is slowly eroding that. Type a music review you would like to read and the the first page (and probably the next few pages too) is more often than not the Amazon webpage! Ha.

On a lighter note: my opinion of this season American Idol show. I get to watch the show a day after its showing in the US. Melinda Doolittle has got talent and she sings well too compared with the others. Combined with the fact that she is ever so humble and honest, i hope she goes far. And she is pretty too. Don't think the American audience has chosen wisely though. Blake is definitely not up there with Melinda in terms of talent and vocal ability.