Crib Notes

Best considered as a warm-up for U2’s next album, the classic The Joshua Tree, 1984’s The Unforgettable Fire finds the quartet retreating from the overt commerciality of War and, with the help of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, gradually shifting to a more ambient sound. The Eno-Lanois production team would later be the key that pushed U2 toward experimental waters. Although that approach is apparent on a bonus disc of B-sides, non-album rarities, live tracks and extended remixes, songs such as “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “Bad” still aim for the stadium back rows. An accompanying DVD includes all the album’s videos as well as the band’s performance at Live Aid. A half-hour documentary shows the group and its producers laboriously recording “Pride” with all the repetition, second-guessing and sheer boredom of piecing together the song, practically guaranteeing you’ll never want to hear it again. (Mercury/UME) 4 out of 5 stars

(Photo Courtesy Mercury/UME)

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Bono is outraged!

By Elliott Garstin

Stepping out of MARTA and following the hordes up the concourse to the Georgia Dome on Tuesday night felt like, well, every other Falcons game that I’ve been to. There was an energy in the air. Fans were sporting their old shirts, tailgating, dodging scalpers, crusty homeless guys were meddling about, promo teams eagerly hawked their wares and dudes shouted “woooo” at random where ever you went.

Having never been to the Georgia Dome for a concert, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Shows at Phillips more often than not sound like garbage, and with a place that holds four times as many people, I didn’t think a theatre quality show was in order.

What I got was spectacle. As we entered the building, Muse was in mid-set. Having seen their show a few years ago at Gwinnett Arena, I knew these guys could bring it in a setting like this. Their songs are bombastic and epic, yet they still have fundamental elements that keep you engaged.

As we took our seats in the upper level with the common people, I bore witness to a majestic structure more befitting to the War of the Worlds movie than a concert setting.

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