Bono's Vocal Range

[U2387]

Er... was there even one post where anybody implied this?

There were a couple that implied it for sure. No one flat out said it. Not really relevant to the discussion, I may have engaged in a little bit of hyperbole, but the point is problems in the 80s are conveniently glossed over or discounted by some here.

For me, I absolutely love the sound of a singer straining to hit a note. It's an essential part of the visceral strength of rock and roll. It is why I would rather hear John Lennon straining than Pavarotti gliding onto a note and sustaining it after three years of vocal exercises with a voice teacher. (I hate opera, incidentally.)

Anyway, I have nothing against Bono's voice now -- it's really rather excellent for someone his age. He's just older and not as raw now, which isn't to my taste, but there you go. Just taste, nothing more.

Is there ever a point where straining turns into just flat out screaming in desperation and futility, not ultimately hitting the note?

I agree with you- I love the singing strength of rock, etc and there is plenty of straining now, but much less screaming. You can audibly tell he is straining to hit plenty of notes on 360, but no painful screaming.

I am with you- Miss Sarajevo and Sometimes are enough of Bono's Opera voice for me- I prefer his rock edge any day. To my mind and ears, Bono has regained a good amount of the power that was lost post Zoo TV. That is what ultimately matters for me as far as enjoyment of his voice.

The people that are pointing out his technical ability of late I think are trying to make the point that it contributes to his sustainability and that has led to less blow outs, no postponed shows, no REAL, GLARING off nights, etc. I would be the first to disagree strongly with someone saying that Bono sang so well technically on Elevation that is does not matter that he did not sound very good.

Bottom line, I do not think anyone is suggesting technical proficiency is an end in and of itself, just a means to an end, especially when Bono is approaching 50!

 

[monsieur fly]

Is there ever a point where straining turns into just flat out screaming in desperation and futility, not ultimately hitting the note?

I agree with you- I love the singing strength of rock, etc and there is plenty of straining now, but much less screaming. You can audibly tell he is straining to hit plenty of notes on 360, but no painful screaming.

I am with you- Miss Sarajevo and Sometimes are enough of Bono's Opera voice for me- I prefer his rock edge any day. To my mind and ears, Bono has regained a good amount of the power that was lost post Zoo TV. That is what ultimately matters for me as far as enjoyment of his voice.

The people that are pointing out his technical ability of late I think are trying to make the point that it contributes to his sustainability and that has led to less blow outs, no postponed shows, no REAL, GLARING off nights, etc. I would be the first to disagree strongly with someone saying that Bono sang so well technically on Elevation that is does not matter that he did not sound very good.

Bottom line, I do not think anyone is suggesting technical proficiency is an end in and of itself, just a means to an end, especially when Bono is approaching 50!

An interesting post. I suppose my bugbear with Bono's current voice is rather different to the bugbears of other posters. They want to hear Bono straining the notes with passion. So do I, to an extent, but I'm more concerned about the loss of depth from his voice. He doesn't seem able to use his lower register anymore. That is why I prefer the older renditions of TUF and UV- for me they had more gravitas.

 

[U2387]

An interesting post. I suppose my bugbear with Bono's current voice is rather different to the bugbears of other posters. They want to hear Bono straining the notes with passion. So do I, to an extent, but I'm more concerned about the loss of depth from his voice. He doesn't seem able to use his lower register anymore. That is why I prefer the older renditions of TUF and UV- for me they had more gravitas.

I too wonder where the lower register has gone.

Bono not only used it in the past but used it brilliantly.

Peterrr I think had some examples of his use of the lower register in recent years, but they are few and far between.

It does perplex me a bit that it has not made a comeback.

 

[65980]

It does perplex me a bit that it has not made a comeback.

That's life, though. I feel the same way about Gary Coleman.

 

[Marien]

Very good posts U2387, I wanted to say something on this line some days ago, but I'm afraid I didn't make myself clear.

I too wonder where the lower register has gone.

Bono not only used it in the past but used it brilliantly.

Peterrr I think had some examples of his use of the lower register in recent years, but they are few and far between.

It does perplex me a bit that it has not made a comeback.

I'll try to explain this a bit.
What we call a voice is in reality a whole spectrum of sounds with a main sound and its harmonics, exactly the same as when we talk about an instrument, it is the harmonics what give a voice its personal colour so that we can distinguish the person who is speaking by his voice.
When you are in the middle of your voice range, you don't need to strain because there are plenty of harmonic sounds one over the other with the main sound, the higher or lower you sing (we rarely do this while speaking) the less harmonics you get.
Then when someone gets some vocal chords damage it normally causes the inability to produce some of these harmonics (I'm not going to explain what happens to the muscles or the possible causes, it will be too long), the higher or lower your voice goes, the less harmonics you have to cover up the absence of others.
Many of you have noticed that while Bono's voice has recovered significantly, he still has problems with the falsetto and the lower tones, that's the cause, and contrary to the popular belief it is the lower tones the ones that strain the voice the most.
I do think Bono is doing a brilliant work with his voice, if you compare the colour of his voice during the last leg of Vertigo you can still notice a somewhat metallic sound that is now not more present and it indicates a healthier voice, he's also achieving a great progress with the lower tones, but of course, he will need more time for it and it isn't sure he will get the full tone he some time had (his recovery as it is now is a kind of miracle, it is a very difficult thing to achieve), the falsetto is also improved, but not so much in my opinion, but I must admit I'm not a big fan of it.
I get astonished when people say his voice was better during the Elevation Tour when his voice was so deteriorated he couldn't even speak in between concerts, that was a really critical period.

 

[LemonMelon]

There were a couple that implied it for sure. No one flat out said it. Not really relevant to the discussion, I may have engaged in a little bit of hyperbole, but the point is problems in the 80s are conveniently glossed over or discounted by some here.

The people arguing in favor of the '80s aren't "glossing over" problems. They simply couldn't care less about them; the sound of Bono's voice during that period is pleasing enough to them that any lapse in proficiency is irrelevant.

 

[toscano]

The people arguing in favor of the '80s aren't "glossing over" problems. They simply couldn't care less about them; the sound of Bono's voice during that period is pleasing enough to them that any lapse in proficiency is irrelevant.

He had voice problems in the 80's ???



Sounded good to me, better than he does now

 

[U2DMfan]

I too wonder where the lower register has gone.

Bono not only used it in the past but used it brilliantly.

Peterrr I think had some examples of his use of the lower register in recent years, but they are few and far between.

It does perplex me a bit that it has not made a comeback.

However, it has been shown about 1000 times over, until the entire issue is blue in the face, that Bono still has the same or very close to the same range.

You do know that the lower register is part of his RANGE?

For the "disciples" of PeterrrrWhatNoteisThis?IsItAHighC?rrrrr, the lower register doesn't even count as part of the range. Why? Because this is another case where U2 (or Bono here, specifically) needs to be seen as having always been the same or close to the same, to defend them against criticism against across different eras.

Hey guys, did you know that Michael Jordan can still dunk?
(insert 15 youtube clips of 47 year old Michael Jordan dunking a basketball)
Obviously he can still play in the NBA!! The burden of proof is on you to prove otherwise!! What's that you say? That's horrid logic? I'm only following suit.

the burden of proof is on the people who think the range and ability are gone to show that what Peterr posts is the exception to the rule of crap vocal performances.

Does that include you now that you've conceded that his lower RANGE is basically gone?

 

[Thanksandy]

For me Bono's vocal power was one of the reason's I starting listening to U2 and when you listen to songs on The Joshua Tree and Rattle & Hum, they just have that extra special quality to them, that take the music into a different dimension, compared to what he can do now.

I have no doubt that he still has a great range now and there are numerous examples of him able to sing with real power, but it isn't as other worldly as back in the 1980s like on Streets, WOWY etc, no songs that me make me think "wow, incredible voice, really loud and powerful"

His voice does have a different tone/style to it now and fits with the music U2are currently doing, but when you hear weak vocals on songs like Crumbs From Your Table, I always skip those songs, it's as though their was no effort made by Bono and when I have heard them in a shop like HMV, I think it souds terrible. I never feel that way when I hear any of their old stuff in a shop, restaruant, on the radio....
In some ways I find that the vocals Bono records nowadays are not as clear, clean or precise as they used to be in the 1980s or early 90s, it's not even an issue about power or tone, but singing with clarity and quality, not when he sounds hoarse, about to lose his voice, struggling to hit notes etc.

I've only noticed this since Pop, before that, his vocals are pretty much spot on, as though the final take has been recorded. Now it seems as though they hurry the process, they record the songs after a few takes and as long as it fits together, then that's the final mix.

Live performances are another thing. I have ben impressed with his overally singing ability in recent years, particularly from the Vertigo tour onwards. However, it is clear that WOWY neds to be dropped, he sings that song with any conviction any more, like he can't be bothered or doesn't like it. They dropped Pride and Bullet, i think WOWY deserves a rest. However, songs like The Unforgettable Fire (which I never thought I'd hear due to the vocal delivery), Ultraviolet, Magnificent, Streets, are really good examples of Bono being able to product top notch vocals live, some of the best I've heard, so he still has it.

 

[U2girl]

I too wonder where the lower register has gone.

Age ? Smoking ? The late 90's surgery on his vocal chords ? Zoo TV being too long a tour ?

 

[U2387]

You do know that the lower register is part of his RANGE?

For the "disciples" of PeterrrrWhatNoteisThis?IsItAHighC?rrrrr, the lower register doesn't even count as part of the range. Why? Because this is another case where U2 (or Bono here, specifically) needs to be seen as having always been the same or close to the same, to defend them against criticism against across different eras.

Of course I know the lower register is part of his range. And yes it counts for me, did you not read any of my posts? I cited Peterr as using examples of the lower register in use in recent years and I was talking about the lower register in this thread long before you hit me with your sarcastic "disciple" talk.

You answered your own question by cleverly quoting both of my posts in an attempt to make me contradict myself. The first post said he lost little or nothing, and that's a fact, and the second post acknowledged that he does not use it as much or in the same places(Streets, WOWY) but I still pointed out where Peterrr has shown it in use recently. Bono still sings lower notes, some of the lowest he has ever sung, he just does not use it as frequently.

I did not know I was a disciple of Peterrr, I just cite him as someone who bothers to take the time to analyze these things and point out where people get carried away bashing Bono's voice. Last I checked I did not look too good in white robes and barefeet for one, and for two, I did not realize Peterrr was soliciting followers with some kind of Bono-centric message to spread to the entire non believing world before its too late to save anyone.

Peterr, did you know you were the leader of a cult?

Hey guys, did you know that Michael Jordan can still dunk?
(insert 15 youtube clips of 47 year old Michael Jordan dunking a basketball)
Obviously he can still play in the NBA!! The burden of proof is on you to prove otherwise!! What's that you say? That's horrid logic? I'm only following suit.

Not even similar. 47 year old Michael Jordan playing in an NBA that has gotten younger and faster by the second since he left would be a little ridiculous to expect just because he can dunk.

Bono has a vocal range like all singers. Peterrr and others have attempted in vain to show everyone here that LITTLE or NONE of it is gone.

If you are trying to say that all of Peterr's voice highlights follow the MJ dunking logic, then that is unfortunate. As people have pointed out here, its common knowledge that Bono's voice has been nowhere near as tired, worn out and thin as it was on Elevation and Popmart. It's not as if Peterrr has sat at every single second of every single U2 performance since 2005 and just waited with baited breath for the one moment where Bono stops talking and starts singing and was lucky enough to press "record" in time! Bono's voice is widely known to be in fine shape these days.

If you are trying to say that the lower register examples only follow MJ's dunking logic, then it will not work either. Bono still has the lower register, and that is the point. For whatever reason he does not use it as much, but he still has it, and therefore, still has his range. Michael Jordan dunking does not necessarily mean he can still keep up with today's NBA in all aspects of the game.

So no, you are not following suit, just continuing with the sarcasm.

Does that include you now that you've conceded that his lower RANGE is basically gone?

No, because I never said that he no longer had the ability to use the lower register. Sure, its not used nearly as much, but that does not mean that he does not still have it.

The range of notes is still there. Would I prefer more low range singing? Yes, but my personal preference or yours is not the point. The ability is.

 

[U2387]

The people arguing in favor of the '80s aren't "glossing over" problems. They simply couldn't care less about them; the sound of Bono's voice during that period is pleasing enough to them that any lapse in proficiency is irrelevant.

If you could care less that screaming and straining are audible as opposed to singing on say, NYD or Bad in 1987, and the notes are not even hit despite the screaming, then to each his own!

I'll take singing notes hit with a powerful voice on the same songs in 2006 any day!

 

[Peterrrrr]

Well we should not forget why he had a deeper low voice in 89 to 95, one of the reason for that was the smoking. I might give a nice effect on the voice the first years when you smoke. But then it hurt your voice. If Bono started to smoke two package cigarettes now he would probaly sound more like he did on ZooTV.
But lets not forget that on ZooTv his wasnt able to hit high notes clean. When he tried it was like a roof that stop him and he went straining. The only realy high notes he did was in falsetto.

Heres two good examples from the 00's where he might smoked a bit before recording:

YouTube - Bono: A Dying Sailor to His Shipmates

YouTube - The Corrs with Bono of U2 - Summer Wine

 

[Peterrrrr]

Poste this again with better sound on summer wine

Well we should not forget why he had a deeper low voice in 89 to 95, one of the reason for that was the smoking. I might give a nice effect on the voice the first years when you smoke. But then it hurt your voice. If Bono started to smoke two package cigarettes now he would probaly sound more like he did on ZooTV.
But lets not forget that on ZooTv his wasnt able to hit high notes clean. When he tried it was like a roof that stop him and he went straining. The only realy high notes he did was in falsetto.

Heres two good examples from the 00's where he might smoked a bit before recording:

YouTube - Bono: A Dying Sailor to His Shipmates

YouTube - Bono- Summer Wine (Bono & The Corrs , From The Album VH1 Presents The Corrs Live In Dublin)

 

[monsieur fly]

Poste this again with better sound on summer wine

Well we should not forget why he had a deeper low voice in 89 to 95, one of the reason for that was the smoking. I might give a nice effect on the voice the first years when you smoke. But then it hurt your voice. If Bono started to smoke two package cigarettes now he would probaly sound more like he did on ZooTV.
But lets not forget that on ZooTv his wasnt able to hit high notes clean. When he tried it was like a roof that stop him and he went straining. The only realy high notes he did was in falsetto.

Heres two good examples from the 00's where he might smoked a bit before recording:

YouTube - Bono: A Dying Sailor to His Shipmates

YouTube - Bono- Summer Wine (Bono & The Corrs , From The Album VH1 Presents The Corrs Live In Dublin)

Hmm, I don't give a hoot about those two songs, he should sing like that on One and Streets instead. That said, those videos did evoke better times (in my view anyway).

 

[monsieur fly]

If you could care less that screaming and straining are audible as opposed to singing on say, NYD or Bad in 1987, and the notes are not even hit despite the screaming, then to each his own!

I'll take singing notes hit with a powerful voice on the same songs in 2006 any day!

Though I include myself among the former group, Bono's voice was pretty special on 5th leg Vertigo.

 

[LemonMelon]

So, what have we learned?

'00s Bono:

YouTube - King of the high C sharp?

'80s Bono:

YouTube - Tenor Fail

?

 

[PhilsFan]

Compare The Fly on ZooTV or WOWY on JT/Lovetown to today. Thin. Thin. Thin.

 

[U2387]

One of the things that has been lost in this back and forth between the 80s camp and the 2000s camp is that Bono's voice really, in many ways, is still pretty much the same. He has not completely lost it or changed unrecognizably like many others have.

I have been listening to a lot of UF, JT and Zoo TV bootlegs recently alongside 360 and it is really striking how much the same he sounds in many spots. I am not saying all the time, but a significant amount of the time, the similarities are striking.

You certainly could never mistake the guy singing now for a different guy from the guy singing 25 years ago!

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

One of the things that has been lost in this back and forth between the 80s camp and the 2000s camp is that Bono's voice really, in many ways, is still pretty much the same. He has not completely lost it or changed unrecognizably like many others have.

I have been listening to a lot of UF, JT and Zoo TV bootlegs recently alongside 360 and it is really striking how much the same he sounds in many spots. I am not saying all the time, but a significant amount of the time, the similarities are striking.

You certainly could never mistake the guy singing now for a different guy from the guy singing 25 years ago!

of course.... but the first comments that my girfriend made a few years back when I played the Vertigo DVD and then the R&H DVD is : "Holy crap what a difference, he lost 50% of his power and energy in his voice!"
We are fans, we try to find the beauty in everything he does, but it's funny how "normal people" see Bono's voice now and 25 years ago.....

 

[monsieur fly]

of course.... but the first comments that my girfriend made a few years back when I played the Vertigo DVD and then the R&H DVD is : "Holy crap what a difference, he lost 50% of his power and energy in his voice!"
We are fans, we try to find the beauty in everything he does, but it's funny how "normal people" see Bono's voice now and 25 years ago.....

I broadly agree. I think that since 2005, Bono has recovered some of that lost 50% but by no means all of it. I think you notice it in songs like Mysterious Ways. His ZOO TV voice took that song to another level but since then it has been a battle to maintain parity.

 

[doctorwho]

Compare The Fly on ZooTV or WOWY on JT/Lovetown to today. Thin. Thin. Thin.

But Bono always sings the new songs best on their tour. For example, he just poured emotion into WOWY on the JT and Lovetown tours, but it's nowhere near that since. "The Fly" was rocking on ZOO TV, nowhere near since (although I liked the funky beginning on the Elevation Tour). Once they do some "greatest hits", it seems that Bono relaxes some. The audience knows the songs and often he even lets them sing (although WOWY you sounded the best I've heard since JT in the second Boston 360 performance). So I don't think it's quite the "apples to apples" comparison we can make there. Bono usually saves his voice for the new songs on any tour (note the operatic moments in songs like "Magnificent").

 

[Thanksandy]

of course.... but the first comments that my girfriend made a few years back when I played the Vertigo DVD and then the R&H DVD is : "Holy crap what a difference, he lost 50% of his power and energy in his voice!"
We are fans, we try to find the beauty in everything he does, but it's funny how "normal people" see Bono's voice now and 25 years ago.....

I'd have to agree with those comments your girlfriend made, it blatantly obvious to anyone, even the most ardent U2 fan, than Bono doesn't have the same power and energy he used to, but that has nothing to do with his vocal ability, range etc. I'm sure he can still sing songs in a similar way, with the same tone, vocal range etc, what he can't do is put as much power and force into that voice as he used to. There are some exceptions like Ultraviolet, Miss Sarajevo, Streets, TUF, but I just can't imagine Bono singing God Part II, Angel of Harlem, Night and Day, Pride, Hawkmoon etc, in the same way he did in the 80s and 90s.

That isn't a criticism, just a fact, he is older now and we all know the history with his vocal chords, being allergic to red wine, smoking etc. It's just wear and tear and age, he won't be recording vocals like those I've mentioned, in addition to In A Lifetime, With Or Without You, Desire, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses...

 

[digitize]

Night and Day

YouTube - U2 Night & Day live

(this is from 2003)

 

[Thanksandy]

it's very good, but still no comparison to the recording and I'd wonder why they don't sing that more often...besides, that's only one example, we could say The Fly was great the last two tours, which it was, so there are exceptions, as I stated.

 

[PhilsFan]

But Bono always sings the new songs best on their tour. For example, he just poured emotion into WOWY on the JT and Lovetown tours, but it's nowhere near that since. "The Fly" was rocking on ZOO TV, nowhere near since (although I liked the funky beginning on the Elevation Tour). Once they do some "greatest hits", it seems that Bono relaxes some. The audience knows the songs and often he even lets them sing (although WOWY you sounded the best I've heard since JT in the second Boston 360 performance). So I don't think it's quite the "apples to apples" comparison we can make there. Bono usually saves his voice for the new songs on any tour (note the operatic moments in songs like "Magnificent").

Maybe for a couple of songs. I can find other examples that go the opposite way though. He did his best work on Running to Stand Still on ZooTV, with that Hallelujah outro. Some New Year's Day performances on Popmart (Leeds, for example) sound like 1983 (I still think Popmart's best nights are better vocally than anything this past decade). I think the power in his voice being lost is a much bigger factor than Bono easing up, though I will agree it does happen.

 

[U2DMfan]

We are fans, we try to find the beauty in everything he does, but it's funny how "normal people" see Bono's voice now and 25 years ago.....

By "normal people" do you mean the difference between people who know very well they shouldn't audition for shows like American Idol? And yet there are thousands upon thousands of people who aren't quite this "normal"?

It's very simple. All ears are not equal.
Sounds like your girlfriend's ears actually 'work' (in that regard).

Some people just don't hear it because they can't.

 

[No spoken words]

I like how quickly his girlfriend did the voice loss calculations, very impressive.

She might be a Mentat.

 

[U2DMfan]

But Bono always sings the new songs best on their tour. For example, he just poured emotion into WOWY on the JT and Lovetown tours, but it's nowhere near that since.

Maybe it's not "emotion" you're talking about DW.
Maybe it's that his voice is much thinner due to wear and tear.

But you guys can think what you want, as long as you enjoy it, that's what matters the most.

 

[U2387]

of course.... but the first comments that my girfriend made a few years back when I played the Vertigo DVD and then the R&H DVD is : "Holy crap what a difference, he lost 50% of his power and energy in his voice!"
We are fans, we try to find the beauty in everything he does, but it's funny how "normal people" see Bono's voice now and 25 years ago.....

I get it in terms of perception to some extent. I will refrain from any stupid, sarcastic comments asking how she came up with 50%, but I highly doubt it is that much.

People often mistake screaming for power. Yes, R&H was very powerful, but a good amount of that is back since 2005.