amerrydeath said:
I agree, there always seemed to be something missing from Popmart. The setlists are AMAZING, same with the rest of the band, but Bono's voice just seems to be weaker and he sounds less passionate at times (though I know that's probably not the case).
While I was a staunch defender of Bono's voice because I felt that Bono, even at his weakest, was still far, FAR better than just about any other rock singer. However, I have to admit that from about '95 to '99, I was quite worried about Bono's voice. It was weaker, scratchier and lacked the power I was used to hearing.
Then, starting with ATYCLB, his voice started coming back. We heard bits of it on songs like "Kite" and "Wild Honey". It still wasn't perfect, but it was returning. The Elevation Tour had some super strong moments (see Boston DVD video and the Bono wail at the beginning of "Streets" in the Slane DVD) that were impressive.
With HTDAAB, it seems his voice is back. Sure, there are some scratchy moments, but I think this is partly due to the mix. If one listens to the single version of "Pride", there is an extra chorus which has a very scratchy Bono - that is, a line that wasn't super polished in the studio. Plus, I think some of Bono's scratchiness now adds a lot of character to the songs. But more importantly, he has that richness and power back, as exemplified not only be songs on the album ("Vertigo", "Sometimes...", "Original...") but also on the tour. The '98 Bono would never have clearly done the operatic bit in "Miss Sarajevo". But the 2005 Bono hits those huge notes with power and depth. This makes me very optimistic for the future - because when Bono's voice is working, it's truly another instrument in the band. I think this is part of what hurt "Pop" some.