Probaly the best version of Bad

[Peterrrrr]

For some time ago I listen to the performence of Bad from 2005-04-25 - Seattle. It blowed me away, wow!

Bono's voice is in top form, in the first line on the song it sounds like a much more younger Bono. Later he pulls of one of the best Wide Awakes ever. Listen to it!



w w w.send space.com/file/7rm35j

 

[U2girl]

If I didn't know the date, I'd think it was Zoo TV Bono singing, sounds younger on this version.

 

[last unicorn]

Yes, I love this version. I downloaded both Seattle bootlegs and remember how amazed I was when I heard this version of Bad. Great find, Peter!

 

[U2DMfan]

Good if not very good, not really close to the best version.

Insert your Wide Awake In America disc and then stare at a picture of Donald Trump until it sinks in.

then consider the countless others.....

Bono doesn't have the same powerful tone and will never have it again. That's fine, this version is awesome, your praise only invites the statement of the obvious. It's not as good. period.

Peter, invest in some headphones and a keyboard.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Bono doesn't have the same powerful tone and will never have it again. That's fine, this version is awesome, your praise only invites the statement of the obvious. It's not as good. period.
.

I can't agree with you, The Wide Awake's at this one of the most powerful he ever has hit. Remember that he never hit the HIGH C on any versions from JT/LT/ZOOTV/Popmart and elevation tour. He did a few times on Vertigo tour, also on UF tour he had to scream and strain his voice to hit the note. On Vertigo he didnt.
Try 2005-09-14 - Toronto and 2005-12-04 - Boston amazing power. Power isnt just scream/strain.

Just listen to the Wave note on the studio version of WOS, that note has a real powerful sound, something Bono never in the 80's and 90's could sound like

 

[last unicorn]

I agree with Peter. The Vertigo tour versions of Bad just blew me away.

 

[xtrmx]

2005-12-04 - Boston is amazing

 

[AndrewCowley]

Originally posted by U2DMfan Insert your Wide Awake In America disc and then stare at a picture of Donald Trump until it sinks in.

Hmm... I've always wondered, is the version of Bad from WAIA actually real and not cobbled together in the studio from perhaps multiple performances with a few overdubs thrown in as well? It doesn't sound 'real' to me. In all the UF bootlegs that I've heard I've never found a version of Bad that is quite like the WAIA version. It is pretty much taken for granted that A Sort of Homecoming from WAIA is not real (it is partly at least from a soundcheck). What chance that Bad is the same?

 

[Rob33]

2005-12-04 - Boston is amazing

and exactly one year later...Japan

For anyone who hasn't heard 12/4/06- you need to!

 

[corianderstem]

That 4/25 Seattle show was AMAZING.

 

[djerdap]

That Seattle II concert is probably the best concert of the Vertigo Tour. So much energy in it. The only show that sounded this rockin' was the Leeds 1997 one. Amazing versions of Running To Stand Still and Vertigo2 as well.

 

[corianderstem]

It was the debut of Vertigo x2, and it blew the roof off the place.

Also featured an outstanding performance of Sometimes You Can't Make It ... where Bono pulled up a little boy and sang parts of the song to him.

 

[the tourist]

I was at that show.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

The Seattle version is really good, thanks for the link Peter.

But c'mon listen to R&H Bad for exemple.... don't tell me the 2005 is better .... I really like the fact that Bono has improved a lot lately (also on WOS), but he will never top or tie 80's Bono, particulary 85-89....

I'm still glad he can hits whatever notes he wants at his age after 30 years! But the clarity and power of his voice are damaged and, for some part, gone.

 

[Addicted To Bad]

The Seattle version is really good, thanks for the link Peter.

But c'mon listen to R&H Bad for exemple.... don't tell me the 2005 is better .... I really like the fact that Bono has improved a lot lately (also on WOS), but he will never top or tie 80's Bono, particulary 85-89....

I'm still glad he can hits whatever notes he wants at his age after 30 years! But the clarity and power of his voice are damaged and, for some part, gone.

I agree with you.... but this song gives me chills every performance since R&H till now. I don´t know exactly how to explain in words but I can feel Bono´s soul in this song.

When I´m down, sad... I need to see him singing Bad... It lifts my spirit !

BAD... forever.....anyway.... touches me

 

[Peterrrrr]

The Seattle version is really good, thanks for the link Peter.

But c'mon listen to R&H Bad for exemple.... don't tell me the 2005 is better .... I really like the fact that Bono has improved a lot lately (also on WOS), but he will never top or tie 80's Bono, particulary 85-89....

I'm still glad he can hits whatever notes he wants at his age after 30 years! But the clarity and power of his voice are damaged and, for some part, gone.

R&H? One of the most booring versions of that song, he dosnt hit the HIGH C on that performence. Power gone? ever listen to Desire from the Union chapel show, the line "let you go" is stronger then any LT version. He still got the power but he is smart to not use it, because it will destroy his voice. Power isnt just about scream/starin it is also about the power in the clean voice. Give me one example from the 80's and the 90's when he has a powerful sound like on Miss Sarajevo, Highway to hell snippet on Vertigo from 2006-11-18 - Melbourne(one of his highest falsettos ever), Wave note on WOS... If you want any good version on Bad from the 80's, try the 1984 Dortmund or 1986-06-15 - East Rutherford.

 

[Rosebud]

The Seattle shows were the ones I could've gone to...




When I downloaded the bootlegs a few months ago to see what I missed, I almost cried.

 

[DevilsShoes]

Hmm... I've always wondered, is the version of Bad from WAIA actually real and not cobbled together in the studio from perhaps multiple performances with a few overdubs thrown in as well? It doesn't sound 'real' to me. In all the UF bootlegs that I've heard I've never found a version of Bad that is quite like the WAIA version. It is pretty much taken for granted that A Sort of Homecoming from WAIA is not real (it is partly at least from a soundcheck). What chance that Bad is the same?

The only really change I know of was that the band screwed up the final few moments of the Birmingham performance and so had to replace it with a cleaner finish from another night. Other than that I don't know really...but I get what you're saying, the band played the song that night with a degree of precision and passion that they rarely bettered or even equalled, at least on the UF tour. 23 years later and its still one of the greatest live performances of U2's entire concert career, actually for me I view it as a bit of a benchmark with which to rate all other live performances by. My feeling is that, with a few minor embellishments aside, this is a genuine version and the band just managed to pull a spellbinding performance out of the bag on that particular night. Its something they've done a few times since with Please from Rotterdam and Kite from Sydney.

Anyway its impossible to pick what I think is the very best version of Bad, but I think:
East Rutherford 1986
10th January 1990
Washington 92
Santiago 98
Toyko 06
are amongst the finest renditions ever played.

 

[U2opra]

I remember hearing this ages back, but I forgot what performance it was from. Now I have finally found it, thank you peter!

 

[gherman]

Pretty good. I would still take any of these:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=o7KjiDZMD5o&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ucuBimT-9m4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sHnXOSxka1Q&feature=related

 

[theFly51]

damn this is a good version of it

 

[david]

wow, it sounds like he's singing it instead of shouting/screaming it.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Pretty good. I would still take any of these:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=o7KjiDZMD5o&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ucuBimT-9m4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sHnXOSxka1Q&feature=related

The Dortmund is the best one of these three, Live Aid is another classic. But Dublin? The JT tour versions is realy boaring. I must say that the Dublin version was one of worst from that tour. That version is an example that Bono is overstraining his voice to the max. Why he does he do that? because he had to strain his voice to try to hit the note. But he didnt succed to hit the note either... On Vertigo tour he succed to hit the note and hold it without straining his voice. That is the EVIDENCE why he is a so much better singer now then he was back then. So If you litsten to the note "Wide Awake" on 2005-04-25 - Seattle, 2005-09-14 - Toronto, 2005-12-04 - Boston and 2006-12-04 - Tokyo you hear the his voice is much more fuller, thats power.

Also listen to 2006-12-04 - Tokyo - SYCMIOYO in the end of the song Bono sings a opera snippet. The power in that note he pulls of, well imagene him do that in the 80's, impossible.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

R&H? One of the most booring versions of that song, he dosnt hit the HIGH C on that performence. Power gone? ever listen to Desire from the Union chapel show, the line "let you go" is stronger then any LT version. He still got the power but he is smart to not use it, because it will destroy his voice. Power isnt just about scream/starin it is also about the power in the clean voice. Give me one example from the 80's and the 90's when he has a powerful sound like on Miss Sarajevo, Highway to hell snippet on Vertigo from 2006-11-18 - Melbourne(one of his highest falsettos ever), Wave note on WOS... If you want any good version on Bad from the 80's, try the 1984 Dortmund or 1986-06-15 - East Rutherford.

Boring?
Obiously we don't have the same expectations...
Anyway, I'm not talking about destroying his voice or not, I'm talking about the sound coming out of his mouth.... so in pure beauty of sound, to me there is not even a contest, 80's is 10 times better than now.
Now, in terms of holding a note like Miss Sarajevo, I can't disagree with you, he is better now.
The Chapel concert was indeed very impressive and it is the closest to 80' "sound" that I've heard in 17 years.
He has a wider range now, yes.
However, my girlfriend who's not a U2 expert but knows 90% of the songs watched with me R&H video and JT Paris as well.....then we watched Chicago Vertigo.... (not a good example I know...), but she was blown away by the change! We also went to Buenos Aires to watch both Vertigo shows in feb 06, she only knew the 2000's live stuff, when I showed her what U2 were in 87-89, she couldn't believe it....

 

[Peterrrrr]

Boring?
Obiously we don't have the same expectations...
Anyway, I'm not talking about destroying his voice or not, I'm talking about the sound coming out of his mouth.... so in pure beauty of sound, to me there is not even a contest, 80's is 10 times better than now.
Now, in terms of holding a note like Miss Sarajevo, I can't disagree with you, he is better now.
The Chapel concert was indeed very impressive and it is the closest to 80' "sound" that I've heard in 17 years.
He has a wider range now, yes.
However, my girlfriend who's not a U2 expert but knows 90% of the songs watched with me R&H video and JT Paris as well.....then we watched Chicago Vertigo.... (not a good example I know...), but she was blown away by the change! We also went to Buenos Aires to watch both Vertigo shows in feb 06, she only knew the 2000's live stuff, when I showed her what U2 were in 87-89, she couldn't believe it....

Boring yes, in that version he overstrained his voice so it dosent sound good, it sound strange. Overstrained.

'About Miss Sarajevo, it isnt just about holding the note. It is also about the power of the note. Bono hadnt that powerrange in the 80's. As a said hundreds of times the reason that the 80's stuff sounded powrful is that he screamed and strained his voice to the maximum, lets say that we took away all the straininghand screaming from all the 80's live versions, well the basic clean voice wouldnt win that match vs his voice now. The Wave note in WOS, Wide Awake, You in AIWIY(Buenos and Japan 2006), Feel in Vertigo, Sing in Sycmioyo, L'amoure in Miss Sarajevo... Bono hadnt power enough in the 80's to sing like that. JT tour are so overrated in his voice performences. The UF and LT tour are a much more better example of his voice in the 80's. But still there where alot of screams. So no it isnt 10 times better in the 80's...

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I understand you, we talk about 2 different things...

You talk about his voice without "staining" and I'm talking about the sound of it, regardless of how he get to that sound...

So, I guess you're right on his abilities now (better than ever) but I stick to my point that his 80's voice (straining or not) sounds better than now.

End of story....

 

[gherman]

The Dortmund is the best one of these three, Live Aid is another classic. But Dublin? The JT tour versions is realy boaring. I must say that the Dublin version was one of worst from that tour. That version is an example that Bono is overstraining his voice to the max. Why he does he do that? because he had to strain his voice to try to hit the note. But he didnt succed to hit the note either... On Vertigo tour he succed to hit the note and hold it without straining his voice. That is the EVIDENCE why he is a so much better singer now then he was back then. So If you litsten to the note "Wide Awake" on 2005-04-25 - Seattle, 2005-09-14 - Toronto, 2005-12-04 - Boston and 2006-12-04 - Tokyo you hear the his voice is much more fuller, thats power.

Also listen to 2006-12-04 - Tokyo - SYCMIOYO in the end of the song Bono sings a opera snippet. The power in that note he pulls of, well imagene him do that in the 80's, impossible.

I agree that he is a better/smarter 'singer' but the thing about his voice now is the lack of power. He hits the notes but they sound paper thin. The "thickness" in his voice is gone. When he sings on softer notes it sounds fragile like it will break at any moment and I think that is the difference today. Back then Bono's "Wide Awake!!!!" parks filled the stadium better than today. Today when he does it the fans singing the part is more powerfull that when Bono does it.

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

i like the boston '01 version......theres probably a better one but ive never seen it live

 

[last unicorn]

I like Bono's voice today better because it's softer, more melodic, better trained and he has the technique. In the 80s, he's done a lot of shouting. In the 90s, he learned how to actually sing, but then he almost lost his voice. In the 00s, his voice came back and continues to improve. He is a more conscious singer now and understands what he's doing better. In the 80s, it may have been more about emotion, but he was a reckless singer back than and knew nothing about singing. That's why he hurt his voice by straining it and "wrong" singing technique, or better: no technique at all. I agree, though, that there are good things about both voice "eras", but personally, I prefer him today, because I consider him a real singer today, which he wasn't back in the 80s.

As for the Wide Awake parts in Bad, they just blew me away on the Vertigo tour. I'd never thought he could pull that off again. In fact, I was cringing when I first heard that they did Bad because I thought Bono would fail (sorry Bono), but I was totally surprised how good he sounded and how powerful his voice is. I think the power keeps returning, and it's getting better if he gives his voice the chance to rest.

I would love to hear more good examples of "Bad".

 

[gherman]

I like Bono's voice today better because it's softer, more melodic, better trained and he has the technique. In the 80s, he's done a lot of shouting. In the 90s, he learned how to actually sing, but then he almost lost his voice. In the 00s, his voice came back and continues to improve. He is a more conscious singer now and understands what he's doing better. In the 80s, it may have been more about emotion, but he was a reckless singer back than and knew nothing about singing. That's why he hurt his voice by straining it and "wrong" singing technique, or better: no technique at all. I agree, though, that there are good things about both voice "eras", but personally, I prefer him today, because I consider him a real singer today, which he wasn't back in the 80s.

As for the Wide Awake parts in Bad, they just blew me away on the Vertigo tour. I'd never thought he could pull that off again. In fact, I was cringing when I first heard that they did Bad because I thought Bono would fail (sorry Bono), but I was totally surprised how good he sounded and how powerful his voice is. I think the power keeps returning, and it's getting better if he gives his voice the chance to rest.

I would love to hear more good examples of "Bad".

It has gotten better. With all the money Bono has you hope he's using some of it to invest in voice coaching and technology.