Bono, Oh Bono!

[CMIS]

Now I don't want to get any angry responses for this.... I am as pro-bono (har de har har) as anyone here. But there is a line where critical fandom ends and blind worship begins, and if people think that there's nothing wrong with bono's performances in this tour, I am afraid they have crossed that line.

I'll admit that I haven't seen a lot of their shows, like for example I haven't seen a complete popmart show yet. I am a Bangladeshi living in Bangladesh, and so don't have much access to u2 performances, other than the odd dvd someone brings for me from abroad. The only time I saw them live was at Twickenham 2005 while I was studying in the U.K. But I have seen a lot of videos of their lovetown, joshua tree, r&h and zoo tv concerts.

What I am getting at here is that during all those shows Bono seemed a more sincere performer, his main aim was to get the song across. This was even as recently as Elevation, and some of the vertigo concerts. On this tour, I have seen a lot of fan videos, and was frankly horrified by his singing, but as I am a big fan, waited till I saw a proper recording. Unfortunately, after seeing the youtube webcast, none of my fears have been allayed.

What is most frustrating is that it's not that he has suddenly lost the ability to carry a tune, but sometimes he doesn't seem to care to sing it properly. This is all the more infuriating as the rest of the band seem to be playing their best music, but are undermined because their frontman is more concerned with jumping around like a juvenile delinquent than performing the beautiful songs that he and his mates have created. I think, and a lot of you may agree, that the big selling point of a lot of U2 classics is their singalong quality: that you feel like singing along everytime you hear the familiar notes and words. Bono, at least at the rose bowl, put paid to that by not delivering definitive versions on many songs such as COBL, GOYB, Breathe (which is my fav from the new album), WOWY, and many others.

But, as he showed during stuck, ISHFWILF, UC and UV (to an extent, when he was not changing the tune, because he felt like it), he can sing with the best of them. The most saddening thing is that even after 30 years on the circuit, he cannot rein himself in and balance the prancing around with proper singing. Changing small things in a vocal performance has always been part of his repertoire as a singer, dating back to their earliest days. But now, all the sincerity from him seems to have gone out, replaced by bonafide bombast. The thing that hurts me is that it's pulling u2 down.

Maybe we should petition him, or is that too optimistic. Well, I can be forgiven for being optimistic, because I am a fan of one of the more optimistic bands on the planet, and I am writing on their top fansite.

Sorry if I have rambled, and if this has been covered before, but I had to share. I'd like to know what you guys feel about this.

 

[Katelin]

I agree up to a point. His performance was good at the shows that I saw. The Rose Bowl performance was pretty bad. His voice was gone, and he was hamming it up for the cameras. He didn't act like that during either of the shows that I attended. Sure, he jumped around a bit sometimes, but only for a few seconds. But I can only speak for my experience.

 

[Rob33]

I've already expressed this for the most part in the Bono's voice thread but I'll chip in here anyway. I agree to a lesser extent....not sure what you mean by being a "sincere performer" but the way he sings certain songs..I don't know what Bono is thinking at times, like Vertigo, for example, at the Rose Bowl ...wtf? Also, I know Breathe is a new song and it should be played, but more often than not on this tour I find that Bono just can't sing it properly....Magnificent is sounding sort of weak too...I don't understand why Bono changed the way he sings the word "magnificent" and it just doesn't sound that great...which leads me to my next point: I think the main problem with Bono on this tour is his phrasing. He's constantly changing songs to the point where the song suffers... I mean he has always subtely changed things, but it's too much right now..the other thing is I find Bono is talking too many lyrics. I hope all this changes by the start of the next leg.

also...he rushes the way he sings "mysterious ways" (i.e. Rose Bowl) in the same way he has been singing "magnificent"...and that seems to be the problem...instead of holding out the line, he sort of rushes it

 

[last unicorn]

At the shows I went to, his singing was fine, his voice was amazing and I thought Bono has really developed a good singing technique. His voice sounded warm and melodic. Of course, it will get tired with time and sometimes hoarse, but it was much much worse on other, previous tours. And I found him as passionate and "into the song" as ever. He simply likes to improvise, it's his trademark. Nothing wrong with that. Personally, I found him to be very strong on this tour. I've seen a lot of concerts from other bands and performers and many of them left me unsatisfied even though they were good singers, but Bono simply has a way of communicating with the audience that is unparalleled. That, too me, is much more important than him just singing a song to make it sound like on the album. He has said himself that he likes to work on songs, to complete or change them when singing, that's his trademark. I loved that at the shows I went to. I've always found him to be a very sincere performer who also acknowledges his limitations and who's far from perfect, and I appreciate that.

 

[Peterrrrr]

His voice from 2009-06-29- Barcelona to 2009-07-21 - Amsterdam was one of his best ever in hid career. But on Dublin shows and forward something happend.
The notes went shorter, alot hoarse...

Just compare versions from the beginning of the tour to later 1st leg and whole 2nd leg of 360 of these songs:

Magnificent
NLOTH
IALW
UF
MOS
UV

Take ISHFWILF and WTSHNN for an example, he sang them with alot of energy on Vertigo tour, now he jst sing them calm and easy. Where is the energy? Same with Vertigo, one of the most important part in the whole song is the powerful "feel", but he havnet hit that note at all on this tour.

Aside from Magnificent, NLOTH, IALW, UF, MOS and UV he was alot better on Vertigo and he had alot more energy back then.

 

[beau99]

At the show I went to (Phoenix), Bono's voice was excellent; easily the best it's been since Zoo TV.

Also; contrary to the post above mine, I thought both Streets and ISHFWILF were great and easily the best renditions I've ever heard.

 

[hedge]

His voice from 2009-06-29- Barcelona to 2009-07-21 - Amsterdam was one of his best ever in hid career. But on Dublin shows and forward something happend.
The notes went shorter, alot hoarse...

back on the smokes?

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

lack of sex

 

[KUEFC09U2]

One U2 fan: "Oh no Bono's energy is lacking, he isnt running and jumping as much as other tours"

Another U2 fan: "Oh no, Bono is jumping about to much, he should be more sincere"

swings and roundabouts n all that.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

And his voice sounded fine to me in cardiff, even though he was supposed to have been "hungover", and imo alot better than when i heard him in manchester last time out.

 

[youarenotimmune]

yes, his voice became a little hoarse during the end of the 1st leg/start of the 2nd leg period (was as husky as it gets on SNL), but he's been singing pretty darn well in my opinion. and I also think he sang REALLY well at the Rose Bowl!

 

[Togna_Bologna]

Saw them at Toronto 1 and his voice sounded good. Of course, being there ads +10 awesome points to any review generally. I did think Bono added extra cheese to the dish for the youtube performance. But hey, those of us that love U2 know that Bono expresses nervousness by acting even wackier.

 

[last unicorn]

His voice from 2009-06-29- Barcelona to 2009-07-21 - Amsterdam was one of his best ever in hid career. But on Dublin shows and forward something happend.
The notes went shorter, alot hoarse...

Just compare versions from the beginning of the tour to later 1st leg and whole 2nd leg of 360 of these songs:

Magnificent
NLOTH
IALW
UF
MOS
UV

Take ISHFWILF and WTSHNN for an example, he sang them with alot of energy on Vertigo tour, now he jst sing them calm and easy. Where is the energy? Same with Vertigo, one of the most important part in the whole song is the powerful "feel", but he havnet hit that note at all on this tour.

Aside from Magnificent, NLOTH, IALW, UF, MOS and UV he was alot better on Vertigo and he had alot more energy back then.

back on the smokes?

How about: Exhaustion, after singing so many shows? Bono's voice tires easily, it's sensitive. Still better than on other tours. On the Vertigo tour, especially the last leg, his voice was good, but he had good and bad nights. As far as I've heard on the 360 tour, there were no really "bad" nights. He has had some nights were his voice sounded a bit rough and where you could here that he's tired, but overall I think that was much more the case during the Vertigo tour. In 2005, Bono had much more political activities between concerts, thus he seemed to be tired, exhausted, stressed out and jetlegged a lot and you could clearly hear this in his voice. Leg 4 was horrible, but leg 5 was awsome, mainly because they had such a long break before the postponed and rescheduled concerts. Hands down the best Bono voice in a long long time.

Overall, I think his "360 voice" is excellent: Good technique, very much control, melodic voice, maybe not so much screaming and power, but I guess he's taking more care of his voice now. And as for energy: Man, I want to have that level of energy when I'm his age.

 

[BVS]

CMIS, Oh CMIS!

Since all you've seen is the Rose Bowl webcast shouldn't this rant be in that thread?

Maybe we should petition him, or is that too optimistic. Well, I can be forgiven for being optimistic,

 

[MikeyJB]

also...he rushes the way he sings "mysterious ways" (i.e. Rose Bowl) in the same way he has been singing "magnificent"...and that seems to be the problem...instead of holding out the line, he sort of rushes it

I'm pretty sure that's intentional, it seems he's just messing around with the melody of the song as he is prone to do. Why, God only knows.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Well, I haven't been to a concert this tour yet, but after watching the Pasadena show, I thought that the running around the stage at the start of COBL is something that could probably be put away sometimes. I mean, as far as I can tell Bono plodding around isn't really the most exciting thing in the world to watch when you've got a four billion mile tall glowing tower above you shooting lasers and blowing shit up, so he could probably do with preparing for the ol' singing (which is his job I think) instead. But like I said, totally haven't been to a concert, totally don't deserve to showcase opinion.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

this thread =

 

[JCOSTER]

At the Meadowlands while singing MLK, his voice was amazing and while singing Amazing Grace it was downright beautiful.

 

[CMIS]

CMIS, Oh CMIS!

Since all you've seen is the Rose Bowl webcast shouldn't this rant be in that thread?

I was totally expecting someone to attack the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself. and BVS, that's you.

First off, if this thread belongs somewhere else, please let it be moved. And as far as being classified as a 'rant', I have to defend my post here, because as I have said that I am a big fan, and have often bent over backwards to make allowances for Bono.

I admit that some parts of my post can come across as over-generalisations. Again, I am not saying that Bono has suddenly turned into a bad singer and this is the end of U2 and all of the doomsday stuff that is the preserve of the zealots. I will never blame him for occasionally losing his voice, what kind of a fan would I be?

But when I see him slipping up, and repeatedly so, when he can easily avoid it, I feel I can comment. Honestly, who can say here that they have seen a good vocal performance of breathe or GOYB? I know that many here don't like GOYB, but the studio version is a good, fast rock song that I thought should translate well live, like vertigo had done during the previous tour. Unfortunately, he just can't keep up with the instruments, and seems to be singing a lot of pitches lower than on the studio track.

Also, I apologize if I haven't made it clear in my opening post, but my main beef is the shortness of breath, which he can easily rectify by not running around so much. And contrary to what someone said, I will not complain if he doesn't "show energy" on the stage (what does that even mean?), as long as it is in his voice. And the right kind, not the over-the-top variety. An experienced performer such as him should know the difference.

An example of that is the COBL performance at rose bowl, where he ran around the stage and just screwed up the vocals. The band had built the song to be one of the more amazing live tracks, and bono just ruined it with his shortness of breath.

And may I echo togna_bologna's comment here that attending a show doesn't necessarily give you the most objective position from which to judge performances. The one show I have been to, I was more busy soaking in the atmosphere and music, and the vocals seemed to be a small part of the whole. You tend to feed off the energy of those around you.

And BVS, I see you have jumped on my slight disadvantage of not having seen many shows, awfully big of you. Well, yes, I cannot make it to every show, but this tour I have been watching a lot of the fan videos, something you will know if you read my first post, which you quoted from.

A rant is if someone is just offloading frustrations without being able to point to a direction whereby those problems may be solved. I think I am saying that these problems can easily be solved if he could rein himself in. Just my two cents, I don't wanna fight with anyone about it. I love the guy and was happy with a lot of the songs he performed, but wish he could bring more of his experience into play. I don't think that's asking too much.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Thing that makes me laugh, last tour we had the whole "Bono's energy is down because he isnt running around the ellipse like he did around the heart", now this tour we are getting the whole "Bono shouldnt be running etc etc".

 

[gvox]

I'll be quite honest: I love Bono's antics, and I think that on some songs his voice has never been stronger. However, on alot of others, it's almost getting atrocious and I thought the Rose Bowl webcast especially weak and a good example of where his judgement isn't what it should be in terms of how he paces himself. I said it before and got shot down but that lap before COBL was just flat out a dumb move and it did affect him for more than just that song. So in a way I tend to agree with the OP to a certain extent. I think that while they are on tour he should sideline his other stuff where he has to talk alot offstage, concentrate on singing the songs properly and get appropriate rest. Some of the performances this time around have detracted from my otherwise unwaveringly positive vibe tour-time. And it's unfortunate, as the band is so on fire this tour!!

Also, given that they decided to put themselves out there by webcasting a show live to millions of people, I think we can safely give the 'oh yeah well have you personally been to a show' jab a rest for a bit. People are bound to comment on what they perceived thru the webcast and it's not unfair of them to do so.

This doesn't change my 'overall rating' comment in that thread, however. Overall, I'm more than happy with the shows I saw, I had the time of my life and want more.

 

[CMIS]

Not every complaint is valid. His lack of running didn't affect his singing, perhaps he realised he was past that phase age-wise. But now his running is definitely affecting his singing. It didn't during the elevation tour. Again speaking generally here.

 

[BVS]

I was totally expecting someone to attack the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself. and BVS, that's you.

Nowhere was that even close to an "attack".

And BVS, I see you have jumped on my slight disadvantage of not having seen many shows, awfully big of you. Well, yes, I cannot make it to every show, but this tour I have been watching a lot of the fan videos, something you will know if you read my first post, which you quoted from.

I'm not jumping on any disadvantage, my point was that you've really only seen one proshot webcast, it's hardly enough to judge a whole tour and compare it to other tours. Even the best fan shot videos aren't enough to really judge a whole tour, that was my point. This should have just been a continuance of the Rose Bowl discussion... That's how I feel, you showed how you felt by starting a thread, I showed you how I felt by commenting on it. Plain and simple.

 

[CMIS]

thanks gvox, I find a lot of my comments being shot down because i haven't been on a show. I'd just like to say that I am not unhappy with bono overall, just a few of the times when, as you have said, his singing was atrocious. The band is definitely on fire. I even said after the show that it was an okay show, I wasn't putting him down or anything. Only after having watched it a second and third time have I started this thread.

 

[CMIS]

believe me, I respect your opinion BVS, you have a right to it. But when you call my post a rant, which frankly it wasn't, it's hard not to feel that there was more than a consideration of just the argument on your part, that's all. Again, I don't want to start a personal back-and-forth about it.

And well, there has been one pro-shot concert available to us on this tour, am I right? Not being able to watch other shows in person, I did the next best thing and downloaded every fan-shot video on youtube I could get my hands on. But if you think that's not enough to warrant an opinion on the tour, well that's your call.

 

[zuropa_fit]

Why can't they just lip sync to the album? Then every note would be perfect.

I know that's not what you're saying but really, it's all a matter of opionon. As someone else stated, one persons "energy" is another persons "antics". One person's "creativity" with the melody or words or syle is another person's "lack of accuracy or tone"

 

[mikal]

But there is a line where critical fandom ends and blind worship begins, and if people think that there's nothing wrong with bono's performances in this tour, I am afraid they have crossed that line.

thank goodness i have you to tell me where that line is. i've been so afraid of crossing that line, but until you came along, i didn't know where that line was.

thank you.

 

[CMIS]

ok, on that point I apologize, I don't have a right to tell you or anyone where that line is.

I wasn't trying to prescribe anything to anyone but trying to make a general point, but that's how it came across I guess. That would piss me off too, so apologies.

 

[zuropa_fit]

Well, I haven't been to a concert this tour yet, but after watching the Pasadena show, I thought that the running around the stage at the start of COBL is something that could probably be put away sometimes. I mean, as far as I can tell Bono plodding around isn't really the most exciting thing in the world to watch when you've got a four billion mile tall glowing tower above you shooting lasers and blowing shit up, so he could probably do with preparing for the ol' singing (which is his job I think) instead. But like I said, totally haven't been to a concert, totally don't deserve to showcase opinion.

My point exactly. One man's "plodding around" is another man's "Holy Shit, look at 'im go!!! " I LOVE watching him run around the stage. It actually makes my heart race. I realize I'm probably in the minority but there you go.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

"The running didnt affect his singing" i would take the voice he has now with the running over the voice he had during the elevation tour that supposedly "didnt affect his singing".