"Singing like a Bird" ...

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mofo82

mofo82

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I hadn't thought about the quote dropped a while back about Bono singing like a bird on this album until just today. Just wondering how us Interferencer's relate that quote to Bono's singing since we've had some exposure to the newest songs for a while now. Any thoughts?

I will offer my own personal thoughts since I'm starting this one :D

I am in no way trained in vocals or singing, but, my first impression of reading that quote was beautiful, high range and delicate singing, but when I think of Bono on this album, the 'bird' I am thinking of would be as his voice soars and flies around more, smoother, not as raspy, holding onto the oohhh ohhhhhs on songs like Moment of Surrender, White as Snow (not so much on GOYB). It also seems Bono finds or adds a new vocal range or understands the strengths as the band progresses (sans Pop? even though I feel that was where he purposely let go of his voice in a controlled manner in combination with his smoking habits at the time; where as then the crackling kicked in ...Velvet Dress onto ATYCLB/ Beautiful Day) Now he seems to have tightened up the harmonies again when viewing NLOTH as a whole. Just my untrained thoughts :wink:

(I'm sorry if this has been posted or discussed already, so if this needs to be merged, I understand...)
 
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i would say the quote was pretty accurate. it's definitely his best vocal performance since Zooropa.
 
He did a damn good job at the beginning of Unknown Caller :shrug:

I mean he nailed the bird sound.

Plus he sang about a bird in Breathe.
 
BVS said:
He did a damn good job at the beginning of Unknown Caller :shrug:

I mean he nailed the bird sound.

Plus he sang about a bird in Breathe.
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Pointless trivia - an Umbrella Cockatoo is actually referred to as a U2.
 
American's seem to be obsessed with range. Why? Does that mean bass singers like Bing Crosby are shit and Sinatra was shit because he's only a baritone. I much prefer baritone voices to tenor voices. Thom Yorke, Matt Ballemy, Chris Martin, Gary Lightbody, Billy Corgan and that fat guy from Keane all sing like girls. I like Freddie Mercury voice but I much prefer the baritone voices of Elvis, Stipe, Sinatra and Chris Cornell. I prefer bass voices of Nat Cole and Bing. Bono sounds like a baritone, which is why I much much much prefer his voice to Freddie's. But silly people prefer Freddie because he sings higher. Why? It's only a high note. You do realise that Bono and Freddie are both completely different types of voices that's why Freddie is more able naturally in terms of high notes and flexibilty. Whilst Bono's voice is more suited for strength of character and dynamics. Freddie had a one dimensional timbre. And if he had a 4 octave range of course he had training. He spoke with a baritone voice but appears as though he developed into a tenor, only possible through training. Bono couldn't sing with a 4 octave range, his voice is too heavy. Pavarotti had 3 octaves only. Both Bono and Freddie are incapable of singing like the other. It's a bit like compairing a tennis player to a footballer. I swear on littlle Malcolm's life that I never heard a rasp in Bono's voice during ATYCLB, Bomb or their respective tours.

And what about phrasing? You listen to how Julie Andrews used to phrase. Is Bono capable of that?
 
Oh and last week some dweeb pointed out that they don't like Bono's falsetto on MOS Magnificent . They prefer Chris Martin's enhansed studio falsetto. Obviously never heard him live or Speed Of Sound. Bono has a much stronger falsetto than Chris' does nowadays. He obviously never heard Lemon or The First Time
 
There is nothing wrong with an impressive tenor (Bono, Sting), but there seem to be very few popular artists with bass or bari voices. Falsetto doesn't = range. If you can go from very low notes to high notes it gives you more versatility but doesn't necessarily fit your songwriting approach.

But for the geeky-kid poet kind of lyric writing Gary Lightbody does, his voice fits, I wouldn't call him girly. He's not trained and amazing, but it fits SP.
 
What about the idiot who proclaimed, in very matter-of-a-fact way, that Bono Bono can sing like Dylan, Morrissey, Lemmy, Niel Tennant, Ian Brown and Brian Johnson, he was being sarcastic. Yet he much prefers he's caterwalking than the show off look what I can do attitude of Chris Martin, Chris Cornell, Cher, Jeff Buckley and Thom York. Where do these people come from? Alison Graham was right when she said that internet message boards are the sanctorary for the dumb. No one bothers to check their facts before they post. Presumably this guy was referring to the tone of these singers when he posted this message. He obviously loves whinny voice because Jeff, Chris Martin and Thom York have very whinny voices. He obviously hasn't heard tham sing live, or heard many songs by Bon Jovi because he is a singer who is well known for employing a gravely chesty sound to his lower register. Chris Cornell's tone is enhanced by using a graphic equalizer because he doesn't have a great tone even if he tries. And how dare Bono sing how his song how he wants to? Yes I am being sarcastic myself now. You've just written a song, it has your name on the credits, but you must sing as though you're an opera or broadway singer, ie with no sense of creativity or individualism. How dare he purposely strain for effect on a song he's just written, or crack during a song when the lyrics contains the word crack (Walk On). How dare Niel Tennant sing in his typical deadpan manner for a song he's just written. If they weren't happy with the vocal they would just do a retake, there's no one telling them how to sing their own songs. They supposed to sing it like that, you stupid thickside. It's like going to the ballet and complaining that there wasn't enough farting. To be unique means you're evil, you must sound the same, look the same and behave the same as everyone else. After all this generic attitude makes life really interesting doesn't it? It's like Noreen in Big Brother. The other day she was saying that she never realized she could get like Halfwit because he looks different to everyone else:ohmy:. He wears different clothes to everyone else :ohmy:. He even has the nerve to say different things than anyone else :ohmy::ohmy:. Therefore she won't his friend.
 
Cactus Annie said:
What about the idiot who proclaimed, in very matter-of-a-fact way, that Bono Bono can sing like Dylan, Morrissey, Lemmy, Niel Tennant, Ian Brown and Brian Johnson, he was being sarcastic. Yet he much prefers he's caterwalking than the show off look what I can do attitude of Chris Martin, Chris Cornell, Cher, Jeff Buckley and Thom York. Where do these people come from? Alison Graham was right when she said that internet message boards are the sanctorary for the dumb. No one bothers to check their facts before they post. Presumably this guy was referring to the tone of these singers when he posted this message. He obviously loves whinny voice because Jeff, Chris Martin and Thom York have very whinny voices. He obviously hasn't heard tham sing live, or heard many songs by Bon Jovi because he is a singer who is well known for employing a gravely chesty sound to his lower register. Chris Cornell's tone is enhanced by using a graphic equalizer because he doesn't have a great tone even if he tries. And how dare Bono sing how his song how he wants to? Yes I am being sarcastic myself now. You've just written a song, it has your name on the credits, but you must sing as though you're an opera or broadway singer, ie with no sense of creativity or individualism. How dare he purposely strain for effect on a song he's just written, or crack during a song when the lyrics contains the word crack (Walk On). How dare Niel Tennant sing in his typical deadpan manner for a song he's just written. If they weren't happy with the vocal they would just do a retake, there's no one telling them how to sing their own songs. They supposed to sing it like that, you stupid thickside. It's like going to the ballet and complaining that there wasn't enough farting. To be unique means you're evil, you must sound the same, look the same and behave the same as everyone else. After all this generic attitude makes life really interesting doesn't it? It's like Noreen in Big Brother. The other day she was saying that she never realized she could get like Halfwit because he looks different to everyone else:ohmy:. He wears different clothes to everyone else :ohmy:. He even has the nerve to say different things than anyone else :ohmy::ohmy:. Therefore she won't his friend.
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huh?
 
Plus I think that person who said the slbum was pitchier then ever, I presume that they are getting confused by the fact that Danny, Edge and Brian are joining in the singing on some of the songs. Q magazine and Zane Lowe said that Bono was singing with better technique than on any other album. It is one or the other, it can't be both artful and raw & pitchy all at the same time.
 
Where are all these reviews that you are always talking about that talk about technique, pitch, and graphic equalizers?

I've never in my life read a review that talked about technique.

They might talk about the strength, mood, or overall quality of a voice but it's usually just a subjective account if they like the person's voice or not.
 
Cactus Annie said:
Plus I think that person who said the slbum was pitchier then ever, I presume that they are getting confused by the fact that Danny, Edge and Brian are joining in the singing on some of the songs. Q magazine and Zane Lowe said that Bono was singing with better technique than on any other album. It is one or the other, it can't be both artful and raw & pitchy all at the same time.
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actually, yes it can if the artist intends it to be.
 
But do you think he's singing with better control of his pitch now? How can you tell because I still say that 90% of people would never even notice if a singer slurs their pitch as they are hitting a note. I always thought the most important thing in singing is to have an instantly recognizable voice. How wrong was I? I don't really like to use the word technique in singing. It makes it sound more like we're discussing the technical features between two widescreen televisions. Bono's a human being, not an electrical appliance.
 
But I feel as though the songs are melodically easier to sing on this album. Midnight Sun is difficult to pitch because of its chromatic chords. So is Peggy Lee's tHe Best Is Yet To Come and varied forms of jazz. I feel that this album the melodies are far more linear or monotone compaired to HTDAAB and ATYCLB.

In the book U2 BY U2 Bono says that they ocasisionally wriet songs that are too high or too low for him. Achtung Baby was low but he never hit the notes plus he was talking. I can talk. I think that on songs such as Cedars he is merely talking not singing. Why can't he sing in that low key?
 
Also. By sing layers it can disguise bad singing, Yazz, a singer from the 1980's said that. Some of the songs could have done better by being strripped back and with the focus on just the 4 band members rather than the producers. Neil McCormick was the one who said that Brian Wilson had a weak voice therefore he needed to have backing singers to help on stage. And we all know that Niel McCormick is the undisbuted expert in singing. What about graphic equalizers and reverb that boosted Lennon's voice throughout his career and the rising/falling in pitch effect of harmony of voices around Bono's as well as the underlaying voice snippets that kepps passing underneath on NLOTH. On the internet the vocals sounded as though they had been pulled through at least 3 Dolby noize surpressor filters.
 
Cactus Annie said:
Also. By sing layers it can disguise bad singing, Yazz, a singer from the 1980's said that. Some of the songs could have done better by being strripped back and with the focus on just the 4 band members rather than the producers. Neil McCormick was the one who said that Brian Wilson had a weak voice therefore he needed to have backing singers to help on stage. And we all know that Niel McCormick is the undisbuted expert in singing. What about graphic equalizers and reverb that boosted Lennon's voice throughout his career and the rising/falling in pitch effect of harmony of voices around Bono's as well as the underlaying voice snippets that kepps passing underneath on NLOTH. On the internet the vocals sounded as though they had been pulled through at least 3 Dolby noize surpressor filters.
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When did Neil say this? If it was recently then I agree, if it was back in the day, then he's full of shit.

Do you know what a graphic equalizer is? I don't think you do given the way you are using it...

the rising/falling in pitch effect of harmony of voices around Bono's as well as the underlaying voice snippets that kepps passing underneath on NLOTH
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What does this even mean?
 
Dear Annie:

Before you buy a single piece of food, clothing...before you spend another dime on anything...run, don't walk, to your local Professional Music Store and buy yourself a set of studio quality reference monitors.

Then, spend the next 2 years straight listening to the music of all the names you love to drop in your various musings, through those monitors. Not 'internet versions', either. I mean full quality CD or other similarly lossless quality.

Then, maybe, we can talk.
 
Gvox, I find you rather rude sometimes. I am sorry you don't like accepting that your favourite singers are not RnB singer but are just pop singers. Some people are spiteful and behave like ticks. I am not supposed to put accross my own opinion but only that of professionals. Those who have studied music theory. By just listening to stuff I'll end up like those who talk about. Posters who judge singers based on one or few performances or songs. Like Jane who holds a mispersuation and lacks charm. Her and other mis-observe. How can they hear the truth and not see it? It's ok for Jonny Cash to sing like a gravel mixture but it's not ok for Bono employ come constriction or for Sting to strain slightly. If a producer says that Bonnie Riat has a voice that needs very little effects, than they are correct fullstop. If 7 people in the music industry said that they can hear something in a song (including myself from the very first time I heard that son), then they are right , end of story. Bono allowed s pop singer to spitefully destroy his reputation instead taking responsability for his own performance like an adult. He should be ashamed of himself because I am. Bono's a booby- a lullaby lout. You should give him a boobyism.
 
Cactus Annie said:
I think it the backing singerrs on the album.
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So you think backing singers are to cover something rather than just that's the mood they wanted. Maybe they wanted a more space age gospel feel to it, huh, maybe?

Cactus Annie said:
Graphic Equalizers are glorious great and making me sound half decent.
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You have an equalizer on your car stereo, maybe not a graphic one but you have one, most mid to high end home stereos have an equalizer. They allow you to adjust bass, mids, treble, etc

They don't alter what you sing, they don't change pitch or anything. If you are adjusting the bass on your stereo, you are using an equalizer.
 
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