Bono U2's Weakest Link(NOT my words)?

[namkcuR]

ATYCLB's raspiness in his voice was intentional.
That said, I felt past two albums are a huge improvement over their predecessor, vocally.

And how do you know that it was intentional? Do you have a quote?

 

[Yahweh]

I must say there is a few big mistruths in this review:

1. Almost all the early lyrics on the early albums were written solely by Bono. If anything has happened he has delegated more lyric writing to the rest of the band mostly Edge.

2. Bono has more talent then he ever has had in the past, what he is lacking though is the time and the patience to stay in the studio for long enough to realize it. And when I mean realizing it I mean making a better album then Achtung Baby or Joshua Tree because I think Bomb is an absolutely great album. Bonos political and personal endevours have streached the band very hard because they are perfectionists and its hard to be a perfectionist when you are on a timeline.

3. U2 will always be fighting their own fans naustalgia now since the fans themselves will be thinking about when they got into U2 and "what a great record that was" and asking themselves why they cant do that anymore for them. Well there is no magic like the first time in hearing a great band.

4. The idea that this album is not a great album is really subjective to the listener and where they have come from and how they feel that U2 should sound to them. U2 could genuinely make the best album theyve ever made but it really wouldnt ever get recognized the way the old material does, whether Bono goes at it full force or not.

 

[AtomicBono]

Look, I love Bono as a rock singer as much as any of us do, and I think he's a legitimate contender for best rock singer ever. But it's just silly to say he can sign with opera singers. Yes, his singing in Miss Sarajevo is really great, there's probably no other rock singer who could do that. But do you honestly think someone who sings opera for a living couldn't do it even better?

Of couse an opera singer could do it better, because it's an opera part. I think the point was that Bono can do so much more with his voice than many singers, opera included. He doesn't sing every song the same way; he doesn't just stick with a traditional rock voice. Is he the best singer ever? No way (although to me he is ). But he's pretty damn good, in the top 5 or 10 for sure...

As for this review, it's one person's opinion. I strongly disagree. The last two albums have plenty of magic as far as I'm concerned, and from all four of them. Plus of course a lot of it is "about" Bono, Bono writes most of the lyrics, and he generally writes from personal experiences!! That's nothing new, it's been that way from the very start. What does the reviewer think Mofo and Gone are about? Which, by the way, most people agree that Bono's voice is far stronger on the last two albums than Pop. Personally I love his voice on Pop, partially it's so different... but his voice wasn't in nearly as good shape as it is now on tour. If the reviewer listened to any recent recordings or even something from Elevation he'd find that there's plenty of Bono's voice left.

 

[angelordevil]

Look, I love Bono as a rock singer as much as any of us do, and I think he's a legitimate contender for best rock singer ever. But it's just silly to say he can sign with opera singers. Yes, his singing in Miss Sarajevo is really great, there's probably no other rock singer who could do that. But do you honestly think someone who sings opera for a living couldn't do it even better?

Fa la, la la la la lahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimmmmmes you can't make it on your OWWWWWNNNN!!!!!

I know, I know, that was lame....

 

[sinatra]

I dont think putting Bono in the Top 5 singers of all-time is ridiculous at all. I think its right on. Honestly, I think Bono has more than Pavoratti, vocally.
Pav lacks something... yeah, he has a great opera voice and can do amazing things to prove his vocal 'training'.. (oh and his stinky-assed ego, and I hear he can be a real ass.. but thats beyond the point). I dont feel any real "emotion" in it. Its all pushed. But Bono has something 'natural'. No training, and his voice has a character to it that Pav does not have. I am sorry. And dont think I am commenting on a music genre I know nothing about... so what would I know, kind of thing? Bono can do things with his voice more than Pav ever could. Pav stays in his own little trained opera world and turns it into a strict little discipline bullshit thing.... and whatever rules and restrictions... Ive heard better Opera singers than him. Sorry. Either way... I listen to Bono's duet on "I've Got You Under My Skin" with Sinatra, and hell... who overpowers that one? Bono. He makes Sinatra of all people... seems so small and dole vocally. That's an amazing feat.

Bono may not be the traditional "great singer" like someone who has amazing vocal training or like Manilow, Streisand, whatever .. or doing outrageous things like Mariah Carey's little "high note".
Bono's got character and spunk in his voice and is more distinctive than any other singer. His voice literally dances and play with the music and can be so versitle. Its 'alive'.. the others are just trained... or stuffy little.. vocalists.
Bono sounds great even when he's having throat problems for god sakes. LOL

I hate when people say that about Bono's singing.

Just listen to every album, and extras.. and hear what he does live.

And this isn't out of bias.

(Nor my huge dislike for Pavoratti.. but thats a whole other story and thought this before I really started disliking Pav.. lol)


*end of Fungus rantage*

Please don't compare a 30 year old Bono with a 75 year old Sinatra.

 

[beli]

It's not fair to comare Sinatra on his death bed to anyone. Sinatra was a brilliant singer. As was Roy Orbison who was the original rock opera star. Many people can sing rock and "properly". Most rockstars voices don't last all that long. Many lose their vocal range well before they reach old age, unlike opera/classical singers. Pav may have lost a bit of late but he was still belting them out at a decent age.

 

[Hallucination]

It's not fair to comare Sinatra on his death bed to anyone. Sinatra was a brilliant singer. As was Roy Orbison who was the original rock opera star. Many people can sing rock and "properly". Most rockstars voices don't last all that long. Many lose their vocal range well before they reach old age, unlike opera/classical singers. Pav may have lost a bit of late but he was still belting them out at a decent age.

It's fair to compare them in their prime. Sinatra as legendary as he was and is never had the rage or the talent vocally like Bono. Sinatra had "it" though which made him great. Personally I think Bono has "It" as well as a stronger voice than Sinatra ever had. It's not a disrespect thing it's just my opinion. Bono to me seems to be getting better with age. His voice cracks at times yes but I think that adds alot of characetr and yet Bono seems to be able to control when his voice does in fact crack.

 

[sue4u2]

Bono's got character and spunk in his voice and is more distinctive than any other singer. His voice literally dances and play with the music and can be so versitle. Its 'alive'..

Bono sounds great even when he's having throat problems for god sakes. LOL

'nuff said!!

 

[rjhbonovox]

If only the author knew how they recorded this record.

And it's very obvious it's Edge's record.

No, not Edge's record at all! Edge could play most of these songs in his sleep and probably made them in his sleep!

 

[blueeyedgirl]

It's not fair to comare Sinatra on his death bed to anyone. Sinatra was a brilliant singer. As was Roy Orbison who was the original rock opera star. Many people can sing rock and "properly". Most rockstars voices don't last all that long. Many lose their vocal range well before they reach old age, unlike opera/classical singers. Pav may have lost a bit of late but he was still belting them out at a decent age.

It would be fairer to compare 40 year old Bono to 40 year old Sinatra who was at the height of his powers and in my mind unequalled.

As to the original quoted post, everyone is entitled to their own opinion about u2's music, or so I thought.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

When he was talking about Bono's voice like that, he was referring to ATYCLB and not Bomb.

Yes, I know that. I know that this is a review of ATYCLB. But this review was written after the Bomb, so when the guy says about Bonos voice: "what's left of it", I doubt that he has heard Bono on this tour.

 

[ZeroDude]

No, not Edge's record at all! Edge could play most of these songs in his sleep and probably made them in his sleep!

Unfortunately I agree with this

However Bono is in no way U2's weakest link, without any of them U2 just isn't U2

 

[U2girl]

Please don't compare a 30 year old Bono with a 75 year old Sinatra.

I thought Sinatra ruled on that song, personally.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

I thought Sinatra ruled on that song, personally.

Sinatra is one of the greatest singers ever walked on the earth. But Bonos performance and especially the falsetto was very impressive on that song.

 

[Snowlock]

Actually this is almost completely untrue. Bono had the smallest role in this album over every album prior. This was Edge's album and Jacknife Lee's album almost completely. If the reviewer is especially missing Edge's sound, he has no one to blame but Edge himself.