Bono: Was he ignorant?

[Miggy D]

Hey guys,

Before I get flamed, let me explain.

I'm a fan of Star Wars (the old ones...don't get me started on the new 'episodes.') In one review of the recent dvd box set that was released, a reviewer mentioned how ignorant George Lucas is of his works' best elements. A good example is how he took one of his most iconic, menacing characters, Boba Fett, a character loved and adored by fans, and killed him off in such a ridiculously stupid way. (Let's not get into an argument about whether or not he really 'died' or if he crawled out of the Sarlac...I'm familiar with the fan mythology.) But I agree with that reviewer's assesment - George Lucas made a stupid, stupid decision. A character like Boba Fett, if he is going to be eliminated, deserves an iconic final battle - a proper way to send his character off into history. Not friggin' Han Salo blindly hitting his jet pack with a staff.

Well, now that you all know how much of a nerd I am, let me get to the point.

It is arguable that Bono's best asset is his voice. Sure, he has charisma to spare and great stage presence, but without his voice, Bono simply wouldn't be Bono. We all know he started smoking to INTENTIONALLY fuck up his voice. (He's said this in books, interviews...practically every time he gets the chance.) He didn't like the way his voice sounded and wanted a more 'adult' and 'gravelly' sound, to give it character. This, I guess, was ok when you're making albums like Zooropa and whatnot, when you're not so much singing as crooning, but now that Bono has returned to his more anthemic-style singing, it's obvious that he did himself a serious disservice. I cite Sarajevo, I cite the Elevation tour. I cite 1997 - present day. I cite Bono's repeated throat clearing during U2's Radio 1 performance. I also cite how he always runs out of breath while performing Vertigo live. That's what happens when you've got smoker's lungs.

I mean what have we got when we, as U2 fans, get to the point where we are really happy when once in a while Bono sounds 'awesome.' Where have we gotten when we take what would be considered a fairly mediocre performance in 1990 and praise it because Bono can reach some decent notes and doesn't crack his voice too much or run out of breath? I still love Bono's voice, but I'm just wondering if he's paying now for an ignorant decision he made 12 years ago. Did Bono throw away his best thing? Maybe he realizes now, as U2 has returned to 'being U2', as it were, that he should have taken better care of his voice.

And please, can we just stay away from 'Bono's voice still sounds great!' That's such a relative statement. Great compared to what? It frankly does NOT sound great when compared to Bono at 30. I don't want to make a Bon Jovi comparison because those have been floating around here recently, but that guy still sounds nearly as good as he did in 1988. His voice has gotten deeper, and that comes with age, but it's still crystal clear and strong. Bono's is pretty thin, and on ocassion it cracks like mine used to when I was 13.

There was a time a couple of years ago when I was in Starbucks and the Elevation Tour was in town. I was wearing my U2 tour t-shirt, and a guy in line told me how he saw the concert, and how he's seen U2 in concert since the mid-1980s. He said, rather frustrated, "Bono has completely lost his voice." I tried defending B-man, saying "Well, no, I mean..." but the guy was adament: "No, his voice is gone. Completely gone. I saw him 10 years ago, and I can tell you it is completely gone." He seemed a bit angry and he had a good 20 years on me so I let it go. But maybe I'm just coming to terms with this whole issue. I guess I'm just a bit frustrated. I had to vent.

Anyway. Yeah.

-M D

 

[bonosloveslave]

I think it has changed with time, but I don't think it is worse, just different

 

[U2DMfan]

I think Bono has smoked for longer than 12 years, they just used to hide it a lot back in the 80's.

And also, I don't know if he intentionally started smoking for his voice, that's absurd. Sure, he might have said it, but he says a lot of ansurd things like "this is the mother of all rock songs".

But you should know by now not to believe everything he says at face value.

 

[Miggy D]

Isn't 'different' just an excuse, though? I feel like we're all acting like parents whose kid has a drug problem and we just don't want to admit it.

"Jimmy's only out until 1 am because he likes hanging with his friends. His eyes are bloodshot because he has so much fun! He's in the bathroom for so long because...it takes a lot of time for him to get ready for school. There's money missing from my wallet...because he likes to buy video games!"

"Bono's voice isn't 'worse,' it's just 'different.' Sure it doesn't sound as it once did but it sounds so mature and stately! Bono's voice has even gotten better! Yeah!"

Let's just stop this. We've all watched old U2 videos and heard old video bootlegs. Can anyone honestly say they haven't - at least once - cringed at a recent concert or while watching/listening to a recent performance of Where the Streets Have No Name? Sure, his 'new' voice gives more 'weight' to the songs, because it sounds so much more 'experienced,' but you can't say you don't miss that same voice that sang Pride, 'Who's Gonna Ride...' or 'Stay.' That's why we always rally around a 'good' performance these days. We all miss those days when a 'bad' performance was rare. Now we deal with the days where a truly 'good' vocal performance is rare. Go back over recent posts - how many 'Bono sounded great today!' are there. These responses are so telling. In 1990 would people even be commenting on Bono's vocal performance?

No.

Because good vocals would be expected. It would be the ocassional 'crap' performance that would get the attention because THAT would be the exception to the rule.

Am I making sense?

-Miggy

 

[U2DMfan]

Also, I agree his voice is nowhere in the league of his JT/RH era or certainly before that. Even on ZooTv it was strong, but not as strong as it was. Listen to Bad from ZooTv, or any of a number of songs.

Smoking and age are HUGE factors, but mostly he really put a strain on his voice up until the time he was 30 (1990). Singing it very high octaves and giving 110% every night did it in more than anything. Plus he wasn't really singing properly according to some folks, which really starined his voice. LIke when he says he lost his upper register.

Sure he can sound great still, but it's nowhere near as close, even in the studio. You have to be real about these things.

 

[Mark Freedman]

We are all ignorant about many things, and I challenge anyone who think otherwise.

That's part of being human.

Yes, that was ignorant of him, and I hope he regrets it now. But hey, we've all been there.

 

[starsgoblue]

My gosh....you know I have said this before and I'll say it again. Edge has his guitar as his instrument, Larry's got his conga-his very own conga, and Adam has the bass. But Bono....Bono's instrument is his own body. It is his voice that he has been using for over TWENTY FIVE years. Bono can't switch up voices after every song like Edge has the luxury of doing. It is HIS voice and that's what he's got to work with---he is confined by the limitations of flesh, age and enviroment. To expect a 44 year old man to be sounding like someone much younger, especially after belting your heart out for two decades in stadium/arenas is setting a standard that nobody could possibly reach. It's amazing he has a voice left at all....much less sounding as good as I think it does. To put it this way, if his voice can still inspire or move me to tears...he's still doing his job damn well.

 

[Miggy D]

I think Bono has smoked for longer than 12 years, they just used to hide it a lot back in the 80's.

And also, I don't know if he intentionally started smoking for his voice, that's absurd. Sure, he might have said it, but he says a lot of ansurd things like "this is the mother of all rock songs".

But you should know by now not to believe everything he says at face value.

But that's saying that Bono is lying, which I don't think is true. I think when Bono says 'this is the mother of all rock tunes' he actually believes it. I think he uses hyperbole in regards to his songs, but that's ok, that just means he's enthusiastic, and that's expected of any artist.

But I don't think Bono was using hyperbole or 'hype' when talking about the reason he smokes. Bono exagerrates about their songs/albums because he's hyped about them. He has no motivation to exagerrate' about smoking. It would be an awfully big coincidence for him to say several times (I can cite the biography 'At The End of the World' as one example) over the course of 10 years the exact same explanation about why he smokes. If I can remember, he's said it as recent as a few months ago.

 

[U2DMfan]

I think Miggy's point is for people to stop trying to overlook the obvious. Some people, right here on this board would try to tell you that his voice sounds as good as it used to, some will say it sounds even better. Which is really funny, it's almost like saying Edge has as much hair as he used to.

 

[Miggy D]

Thank you, U2DMfan!

 

[U2DMfan]

It's an excuse, methinks.

well. Miggy, I get what you are saying, I just think it's more of an 'excuse' than a lie. So many people now-a-days look down on smoking. He's smoked, for I would guess 20 years or so, that is a a guess, and I believe it's convienient for him to blame his bad habit on trying to gravel up his voice.

His voice used to be astonishing. He still tries to sing like a tenor, and he can't in some cases. Was that intentional? Well if it was, then I am saddened, but I don't believe it was.

 

[Miggy D]

U2DMfan,

So you're saying Bono used that explanation to 'excuse' the rather looked-down-upon habit of smoking? Like 'I'm only smoking because I'm trying to change my voice,' rather than 'I'm smoking because I'm addicted'?

That's a fairly good interpretation...hmmm...I never thought of it that way. I guess I just believed Bono at face value.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

That's why we always rally around a 'good' performance these days. We all miss those days when a 'bad' performance was rare. Now we deal with the days where a truly 'good' vocal performance is rare. Go back over recent posts - how many 'Bono sounded great today!' are there. These responses are so telling. In 1990 would people even be commenting on Bono's vocal performance?

No.

Because good vocals would be expected. It would be the ocassional 'crap' performance that would get the attention because THAT would be the exception to the rule.

Am I making sense?

You make perfect sense. When Bono tried to sing Hands at the Clinton ceremony... he obviously couldn't belt it out like he used to but instead opted to go falsetto. He couldn't even do that properly. The fact that a good vocal performance is now more the exception to the rule is annoying as heck. Some songs in which his voice cracks or comes off hoarse may fit a song but he's starting to do it in every song on HTDAAB. That does not sound good.

 

[starsgoblue]

It's not an excuse.

You are expecting something from him that is humanly impossible....I'm sure smoking speeded up the process but my gosh you are high-maintance fans.

 

[Miggy D]

I'm high-maitenance? Because I love U2 so much? If I didn't absolutely love the band do you think I would even care about these issues?

And it is an excuse.

 

[starsgoblue]

The fact that Bono's only instrument is his own body and that it is something that does eventually show wear/tear and that you can't replace it like a guitar is an excuse?!

Don't think so.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Paul M tried to suggest to Bono that maybe he should cut down/ cut out the smokes and the liquor in order to protect his voice.... LOL, of course Bono didn't listen. Bono is the master of his domain though if he wants to he can do whatever he wants...

People say he is a better singer now than he was back in the good old days or even in the Achtung days... that maybe so, but if his voice goes to shit that doesn't make any difference to me. Scratchiness, hoarseness, and vocal cracks start to become schtick and its often times embarassing.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Every singer's voice goes through changes over time or wear and tear. Same as musical instruments. A lot of guitarists such as Tom Morello have specific instruments that they use to create their singature sounds. Morello has a Marshall (?) amp that he's never changed the tubes for and gigged with it hardcore for many years yet for some mysterious reason it doesn't need to have its tubes changed (really strange considering the amount he gigs and practices). From it he gets the sound that he wants and has a hard time finding anything that can match the sound that he gets from that amp. Do you think he'll treat that amp like shit? Hell, no especially if its seemingly one of kind. If an artist wants to keep doing what he wants to be doing then its his responsibility to maintain his "gift." Otherwise people are gonna call him out on it.

 

[starsgoblue]

Paul M tried to suggest to Bono that maybe he should cut down/ cut out the smokes and the liquor in order to protect his voice.... LOL, of course Bono didn't listen. Bono is the master of his domain though if he wants to he can do whatever he wants...

Hey, it's sad. This man is bigger than life to me and even he is addicted. I'm not going to rub his face in it though either...

 

[U2DMfan]

The fact that Bono's only instrument is his own body and that it is something that does eventually show wear/tear and that you can't replace it like a guitar is an excuse?!

Don't think so.

Slow down, the 'excuse' is that Bono said he was smoking to gravel-up his voice, and yet I am saying that's his excuse for just smoking because he likes to smoke or is addicted to it.

Rather than be chastized for smoking messing up his vocals a little, don't you think it's rather convienient that he would say it was intentional? I am not buying that. Intenionally messing up his beautiful voice? Nope, I am not buying that one bit.

He STILL tries to hit those notes, why would he even attempt a song like Hands That Built and the operatic tenor in the middle, if he had been intentionally destroying his upper register.

Trust me, if Bono could song like he could in 1987, he'd do it in a heartbeat. I don't begrduge him for what he doesn't have anymore, people need to stop saying that he hasn't lost anything.

 

[Lisa71]

I do not ever remember reading or hearing Bono say that he started smoking to change his voice. Having said that, I don't think his voice is what it used to be. Part of it is the smoking and drinking and I also believe part of it is an abuse of his voice somewhat. When he was younger he would belt out songs with notes that were really hard on him (in my opinion). He used to be able to do it but now that his voice is a bit worn it's harder. I think if he did stop smoking and drinking (a bit) he would get some of it back. I really don't think you can blame it on age because other singers his age can still sound the same as they used to.
The unique thing about Bono though, is that he can still be inspiring and uplifting and all those other things he's got going for him even though his voice isn't the same. I don't think it's bad, I just think it's not what it used to be.

 

[starsgoblue]

I have known more than one singer that has smoked to intentionally 'gravel-up' their voices...it's not just something Bono pulled outta his rear-end. Of course if he was smoking at all it was because he liked to, that's a given. But what he said wasn't really so much an excuse....

 

[Lisa71]

I'd really like to see a quote where Bono states that he started smoking to change his voice. I could be wrong but I just don't ever remember hearing that.

 

[doctorwho]

In 2000, I felt ATYCLB contained some of Bono's best vocals since AB. However, it was clear Bono was still straining a lot on that album and on the tour. He was FAR better than he was on "Pop", but not the same as he was on JT-AB.

However, on this album, these are easily the best I've heard him since AB!! In fact, I'd say his voice has a very UF sound to it. It's not operatic as it was on JT and R&H, but he has his upper register.

On UF, I felt Bono really learned to sing. And it's almost like he's back at this time doing it again. He has a great range and power. He doesn't have the richness to his voice that he had on JT and R&H, but that richness was for a very limited period - and it almost cost him his voice!

Therefore, while I don't think we'll hear that operatic style of singing any more, I have no problems with all that I've hears on this album and in the live performances to date. Easily the best sounding Bono since ZOO TV.

 

[radioskugga]

I just hope that Bono himself doesn't get discouraged about the changes in his voice... I felt bad when he said on TOTP, when not being able to sing something, or whatever it was: "This is what 40 cigarettes a day does to you" or something like that. I hope he doesn't get sad or disappointed because he doesn't "deliver" like he used to.

I was uneasy with the change in his voice when i first became interested in U2's music for real in 2000, and noticed how much stronger his voice was back in the 80's. I have come to accept this, because what can you do? Things change.

But then I listen to Vertigo, Mercy and Are you gonna wait forever and i realise that nothing has changed with Bono's voice. It still has the emotion i thirst for, the emotion i want when listening to U2.

And don't worry, when we all stand in the crowd on our next U2 concert, you know it will be great!

 

[doctorwho]

I should also point out that Bono (and Edge and Larry and Adam) have been smoking for a LOT longer than 12 years. I have seen pics of them smoking in the 80's and they would periodically discuss it. However, they were young, everyone smoked in Europe then (and still do compared to the U.S.) and Bono's voice sounded great. Now, it's an issue - so less smoking for him.

Still, after 25 years of touring, hell, I think my voice would be shambles too, smoking or not! The fact that he sounds as great as he does on HTDAAB is incredible. Maybe you don't like his current voice, but sorry, he DOES sound great to my ears.

 

[Hawk269]

Miggy - how is this news? You are at least 4 years late with this post. This topic was discussed ad nauseum back in 2000 when ATYCLB came out.

Bono's voice is obviously not what is was back in the day. I accepted that a long time ago and moved on. Maybe you should too.

The man screamed his lungs out during concerts for 25 years. Do you think that is good for one's vocal chords? Try singing Pride the way he did it. You'll become hoarse just like him in a few years.

It was not *just* the smoking. His vocal problems are the result of all of these factors combined. Of course, smoking was stupid. How many smokers don't regret that they smoked?

I am just damn grateful that I have a ton of bootlegs where his voice is better than anyone's except maybe Sinatra.

And I have a greater appreciation for his stellar vocal performances in the recent past. It's a long list and I have the bootlegs to prove it. Beautiful Day and Vertigo are pretty solid, for example.

Besides, the essence of Bono is not vocal acrobatics - he's been there and done that. What makes Bono a great singer is the soul he brings to the table every time he picks up the mic.

 

[Miggy D]

Not a quote of Bono explaining why he started smoking, but an interesting one nonetheless, taken from an @U2 article:

'His fans believe that smoking alters the Bono voice. He said: "It's dumb to smoke, and it really changed my voice, and I lost the high register, and I lost the ability to fly as a singer. I had a lot of complications with my voice anyway. The doctor told me I couldn't smoke."'

 

[jer2911]

I just hope that Bono himself doesn't get discouraged about the changes in his voice... I felt bad when he said on TOTP, when not being able to sing something, or whatever it was: "This is what 40 cigarettes a day does to you" or something like that. I hope he doesn't get sad or disappointed because he doesn't "deliver" like he used to.

I was uneasy with the change in his voice when i first became interested in U2's music for real in 2000, and noticed how much stronger his voice was back in the 80's. I have come to accept this, because what can you do? Things change.

But then I listen to Vertigo, Mercy and Are you gonna wait forever and i realise that nothing has changed with Bono's voice. It still has the emotion i thirst for, the emotion i want when listening to U2.

And don't worry, when we all stand in the crowd on our next U2 concert, you know it will be great!

As just noted in a post, I think he does have disappointment in the degraded quality of his voice. His statement about intentionally smoking to get that gravely voice (or whatever the quote was) is an obvious attempt (IMO) to show that regret in the form of a joke. Kind of like saying that I started up binge drinking because I like the headaches.

Also, even when it appears that nothing has changed in his voice (Mercy, AYGWF, etc.) there is a distinct change that is quite noticable in that he can't "hold" the note for any length of time and hasn't been able to for several years now. It's reality of a rock singer getting older I guess, kind of like seeing your favorite dog as a kid start to run a little slower when you throw a ball.......

 

[joaoricardo]

bono never had sang better than is this album even if his voice had change, it's not just a matter of power but of technic too.
and you should wait for the live show too ear and then you say something. you just like to start the most empty stuff here, do not have nothing better to do? like go out or to the movies or have a friend?