Clannad with Brian Kennedy - In A Lifetime...

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Thanksandy

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I came across this clip of Clannad performing In A Lifetime with Brian Kennedy. I heard about this a few months ago and I know Bono rang up a radio station after supposed criticism of his ability to sing the song now. Well after listening to this clip, I was not that impressed by Brian Kennedy, he lacked the power that you need for that vocal and I still think Bono could have sung it a lot better. I was interested in what anyone else thought?

YouTube - Clannad with Brian Kennedy - In A Lifetime -Gael Force (RTE)
 
fuck that guy sounds like bono, too bad bono cant sing in falsetto no more.
but brian did the falsetto parts good , like bono use to sing in the 90s(zootv)
 
That guy sounded nothing like Bono...

In fact I thought his performance was quite awful.

Bono's best notes in the original weren't falsetto...
 
yes i know, i have this song!
this guy sounds like bono, listen to that falsetto ( achtung baby )
very clear voice. something bono had going for him in the 90s. check out the zootv dvd. he sounds like this.
 
yes i know, i have this song!
this guy sounds like bono, listen to that falsetto

Here you go:

qtip.jpg
 
The falsetto isnt hard at all to sing on that song, but the real voice notes are realy impresive.

too bad bono cant sing in falsetto no more.

:huh: Did you know that one of Bonos highest falsetto was on 2006-11-18 - Melbourne - Vertigo HGH snippet, an E5. Also he started to use the falsetto on the word Child on MW like he did on ZooTV.

Also the falsetto on WITS...
 
The falsetto isnt hard at all to sing on that song, but the real voice notes are realy impresive.



:huh: Did you know that one of Bonos highest falsetto was on 2006-11-18 - Melbourne - Vertigo HGH snippet, an E5. Also he started to use the falsetto on the word Child on MW like he did on ZooTV.

Also the falsetto on WITS...


I did not know that.
 
honestly I'm pretty sure Bono could still sing this song..just listened to the studio version again and then this one with Brian Kennedy. I didn't really think Brian Kennedy did a good job, well he sounded like shit compared to the studio version, but judging it objectively, it sounded like he didn't have control over his voice and some of the falsetto to singing voice transitions were bad. Bono not only has a falsetto (unusual for Rock singer) but it sounds incredible...Brian's falsetto here just sounds so typical and boring, if I'm being honest...And he simply doesn't have near the power behind his voice to hit the singing notes in the verses...Bono would have done much better...I wouldn't be at all surprised if he sang it live today as he did in the studio years ago.
 
Thanks for the link. I have to say it's not that bad, but I still prefer the original and awesome duet with Bono. I also think Clannad's voice doesn't sound too good anymore. :)
 
Well I never said it was really bad, I just wasn't that impressed by it, particularly after the criticism Bonon got by one of the members in Clannad. I didn't think Brian Kennedy had the right type of voice to sing that song, okay he could sing some of the high notes quite well, but when there were parts in the original where Bono uses the sheer power, strength and force in his voice, Brian Kennedy sounds weak and uses falsetto as a substitute e.g.
"unless the sound has faded from your soul unless it disappears"

Even now Bono would have a better dynamic range to his voice than Brian Kennedy was able to demonstrate, even if he doesn't have the same power as he did back in the 80s. To reiterate, I am not referring to the falsetto.
 
I was sort of getting into it at first, but after a while I actually started giggling at the guy. I don't know if it was because of his vocal performance or his arm gestures.
 
Brian Kennedy doesn't own the song, he's trying to be Bono and he's not, he should have tried to sing in his own way.
I think Bono could have made a much better performance, even if he could get the highest notes (which I'm not so sure about), Bono always sings with passion forcing you to believe what he's doing. On the other hand, it was so rude on the part of the Clannad member who commented about his not being able to sing it any more I couldn't believe it. Do they know that the only Clannad song that has been popular in many countries, at least mine, was In a Lifetime and it was all because of Bono.
 
Brian Kennedy doesn't own the song, he's trying to be Bono and he's not, he should have tried to sing in his own way.

I've never thought Brian Kennedy sounded anything remotely like Bono, nor do I think he's trying to be him. I don't mind him but that was a really woeful performance.
 
Wow...that sucked. :down:

If that was the original version, I never would have bothered to hear it a second time. The original shines because of the utter passion behind Bono's vocals.

Can Bono perform that way night after night in concert? No, as he'd ruin his voice. But one reason why Bono is considered such a great singer is that even if he has to drop a note for whatever reason, he still brings oceans of passion to a song. Plus, while he might drop one note, he may then raises another.

Therefore, can Bono still sing this? I think so - if there was another studio recording of it. In concert, he would probably lower some notes. But what's wrong with that? This song was recorded 23 years ago, back when Bono had more hair than even Brian Kennedy does! :sexywink: 23 years will age any voice. Add in smoking and alcohol and endless touring and speeches and it's amazing Bono sounds as good as he does (and that JT Special Edition mini-concert was proof of how good Bono's voice still can be when well rested).

So sorry, very unimpressed by this performance.

As for the Clannad comment about Bono, as I didn't hear it or read it, I am hesitant to say anything on it.
 
I've never thought Brian Kennedy sounded anything remotely like Bono, nor do I think he's trying to be him. I don't mind him but that was a really woeful performance.

I don't mean he does it in general, I'm just talking about this performance, that's why I say he should have tried to sing this song in his own way. Of course I know there was a great pression on him at the time.

And for the comment, I was in Dublin when it happened, it was really rude and it was commented in many media to the point Bono phoned a radio station about it, and it was the first time Bono answered directly to this kind of talking, at least the only one I know.
 
And for the comment, I was in Dublin when it happened, it was really rude and it was commented in many media to the point Bono phoned a radio station about it, and it was the first time Bono answered directly to this kind of talking, at least the only one I know.

Did you happen to hear Bono's answer? He rarely addresses these types of things, so it would be interesting to read what exactly was said and Bono's response.
 
Did you happen to hear Bono's answer? He rarely addresses these types of things, so it would be interesting to read what exactly was said and Bono's response.

Yes, I did. Well, it was like this man (one of the older members in Clannad) had said that Bono had no longer the voice to sing it, that he had never sung it live anyway, and that Bono himself recognises he can't sing it, so they were having Brian instead, and this was being told in one of those early morning programmes that revise last day's news making fun of most of them, faking interviews and so on, that's why when they said that Bono had phoned, I really thought it was a joke, but then I heard his voice, he said that he had been driving his children to school when he had listened to their comments and that he had never said he couldn't sing the song because it wasn't true (I was starting to work, so don't expect me to repeat his actual words, it is what I understood) and that the comment could be due to interbands rivalry, at the same time he was very polite and not trying to indulge in a polemic, the hosts were so pleased with Bono talking in their programme they easily forgot about the Clannad affair and start making questions, at the end (not very long it was) they asked Bono to sing the programme's tune what he did, although he said he couldn't concentrate much on it because he was driving.
 
Yes, I did. Well, it was like this man (one of the older members in Clannad) had said that Bono had no longer the voice to sing it, that he had never sung it live anyway, and that Bono himself recognises he can't sing it, so they were having Brian instead, and this was being told in one of those early morning programmes that revise last day's news making fun of most of them, faking interviews and so on, that's why when they said that Bono had phoned, I really thought it was a joke, but then I heard his voice, he said that he had been driving his children to school when he had listened to their comments and that he had never said he couldn't sing the song because it wasn't true (I was starting to work, so don't expect me to repeat his actual words, it is what I understood) and that the comment could be due to interbands rivalry, at the same time he was very polite and not trying to indulge in a polemic, the hosts were so pleased with Bono talking in their programme they easily forgot about the Clannad affair and start making questions, at the end (not very long it was) they asked Bono to sing the programme's tune what he did, although he said he couldn't concentrate much on it because he was driving.

He also said that his capabelity is very high now :)
 
There is no comparison with Bono's original vocal, that was exceptional and Brian's attempt doesn't even come close to it in anyway. It is difficult to think of another Irish singer who could do it justice at the moment..........
 
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