Is Bono hesistant to use his falsetto or losing it?

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ravin30000

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I just got the ZOOtv live from Sydney CD from u2.com. On it, Bono goes falsetto crazy, all the way to the end, with "Can't Help Falling in Love." Later, I downloaded the third Sydney show off the Vertigo tour, and he pretty much avoids them entirely. But on the songs he does use them, like "Mysterious Ways," he shows he can still make the high notes.

I guess I'm wondering if it's a preference or if he's actually losing it. Not to imply that he's any worse of a singer, as I think the live version "Ms. Sarajevo" proves. I just wonder why he doesn't go for the high notes as readily as he used to. If he's losing it, I wouldn't mind if Edge could help him out some. His backing vocal on the live version of "The Wanderer" makes me think it's possible.
 
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He hits it pretty high in WITS. At the Hawaii show, I was in tears during One, for the last few seconds he brought the falsetto back. I hadn't heard the One falsetto this entire tour (just from what I've listened to...not to say he didn't hit it at all.)

You're right, he certainly doesn't use it as much. Maybe he only busts it out whenever he's feelin sexy.
 
ravin30000 said:
I just got the ZOOtv live from Sydney CD from u2.com. On it, Bono goes falsetto crazy, all the way to the end, with "Can't Help Falling in Love." Later, I downloaded the third Sydney show off the Vertigo tour, and he pretty much avoids them entirely. But on the songs he does use them, like "Mysterious Ways," he shows he can still make the high notes.

I guess I'm wondering if it's a preference or if he's actually losing it. Not to imply that he's any worse of a singer, as I think the live version "Ms. Sarajevo" proves. I just wonder why he doesn't go for the high notes as readily as he used to. If he's losing it, I wouldn't mind if Edge could help him out some. His backing vocal on the live version of "The Wanderer" makes me think it's possible.
Click to expand...

its funny you mention Ms Sarajevo, it always bugged me doesn't do the falsetto parts of that song live

he turned a beautiful "ooo ooo" into an uninspiring "oh oh"
 
I was able to hit the falsetto until a recent cold derailed it. It's currently day-to-day.
 
All the times I heard him do falsetto at recent shows it sounded better and much more in tune than some ZooTV attempts. :shrug:
 
A question to all of you singers out there, especially those who have formal training: is a good falsetto as taxing on your voice as belting, screaming, etc? If it is, then that probably explains why Bono doesn't use his falsetto as much these days, much like he had to cut down on the Lovetown-style screaming (while I think it sounds gorgeous, it makes my throat hurt just to listen to it.) As others have pointed out, Bono certainly CAN still hit high falsetto notes and still does occasionally, he doesn't do it too often for the sake of his vocal chords.
 
He doesn't have what he had on Zoo TV but I liked WITS falsetto. And I'll take hearing the notes he hasn't done since 1989/1992 again (only this time properly singing over screaming his lungs out) over that anytime.
 
I think his falsetto is great again these days, but maybe he does not want to use it so often because he is scared, I think he said so in an interview. And he does not have to do it. Why should everything be like 15 years ago? I believe his voice is really really amazing these days and I don't miss the falsetto, never have been too big a fan of it anyway.
 
It's better then the elevation period for sure.

It's getting better again, id wish he would use it more often these days.
 
What if he did use it (the falsetto) more often and he damaged his voice? I'm happy for Bono to judge how to use his voice to its best effect, and ensure he can keep using it for a long time to come. :shrug:

That being said, I wonder if all that backing-falsetto that Edge uses has had any adverse impact on his voice?
 
MrBrau1 said:


The current single proves you wrong.
Click to expand...

no it doesnt. i didnt say that bono couldnt do it in the studio. its live were talking about. come on, brau. do you really think bono could sing lemon today, like he did on the zooropa tour?

and its true, bono cannot sing the fly anymore like he could in the good old days.
 
In falsetto the vocal cords are not closing fully so if used properly it is probably easier on the voice in the long run. However, on a damaged voice, falsetto is more difficult (i.e. try singing falsetto next time you have a cold and are coughing for hours on end!)

In Bono's current situation, he does have a falsetto in the studio and also has some of the notes live. Some falsetto phrases are easier to do than others and he can do these live.

However, the bottom line is: his falsetto is definitely not what it used to be, therefore he is sometimes unsure and doesn't use it as often (watch the beginning of Window in the Skies from the Japanese TV show and you'll see how tentative he is at the beggining).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQwAWmBIP4I

at 17 seconds he goes to sing the high falsetto part and realizes it isn't going to come out so he backs away from the mic...

In general, you'll notice Bono does most falsetto parts on TV specials in between tours or at the beggining of a leg of a tour, but during a major tour, his ability to perform a good falsetto decreases.

This is most likely the result of some vocal swelling from singing 2 hours a night. Since the vocal cords must remain open during falsetto, if they are bit swollen they won't produce the sound as well and the falsetto is shaky or non-existant depending on the note and phrasing. When he is rested his falsetto improves.

On Zoo Tv and even POP our man was younger and his vocal cords didn't have the wear they have now, so he was better able to sustain falsetto throughout the tour...

This is not Bono bashing, I think I am describing factual information. I do think his overall voice is the best it has been since Zoo TV and his chest voice (like belting out "Wide Awake" in Bad or chorus in Pride) is definitely much improved from the Pop and Elevation tours. I got goosepbumps several times during the Vertigo tour when he hammered out those high notes...he still is an amazing singer, but his voice has changed.

Cheers,
Brady
 
Maybe falsetto is "too gay sounding"(think Bee Gess) for the groups current incarnation?

It was more appropriate for Zoo and Pop - but not now that Bono is indirectly involved in Politics. It also ties in with Bono's claims of being the best group in the world and "were not a boy band, were a man band".

BTW, I don't care if this post was very un-PC.

u2fp
 
he hasn't lost it completely but its not what it used to be [lemon:sad: ]......



I think the Edge has a much better falsetto
 
redhotswami said:
I was using R&B as another example of music that uses falsetto. You were saying it was "gay".
Click to expand...

Where did I say that R&B is gay?

And why are you avoiding my valid point that Bono may have changed his public persona to gain leverage in Political forums - including well documented examples of meeting with well-known homophobes?(ie: Bush Admin, O'Reilly etc...)
 
How am I avoiding your point? You're saying he's stopped using it because it sounds gay. I'm pointing out that labeling falsetto is gay is very incorrect, and I'm pointing out that it is something used by others both gay and nongay.

And it is not a valid point. I highly doubt that the Bush Admin would change their opinion on Bono if he hit higher notes. Even some country music singers (and we know Bush listens to country) hit those high notes, it has nothing to do with homophobia.
 
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