GEN
Active topics
  1. hmmmm its hard to say. It's been a while since he has improved between tours/legs. I would say he got much better between the first part of 360 and the second. \

    Some songs like WOWY for example though were better in 2015 though.

    He seems to be loosing his deeper tone, he is a lot thinner in tone these days. I don't see this as something that will likely improve.

    Having said that he has done before e.g. popmart/elevation/vertigo/360 etc.

    But yes I am happy with how he does overall, and glad he is better then Bon Jovi.

    I just hope he isn't smoking again.
  2. Originally posted by u2_michaelc:[..]
    If he's declined since 2015 do you think it's one of those things where he could sound better in 2018 ect. I know some artists are like that.
    Idc if he couldn't even get through a song I'd still go and be amazed. Just happy he's not sounding like Jon Bon Jovi. (no offence to anyone who loves him) I do too!
    Nah, I feel like there's a difference this time. From 1997-basically 2009, Bono had the energy, he just couldn't hit the high notes. His voice sounded strained, but that's about it.

    These days he sounds tired. He can hit notes, but it's whether he chooses to go for them night after night, and you can hear him struggle his way through songs. Again, not musically - he's usually on key, it's just that he sounds out of breath, sounds like he's sometimes not entirely trying to "sing" as much anymore, etc.

    I do think that he writes songs now to compliment the way he CAN sing now. Listen to them perform Little Things on Kimmel, he sounds great. He's writing vocal parts that he knows he can sing well these days, and that's what he should be doing. It's only when he's forced to sing older songs that were basically written by a completely different singer that he runs into trouble.

  3. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
    Nah, I feel like there's a difference this time. From 1997-basically 2009, Bono had the energy, he just couldn't hit the high notes. His voice sounded strained, but that's about it.

    These days he sounds tired. He can hit notes, but it's whether he chooses to go for them night after night, and you can hear him struggle his way through songs. Again, not musically - he's usually on key, it's just that he sounds out of breath, sounds like he's sometimes not entirely trying to "sing" as much anymore, etc.

    I do think that he writes songs now to compliment the way he CAN sing now. Listen to them perform Little Things on Kimmel, he sounds great. He's writing vocal parts that he knows he can sing well these days, and that's what he should be doing. It's only when he's forced to sing older songs that were basically written by a completely different singer that he runs into trouble.

    I agree with you 100%. he just sounds tired, understandable. He's getting older and maybe there are some health things we don't fully know about who knows.

    I still has a range that sounds good such as the first part of the little things, he does sound good on, as you said he knows his style.

    I would ague that he is still actually doing OK on the 80's stuff. For me its the AB stuff he struggles with, this started mainly in 2015 (UV MW and canned MS). While songs like Pride and WOWY sounded better.

    I also think this is why the 2000's songs struggle now like Vertigo and BD, they required that real energetic Bono voice, that I don't think he can do these days. Even though his Elevation voice was technically not great, I still preferred it to now had a kind of rich soulfulness to it that I loved. But he can hit the high notes better now than he could then.

    His range is a lot smaller and he does speak sing a fair bit now, e.g. RTSS.

    I also think his vocal change has meant that him and Edge don't sound as good vocally together as they used to. Sometimes I wish Edge wouldn't try and fill in for Bono tbh, it works sometimes e.g. UV, but then others sounds awful, the worst offender is not The Best Thing
  4. Originally posted by hello123:hmmmm its hard to say. It's been a while since he has improved between tours/legs. I would say he got much better between the first part of 360 and the second. \

    Some songs like WOWY for example though were better in 2015 though.

    He seems to be loosing his deeper tone, he is a lot thinner in tone these days. I don't see this as something that will likely improve.

    Having said that he has done before e.g. popmart/elevation/vertigo/360 etc.

    But yes I am happy with how he does overall, and glad he is better then Bon Jovi.

    I just hope he isn't smoking again.
    Yeah the smokes don't help that's for sure, Jon was smoking and admitted he regrets it a lot. He's sounding thinner but he gets moments of brilliance during songs, RHMT comes to mind where he proves he still has it.
  5. Originally posted by u2_michaelc:[..]
    Yeah the smokes don't help that's for sure, Jon was smoking and admitted he regrets it a lot. He's sounding thinner but he gets moments of brilliance during songs, RHMT comes to mind where he proves he still has it.
    Although the smokes made that Achtung Baby Raspy voice amazing.
  6. True. But I do wonder what he would sound like now had he never touched the smokes. I mean I used to shout heaps which wouldn't have helped.

    I just listened to MLK from 2017 vs 2009. He can actually stay in tune with it better in 2017.Also an example of him and Edge harmonising well together.
  7. He's a better singer now than he has been before, but his voice is not as strong as it has been. That's how I see it and I'm fine with it.
  8. one thing I would like to see him do more is more of that lower range melodic stuff, he still sounds great there. Those real shouty rockers are where the thinness shows.
  9. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
    Nah, I feel like there's a difference this time. From 1997-basically 2009, Bono had the energy, he just couldn't hit the high notes. His voice sounded strained, but that's about it.

    These days he sounds tired. He can hit notes, but it's whether he chooses to go for them night after night, and you can hear him struggle his way through songs. Again, not musically - he's usually on key, it's just that he sounds out of breath, sounds like he's sometimes not entirely trying to "sing" as much anymore, etc.

    I do think that he writes songs now to compliment the way he CAN sing now. Listen to them perform Little Things on Kimmel, he sounds great. He's writing vocal parts that he knows he can sing well these days, and that's what he should be doing. It's only when he's forced to sing older songs that were basically written by a completely different singer that he runs into trouble.

    Agree with that expect for the 1997- 2009 high notes, Kite, Slane castle, Slane Nyd, Vertigo tour, lots of High notes, Miss Sarajevo 2006. There are others those are just the ones that stand out.
  10. Originally posted by hello123:[..]
    True. But I do wonder what he would sound like now had he never touched the smokes. I mean I used to shout heaps which wouldn't have helped.

    I just listened to MLK from 2017 vs 2009. He can actually stay in tune with it better in 2017.Also an example of him and Edge harmonising well together.
    Agreed
  11. Originally posted by u2_michaelc:[..]
    Agree with that expect for the 1997- 2009 high notes, Kite, Slane castle, Slane Nyd, Vertigo tour, lots of High notes, Miss Sarajevo 2006. There are others those are just the ones that stand out.
    Those were real rich big notes.
  12. Originally posted by hello123:one thing I would like to see him do more is more of that lower range melodic stuff, he still sounds great there. Those real shouty rockers are where the thinness shows.
    Lower range is great, some think UV sounds boring this tour but I enjoy it.