Apparently the new songs are sounding just as good in concert as the album versions and they should be able to reproduce new, post-2000 material, just as good in a live enviorment, which they can. You can't really expect an exact replica because doing that night after night, would destroy his voice, Slippery When Wet tour for example, but being pretty much spot on is what you're after.

It's inevitable that a singers voice is not going to be as good in his fourties as it was in his twenties and thirties so we can't really blame Jon for that as it's simply a matter of age, and Jon has always pushed his voice to it's limits on every album, which is why there are quite a few songs that his is incapable of singing as well now as in the past.
However, as has been said many times before, Jon really isn't doing all that he could be to keep his voice in top shape. The smoking is just crazy. Period. I don't know if he's bringing a vocal coach out on tour with him this time but it sure would help and of course if he could really sing from his soul and mean the song, it would help aswell. I've heard Bono say recently that he has to get lost in the music and truly feel the song to hit the high notes in concert because when he's rehearsing he can't get up that high.

Let's keep it in perspective though, Jon's voice is still very much intact, and even though it's not as good as it was 10 years ago or as good as it could be now, it's still terrific, especially when compared to most of his peers.


Phil