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Originally Posted by crashed
On the Richie subject...
The other thing I don't get with this - and maybe some can answer - I've seen lots of posts and people saying "they were only going to see Richie" - so was it Richie that got you into the band? You fell in love with the music on Stranger, Undiscovered Soul, and Aftermath like I did with Blaze Of Glory and found the band that way?
If so, I can understand that attitude - but if not - if it was the joint collaboration of Jon and Richie on Wanted, Blood On Blood, I'll Be There For You - then why wouldn't you still want to go and hear the songs that they crafted together? Yes, his voice will be missing, but there's enough of Richie's fingerprints on those sorts of songs that if you truly love the things he's created, they'll last long beyond Jon and Richie and Bon Jovi, and likely most of us. If a band member eventually dies or does retire due to health, I would still love to hear the others play those songs, keeping the music I've loved all my life alive.
Furthermore, if this still is Richie's band, not going now is only going to make the future for him and the band that much tougher, if it really is just these personal demons he's exorcising whatever they are and has every intention of being back with them in the future.
The other thing I'm reading is, "I don't want to go to a JBJ and friends show" - well, what about Dave and Tico? The band is as much them as it is Richie and Jon, so it's far from JBJ and Friends, never mind Hugh also being there whose as instrumental to Jovi as the official members are.
I'm just trying in all honesty to understand that point of view.
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Yes, it was Richie that got me into the band. I found BJ music with the release of KTF single in 1992 and I fell in love with it right away. The sound of guitars hooked me. Back then my older brother used to play a bit on guitar and I kind of admired him for that, but with that one song, I found my new hero and that was the moment when I decided to play guitar too. Sure I loved Jon’s vocals too, but still it was mostly about guitars.
And later on, when the album was released I found another jewel – Dry County, which to me is an epic song only because of Richie’s solo. I remember that I played that song to death back then on my walkman, especially rewinding back and forth to the solo part. And nothing’s changed since then. Still till this day this is Richie’s song to me. Song’s quality is hidden in guitarwork details, that if even only I hear, that’s all I care. I went to Dublin in 2011 only to get that song, but played only by Richie, which was put at risk because of rehab. And I got that. If he wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have gone. I managed to hear only one or two versions of the song with Phil on YT and I really didn’t need more. This is just not the same song without Richie. You simply shouldn’t improvise too much with some solos, some of them need to sound almost exactly like they are on the album or at least have the same sound style. Any guitar player will hear it immediately. And there are many more examples of the songs, especially solos that Phil will not be able to copy, no matter how good guitar player he really is, and moreover it’s not his fault. There is only one Richie Sambora and his style. Not to mention Richie’s vocals, which Phil is not able to copy at all, which are also key parts on most of the songs. And that is again the reason, why I will not travel if Richie’s not coming back. I will go to the show in my hometown, but will not spend lots of money on travels to Scandinavia, because that’s not worth it in my book in this situation.
As for Tico and Dave, to me they’ve never been as crucial for the band’s sound as Jon & Richie. Mostly for the fact that the leaders have written most of the songs together, very often Dave and Tico not being involved much in writing process. So only Jon & Richie can feel the songs the way they were intended to sound from the very first second of writing process. And you can feel that right away on stage. As I used to play in a band too, and we used to write our own stuff too, I know that the more of yourself you put into the song in the writing process, the more you can identify with it later on while playing it to the others. Sometimes you are just told what to play, like I assume Tico and David are to some extent. But when the song is your baby too you just have more passion to share it, and when a key writer is missing on stage, you can just feel something’s wrong. And also, when I think “What makes BJ sound so unique?”, I think of Jon’s vocals and Richie’s guitars, not drums or keys. And that’s why in this situation it’s kind of like Jon & Friends which for some people here (like you Andi) in this case is great that those friends are also band members. But it’s not BJ anymore. Not to me at least.
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Originally Posted by linnea.cfc32_jovibandana
But I'd still rather go to a Richie solo show than a full Jovi show without Richie.. I think that says it all.
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Exactly what I’d do too. And also if it happens that Jon plays his solo show and Richie plays his on the same day, without any doubts I’d go to Richie’s show.