Billy Corgan says Bon Jovi is "formulaic"

Full article here: http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...rock-star.html

Well... they kinda are. At least they are now.

Though Billy could also write a really great article on how to alienate your fans and your own band.

Saw them once live, it was a good gig too until they went off in some bizzare 25 minute plus jam that completely lost the whole crowd.

It's one thing not being formulaic....completely another to be so space cadet no-one knows what the hell you're playing at your gig.

But yeah, Jovi were always formulaic...that's nothing new. Like I always said when I want deep and arty, I'll go listen to the Counting Crows. When I just want to enjoy myself and have some self affirmation, I'll listen to Bon Jovi.

I also liked this bit.

"If you’re really talented, you should be able to run until the end. Just like Neil Young or Johnny Cash. "

"That’s all I’m saying: be wise enough. Use whoever you’ve got to use but have some self-preservation. Rock ’n’ roll is a survivor’s game."

Or Bon Jovi, Billy?

he's basically saying what we have been moaning around for a decade now. How many It's My Life's have Bon Jovi written and re-written by now? They are a 'formula' band and it destroys their creativity, if they have any left.

Bon Jovi have always been a formula band, most bands are actually. The only problem now-a-days is that the songs based on the hits are nowhere near as good as their original formula.

Bed of Roses and This Ain't a Love song follow the formula of I'll be there for You, but since they're almost as good (if not better) than the original than its okay. 'This is Love, This is Life' is bullshit near Its My Life.

To me, that just sounds like jealousy. Especially when you start naming names. Let me share a little history....

In the 90's when the music scene change in America, Bon Jovi were the ultimate TARGET. Even though there were a million hair bands in the 80's, it always came back to Bon Jovi. Even today when you ask someone to name an 80's hairband, 9 out of 10 will say Bon Jovi.

These Alternative bands thrived on kicking those 80 bands out of the music scene which they completely succeeded in doing so. It was like an army ambush. Bands went from famous to regular people overnight. It changed the world.

However, there was one band somehow, someway continued to hang in there. They produced hits and sold albums.

KTF in '92 had a top ten hit with BOR, CR in '94 had a top ten hit with Always and also sold a ton of copies. TD - although it didn't sell very well still had a top 20 hit with TAALS which peaked at #14. They still got airplay, were on late night talk shows, got on MTV. Jon was crossing over into movies and get accolades for his performances. Jon did the Christmas video with a top model and released a few Christmas songs that got some good airplay. The TD era wasn't a total bust and people knew that they were getting into new markets overseas.

Compared to what was going on with bands from the 80's, this was beyond HUGE. If KTF was released 2 years prior, it would have been bigger than NJ. Bon Jovi got knocked down hard but got up and kept fighting.

I'm sure everyone knows the Greenday / Bon Jovi story.

Fast forward to today in 2012. Who is laughing now Billy Corgan? So go write your epic album that no one gives a shit about and have fun trying to sell out the 2000 seat local theater. Just stay out of the desert because there might be a few sold out shows there.

That's a nice over-dramatisation of what happened. Guns n' Roses were still the biggest shit out there in 1992. Def Leppard were having top 10 hits, selling records. Metallica (not hair metal, I know, but all the same for the Grunge bands) were the biggest they had ever been. Aerosmith were at their commercial peak all throughout the mid 90s. So, while your story is quite nice, it's just extremely biased and has nothing to do with topic.


The guy is right despite your story. And there's nothing wrong with selling out 2000 people arenas either, if you make honest music that you believe in. However, hearing those It's My Life clones on every single record, now that SUCKS, and that sucks even if that allows you to sell out deserts, twice (I just threw up a little for quoting Jon Bon Bon)

If there's one man's opinion I take no stock in, it's Billy Corgan's. Smashing Pumpkins were the most overrated band in the 90's.

He's right about Bon Jovi being formulaic but he needs to take a look at his own career before taking the high ground.

He made a few excellent albums with the Smashing Pumpkins but has been trying and failing to recapture any kind of success since the 90's. He's trying to gain some kind of artistic acknowledgement through the commercial bombing of work.

Zwan FFS, what was that?