Could Bon Jovi do it anymore?

IMO it's not that great of a song to start with and if I were Jon and looking back on the things he's written, it certainly would not be among those that have a quality I'd try to achieve again.

Mmmhmm. I don't want to come acoss as someone wanting to start up the "what IS rock music" debate, I just do not get how IML can be considered the last REAL attempt at a rock song. I've heard people say they stopped trying after 1995, but I've never heard anyone say Crush was the last whack at it. But still, differing opinions make the world work I guess.

it's obviously some stupid criteria since It's My Life is the biggest pop song they have ever written.

IMO Hey God was was maybe not the last *attempt* of a rock song, but the last one that worked...
For STTH, No they can't do it anymore, same as Hey God...

I think they very well COULD write another Hey God, they just choose not to. They're playing it safe, really. If the situation called for it, I think they could do it though.

I was thinking that Dirty Little Secret, even if only as an "extra" track on HAND is a pretty kick ass rock song.

And since when was Bon Jovi ever NOT making radio friendly tunes. We've had this discussion over and over, they've ALWAYS been a band that had songs with wide appeal. The term ROCK is so very broad and everyone's defintion is a bit different. I personally consider Bon Jovi's music rock whether that be songs like Runaway, Tokyo Road, Bad Medicine, If I Was Your Mother, Damned, Just Older, Misunderstood, or Who Says You Can't Go Home, in my opinion all those songs are under the rock umbrella.

deb

Of course they could ... how is it even physically possible that they've "lost" the ability to write a rock song

Exactly. Bon Jovi circa SWW was a pop band. Jon and Richie will be the first to tell you. Living on a Prayer was a monster rock/pop anthem. They're still making catchy, radio friendly tunes. How a song like IML can be rock but, say, Last Man standing isn't, I'll never know.

My point exactly. You don't wake up one morning and lose the ability to write a good song. They're just holding back, I think.

I bring this up from time to time but when they were still opening for other groups and those groups were singing about killing their Mothers - Bon Jovi was singing oo oo she's a little runaway. I think Dave made that comment (in Access all Areas?). And if Runaway isn't a pop song - I don't know what is.

Fast forward a few years and listen to Born to be My Baby - that is a radio oriented pop song. Basically - I think Jon is correct when he says that they have stayed true to their roots. They still write rocky pop tunes LOL. And I don't say that as a put down either - pop is pop for a reason. A lot of people like it.

Kathleen