Did anyone predict this Jon we have today?

I've noticed many changes in the band over the years, but two things have stayed the same: Jon comes across as a tool in interviews, this has always been a pop band.

I became a hardcore fan after TD and DA. The DA DVD came with a JBJ interview in which he came across like a tool. Then I picked up a biography on the band called In Their Own Words, which used interview quotes to tell their story. Again, JBJ came across as a tool. I struggled with this for a long time, that this band I loved were dicks in real life. I eventually came to the conclusion that I don't have to like the person to like the art they make. WWWB actually put it into perspective for me. I thought we was a tool because we was always talking about himself, his album instead of the band. It's because it's his band, he's the decision maker, it's his album. Richie also gave N interview recently that brought me to this conclusion as well. On the Sirius Bon Jovi channel, he pointed out that when he joined Bon Jovi, everyone thought it was a JBJ solo band and it wasn't until slippery that it was actually treated as a band.

And they were always a pop band. When they started, they were pop metal. On Slippery they incorporated a Springsteenesque sound, no doubt Richie's influence, which they slowly transitioned into, because those were their more popular songs, and this happened when grunge became popular. And now they are less rock more pop because again, it's the sound that's popular now. Through out all of this, their sound is still somewhat consistent, a sound influenced by Thin Lizzy, David Bowie, and Bruce Springsteen. Like Richie said in another recent interview, when these guys get together, it always sounds like Bon Jovi.

I did search 'stink eye' and found nothing which is strange as I am sure that loads of threads have been made but I'll put it in this as it was the nearest one I could find.

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Look at that stink eye Jon gives Richie and then the look he gives Tico when Richie cocks up that start of HAND. I hadn't noticed it before on that show which is strange as usually I pick up on stuff like that fairly quick.

I'd love someone to give Jon some looks like that when he messes up or does something slightly wrong.

Ehh this wasn't something slightly wrong, this is a pretty big mess up. I agree Jon should absolutely be reprimanded for his voice going but Richie clearly had something going on with him at this show.

One viewing of When We Were Beautiful in 2010 was enough to confirm that my suspicions of Jon's stealth efforts to push his bandmates into the background in favor of becoming a Springsteen-like freestanding monolith were NOT a conspiracy theory of mine.

Certain things that have been said here about Jon and als Richie have been nothing more than projections. We all do that sometimes. We just need to know it so that we can separate the truth from what is real.

That being said, I am always disturbed when people let their ego get in the way of their talent but that can happen due to stress, disappointments and other stuff. I think the Jon we have today is not the same one we saw in WWWB. Jon does a lot of charity because he wants to help people (he is NOT the greedy bastard that some people wants him to be.)

By writing all this I am realising again how much I HATE discussing someone's character.....

Jon is not perfect, neither am I or anybody I have EVER met

I complained A LOT about the ticket prices but Jon puts his money in charity.
I donate money myself and do charity work. So when I got to a concert and I can celebrate the music I love and pay money that will (partly) be used to help others, I am in.

Topics like this are subjective...

I guess part of it is when you became a fan. During the 80's and early 90's, every note and sound that came from Jon's voice sounded brilliant to me. After the 80's, Jon went solo with Blaze, did Levon, a few Christmas songs, with KTF to follow. Jon knew how to get that Bon Jovi sound and hook into everything he did. His production on Aldo Nova's Blood On The Bricks signified him as a producer and master of his craft. His live performances came off effortless, full of passion, and he projected an innocence about himself.

Once TD's was released, I thought it would have gone on forever. Jon had the magic formula within him. It was natural. I think a lot of it projected from his personality. Jon and his music were one in the same.

Something happened after TD's. It wasn't an overnight change but something slowly started to change. Maybe it started with the movies and then went into politics but something changed his personality which then changed the music. When Jon was doing that football thing, he went on Howard Stern to promote it. I'll never forget Howard ripping him up for coming in with a briefcase basically saying, you're a rock star not a wall street guy.

I'm not saying that all the music is bad today because it's not, especially if you compare it to it's peers. It's miles ahead of all of it. It's just different. In some ways it's like Jon lost his craft. Maybe his vocal change and loss of power has something to do with it. He could be writing around it. It's all just heavy production that's pieced together. I haven't heard that signature Bon Jovi song with a hook in a very long time.

I think Burning Bridges was so popular among die-hards because it offered some classic Jovi moments. Not a perfect album but a lot of those songs had some old school in them and that's what we want. Teardrop might have the most natural sounding passion from Jon since 1995.

Maybe in some ways Jon is so brilliant that he needed other outlets to keep his mind going that it distracted him from being one with his music.

Or it's just a combo of things:

- Growing up and not being as hungry.
- Taking short cuts and relying on digital technology.
- Other interests that shift priorities.
- Lack of vocal talent

One thing I do credit Jon for is his Song Writing LYRICS. He might have forgotten how to hook it, put that punch in, or deliver the passion but he is still a great writer... And it's this reason why he's still in the game. He's not simple and corny like his peers. There is an intellect there. He is just rely on production and not letting the songs develop into greatness. But that's a whole other topic.

Overall I don't hate the Jon or music we have today but if you would have asked me in 1995 what Jon would be like 20 years from now, I might have predicted something different. I would have predicted somewhat of a consistent 1995 Jon for the first 10 years to follow.

The thing that has veered Bon Jovi off course for me is Jon's interest in politics and injecting that into the songs more overtly. That's when they fell in a hole IMO. I know he's cared about politics for a long time, even so far back as to say, "There's more to say than the world sucks" by writing the Keep the Faith album all the way up to saying, "Have a Nice Day" to the W administration. But those were more subtle. He can be thinking of W when he says Have a Nice Day, but the song is generic enough and he didn't make such an overt statement of it that you couldn't listen to it without thinking of whoever YOU wanted to say "Have a Nice Day" too.

He really got off track, and WAY too far up Obama's ass with The Circle and made it too overt. He came right out and said that Happy Now was about Obama's election. He threw in "hope/change" in the lyrics of songs. He bragged about Work for the Working Man's lyrics hanging on the wall in the White House. The Circle was so socially and politically over toned that it's the least listenable album in their collection for me. Then he topped it off by joining the White House Council, which was an honor, but still.... it doesn't help Jon's image as the "Regular Joe" rock star that he used to be by any means.

He kept trying to write those hope/change/live right now lyrics with What About Now. I think he finally realized that allying himself with one party would alienate people, but it was too late because it had already negatively affected his music and his image. I hope he's realized that people don't go to Bon Jovi shows to hear songs about politicians of either persuasion. Burning Bridges didn't have that garbage on it so I hope that's some of he stuff he burned on his way out of the door.

I hope Jon will get back to writing about things that move him but doing it in a way that is more universal as he used to do. Because if I have to listen to a song about his buddy Chris Christie, I think I might vomit.

I do not think Jon wrote songs with his mind set on writing political songs.

jon always had 2 sides imo, he can be very smart and artistic or a ceo...as years go by i havent lost my respect for th guy, he obviously has made mistakes but overall he has aged gracefully, watching him through these fanclub acoustic shows i see sparks of the songwriter that made songs that spoke to me..
jon thrives as the underdog...i think he still has some good songs in him..maybe the voice wont be the same, maybe he has to settle in a most acoustic environment but i believe he has some more good music in there.

Yes, I agree with your sentiments!!