Does the band need outside writers?

Captain Walrus · #11 05-13-2008, 03:49 PM

Oviously they don't *need* outside writers, there's plenty of songs that show that. It is odd though that they've NEVER released an album entirely written by themselves. There was a huge debate going on here a while back about whether it compromised their artistic integrity to write so many songs with outside writers and stick them on their albums. I don't think it does, but I would like them to try writing more stuff by themselves than they do at the moment

I still think that Desmond is essentially part of the Bon Jovi family, he's part of what makes the band what it is

Eastwick · #12 05-13-2008, 05:26 PM

Desmond is ok, but Max Martin & Andreas Carlson (or what his name was). It's ain't no winder some songs could have been boybandsongs!
I wonder how much David writes, I've always thought of him more like a "major arranger" of his credit songs. Like Last Cigarette. I'll bet he arranged the vocallines.
Billy Falcon has also made some great contribution (Last Man Standing, Older), but also writen the allmighty lower Complicated...

steel_horse75 · #13 05-13-2008, 06:08 PM

i dont think it can hurt.
Motley Crue have got some other writers in for the new album
ut just freshens things up

ps - the distance is a great song !

Neurotica33 · #14 05-13-2008, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yomamasofat

Alright, so first of all spare me from the whole "Jon is the greatest songwriter ever, just listen at the epic DA album, you know what I'm talking about" shit. The fact is, Bon Jovi didn't hit paydirt until they drafted the legendary Desmond Child. Check out the first 12 songs that Desmond had a hand in:

1. Bad Name
2. Prayer
3. Without Love
4. Bad Medicine
5. Born To Be My Baby
6. Blood On Blood
7. Wild Is The Wind
8. Keep The Faith
9. Sleep When I'm Dead
10. Something For The Pain
11. This Ain't A Love Song
12. Hearts Breaking Even

Not a single clunker. After that of course there were turds like Diamond Ring, The Distance and You Want To Make A Memory. However, most of the songs that Desmond co-wrote were great.

In addition, some of the other classic Bon Jovi songs like It's My Life, Just Older, Undivided, Bounce, Have A Nice Day, Any Other Day, I Love This Town were written with someone from outside the band.

Do you think the band should keep involving outside writers?

I'm not saying that the band themselves can't write classics. Songs like the all-holy In These Arms, These Days, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Social Disease, I'd Die For You, Wild In The Streets, Love For Sale, 99 In The Shade, I'll Be There For You, Dry County, and Who Says You Can't Go Home prove that the band is capable. However, they seem to work very well with outside writers as well.

I say they should.

The songs you crudely describe as turds are good songs in my opinion and I'm sure many others would agree.

At this stage the band don't 'need' outside writers (or collaborators as they are better known), they just choose to have them, to bring something new to the party.

At least they haven't had entire songs written for them like Aerosmith & Def Leppard.
I don't quite understand the infatuation some have in wanting David involved. He has co-written maybe 2 or 3 songs in the entire history of the band - how does that make him a song-writing genius and a major-loss?!

hackster73 · #15 05-13-2008, 09:33 PM

I think the outside help kind of brings the band up to date. They always want to try something new so I can't see this stopping.

Bongo VII · #16 05-13-2008, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neurotica33

I don't quite understand the infatuation some have in wanting David involved. He has co-written maybe 2 or 3 songs in the entire history of the band - how does that make him a song-writing genius and a major-loss?!

Gosh I'm sorry for being confusing. Let me see if I can simplify.

My personal preference, and one can assume that of others, has nothing to do with quantity, but quality. I like the songs David's co-written (and it's more than 2 or 3, btw, but as my point is quantity is irrelevant that's beside the point) almost without exception, and because of this I'd like to hear more David-written songs.

Still confusing?

Also: "At least they haven't had entire songs written for them like Aerosmith & Def Leppard."

Go check the writing credits for She Don't Know Me. Go on. I'll wait here.

(Don't)Lie_to_me · #17 05-13-2008, 09:37 PM

Quick Q: Dave did a fair old bit of the re-write of 4 Letter Word didn't he?

Supersonic · #18 05-13-2008, 09:58 PM

Aloha !

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongo VII

Gosh I'm sorry for being confusing. Let me see if I can simplify.

My personal preference, and one can assume that of others, has nothing to do with quantity, but quality. I like the songs David's co-written (and it's more than 2 or 3, btw, but as my point is quantity is irrelevant that's beside the point) almost without exception, and because of this I'd like to hear more David-written songs.

Still confusing?

Also: "At least they haven't had entire songs written for them like Aerosmith & Def Leppard."

Go check the writing credits for She Don't Know Me. Go on. I'll wait here.

If David really was such a good songwriter, there'd be more songs from him on the album. It's that simple.

She Don't Know Me was on the first album because they were forced to. Not because they had to.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Bongo VII · #19 05-13-2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supersonic

If David really was such a good songwriter, there'd be more songs from him on the album. It's that simple.

"Good" is subjective. Whether or not other people consider him "good" matters very little to me, except to the extent I realize if the decision-makers shared my opinion I'd get more David songs.

Had I thought personal preference was such a difficult concept to grasp, I wouldn't have said anything in the first place. Mea culpa.

Captain Walrus · #20 05-13-2008, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neurotica33

The songs you crudely describe as turds are good songs in my opinion and I'm sure many others would agree.

At this stage the band don't 'need' outside writers (or collaborators as they are better known), they just choose to have them, to bring something new to the party.

At least they haven't had entire songs written for them like Aerosmith & Def Leppard.
I don't quite understand the infatuation some have in wanting David involved. He has co-written maybe 2 or 3 songs in the entire history of the band - how does that make him a song-writing genius and a major-loss?!

He's also written solo albums and a musical, I'd say that's a fairly good way to judge his relative songwriting talents

Out of interest, what song/s have Aerosmith had entirely written for them?

Does the band need outside writers?

General BJ Discussion