How important is it to you...

How important is it to you that Bon Jovi write their own songs?

Does knowing that they are responsible for creating their own material impact your appreciation of them? Would you be less likely to buy their CDs if they did not write/cowrite all their own songs?

Keeping in mind that taste is subjective, would you rather have a song that they wrote even if it was not as "good" as a comparable song written by someone else? Or would you rather have a song someone else wrote that they sounded good playing than a ______________ (fill in the blank with a song you don't like, for instance All About Loving You for me)?

Becky

It's tough to say.
for example, On Def Leppards last album X, there were 2 songs on there they didn't write at all.And It's not that they were bad songs it just ruined the ilusion for me, I've been a fan for so long that it just looked to me as if they couldn't write anything good enough no their own.Wich is not the case.But I still found to apreciate "Long long way to go" as the amazing ballad that it is but maybe resent it a bit.(does that make sense?? )
So I wouldn't know, maybe if it is a monster of a song I could dig it, but I probably would resent it the same way since i know they are able to write perfectly great songs on their own.with outside help a lot of the times but still.

It is funny, because reading this makes me think of Elvis. He was an amazing performer and a wonderful singer, but when I found out that he didn't write his own songs, it took something away from him in my eyes.

With BJ, it is like you get a glimpse at their life or what is going through their minds through their songs, therefore making the lyrics more interesting for me. I still can't really listen to She Don't Know Me because I know that they didn't write it, and it bothers me for some reason.

I would not be a fan without it.

Yes! It is always something that makes an artist more honest in my eyes.

Absolutely.

I became a fan because they are not just good in my opinion. If they were I wouldn't be a fan. But as you said that's subjective.


Sounds like covers to me. I have nothing against cover songs.
Seriously, nobody can write hits only, so no.

very, yes and yes

I don't usually like mere performers - it even bothers me if a song isn't at least co-written by the singer No idea why that is.

To me it is really important that a band/singer performs their own material. [/quote]

To me it's very important they're the songwriters...my respect for them as writers and musicians has always increased until Crush/Bounce era.
I don't like artists who plays someone else's songs.
I.e., back in 1992, I had this big disappointment when I found out that Meat Loaf didn't write his stuff...I really love "Bat out of Hell II" but I'm not a Meat Loaf fan...or better, no more. He's a great performer but I cant appreciate him as a musician, and this is too important for me.

I can't imagine what I would think about BJ if they didn't write their stuff. I really don't know.
Anyway I'd rather All About Loving You (even to me this one sucks)
than a better ballad by someone else.

I think it is very important that a and writes or just co-writes their songs. I think someone who doesn't write the songs can't interpretate them the same as the writer. And being a rock musician is the whole package that incl. being able to master their instruments and also being able to write their own songs. It belongs together.

I wouldn't be a fan, either. For me, the most important thing about music is the message and feelings that it communicates. If that message, if those words aren't BJ's, then I'd be interested in finding out who wrote those lyrics.
I really appreciate that BJ write their own music and also play their own instruments. As Chris said above, being a musician is the whole package.

Absolutely, I agree. Especially since these days there are so many manufactured bands whether it's an American Idol contestant being told what to sing and how to sing it or Jessica Simpson adding her ooohs and ahhhhs to someone else's words. It's fake...and loses the meaning of the song when the singer recites lyrics that came from sonone else's mind. Bon Jovi are one of the few who still keep rock and roll alive and true.

I would have a completely different outlook if they didn't write or cowrite each of their songs...and no where near the respect level.

It is definitely very important to me that they write their own music. The bands I like most all write their own stuff. It takes a lot away from a performer in my eyes if they don't have at least some involvement in writing their material. I probably wouldn't be such a die hard fan and buy their CD's if I knew that they didn't write their own stuff. But I only say that now, after 20 years of being a fan knowing they write their own songs...