Is There A 'These Days' in TC to THINFS?

Easy answer.

No.

Not even close.

Honestly? I think that's a shitload of crap. Why does the majority of people/fans always link quality songs with high vocal range? He (Jon) could make a stellar album today and sing pretty much in his low/comfortable register if he just wrote songs with meaning, real emotion, and drive to really stand out and say something. The low key parts of Lie To Me? Absolutely brilliant. The darker parts of My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms? Breathtaking. Diamond Ring? Tremendous songwriting. Bitter Wine? Gorgeous. And moving on to his solo DA there are even more example of excellent songwriting without high vocals (Staring At Your Window, Every Word Was A Piece Of My Heart, It's Just Me, Learning How To Fall etc). I just want some quality songwriting with meaning and all the digital over-processing and compression to be thrown out the bloody window. Many bands these days are going back to more organic and analog ways of recording, resulting in such well-sounding music. Such examples include Europe, The Dead Daises, Tremonti, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The New Roses, Hunter And The Bear, Riverdogs, Deaf Havana, Alter Bridge, Myles Kennedy, The Answer and many more.

I couldn't care less if he didn't hit another high note in his life, I would care immensely if he wrote music with passion and meaning.

Obviously great songs isn't about vocal range, but at the same a lot of Bon Jovi's recent attempts on arena rockers would have been a lot stronger if they would have been performed in higher keys with more power and energy from the vocals. I think that songs like Knockout, Roller Coaster, What's Left of Me, Born To Follow, Because We Can etc. would have been much more punchier tracks with vocals in higher range.
Would they be like the KTF and TD materal? Not even close, but still better.

couldnt agree more !!! 10/10

That's very fair, and I can agree with that. My point is, it depends what appeals to you most when you listen to a song. Some people care more about lyrics, some more about melody, some about the rhythm, etc.

What catches my interest in a song is the melody foremost. Without a wide range of notes in a melody, it falls somewhat bland for me.

What is it about the writing nowadays that you don't like the most? That's what it is for me. I also dont like the gang "woah-ohhh" vocals, and the U2 style sound.

What I don't like? Yeah - about everything. It's bland, juvenile, shallow, cringe worthy, re-hashed. Have you actually read the lyrics to THINFS? It's horrendous! Makes most of the lyrics from the 80's seem like a deep and meaningful classic novel. Chord progressions and song structure are as standardized as humanly possible that any 12 year old kid with basic music knowledge could write the same ridiculous stuff with ease. And to say it's a U2-style sound is a massive dig - at U2! Their melodies are still interesting, they breathe, the change up the structure.

And don't get me started on production. The first hints came with Bounce and HAND (compression, "wall of sound"), and from that moment it's been a steep downhill fall to where we are now even though they have managed a few great songs since then (Hook Me Up, Misunderstood, Undivided, Nothing, Dirty Little Secret, I Wanna Be Loved, Welcome To Wherever You Are, Any Other Day, Make A Memory, When We Were Beautiful, Superman Tonight, Happy Now - though that song sounds much better if you tune it a half-step down, more dark and brooding).

And to hear someone say he's "proud" of shit like Walls and When We Were Us, when he's previously written/co-written songs like Wanted, Living In Sin, Blood On Blood, Homebound Train, I Believe, Keep The Faith, Bed Of Roses, Dry County, Little Bit Of Soul, Starting All Over Again, Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, Always, Hey God, This Ain't A Love Song, These Days, Lie To Me, My Guitar Lies Bleeding, Letting You Go, Something To Believe In, Diamond Ring, All I Want Is Everything, Bitter Wine, Miss Fourth Of July, all of DA, Real Life, Next 100 Years, Just Older, Neurotica and the likes. Please - get the f**k out of here...

[QUOTE=Fredrik;1235501]What I don't like? Yeah - about everything. It's bland, juvenile, shallow, cringe worthy, re-hashed. Have you actually read the lyrics to THINFS? It's horrendous! Makes most of the lyrics from the 80's seem like a deep and meaningful classic novel. Chord progressions and song structure are as standardized as humanly possible that any 12 year old kid with basic music knowledge could write the same ridiculous stuff with ease. And to say it's a U2-style sound is a massive dig - at U2! Their melodies are still interesting, they breathe, the change up the structure.

And don't get me started on production. The first hints came with Bounce and HAND (compression, "wall of sound"), and from that moment it's been a steep downhill fall to where we are now even though they have managed a few great songs since then (Hook Me Up, Misunderstood, Undivided, Nothing, Dirty Little Secret, I Wanna Be Loved, Welcome To Wherever You Are, Any Other Day, Make A Memory, When We Were Beautiful, Superman Tonight, Happy Now - though that song sounds much better if you tune it a half-step down, more dark and brooding).

And to hear someone say he's "proud" of shit like Walls and When We Were Us, when he's previously written/co-written songs like Wanted, Living In Sin, Blood On Blood, Homebound Train, I Believe, Keep The Faith, Bed Of Roses, Dry County, Little Bit Of Soul, Starting All Over Again, Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, Always, Hey God, This Ain't A Love Song, These Days, Lie To Me, My Guitar Lies Bleeding, Letting You Go, Something To Believe In, Diamond Ring, All I Want Is Everything, Bitter Wine, Miss Fourth Of July, all of DA, Real Life, Next 100 Years, Just Older, Neurotica and the likes. Please - get the f**k out of here...[

Have you really wrote all these songs even with capital letters?? That's crazy dude

always thought of mashing the last albums to make one album but never counted The Circle

I can really relate to what you are saying but I dont really think that Jon has written a lot of really great lyrics. Some of them mean something to me but that doesn't mean they are quality lyrics:

Father father please believe me
I am laying down my guns
I am broken like an arrow
Forgive me
Forgive your wayward son'

is not really that much better than:

Drove a spike into the ground and I staked my claim
Standing on the dirt where they'll dig my grave
Now what built these walls is in my veins
No time for looking back, the wolf is at the door
This heart, this soul
This house is not for sale

Is it? Dont get me wrong: KTF is a brilliant song for me and the part of :walking in the footsteps...' is a lot 'deeper' than 'I hammered each nail..'

The first part is more reflective the other is more 'look at me I am strong and awesome and ..oh...let me throw in 'trust' and 'heart' and 'soul'

What I think is funny is how he was the 'big bad wolf (which is also the title of a book about rape) in who would you die for and now the wolf is at his door....makes no sense at all.

Oh and I agree that is childish, shallow and even overdramatic.

Jonny writing a song about his guitar? Jonny writing a song about having sex with his wife? Using 'rollercoaster' as a metaphor for ups and downs in life? Comparing someone he didn't get along with (I know it was a BIG drama between the label and Jon, still...) with the devil (someone who says he believes in god) Really????

Wait what? Why would he be referencing a book about rape and not the childhood story? Obviously the two songs aren't meant to be connected by a literal theme, it's a completely different song.