nice topic and almost every post is right on topic, interesting analysies.
Shanks needs to go. As simple as that imo. they need new blood. Rick Rubin...maybe the biggest producer ever in modern music or a freud for others..he took johnys cash career and helped him release quality material when he was almost forgotten.
Jon needs to get the band together and surround them with a new guy who would respect their legacy, realise their strengths and produce them with a certain vision. Shanks is full of himself and his approach is more copying trends than following a path. His anwser to sth like this would be i am doing what the artist wants me to BUT a great producer must say NO sometimes, its obvious Shanks undermined Richies role imo...(Richie may have dissapointed many of us but imho remains a major talent), to be a harsh here...(jons unfair analogy) if shanks was producing u2 would he play the guitar parts??? he wouldnt dare...
( u2s one riff was found by the producer as was the intro texture of beautiful day along with many others...) still he should utilise Richies input and not try to replace the guy. i am not saying it was a part of a big masterplan just that he didnt value the chemistry of a great band and thought it was just jons name and voice...
Jon needs to change...I trul believe Jon is a brave guy..when u r on the spotlight u ll make mistakes but a guy in his 50s with 4 children, money fame etc who goes sky diving shows a lot to me...he ll figure it out. maybe not in the next album but he will.

ps. has anyone notice the new band for the acoustic events??? how much better are these 2 new guys than bobby or phil x who participated in the past?