After my long hiatus and time served, I’ve decided to check in to see what’s been going on. It seems as if time stood still because the very same topics are still being discussed. Instead of contributing to each topic individually, I decided to do one collective post so all topics could be covered in one shot. In addition, I’d like to provide my insight one this bands present and future.
I’d like to start briefly on Jon’s voice so I could just get it out of the way… Jon COULD still sing but his higher range is gone for good. I’m sure there is room for improvement but he’ll never get back to that once dominating voice he had in the 80s and 90s. When it comes to singing live, I don’t need his voice to be perfect. As some will disagree, Axl Rose made a career out of “twisted” rock vocals so when it comes to live RnR vocals, it doesn’t need to be like an X-Factor audition. To be honest, I wouldn’t even care if Jon went back to that 80’s raspy vocal because he at least showed passion. The main problem with Jon’s voice today is…. let’s face it…. It’s frucking annoying and irritating. It’s unnatural, it’s doesn’t sound real, his mic has an annoying eco to it, and he doesn’t even pronounce words correctly. On the flip side, Jon’s rendition of “It’s Only Make Believe” and even “Hallelujah” prove that he could still deliver a song decently if the range is a correct match for his voice.
Jon knows this tour was an absolute mess and he would never go through that level of touring again without Richie. Richie takes a lot of stress off of Jon vocally. When they harmonize together, Jon doesn’t have to sing as hard. Richie also provides a shield to cover Jon’s mistakes plus I think Jon is just more relaxed knowing Richie is there which results in a better vocal performance. The amount of songs and time Jon had to sing for on this past tour was just way too much for his pipes to handle. I seriously doubt we’ll ever get a tour like that again without Richie.
I would like to see these guys mix it up a little. Jon needs to go back into his catalog and pull out some surprises of songs that he could deliver. I only question Jon’s age when this band finally does reunites which frightens me. I see a huge difference from ’10 to ’13 in both appearance and vocals. I can’t even imagine what’s still to come. There are definitely little things he could do here and there that would help make a more satisfying tour. Example, If he got to the point where he couldn’t pull off his ballads and rock gems anymore, he could do an acoustic medley of them. Jon and Richie do a great version of NSG and I think they could deliver some nice harmonies with other songs as well. I have a bunch of different examples that I could provide which would have to be a separate topic in itself but my point is, it doesn’t have to end, they just need to find some new things to do. If he gets Richie back with the band and Jon works with a good vocal coach, shortens his set list, and gets a new mix of songs, we could still get a fun tour. By today’s standards Jon is still way too young to throw in the towel. The guy still has amazing stage presence and with a little hard work and change, we could get one last decent tour.
We basically got the same 3 albums in a row. If we took the best 10 songs from each, we might have a decent one but it’s evident that Jon is not writing the same amount of material that he used to per album. Obviously the lack of B-sides and Obie stating that there is not enough material for another box set proves that Jon is not writing his usual 40 songs per album. My guess would be 15, and he picks the best 12. This is something that I want to blame Shanks for. I think Shanks’ theory is to take whatever material Jon has available and beef them up with production. I don’t think these guys hear the same final versions that we do either. They are laying down each track on multi-million dollar recording equipment. It probably all sounds amazing track by track and when it’s all finally put together, their ears are focusing on something completely different. Shanks and Bon Jovi just do not go good together. HAND was ok and they should have parted after that. Something just doesn’t sound right with those songs. They are just way too manufactured or something. Even the Big and Rich song Born Again has that same Shanks sound. It’s taking something away from each song and making them all sound the same. A ballad should not have the same feel to it as a rocking song does and that’s how I feel about Shank’s production with Bon Jovi songs.
Bon Jovi does not need to call it quits just yet. Obviously Jon needs work it out with Richie. I won’t spend too much time here because I know there is another topic on this but all I will say is, I do believe Richie needed some time off with his kid but if he was making the music he wanted with tons of money rolling in, he wouldn’t have bailed. He had less than a year to go with this tour and then he would have been done for a while anyway. It’s not like he wasn’t working and traveling in support of other project. It’s all a bunch of shit.
Jon is still an effective lyricist but it would nice to see a darker edge with a stronger delivery. He could still be optimistic but he just needs to darken up the sound on his albums and work with a producer who is willing to push him in the studio. It’s evident that Jon could pull off a decent vocal in the studio if you compare the studio version of BWC to the live version. I don’t mind the studio tricks because most artists have been using them for years beyond years. We just need a fresh sounding Bon Jovi album once again. At this point, I’m sure Jon knows that he’ll never have a hit song ever again. He’s now an aged rocker and Bon Jovi are not going to fit in with anything going on in today’s music industry. I think if he just stopped chasing fads, he could at least satisfy his die-hards and once we start raising buzz, it could snowball into something good. When us die-hards start calling his music shit, the rest of the world will not think any better.
The problem with all of the above is, no one has the balls to tell Jon that he sucks and needs to change. Jon theory is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. His last 3 albums and tours were both number 1 with modest record sales for today’s average. The record company people are the only ones who probably have the balls to say something but as long as Jon is making them money, they won’t say a word because they don’t care about Jon’s legacy. They just want the money. It’s like the Elvis movie trend. The first few were big hits and made money. Once the formula set it, they became a complete mock. Jon is going down that path with these albums and tour.
What to expect:
Jon needs a big break in the worst way and he’s finally willing to take it. I think we’ll get something nice for 30 years. I am hoping for another box set. If there is not enough newer material for another box (which I’m hoping there isn’t), I really want older material that wasn’t included in the first box set, cleaned up in better quality
Some solo work is definitely on the horizon too. Maybe an album, maybe some movie songs. I could see another ’97 / ’98 / ’99 trend coming. A Bon Jon reunion album / tour will happen in 4 to 5 years. These guys need a break from each other. I don’t think Jon and Richie will ever stop making music but this band is definitely on the brink. Jon will get to that point where we’ll no longer be able to sing his old hits anymore which will ultimately lead to the end. I give Jon until he’s 60 (maybe late 50’s) before he is no longer capable of singing any of his hits. After that he’ll just perform whatever project he is working on as a reinvented artist. He’ll end up doing some shit acoustically because that is his comfort zone.
After the last box set, he mentioned something like,” the first 20 years have been great and I’m looking forward to the next 20.” Ironically, he’s got 10 years left to hit that mark. Only time will tell if he does. Or they do….