Taking On the Old Standards (and Jon's voice)

They really do need to do complete rehearsals..not just for new songs (or newly added anyway.) All of the old standards could stand to be re-approached to re-invigorate them. They have been playing them the exact same way for too long...and you hear it in the performances. The overall bodies of each song should stay the same..it's what they can add to it that can spice it...the way Blood On Blood had that whole new section towards the end. The way Living in Sin had that whole new beginning. Granted..they were both new when that was done....But they can still do things like that now if they put themselves into it.

That is the one way they can keep playing the songs they need to yet still keep them interesting for themselves and for those fans who have heard them one too many times. It's when an old song has something new that you go from tolerating it in the set to get to something fresh to actually enjoying it/rediscovering it. Just rehearsing the songs without neccessarily adding a new bit but just re-energizing it would go a long way.

Moving along...Jon needs to take his voice seriously and realize he is not fooling anyone with any of his current techniques. The smoking has got to go. I know one of the big reasons I became a fan was Jon's voice...not just the studio work..but that quite often his live work would exceed the studio versions. He was always throwing surprises in that would elevate the vocals to a whole new level within a song. You would hear Wanted Dead or Alive done live...and you'd no longer be interested in hearing the studio version which paled in comparison.

Those days are gone now and I don't believe that his getting older is an excuse, it's laziness. He's in his early 40s. Richie and Dave have better voices...background singers not-withstanding. Paul Stanley of KISS....a screamer for two decades of heavy touring...only improved his voice by leaps and bounds to impressive standards by his early 40s and carried on up through 50. Watch Unplugged if you need a demonstration. He still pulls it off (but over does it live these days.) He added power and stamina to his voice.

Jon is completely capable of this..but I truly believe he thinks he's discovered a way to walk through the performances without the audience being any wiser. He's dead wrong. Part of what made the acoustic performance of Wanted and Prayer on the MTV Awards so great back then wasn't just the new approach..but the fact that Jon's (and Richie's of course) voice was the way it was and it was being talked about by millions the next day at the workplace and in schools all over. I'm not as excited about hearing live Bon Jovi as I once was precisely because of his voice now. It's not good when Joe Elliott, who never really was impressive as a live vocalist (but understandably as his studio approach would shred your throat to bits) is now impressive when compared to Jon now. Jon really needs to get a voice coach again that forces him to rediscover the power of his voice.

Jon stops with the BS and they re-energize the old standards.....they'll be back to being considered a live force to reckon with, not a live band held back by a mediocre singer.

I totally agree with absolutely everything you say!!! - Unfortunately MOST fans stick up for him!!! - WHY??? - He's not a god and sometimes people need a reminder of where they are and where thay have come from!
I'm not one who wants him to be screaming on every song - but the problem is that his range and intonation is so shot now that it is becoming so so embarrassing.He only has one option - play it safe. Hs idols all smoke and probably people around him - it needs him to work it out and in some ways listen to what he doesn't have anymore.The AMA's the other night he was nearly a semitone flat on the top notes of It's my life!!
He was a great singer who could stand at the side of any rock legend!!
Now he is a great performer and songwriter - no more!!FACT!
Why are we having a go??? - Well for me it's because I care and can still remember what an influence he was on me as a singer and how I wished I could do what he did with his voice - NOW I could walk all over him - I just would not dare play to thousands of people and show that much disrespect - HENEEDS TO SHOW SOME AND MAKE SACRIFICES - WE DESERVE A 100% JON VOICE.He wants the image and success so he should put the work in - SETLISTS AND VOICE!!!

By the way, if you need examples of other guys whose voices have suffered because of smoking - here goes - Joe Elliot (def leppard) started smoking 1995 - last album much lower vocals although he still puts effort in live (to some success).
Bono - although still with power he no longer has that huge range and effortless sound (listen to the Joshua Tree compared o the new one)
Bob Dylan - need I say more (if he everhad a voice!!)
We must all give the oompas and ask the band grief about his voice - MAYBE somehow a message may get through that we are not all stupid and want him back to his best!!

You're right, really! I still love Bon Jovi, but Jon's voice makes me scare, more and more. He still have a great voice, he's still got it on stage, but he's not able to reach high note anymore, we all know that. And I do think that he's not doing all he can do to keep his voice intact when I see him smoking. Comon Jon, what the hell are doin'??? It's time for him to do something before the irreparable.

Hope something!

I completely agree with this and I couldn't say it any better. It's just laziness, but the smoking part hasn't made him better in any point.

Sure, Jon can't hit the high notes, but he still has a great voice. His voice would be even better if he put more effort into it. I don't think he gives it all he has during some of his performances. It seems like he is holding back and not letting his voice get that power that it once had, and I know he still has it, it's just in there somewhere. He is a great perfomer, songwritter, and singer, but he just has to use his instrument to the fullest of its capabilities, which I don't think he does. Is he afraid of ruinning his voice by trying and letting loose? What's harming his voice way more is the smoking. Also his mindset. His voice has matured with age and I like it better than his younger days, but he needs to put more effort into it. I still prefer his voice to Richie's though because Jon has a more unique sound.

That is what I was trying to say in the Officially getting upset topic. His voice can be a lot better, but he has to work on it. Unfortunately I've got the idea that he doesn't seem to do that a lot .

I myself don't have a lot of problems with them doing the old songs. However, a bit more changes in the setlist every now and then would be much appreciated. For example: play Wild is the wind more and Living in sin. Or maybe the best song ever written, namely Dry County. Unfortunately, if you are lucky, you'll get your hands on a bootleg where they played it that year or if you are really lucky they play it at the concert you are attending at that moment.

Absolutely brilliant post. In fact there's not much to add to it. Now all we need are those "oh Jon *is* God" type of backstagers posting back how wrong u are

There'll be one along in a minute, it's guaranteed.

Erm who are we to say he should quit smoking??? Thats his choice, also, Iv said it before, but loads of brilliant singers smoked all thier lives. You can't be sure that smoking has made any difference to his voice.

btw before anyone jumps on me I'm not saying I havnt noticed a change in Jons voice, it has got weaker but for all we know jon could be "working" on his voice everyday, there may be nothing he can do about it.