Ok...after the threads complaining about the condition of Jon's voice these days, which is based on the belief that it is not up to the level that it should be.....Where, realistically, should Jon's voice be at?

The sudden decline in Jon's voice seemed to coincide with the sudden decline in the quality of the lyrics.....that inexplainable gap between 1997 and 2000. I've been saying it all along....it's not the lack of high notes.

Jon first introduced us to his relatively subdued voice with Destination Anywhere. Although it was a change.....there was no real alarm that something had been lost irreversibly. This is supported by the fact that on the album tour....his voice was still delivering. This was 1997. He was still putting out live performances that often exceeded the studio performance. He wasn't reaching for the high notes as much..but there is an overall quality in his delivery that is evident in both the older tunes and the Destination Anywhere tracks that were performed. The fact Billy Get Your Guns was a regular part of the set was also comfort that despite a more subdued vocal approach on the solo album...he was still fully capable of letting loose.

So basically, that is where Jon's voice should be at....the condition it was on the Destination Anywhere tour. I would be more than happy if he was maintaining the condition his voice was in 1997. This is why the overall condition of his voice since 2000 has otherwise been unacceptable. Just as the lyrical quality was unacceptable after 2000 (though has shown improvement on various tracks.)

There is one more realization I had some time ago concerning Jon's voice in recent years that covers what has been lost. Jon seems to be taking a predictable approach with his voice..where in years prior his calling card was throwing out surprises. He treats his voice less like a musical instrument and more like "Jon Bon Jovi, The Voice Inc." This is another way to say "Autopilot" while mechanically throwing in the nuances that are expected of his voice on a commercial level (the whiskey and honey sound.)

So there you go... you take the condition of his voice on the Destination Anywhere tour..which for that album..still techinically had the same approach taken on recent albums.....but throw in what has been missing since 2000 that was very much present in 1997. Once Jon starts doing that on stage again..and I have every bit of faith that he is more than capable...then these types of threads will stop. Until then.....there is nothing that will convince me otherwise that he is doing his best.

There is a physical component here though that does require he care for his voice. There are times when he does try to go for it....but because he doesn't stay on point with his voice the way he did in the past...he isn't ready for it. It's as if the "heart" will occasionally come alive..but physically...he's not able to deliver what he would have been able to in the past when that "heart" would start up. A perfect example of this is the performance of Blaze of Glory at Giants Stadium on One Last Wild Night Live. He attempts to go for it on the last note, ala the Wembley 1995 performance...but loses it..you can visibly see his disappointment in his face. I do have every bit of faith that he would be completely capable of it if he kept on with his voice as he did in the past.

Ending on a question...wasn't there a show on the One Wild Night tour where Jon just surprised everyone and the voice we know and love made an appearance? It was discussed on the board back then...quite a few people were blown away by his performance...it was a factor in helping to support our belief that he is perfectly capable...just has the wrong overall attitude day to day. What show was this? Paris? Australia? I know it wasn't Stateside.