11th April 2017 - Air Canada Centre, Toronto Night 2 Thread

Originally Posted by bonjovi90

This sounds logical, but one thing I keep wondering: He's obviously (and reportedly) been working with a vocal coach to maintain what's left of his voice and to discover that new softer way (almost whispering at some parts) which you described earlier.
But why can't they work out a proper technique for him to sing a song like Always? This performance shows that he at least still has the ability and a bit of range to hit these notes. But if the range is there, there's gotta be a way to hit these notes without forcing them and straining his chords that much?

Originally Posted by mabsey

Because basically, he hasn't looked after his voice. As we get older, our vocal chords thicken naturally anyway. Back in 2008 his voice recovered and once again, to the fans delight, he was singing the hits from the older albums, and these songs are not easy to sing. By around 2011 / 2012, he should have been retiring these songs and bringing them out as specials, but he kept pushing, putting together 3 hour shows with very challenging songs chucked in. Rather than change the setlist to give his voice a rest, he soldiered on, and as his vocal chords started to decline, he struggled to hit the high notes naturally, but he found a new technic and started singing from the neck / throat on more and more songs. You can watch shows from 2012 to 2013 where after he hits a high note, he then turns around coughing / choking up, because his taken his voice somewhere it shouldn't have gone.

Unfortunately he can't sing the high notes in Always in that old Natural voice or soft voice, because I suspect his chords have been thickened and he simply can't do it in a natural voice. The only way he is hitting them now, is via bad technic once again and then paying for it, because Captain Crash immediately afterwards sounds more like Captain Car Wreck. Fan's are demanding the songs sung, Jon will give it his all to sing them, but with every bad technic, it just brings Jon closer to retirement because its not substanable to keep taking your voice to somewhere it simply shouldn't be going. The damage was done a long time ago, and the Jon from 2008 isn't coming back, so I'm just going to continue enjoying what he can do, rather than worrying about what he can't.

Originally Posted by cqleonardo

Phil's guitar sounded like pure shit on Always, holy christ

Originally Posted by Falco

See? I hate being right all the time. No tour premieres or epic set lists anymore, Toronto would have been the place to get them this tour. It's a different band now. Don't expect anything new/special for both MSG nights.

Originally Posted by Jeeper

Jon's desperation to prove he can still sing Always is actually sad. As if that one song (even sung well) would smooth over the deterioration in the rest of the set vocals. I don't even think he's trying to appease the fans or critics of his voice, I think he's trying to convince himself he still has something to hold on to. That's pretty sad.

I truly do get the attitude of "it's better in person" and I'm glad people mostly seem to be enjoying the shows. I hope that continues.

But, seeing and hearing them (Jon) now, is more often than not just embarrassing to me.

I say that as I fan and someone who has been fortunate enough to see them at their untouchable best.

I used to take great pride in showing the naysayers just how amazing a live band they were. These days (no pun) I literally cringe at the thought of those types of people hearing Jon. I don't want him to be judged like that - I know who the real JBJ is/was. I've seen it live. There's tons of YouTube footage that backs it up. He was immense. No other word.

He's so far removed from that guy that it's almost like two different people. And I get why. There's lots of factors at play. I'm not oblivious. This is just how I feel.

So while I still think THINFS is great and want them to continue making albums, I think my live affinity with them is sadly over.

I'd LOVE to be proved wrong, and sincerely hope Jon can somehow get back to a decent level.

And if people are still enjoying the live shows, that's great. Bon Jovi gigs hold some of my best memories. Biased or not, when that band click there's something magical. That's their legacy to me.




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Originally Posted by jovifan93

Which part do you mean? The standard solo? That's now being played as on the studio track again (or for the first time, Richie used to play it with a clean tone/without chorus/flanger in the last couple of years at least). Phil's tone in the final solo and the rest of the song is just fine IMO...