In 1995, Bon Jovi sold out three consecutive nights at Wembley Stadium...

Ok - maybe I don't know enough about U2. But Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby! don't sound that different to me.

Which album do you mean?

Sorry, Crush.

Huh - for a second I thought you meant What About Now Obviously, not even Richie is quite so deluded.

Yeah - I think Crush was the last record they were still properly proud of. Looking back, I understand why. And to be fair, Richie did probably play more in the build-up to Crush than what ended up on the record, or what we can hear due to Luke Ebbin's production...

I think Luke's production probably changed the tone of it but didn't effect the amount he played. I just don't think what he played warrants "This is the best I've played in years". Then again there was probably a LOT of songs recorded, some harder rock than what made it on.

I think that Crush is the last album where Richies guitar actually sounds raw, like a guitar coming out from an amplifier. Not like Circle, HAND or WAN where the guitar almost sounds like coming from a plug in. I'm not saying it is for the better, cause the guitar sound on Crush is kind of messy, but it definitely sounds like a guitar and gets a lot of space in the mix. Bounce had a kinda similar guitar sound, like Undivided, but Crush is the last album Richie really played like a rock guitarist on.

I agree with the 'real' guitar sound on Crush. You're right there. I think Richie was saying then that the only effects he'd ever use are the talkbox and wah-wah because the guitar in itself is expressive enough an instrument on it's own. I disagree with Bounce though. Guitar sound changed a lot for Bounce. Lots of drop-D tuning - quite different playing overall as well. Doesn't even sound like Bon Jovi much - other than bits and pieces really.

Agreed. Bounce started the trend of over using baritone and lowered tuning guitars. It gave it a bit more balls but a band like Bon Jovi doesn't need that. Regardless, his point about his playing would have nothing to do with the tone.

Not quite sure I get what you mean. Low tuning leads to very different playing as well. It's not just the tone that changes...But I am not technical enough to actually understand the nuances here, that's why I am asking.
And what do you mean about 'his point about his playing'? Who's point do you mean?

Sorry, I'm not being totally clear here. I'm talking about how he could have thought his playing on Crush was his best ever and it was suggested it might have been buried with Luke's production style. I just didn't think the production style would effect his actual playing.

I agree with you about his style from Bounce forward. Crush was the last time it really sounded like an actual raw guitar.

Ahh - I see. And yeah, completely agree. Production wouldn't have affected his playing....yet something like the Next 100 Years solo might have been recorded 100 times, until they agreed to the noise that they have there. I can see how that would have been very challenging - it's a lot of improvisation there. So - basically - Richie's is thinking 'Wow, I haven't done anything so challenging since Dry County' when in fact, what ends up to be on the record sounds a lot less challenging!