Phil X

Man you got Phil on stage with like the two best instrumental rock guitarists in history in Vai and Satriani, in a gathering of some of the best guitarists in the world, soloing as hard as any of them, and STILL we have to put up with Shanks.. eurgh.

NEW ALBUM OUT THIS SUMMER!

https://philx.tv/

hopefully hes allowed to plug in his guitar for The Drills
(yes im aware its his band)

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This is a wonderful interview. Phil told a lovely story about the Italy sign story and his reaction to it was "This isn't my moment, it's Richies" and it took him out of it. He seems pretty self-aware of the situation. I really think he thinks he doesn't belong there.

Loved the interview. I'v seen and heard so many times where Phil says when he is with Bon Jovi he's the "middle man". He explains what he means by saying one man is Phil X and the other man is Richie. When he is with Bon Jovi he can't be Phil X and he can't be Richie so he is the "middle man". Kind of sad when you think about it, but it is true. He is not the real Phil X with Bon Jovi because the real Phil X doesn't fit with Bon Jovi. Yet it isn't his fault that Richie is no longer with Bon Jovi. So he is stuck in the middle when he is with Bon Jovi. I would personally like to have Jon let Phil be more like the real Phil X in Bon Jovi, but I can't see that ever happening.

I feel like this latest album is the first time they've let Phil do much of anything in studio (assuming that's him doing the work on Waves?). It basically took 10 years for him to do anything beyond playing what's expected live. When you think about it, that's kind of nuts. At risk of falling back on the usual complaint, Shanks inserting himself into the band with THINFS definitely stunted any chance of Phil expressing himself more.

Maybe it wouldn't work--his vibe clearly isn't Richie. But Richie is gone. Try something new, why not? At least this last album did more than just the fuzzy bash of instruments that characterize the Shanks era.

Yeah agreed. Jon made some points recently that THINFS was made pre-Phil officially joining, 2020 was an improvement and Forever was Phil's change to give more of his flavour. He played on 11 of the 12 songs compared to 2020 where I think there was three or four he didn't play on? I'd have to look back but Story of Love, Lower the Flag and Shine were for sure three of them.

To me, he's there to play more aggressive / Richie style live. That's his purpose. Studio, the style of music they make has changed so far from they used to sound like which I think is more Phil's wheelhouse. But end of the day session guitar player is one of his main gig, he plays to sound like what's being asked I guess. Not having an identity is just part of that.

It says he played Electric guitar on Lower the Flag (where is it?) He didn't play on either Story of Love, Shine or American Reckoning. JBJ played all guitars on that one....

How do you know for a fact who played guitar on each song in Forever?

Aha, thanks! I must have mixed up Lower the Flag and AR.

I hear Electric Guitar in Lower, the slide guitar part and in the bridge there is a shimmer-y chimey guitar part. There might be more buried in the mix, not sure.