Quote:
Originally Posted by nikos greece
...richie as a personality wants someone beside him, at least it looks like this...
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Some fans might revoke my Richie-girl card for saying it, but I think you are 100% correct. Except I'd say that Richie wants (needs)
to be beside someone.
I love Richie's solo stuff. I love to hear him take the lead sometimes with the band. But IMO, the man was born to be a wing man - and there's absolutely no shame in that.
I appreciate the fact that he wants to express himself and say things he wants to say, without feeling limited to writing songs that Jon has to be able to give voice to. I see why he wants to sing some of the songs he and Jon co-wrote, but interpret them his way and give them his own spin. It's understandable to me that he wants to be recognized as an artist and singer/songwriter outside of Bon Jovi. Sidekicks are performers, too, with the same need for recognition that those who stand in the spotlight have. Given the way our society functions, it's difficult for any 'supporter' - band member, actor, admin assistant, crew member, whatever - to get a fair share of the credit for contributing to a performance or finished product. So I get the need to break away and be "the star" for a bit.
IMO, Richie has recorded some excellent solo music and has been known to handle the spotlight very well on his own. And I'd be willing to strike a bargain with Lucifer himself for the chance to attend a solo concert like the one he did at the NYC Academy in '91. But that doesn't alter the fact that what he does BEST is stand to the side, play 'second fiddle', and provide the harmonies that take Bon Jovi's music to a whole different level. That's an art, in and of itself, and it takes a special talent to do it well.
Slightly off-topic, but I knew a guy who was the power lead in one Southern gospel quartet after another his entire life and then one day decided he wanted to go solo. He was very good and even won some Dove awards right out of the gate. I enjoyed his solo work, because he's a phenomenal singer, no matter what he sings; but, man, when he got back with one of the quartets he'd sung with before, the difference in the quality of his performance was like night and day! And, in his case, there was even less transition between the roles, going from lead singer to solo artist. But he was just so much more comfortable, being part of a group, that it's like it freed him to really shine, simply because he was doing what he does best.
When they are both 'on', Jon is the best front man in the industry and Richie is as good as it gets for sidekicks. I've never seen two artists who complement each other as well as they do. And as far as I'm concerned, that's where Richie is in his element. That's where he shines.
( *blushing* Thank you for your indulgence. Apparently, this is something I've been needing to get off my chest for some time now, but never realized it!
Long-ass rant over. Back to our regularly scheduled programming...)