John Shanks article - Some Jovi Related

Hmm... I'm a Alanis fan and I hate her last record, with Shanks as producer. He made a very pop album and it sells only 1 million albuns worldwide (before Shanks, her albuns used to sell 10 millions worldwide, 30 millions with her debut album).
Well, with Bon Jovi it can be different... so hope!

I'm with you. If it's going to be anything close to what he says there, it will be worth having.

Big LOL
What great expectations we all had back in 2004/2005 when Shanks was going to produce Bon Jovi's next album. Looking back on it, 20 years later, Shanks is the pain in the ass for Bon Jovi and one of the main reasons they have become this rockband that doesn't write rocksongs anymore, that doesn't sound like a rockband anymore, that has lost their rock-star-guitarist (Richie Sambora) and have released nothing but albums that lack real strong guitars.

If only they teamed up again with Bob Rock or any other producer.

And Jon, who's often fond on commercial success has found no reason to fire shanks over the years. Even worse. The guys has practically become a member of Bon Jovi.

Yeah this thread feels ominous from today's perspective.
Also, this conveys it nicely:

But Shanks is savvy enough to know that respect comes because he is a proven hitmaker. "I deliver for them. I know what's expected of me--coming in under budget, making the experience great for the artist, working as quickly as possible, being amicable to [their] notes--It's my job to do that for them, or they're going to hire someone else."

Except that he is not a hitmaker for Jovi, but a caretaker for Jon's comfortable position by having friend producing, co-songwriting and having understanding for deteriorating voice and other time-consuming hobbies of the band's CEO. Also, what is not in essence Shanks' fault, but his competence as guitar player and songwriter basically made Richie more redundant in Jon's eyes

With my dying breath I'll be saying Bob Rock produced RSO featuring a "Rock Star Guitarist" two of the things evreryone claims modern BJ needs.

Shanks can do rock. Jon can't. It's such a lazy complaint at this point.

Yeah, he produced A Different Kind of Truth by Van Halen, a generally well-received album. He also produced Take That's comeback, which is pure pop. Shanks does what fits the artist.

I don't love his production at all, but I am unsure why the blame gets put on him, like he controls the band and has all the power over the sound.

A million times over, this. He's a versitile producer that does what's needed to fit the style of the artist, not a svengali. We have so few stories of the band in the studio and one of them is Shanks telling Jon to trust Phil with the Beautiful Drug solo. If JBJ woke up tomorrow and said to Shanks "less stacked vocals, let's go back to gang vocals and guitar solos and louder guitars" of course Shanks would say "You got it, boss".

Blame Jon for being lazy over Shanks for being a catalyst to do what Jon wants.

The last two Bob Rock produced releases I've heard were the last Offspring album and the new tracks from the Mötley Crüe greatest hits.

Both sounded like absolute ass. Terrible vocal production; the Offspring album was also mixed worse than some of the bands early demos. Zero bottom end, just an all around super shit sound.

The guy is 70 as well. He's not the ass beating young hot shot anymore either, and neither are any of these bands.

Spot on, Bob Rock has been on the beach for 20 years or more. I would still have him over Shanks, but he would just be a yes man to Jon as well.

He produced Paul Rodgers new album and it sounds amazing.