Just to be clear, I wasn't beating Jon or the band with any stick. Being original in and of itself is not even a compliment. You can be original and shit just as much as original and good. There are plenty of unoriginal bands that are excellent, some of the biggest ever in fact.

And while I think Jon/Bon Jovi is more contrived than most, it highlights some of Jon's great strengths. He was able to see the directions the band needed to go in and then steer the ship there. Of course, he could then back up his vision by writing/co-writing good songs that fit the new direction while retaining the core Bon Jovi sound.

That's where Sambora was fundamental because, alongside Jon's voice, he was the core sound. My post above was actually a compliment to Jon, Bon Jovi, and Richie. They made amazing music together because of their skills. Through the 80s and 90s, Richie was the glue that held Jon's nomadic and trend-chasing ideas together, at least in a musical sense.

Of course, Jon continued his artistic MO right into the 2000s and to this day. It is no coincidence to me that Richie's increasingly diminished involvement through the last two decades resulted in failed attempts at chasing the trends.

And I fundamentally disagree with what Alec said. I know he was in the situation, but Jon has written enough excellent songs alone that were not cowboy songs.