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The biggest difference is the whole band not being present start to finish but for all we know they want it that way to spend more time with their families, they're much older now then the last time they did a full album together which was what, 2003? We paint Jon and John with a harsh brush when really the David and Tico might not want to be part of that process this far into the game. |
You have to look at the big picture:
After their big comeback with Crush, they had two major bombs in a row with Bounce followed by TLFR... [Bounce still might be their worst official release to date (especially if you adjust for the time/inflation) and although TLFR was just a compilation, it still had to have been a shot to Jon's ego. I think the concept was great, they just over did it with some of their song choices and the amount of songs they reworked] After 2 major bombs, Shanks enters the picture and HAND brings them right back on top again. The song HAND was a modest hit followed by Who Says which was massive. It was the first #1 country hit and also won them their first and only Grammy. You couldn't go anywhere that summer without hearing that song. Especially in New Jersey where it became the state anthem (not sure if it still is)... Not only did Shanks get them there, he simplified the process using technology and taking on most of the record making process himself. Shanks is now the King! Next came Lost Highway - I believe Jon when he said it was made for "artistic fulfillment"!!! The production was split I believe (it wasn't co-produced). Memory is one of my top 3 favorite songs to come from the post 2000 era and the album really is a fan favorite. Although Shanks was involved with half the album, I don't think of him when I listen to this album because he obviously wasn't full on involved. The Circle - This is where things started to go wrong. Born To Follow was a horrible first choice of a single. Overproduced garbage... Working Man might be the worst song in the entire Bon Jovi catalog... but then we have some gems like Love's The Only Rule, Superman, and Bullet. The album did go to Number 1 (and the tour was massive) but it just lacked commercial appeal. I think Jon took all the blame for this and Shanks was off the hook. The Greatest Hits - This is where things stated to majorly go wrong and where fans started getting upset. The fans wanted a big rocker and we thought we had it with a title like What Do You Got. Jon wanted Always Part 2. We got neither. Although the song grew on me over time, I still think this was their second worse choice for a single. It's a lazy song in my opinion. No real hooks, the vocals have zero passion, and there is zero range. This is when I realized that if Jon wants to bring a ballad or love song to that next level, he'll need to sing the **** out of it. Even the more recent stuff like Real Love / Blind Love will never be Always or BOR unless he does the above. After a month of WDYG, the album drops and we get the 4 bonus tracks including This Is Our House... And this is where fans start to flip out over this guys overproduction style. These songs are like a clone army of HAND Part 11, 12, 13 & 14. What About Now - Do I even need to go any further? This is what ruined his reputation with fans. I don't need to go into detail. We all remember how this story goes. In summary, I think Shanks is a well rounded musician who understands most instruments, who also embraces technology, which are good things... but because of the above, I think he fails to understand all songs. He doesn't adjust his style and put that personal touch that each song deserves. I don't think he feels songs. He's all about the instruments and technology so it's just the roll of the dice unintentional process. Great songs were ruined by his production. I'm With You, Devils In The Temple, Roller-Coaster. Just overproduced, too electronic. We Don't Run is a perfect example. The Burning Bridges version was perfect. I don't know why he had to remaster it for THINFS but I refuse to listen to that version. It's not even part of my shuffle. However on the flip side, he'll redeem himself with songs like Teardrop. He's just a hit or miss guy. Unfortunately as Jon gets older, he doesn't want to be strapped to a studio. He's got a guy who he can trust, who understands him. He's safe... Albums don't sell anymore, rock bands are dead, he's too old for radio play, and his legacy expands 4 decades now which finally got him into the HOF. What's left? Oh, and lets not forget the fact that his voice is shot and he lost his musical partner. Once you factor in the above, at age 56 Shanks is retirement for Jon. The best we can hope for is to roll the dice and wish that these two can give us just one more something. I really want Jon to wake up one day and say, even though I'll never be able to pull this song off live, lets use every studio trick in the book to give the fans X. |
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I agree with you that the other members welcome not having to be in the studio that much and spending more time with their families. But I guess they like it because the band has been churning out albums like crazy over the course of 13 years. No other band of their size and popularity has released remotely as much as Bon Jovi did. And we can't say that the quality has benefited from so many releases. Had they taken a less-hectic schedule, I'm sure the band members wouldn't have minded spending more time in the studio. But when you're on the road every second year, I kind of get why you don't want to be in the studio all the time inbetween. |
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Great break down and I've not thought of Shanks as Jon's "retirement" but you may well be onto something with that concept. He has the wine and his philanthropic life to promote now. He recently added a home in Fla to his assets. (Typical US retirement state... that's a joke, kind of, maybe?? He did buy a home there though) The only difference I'd note is that TLFR may have bruised Jon's name but any ego should have been Richie. Remember the video, they are starting the promo, sitting around a casino table with a few drinks - the conversation is how TLFR is incredible and Richie's brain child? Maybe that was the very early stages of the dynamic duo differences as well. |
I know Jon’s not one to browse forums such as this and has traditionally been pretty poor at gaging fan temperature on the likes of ticket prices, but do you reckon he has any inclination as to our dissatisfaction with Shanks?
Surely there comes a point when you accept the big hits are a thing of the past and realise it is your hardcore support that will sustain you. His loyalty to Shanks surely jeopardises that very element of his audience. Moreover is Shanks aware of his unpopularity? The guy seems so full of himself I’d doubt he care either way.. |
I don't think either of them care. I've seen Shanks get defensive on Twitter and call some fans "armchair critics" but big picture the tours are selling well and they're probably chalking up the low album sales to the state of the record industry which probably isn't far from the truth. I don't think Jon's voice can handle an organic sounding record.
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Why make music nobody wants to hear? |
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