Just saw this; Nikki says she and Richie are *NOT* dating:

http://rumorfix.com/2013/07/is-richi...er-nikki-lund/

Still think it's friends w/benefits. Her benefit being the money he throws into her fashionline, his being.......getting to wear porkpie hats as a fashion statement. :D

Geeze Matt, this is exactly what I see and hear too. Listen to Destination Anywhere (the album) and you will hear what Jon likes to write. I happen to LOVE The Fighter. I don't think this style has anything to do with wanting to be Bruce, I think that is Jon at his best. Listen to Whole Lot of Leavin', some of Jon's best writing in my opinion, and one of the best tracks on Lost Highway.

I do believe that is where his heart lies "these days" and it may be why THAT album was so damn good.

How is Jon lousy when doing them? He's a better songwriter than most of them, so long as he actually writes from the heart.

True, he would never have the same success as those guys or even be successful himself as he was with Bon Jovi, if he struck with that type of music. I still think that is where his heart lies. If he could grab his guitar and just write without thinking of being the best of whatever list, then we could hear some great music.

I love the fighter. I love the vulnerability of it and that's exactly what type of songs I love from Jon. I agree with a lot of what has been said. He really can write amazing songs when it comes down to it.

He has the ability for such great lyrics, one that always stood out in my mind was that line from that DA song, "You know these love letters mix with whisky. Just don't light a match when you kiss me."

Fab writing, right there.

Bon Jovi is his "commercial" life - I have always thought that his JBJ and friends gigs that he does which are just a couple of Bon Jovi songs and a bunch of covers would have been better utilized for his own stuff. But again he's fallen to the commercial nature of it I guess.

Agree with everyone who says the solo Jon are what Jon likes to write and are his most sincere and introspective.

I would say Leonard Cohen a better lyric writer though.

JBJ's best for me is Dry County, Bed of Roses, Always, Something to Believe In & Blaze of Glory.

Recently he has penned some turds like Wildflower.

But Cohen has Everybody Knows, First We Take Manhattan, I'm Your Man, Hallelujah and hundreds more.

I suppose they just have different styles.

And exactly why David - despite being the new darling of Broadway. Is still out touring. Day job comes first - or it should.

Jon wrote a couple of nice lyrics in his life, no question. They are not spraying with originality though and if you actually listened to the people you compare him to, those lyrics aren't even that good.

To even bring up Jon Bon in the same list as Dylan, Cohen, Waits or Springsteen is just painting your own little dreamworld. And don't get me wrong - he's got his moments of magic, I absolutely agree. But as soon as he gets introspective from a more philosophical point of view, there's almost always something that is forced, unnatural, non-sensical. You know, like that sink full of dishes cringeworthy stuff.

Listen to "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" by Tom Waits. That song alone will bring your whole 'Ohh JBJ is sooo amazing' little groupie fits back with the feet on the ground.

Having said that - some of the best Bon Jovi songs were when Jon tried to be a bit more like these guys. As Kathleen said, Whole Lot Of Leaving is imo one of the best tracks Bon Jovi pulled out in recent years. And since I doubt that Jon is able to write proper big-chorus rockers anymore, you know, the type of rockers he was the best at writing, I'd rather he chased Springsteen and Cohen than the Killers and Matchbox 20.