How many songs and how many solos did Phil X perform on THINFS?

Born again tomorrow solo
All hail the king solo - never made the album
Come on up to our house solo?

I guess Jon has to be very happy at last being in absolute control without anyone eclipsing him.

About this controversy, well, the fans are to blame for everything. When Richie left on the tour, nobody cared, even making bad blood to Richie ... and treat Phil like a real guitar hero, with placards praising him, X tattoos, and all that shit. Now you have what you deserve.

There was a point in time, that fans could have rallied to demand Richie's return, boycotting the tour, not buying any subsequent tickets or albums. Bon Jovi runs its course, now you **** with all this crap.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/660a9e2f...4js7o1_540.jpg

I wonder if we still have time to boycott the new album. But I already know what the response of all the fans will be.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c9/f9/5a/c...90797dd779.jpg

I still don't get why anybody should have boycotted the BWC tour on Richie's absence.

As for the rest, talk about how divisive the next BJ album will be for people in the US when nobody cares about BJ anymore and while being a fierce Trump supporter...

If I understand correctly, you're saying you think it's important to avoid falling into a habit of assuming something negative, just because that's what we've come to expect.

In other words, if we go into it with our minds already half made up, based on past disappointments, or on negative comments from others (kinda like 'lynch-mob' mentality), we can easily miss or disregard anything that might point towards something more positive.

Is that close?

What is sad is to read a whole fan base complaining about each new release, asking for a change of course, but then they run to buy the album and tickets the first day it goes on sale. If you want a change of course, don't support the album and tour for the first few weeks, and if sales drop considerably, then Jon will be forced to make a change in the future.

As simple as that. A boycott of not supporting the album and tour for the first few weeks could change everything.

You guys are acting like cranky idiots that try to sell absolute nonsense as analyses, sorry.

Exactly, he is a top notch musician. Why would he give a **** how many chords the songs use? Tons of great songs use four chords, maybe less. Do you think the Beatles would have benefited from "better" players who made the songs better with more fills and chords? Safe for the key change part, Prayer uses all of four chords. Terrible song, obviously.

Oh, absolutely. Just imagine if the band was fronted by Phil-X and called X instead of Bon Jovi. Such a missed opportunity to move those Drills-style numbers.

Full albums have been recorded in a single weekend. What the hell makes you think 11 days is "nothing" for a guitar player who as a session guy was used to doing his work in hours' worth?

I'm not sure? I'm saying be mad at what you want but finding things to get upset about is silly. We're at the point where the band could be doing things that go against the arguments we're making but fans are so let down in the past that it's just easier to stay mad.

As far as I know he played on all three's full songs plus Knockout. But that argument has nothing to do with what can be done over 11 days of recording basic tracks.

Point one, I agree with, although I'm not exactly sure about "eclipsing" him (which may be a translation error on my part). I'd be more likely to say "without opposition" or maybe "without sharing the spotlight". Not sure if either of those are close to what you meant.

The rest, not so much. If enough fans had reacted by asking for refunds or not buying tickets, I can see how that may have given Jon pause IF he had been primarily responsible for Richie not being there. It also could have drawn Richie back in, IF he had left because he felt unappreciated. But without knowing the reason for the split, I don't see the justification for it.

I don't think the fans turning on Richie did anybody any favors; but I don't see how boycotting the tour, or later projects, would benefit anyone either. If people had chosen not to support the band without Richie because they don't like the band without him, that's one thing. Or if they stop buying albums because they don't like the music anymore. But to stop supporting a band you can still enjoy, just to prove a point or to change a situation, doesn't make sense to me. Nor does refusing to support a fill-in on principle. I don't see any reason to take it out on Phil-X, just because he's not Richie.

Life goes on.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I interpreted it; and I agree wholeheartedly.

(Good luck with that, btw!) :)