But that's not really factual. The one occurrence of Bobby taking a solo was Wildflower which wasn't a Shanks produced song, that came from the new batch with Rick Parshar. Everything on that album otherwise sounds like Richie. A watered down version of his playing but it's him.

Wildflower is an interesting case. It's possible those 4 songs were rushed to production in order to make the album in time. I've told this anecdote a million times before but there's a radio interview from 2005 where Richie repeatedly refers to the song as Wildfire, leading me to believe he wasn't too involved in that one from the get go. His memory isn't the best so you chalk that up to a mistake or it just tells you how much he knows about the song.

I think you're right, working with Shanks introduced them to a new way of recording that's faster and less integral to the band being there for the whole process. To me it's Richie soloing and playing most of the lead parts on all of WAN. Pictures of You and Room at the end of the world scream Shanks's style of playing and tone. The Because We Can solo note selection is pure Sambora, ditto the end riff on Beautiful World. (Pure post 2010 Sambora I should say).

Cheers for the info, I haven't ever realised (or I forgot) that Wildflower wasn't one of the Shanks songs! I'm not sure that the Because We Can solo is Sambora, feels more like somebody trying to be a latter day Sambora to me, it seems to be lacking a certain flair that even Richie's simple solos have, but that could just be the sterile production, I suppose. Who knows..

The BWC solo is the worst guitar solo committed to record. An embarrassment for someone of Richie's ability.

That also showed in his disgusted face every time they played that song:D

A similar anecdote is from the 2013-promo era. He was asked what was his favourite song off WAN and he was clearly caught off guard by it and then answered with Because We Can. Which he, judging by his "enthusiasm" in live performance, hated. But that shows how little he was connected to the stuff on that album.

BJ died once it turned out to be something lacking soul for whatever reason and you can tell when it became mechanical. Can't blame Richie for leaving and can only hope Jon has changed his attitude.

Fair enough. Based on the article he was involved with that song specifically from the demo stage onward and the pinch harmonic and the repeating of the lick ala Captain Crash is just Richie and I have to believe the song was always intended to be the lead off single. For Richie not to be involved in the lead off single solo wise would be a bonkers move.

You're probably right. But by that point I honestly don't think they cared...and the writing was probably already on the wall for Jon/Richie...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbrI...=youtu.be&t=75

I also wish JBJ could remember his own words: "You can't polish garbage and make it shine." -_-

https://youtu.be/u6YSI-cJBeo

Bad Medicine.

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