Richie nowadays.. A waste of talent?
 

It all begun when I was listening to Runaway (the OWN version) which is pretty powerful. I listened it at max volume on my CD player and it blew me away. What a great guitar work. From beggining to end! So I started listening my fav track from each album. I listened:

*Runaway (Bon Jovi)
*The Hardest Part Is The Night (7800 Farenheit)
*Wanted Dead Or Alive (Slippery When Wet)
*Blood On Blood (New Jersey)
*Keep The Faith (Keep The Faith) & Dry County (I HAD to listen to this one)
*These Days (These Days)
*Just Older (Crush)
*The Distance (Bounce)
*Last Man Standing (HAND)

I realized that now the guitar work is gone. I think that's unexcusable unlike Jon's voice issue :P

Don't u guys think that Richie is wasting his talent in the last albums? Plz don't get me wrong I also think that the guitar work was loosing power gradually.

And then I can't do nothing but ask WHY? And I remember when everybody said "What a great intro LMS has now! Great guitar work!" That's pathetic because you and I know that he is capable of much more. The LMS riff is crap, Richie is not putting himself to the edge anymore. And NO.. HAND solos aren't good solos.. I don't even think they can be called solos..

If he's wasting his talent, it's his choice. He cowrites most of the songs. He coproduces all of them.

Everyone knows that what is on the CD is immaterial to what singles will be. Radio edits are industry standard, so there's absolutely NO reason he can't do longer solos on CDs if he WANTED to. He's got a huge hand in the creative control.

PLEASE let's not let this thread turn into another "The band is holding Richie back". Case in point, go watch the bjtvs from 2002, while they were recording Everyday, you can clearly hear Richie say "should we change it? It might make the melody more poppy!" He's a grown man. I agree he needs to let loose a bit more but it's through no fault of anyone but himself.

I never said that the band is holding him back. I'm just saying that u people should think. Why buy a CD that hasn't got any good work? The only thing they have (and not in every song) is good lyrics. So when u say that HAND is a great album consider that it has bad guitar work, bad vocals, bad intros.. What makes it a good album then?
That it has Bon Jovi written in the cover?

He's a grown man. If he wants to change something he will.

Uhm how about because we like it? *shrugs* I don't hear any of the things you're hearing. I like the guitar work in it. Has he played better? Yes. But is the guitar parts still memorable? You Betcha.

Memorable? My God.. MEMORABLE? That's the word u had to use.. The guitar work is anything BUT memorable.

You're right.. Let's wait for Richie's solo album **crosses fingers**

Yep, I'm with you! Plus, are long extended solos still being done by anyone? I don't think a long guitar solo equates to a "good" guitar solo but that's me.

deb