I'm probably the least knowledgable guy on the forum but:

I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't doubt Jon's ability to write a great song. I discussed BWC in the chat on the forum homepage and someone mentioned they loved the verses and hated the chorus. I feel the same way - if he had spent more time writing and on post production that song could've been a winner.

He has the ability but I don't think he's as hungry as he used to be nor is he as bothered.

P.S. I loved The Circle - there was an energy to it, I think they got the product they wanted, arena anthems (correct me if I'm wrong) but the production didn't do the songs justice. The only song I don't like from the record is Live Before You Die. The production on WAN was atrocious.

I enjoyed The Circle. Superman Tonight and Love's the Only Rule are two of my favourite tracks.

Anywho, just because I'm a nut for lists...

Bon Jovi
4 Jon & Richie
4 Jon & outside writer
1 No one from the band

7800
3 Jon
3 Jon & Richie
1 Jon & Dave
2 Jon & Richie & Dave
1 Jon & Richie & Tico & outside writer

Slippery
1 Jon
5 Jon & Richie
4 Jon & Richie & Desmond Child

New Jersey
1 Jon
5 Jon & Richie
5 Jon & Richie & outside writer (4 with Child)
1 No one from the band

Keep the Faith
6 Jon
5 Jon & Richie
1 Jon & Richie & Dave
2 Jon & Richie & Child

These Days
2 Jon
8 Jon & Richie
1 Jon & Child
3 Jon & Richie & Child

Crush
2 Jon
4 Jon & Richie
4 Jon & Richie & outside writers (1 with Child, 1 with Billy Falcon)
4 Jon & outside writer (3 with Billy Falcon)

Bounce
3 Jon
3 Jon & Richie
8 Jon & Richie & outside writer (4 with Child, 2 with Falcon, 5 with Andreas Carlsson)

Have a Nice Day
2 Jon
1 Jon & Richie
1 Jon & Dave
1 Jon & Richie & Dave
6 Jon & Richie & outside writers (2 with Child, 3 with Falcon, 5 with Shanks)
4 Jon & outside writers (1 with Child, 3 with Falcon)

Lost Highway
2 Jon
10 Jon & Richie & outside writer (1 with Child, 2 wtih Falcon, 4 with Shanks)
3 Jon & outside writer (1 with Child, 1 with Falcon, 1 with Shanks)

The Circle
4 Jon & Richie
8 Jon & Richie & outside writer (4 with Child, 3 with Falcon, 1 with Shanks)

What About Now (excluding solo songs)
1 Jon
5 Jon & Richie & outside writer (1 with Child, 2 with Falcon, 2 with Shanks)
8 Jon & outside writer (3 with Shanks, 5 with Falcon)

Then all 7 new songs on Greatest Hits & Cross Road had both Jon and Richie with the exception of Always which was just Jon.

It's interesting to note that

• Keep the Faith is the most Jon-centric album.
• 7800 is the most band-written album with only 1 song co-written with an outsider
• The Circle and Slippery are the most Richie-written albums, followed by These Days
• What About Now is the least Richie album
• The only 2 songs solely written by Jon on Lost Highway were two bonus tracks; Cowboy & Lonely
• Bon Jovi and The Circle are the only albums to not feature a track solely written by Jon.
• 31 songs have been co-written with Desmond Child
• 25 songs have been co-written with Billy Falcon
• 17 songs have been co-written with John Shanks

Ride Cowboy Ride was written by Jon & Richie. The writers indicated are just nicknames.

I cant believe I am just finding this out now. Wth lol.

Thanks!

Really?

How did you interpret Let It Rock lyrics then? :D

Thanks for the list Savvi. It's nice to have it all simply put. Well done.

I've recently picked up The Circle again and I think its got better with age. With the exception of Fast Cars I think its a solid album. Brokenpromiseland, Superman and Only Rule are some of the finest post 2000 BJ songs IMO. Thorn and Happy Now are decent too!

I absolutely despised the record for the most part when it was released, just for the record.

It was the first and only Bon Jovi record I didn't care for on first listen. Or second listen. I still despise Work, Bullet, and Happy Now, but the rest is between just ok and great... mostly descent. I liked WAN so much more during the first few listens, which I don't think has aged well in just 2.5 years.
I think putting the best of both albums together would have made a very solid album... but had that happened, we wouldn't have gotten the Circle tour. And looking back, the Circle tour was probably the best part for a post These Days Bon Jovi fan.

Agreed that Circle/Greatest Hits live era was the best for me as a post Crossroads fan.

On the subject of WAN, I think there are some sound ideas going on its just that it all gets ruined in the shoddy production. I'm With You has potential, the live version is so bloody good!

'The Circle' is still my best post 2000 album. It gets slated a fair bit on here but I think that some of the songs are excellent on it. I think Superman Tonight onwards is superb. 'Live Before You Die' and 'Fast Cars' I didn't care for but I don't mind them now.

'First three songs I struggle to listen too. 'Work For The Working Man' does my head in.