There is no doubt that there has always been a touch of Jon solo with each album but the balance has shifted significantly... Jon might have written a few songs for KTF but the recording, directions, and collaboration has been a Jon and Richie thing (along with the other members)... Since Shanks introduced Jon to the digital world of simplistics, it seems it's been more and more of the Jon show...

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Right but pre-Crush the albums had the band's identity. You can tell what was stylistically Richie and Dave. The music has gotten so un-Bon Jovi and just straight ahead Rock/Pop that it doesn't matter as much who is playing it. It doesn't sound like it has Richie or Dave's fingerprint, even if it IS them.

Agree totally. The only way this kid would be happy about Bon Jovi is that Sambora came back, kicked out Jon from his own band and took the lead.

But that won't happen.


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Both wrong again. When something I liked of Bon Jovi, I have admitted it. Becky seem to be angry with my view because I have defended the position of Richie Sambora, be free during a period to make his music own.

Many of you, know what is my opinion about the last Bon Jovi albums, I do not like the direction, production, but always, I have conveyed my emotion or happiness when it comes to a song that I like. And I don't mean to Beautiful Day. :D

I'm not "angry" with you, Rolo. I just find you highly predictable (you always find fault with Jon) and your gifs annoying because they don't contribute to the conversation 99% of the time. But anger-- it takes much more than that to make me angry.

Just for the record, Rolo, I've seen posts where you have made positive comments about Jon and the band. I've also seen some comments from you about Richie that were not so positive.

Furthermore, while I'd have to agree that there have been times when I thought you were a little over the top with your criticism of Jon, most of your negative comments about the band's more recent output have really been no different from the critical comments others have made as well.

The big difference, as far as I can tell, is that you made no secret of the fact that you supported Richie, and therein lies the problem. According to the way some people see it, if you support Richie, or if you believe that there may have been reasons behind his abrupt departure beyond the white-washed versions we've been given, it can only mean that you hate Jon. From that point forward they ignore anything positive you say about him because they are only looking for the negatives.

But I wouldn't worry about it. By the same token, some of those same people never have a positive thing to say about anything that has anything to do with Richie, either, and they go out of their way to be negative about anything related to him.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

its a bit weird to pick sides like football teams... it took me years (2,5) to accept the new status of bj. we all had our preferences...its true that jon speaks better publicly and seems like a class act(most of the times) while richie some times doesnt do himself justice with what he says.. anyway without richie bj wil never be the same

I can understand this, but sometimes I feel that Becky attack me, simply because I'm not your cup of tea. It's just my opinion, there are a lot of positive comments saying that the album will be great because it says Matt, okay, but Let me put it in doubt. That's not hate Jon or band, it's just pure statistics. It seems that my opinion is less valid because, I question everything. Well, this is a forum discussion, it would be very boring and disingenuous I approve commentary Matt.

Come on, don't become a cult of worship.

People picking sides out of Jon and Richie are everything that's wrong with this fanbase

Richie's simply irrelevant to the band now - he hasn't been in it for years.

I'm looking forward to seeing what this new album brings - my favourite songs have often been Jon's solo written songs anyway (not to say that the band members didn't have a massive contribution or completely change what he brought to the table.)

It could be awesome - it could be more of the same old, same old. Just have to wait and see.

An interview was posted on Phil x fan page on Facebook and they asked him about the album. As the translation in the comments he said he couldn't say much, he played in 4 songs and there's rockers and ballads in it. Nothing groundbreaking really, and for some reason this won't let me post pics....

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Well, for whatever it's worth, as far as I'm concerned your opinion is as valid as anyone else's. It may seem unpopular at times; but you're right: this would be a boring place if everybody always agreed. You've made your share of good points, too, even if I haven't always agreed with all of them; and you have just as much right to share your opinions as the next guy.

Possibly; but I don't think picking sides is the issue as much as it's the idea that the side they pick is the only "right" side.

From what I understand some fans have favored Jon and some have favored Richie since the beginning, probably because of the contrasts between them: dark vs. light, easy-going and laid-back vs. highly focused and driven, the happy-go-lucky sidekick vs. the professional frontman... It's that yin/yang "thang" they had going on.

For me, that was always one of the strengths of the band and it took both of them to make it work. Aside from the artistic contributions he made, it's the main reason why, IMO, it just won't be Bon Jovi without Richie Sambora.

Not to say that it won't be good, because I expect that it will be - since Bon Jovi don't know ugly.

People can say "it's Jon's band" all they want to because, technically, that's true. But if it was just about Jon and if he really is the "be-all, end-all" of Bon Jovi, as some seem to think, then there wouldn't be any "sides" to pick.

Problem solved.

The only thing is, that would also make it quite difficult to explain why all these threads keep getting derailed into the pointless "Richie" discussions they complain about.

So it seems that there would be two "lead guitarists" for the new album.

Yeah, I mean it was bound to happen. Jon said even before 'burning bridges' was released that the album was pretty much done, they just needed to tweak it. I'm guessing some new songs made their way on the album and Phil x played on them. Either that or some songs weren't finished and he took part in those sessions....

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Didn't Jon say no ballads?

People interpret "ballad" differently. Some think it means slow love song. Some think it means any slow song at all.

I think there will be a couple of slow songs like A teardrop and Blind Love.

For Jon on Hand there aren't any ballads.
For some people Wildflower, Bells of or I Am are ballads.
I think that always, boroses, never sgoodbye are typical ballads for Jon.
I think that we will get sone songs like teardrop

Statistically, there can't be zero ballads. Choose any random BJ/JBJ/RS album and there are some in them. The least non-ballad album is HAND but I can't see them releasing such a rocker album nowadays.

To me the big difference is a slower paced song and a love song. To me HAND has zero ballads but I can see how some might say Wildflower is one.

Agree......

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What does that even mean?

I mean that all of their albums had some ballads in them (even HAND if Wildflower is ballad). So this new album will likely have at least one (not zero).

English is my second language, sorry! :p

Even if for me it is zero, I know that for a lot of people HAND could count as having 3 ballads, welcome, wildflower and I am.

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I just can't look at I Am as a ballad. I can't. It's slower in tempo but not far off from a lot of songs. Some even say In These Arms is a ballad. It's all subjective I guess.

ITA isn't a ballad? I always though it was, because it's all about love, has a nice melody, etc. I guess there's not the single one definition of "ballad" out there ;-)

ITA is a power ballad to me - the chorus has energy, but the verses are definitely slow and delicate.

I Am is not a ballad at all IMO.

I don't consider I Am a ballad either. These Open Arms, Wildflower, Welcome and Bells of Freedom could be considered as such a thing, though.

About Welcome and Bells of Freedom, are not love ballads, but are ballads.

Reading that Phil has only played on 4 out of (a possible) 12 songs has me a bit worried.

Im hoping that doesnt mean 4 thumping tracks and 8 songs like Fingerprints or Blind love. If it does me and this bands new materiel are over!

I remember JBJ saying HAND was a real rock album and I thought 3/4 of that album was really boring.

Fingers crossed for a thumping "we dont run" type album.

The problem is that in these four songs where he plays, just be to adorn the song as filler or something additional. I hope that does not happen, and in those four songs have enough weight.

Hopefully Jon have an ace in the hole as It's My Life was for Crush.

Ballads are narrative poems that are intended to be sung; thus a story told in a song. So Poem and Story are the key words (along with slower tempo)...

Now most songs can be considered poems and most songs are stories however, the way I differentiate is, the poems must contain a lot of rhymes and the stories need to be concrete in the song itself where all 3 verses follow the same situation in some type of order...

Take I'll Be There For You for example.... There are a lot of verses that rhyme and the story is continuous from beginning to end...

IMO... Welcome is without a doubt a Ballad because it truly fits both. Bells of Freedom is not (again IMO) because the story isn't being told throughout all three verses - There are only 2 verses and there is no real Story being told...

I Am is tricky. I think if there was a third verse, it could possibly be but there really is no conclusion to the story... And it's a weak story at best...

ITA is not a power ballad! Are you out of your wits? The only power ballads on KTF (as that album features ITA) are I Want You and Bed Of Roses.

Actually, ITA can go either way... I think it's a little too fast to be one

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If there are "no ballads" on the album, the question isn't how any of us define a ballad, but how Jon does. ;)

Spot on! :D

Yeah and it is quite obvious Jon means typical power ballads (like Bed of Roses, NSG..) or clearly slow songs (like You Had Me, Diamond Ring, Memory) when he says ballads.

Hopefully we will have an album that sticks to the basic formula of rock music and surprises one or two of us, much in the same way Def Leppard did last year with their self titled album. Bon Jovi are no longer current or relevant to the masses so it just needs to be an album that people listen too and say 'actually that is pretty darn good'. They have written so many great songs and have a back catalogue of music that most bands would give anything for. This album will be a springboard for the world tour that follows and will have 3-4 strong songs that will be played and some forgettable ones too. Let's not try and think this will be something it isn't. In terms of songwriting and performance that peaked many years ago now.

Jon Bon Jovi always stated he never wanted to be a nostalgia act but to be honest that is what the band will now become. Let's accept it and enjoy the experience of seeing this great band (in whatever form) for maybe the last time or certainly one of the last few times.

Bon Jovi have given me so much joy and energy over the years. I am not ready to write them of just yet. One more roll of the dice...

Well stated... However, I think what Jon means by not being nostalgic is being one of those bands who do the summer amphitheater greatest hits tours... As long as he can do the arena/stadium tours and can play new music, he's cool... Like a Stones or a Springsteen or even a U2... They are no different than Jon at this point and he's fine being on that level...

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Yep agree with that