[Rdkopper]

Phil really found his place in this band. He's the MVP of that tour.

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[Thierry]

Originally Posted by Rdkopper

Phil really found his place in this band. He's the MVP of that tour.

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And still - I feel his playing is lifeless and soulless. His solo's are a whirlwind of notes.

[rolo_tomachi]

Originally Posted by Thierry

And still - I feel his playing is lifeless and soulless. His solo's are a whirlwind of notes.

Same thing. I have nothing against Phil, but the way he plays Bon Jovi songs, is sterile.

Now, if Bon Jovi make a record of riff-driven guitars, I think Phil could do some solid and memorable work with his own touch. But at this point in the movie, I don't think we get that album.

[Thierry]

Originally Posted by rolo_tomachi

Same thing. I have nothing against Phil, but the way he plays Bon Jovi songs, is sterile.

Now, if Bon Jovi make a record of riff-driven guitars, I think Phil could do some solid and memorable work with his own touch. But at this point in the movie, I don't think we get that album.

I agree about the word sterile, that's exactly what it is.

[semigoodlooking]

I guess there is a reason why Phil X was a respected session musician. He can play, but he has no personality in his playing. That is interesting to me because he seems like a sort of outgoing and good guy.

Regarding the tour, I could handle shitty vocals perhaps. What I can't stand is the whole presentation. If Jon was living it up on stage like a rockstar, ambitious with the sets, and sort of just owning the situation, I would be tempted to see them again in the future.

A mostly static Jon clinging onto the mic for dear life while singing the same old tired songs. Pass.

[Thinny]

I agree with all of that. You often find that with session players that they spend so much time sounding how they are told to sound that they don't develop a sound of their own. Nothing Phil plays makes you say "that sounds like Phil X" because Phil X doesn't have a sound. The best guitar players in my opinion are ones that you can recognise from a single lick. Richie, Joe Perry, Brian May, Slash, Keith Richards, Pete Townsend - all unmistakable. Phil X is probably technically a better player than all of them, but he is missing the personality on his playing like others said.

I enjoy watching Phil and he is the thing that your eyes are drawn to nowadays when watching the band live, but I never felt his style was right for Bon Jovi. They need a bluesier player to cover for Richie, as it was so integral to his sound and therefore the Bon Jovi sound and that is missing in spades. Phil has no blues at all in his playing. And his vocals just do not come anywhere near close, none of the band does. The way that Jon and Richie's voice would combine cannot be cloned and it's the biggest thing that I miss from the Bon Jovi sound.

[bonboy25]

Nothing Phil plays makes you say "that sounds like Phil X" because Phil X doesn't have a sound.

Eh, I'd have to disagree there. Phil is pretty recognizable, from his tone to his own little accents he does, eg his vibrato, note selection and he has some signature moves, you can hear in his playing.

Apart from the odd song, you don't get to hear him do this much with Bon Jovi, but Beautiful Drug, Born Again Tomorrow, they're Phil having a good time, with Jon making sure it's nothing to crazy. Remember Jon doesn't let him go full Phil X mode, even on stage. You can tell because Phil X and the Drills is not even close to Bon Jovi.

[Thinny]

Originally Posted by bonboy25

Eh, I'd have to disagree there. Phil is pretty recognizable, from his tone to his own little accents he does, eg his vibrato, note selection and he has some signature moves, you can hear in his playing.

Apart from the odd song, you don't get to hear him do this much with Bon Jovi, but Beautiful Drug, Born Again Tomorrow, they're Phil having a good time, with Jon making sure it's nothing to crazy. Remember Jon doesn't let him go full Phil X mode, even on stage. You can tell because Phil X and the Drills is not even close to Bon Jovi.

I've watched a lot of his instagram stuff. In my opinion it's general guitar wizardry and all his little accents etc take a bit here and there from other players rather than being uniqely him. He's technically fantastic, but style wise he's generic to my ears. He's no Vai or Satriani or Paul Gilbert...all who are very technical players but still have their own unique sounds. I never see anything from Phil that makes me go "wow". Some cool stuff sure, but nothing blows me away. He's just not the kind of player I find anything exciting about.

I find The Drills very uninspiring too...I tried to like them, but it's just not for me. Again, I find them very generic and unexciting. But that's just my personal tastes.

[B.J. Always]

Originally Posted by bonboy25

Eh, I'd have to disagree there. Phil is pretty recognizable, from his tone to his own little accents he does, eg his vibrato, note selection and he has some signature moves, you can hear in his playing.

Apart from the odd song, you don't get to hear him do this much with Bon Jovi, but Beautiful Drug, Born Again Tomorrow, they're Phil having a good time, with Jon making sure it's nothing to crazy. Remember Jon doesn't let him go full Phil X mode, even on stage. You can tell because Phil X and the Drills is not even close to Bon Jovi.

I agree with you. Although I think in these 2022 Tour dates he let him be a little more Phil X than normal maybe to try to take some focus off his weak vocals? In fact there was a lot of praise for Phil X in reviews of the concerts. I could give you links, but they newspapers want you to pay to visit their site and they also don't want ad blockers. So all you can really read is the first little bit of the articles that show up under the newspapers headlines. Like this: IndyStar
Musicianship, charisma struggle to carry weak vocals at Bon Jovi's Indianapolis stop
The band was excellent. Guitarist Phil X almost melted the paint off his guitar with some of his solos, including a dripping part during "This...
.2 weeks ago

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Bon Jovi's unstoppable star power makes up for shaky vocals at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum
"I may be a little bit older," Jon Bon Jovi told a packed crowd at ... Phil X, Richie Sambora's replacement since 2016, dazzled on guitar.
.4 weeks ago

[Javier]

Originally Posted by Thinny

I've watched a lot of his instagram stuff. In my opinion it's general guitar wizardry and all his little accents etc take a bit here and there from other players rather than being uniqely him. He's technically fantastic, but style wise he's generic to my ears. He's no Vai or Satriani or Paul Gilbert...all who are very technical players but still have their own unique sounds. I never see anything from Phil that makes me go "wow". Some cool stuff sure, but nothing blows me away. He's just not the kind of player I find anything exciting about.

I find The Drills very uninspiring too...I tried to like them, but it's just not for me. Again, I find them very generic and unexciting. But that's just my personal tastes.

I read somewhere they called the drills "dude rock", and I can't say I disagree. It's not for everyone, but it's right up my alley and I love it, as disposable as some songs are they're fun!! I tend to recognize Phil when he's playing, and agree that he doesn't sound exactly like Richie but for Jon to try and find a Richie tribute guy or imitator would be one of the biggest mistakes ever imo. Vocal wise is where I kiss the guy most, Richie and Jon's vocal duos can't be touched!! Richie is also a better shredder than Phil will ever be so those who say Phil is just a shredder and Richie isn't I never really understood that. Imo, I find that Phil fits right in, and will only want him subbed for the real thing (Sambora). I'm all in for a great high energy pop/rock album by the band, Phil could bring to it everything he brought to the Daughtry, Halestorm and Alice Cooper records!