[rolo_tomachi]

If Richie had been in this album, with a margin of maneuver to play wide as he wants, that could have been much better.

THINFS is not as big as all of you are saying. Is the typical Post2000 album, with less ballads, but still has that cheesy pop sound on some songs. This band had a very peculiar sound, and has already been lost.

I hope this album is the last collaboration of John Shanks, but I think it will not happen.

The saddest thing of all is that for to do something a little different, Richie has leave of the band.

[Roll]

Richie would have probably brought the same thing as on the last few albums which is close to nothing.
But if he had been in a position to bring something, that would mean he wouldn't have left the band and that therefore Jon would have written crappy songs about politics and stuff like that.
So I guess that Richie on board would have taken things off Bon Jovi's latest album more that he would have served it.
I hope Richie will be able to release something as consistent as THINFS with RSO.

[semigoodlookin]

Originally Posted by rolo_tomachi

If Richie had been in this album, with a margin of maneuver to play wide as he wants, that could have been much better.

I agree, given freedom to create extended guitar parts and more dynamic playing, this album would have been better.

Originally Posted by rolo_tomachi

THINFS is not as big as all of you are saying.

Why, because you say so? As currently it is getting majority good ratings I would suggest it is as big a deal as "all of you" are saying. The only statistical proof we have at the moment suggests your opinion is in the minority.

Don't pretend that you dismissing something as poor makes it a fact. I like the album, but would not say you are wrong for not being won over by it. It is as big a deal as I say, for me. Not for you, fine, but presuming that your opinion makes all ours wrong, or in some way inferior is stupid.

[Captain_jovi]

Do we really need this thread? I get what the OP is asking but come on....you can put a countdown to this turning into a Jon vs Richie argument.

[semigoodlookin]

I was really asking what he would have brought to the album as we know it now, i.e. these songs. How he could have contributed to them, not how he may or may not have create WAN 2 with Jon.

It's a shame really that we can't mention Jon and Richie in the same thread without it being about taking sides. Richie's backing vocals are a clear thing he could have added to this album, for example.

Equally, we shouldn't need a disclaimer in each thread that this is not intended to be a Jon vs. Richie thing. Either way, I agree that it is going that way so the thread should probably be scrapped.

[Captain_jovi]

In theory it's a great question to ask and to speculate. His backing vocals would have added a lot but I think the solos or lack there of would still have been there. The lyrics probably would have been weaker considering his departure was an emotional catalyst it seems for Jon.

We can keep the thread going, I just would love to see it without cheap shots to either side.

[Roll]

Originally Posted by semigoodlookin

I was really asking what he would have brought to the album as we know it now, i.e. these songs.

Then I agree with everyone else, his backing vocals would have been a definite plus!

[Becky]

Nothing because his heart wouldn't be in it. And he would have made it a worse album just like The Circle and WAN were not up to par with previous albums.

[rolo_tomachi]

Originally Posted by Becky

Nothing because his heart wouldn't be in it. And he would have made it a worse album just like The Circle and WAN were not up to par with previous albums.

The Circle is a good album overall. WAN is an uninspiring crap. Jon is the visionary, not blame the guitarrist. Do not forget what you said Richie, who left the band by musical differences. Jon wanted Richie to be like The Edge, that's a mistake. Richie has to be Richie Sambora.

Jon's vision in this new album is slightly better because WAN was a failure, and realized that something was wrong, but I think this new album is not better than The Circle. In my opinion is a little below.

[Walleris]

Originally Posted by rolo_tomachi

The Circle is a good album overall. WAN is an uninspiring crap. Jon is the visionary, not blame the guitarrist. Do not forget what you said Richie, who left the band by musical differences. Jon wanted Richie to be like The Edge, that's a mistake. Richie has to be Richie Sambora.

Jon's vision in this new album is slightly better because WAN was a failure, and realized that something was wrong, but I think this new album is not better than The Circle. In my opinion is a little below.

I hate saying this, because you seem like a nice guy, but if 'talking out of one's ass' had a definition, this would come pretty damn close.

And for the record, nobody is arguing that it was Jon's vision that made those recent records lackluster. No one is blaming your precious Richie for that. But the point many are making is that if Richie stayed in the band, Jon would've stayed uninspired and it would've produced the same political-universal-vanilla theme and the output would've been more of the same quality. Richie left, Jon got inspired again and THINFS is a significant improvement. That's not a knock on Richie in any way.