Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, coming to Hulu

Originally Posted by Rumen

Most of the times I really don’t get that guitar player thing. Top rankings of guitar players? Sure, every guitar player has its favourites, but could you please explain to me what the hell does shredding really have to do with a great guitar playing?

I don’t really care what Yngwie says, but not always “more is more”. Another proof of that is that his first albums are much better than his latest releases.

I’m pretty sure Jennifer Batten could outshred the late Jeff Beck without any problems, but no one, even Jennifer herself would say that she’s the better guitar player. How do you define a great guitar player? The one with the best phrasing, the fastest one, the one that uses most exotic scales, the one with best whammy bar control, the player with the best vibrato, with the best tone, the one that plays with most feel and so on ? Well, how do we know who plays with most feel? A lot of guitar players seem to forget that the music is an art, it’s not a sport.

Just another quick example - Slash today is much better technically than the young Slash in the 90s, but does that really make him better guitar player. Many people would say yes, but if I have to choose I will pick any day the 90’s Slash, even with his out of pitch bends, because he was much more recognizable.

As every guitar player Richie also has his repertoire of licks in the bag and what always amazed me is the fact that in the 80s and 90s he never sounded the same, even when the octaves or the thrills with tap-pick-slide in the solos were a little overused, he still sounded new and fresh. If you don’t believe me, just listen to SITT.

Originally Posted by semigoodlooking

People keep throwing the blues out, but he is not a top-draw blues player. He is not at the level of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix, Eric Clapton, or even players who do not get their dues always like Gary Moore or Pappo. It is fine not being as good as them, Richie is still very good.

Originally Posted by semigoodlooking

Why do people presume Joe Satriani, Vito Bratta, EVH, Reb Beach, or whoever do not play with feeling?

Originally Posted by semigoodlooking

I am going to drop the subject because it is like going on a Liverpool forum and saying Jurgen Klopp is not a truly elite manager. And at the end of the day, Richie was able to deliver consistent playing that fit the song, sort of combining straight blues of Clapton with the sort of swing and swagger like Page. A pastiche of both maybe, but an interesting combination that drove Bon Jovi songs musically.

Originally Posted by semigoodlooking

And it is a myth that those 80s players had no feel. They were also, mostly, rooted in the blues. One of EVH's biggest influences was Clapton. Of course, Van Halen took it into new directions, which is actually unique.

Richie is in my top 5 favourite guitarists and the reason I learned to play, but he is nowhere near the top rankings of guitar players. It is what it is.

Originally Posted by Alphavictim

Eddie is one of the most important guitar players ever. Top 10, easily. Of course Richie isn't on that level. Chuck Berry, Jimmy Hendrix, EVH... honestly, there's Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Clapton himself and then people like Django Reinhard, Ritchie Blackmore, way before Richie. But "was he among the most influential ever" is a weird criteria to determine whether he's worthwhile lol. Prince the guitar player was not as influential as Ace Frehley was, does that mean he's worse at playing the instrument? (I guess in 2024 he is.)

Richie was still the perfect and best player for Bon Jovi. Sure, Lynch's playing is rooted in blues, as is DeMartini's, but neither of them wrote I'll Be There For You, or came up with its licks.

I think the only A lister 80s guitar hot shot to not be rooted in blues is Randy Rhoads. And I guess Yngwie, if you consider him an A lister in terms of popularity (was he known by the general audience?). But other than John Sykes and Kee Marcello, none of them wore that influence on their sleeve like Richie.

Originally Posted by wrponall

Where the documentary fails in my opinion is that it never explains why Richie hasn’t come back into the band. It addresses why he left inn2013, but no one asks Jon, Richie, David, or Tico why Richie can’t come back. Had to be a conscious decision not to address that because it’s the obvious question when everyone is saying there is no animosity.

Originally Posted by wrponall

Where the documentary fails in my opinion is that it never explains why Richie hasn’t come back into the band. It addresses why he left inn2013, but no one asks Jon, Richie, David, or Tico why Richie can’t come back. Had to be a conscious decision not to address that because it’s the obvious question when everyone is saying there is no animosity.

Originally Posted by Rumen

Most of the times I really don’t get that guitar player thing. Top rankings of guitar players? Sure, every guitar player has its favourites, but could you please explain to me what the hell does shredding really have to do with a great guitar playing?

I don’t really care what Yngwie says, but not always “more is more”. Another proof of that is that his first albums are much better than his latest releases.

I’m pretty sure Jennifer Batten could outshred the late Jeff Beck without any problems, but no one, even Jennifer herself would say that she’s the better guitar player. How do you define a great guitar player? The one with the best phrasing, the fastest one, the one that uses most exotic scales, the one with best whammy bar control, the player with the best vibrato, with the best tone, the one that plays with most feel and so on ? Well, how do we know who plays with most feel? A lot of guitar players seem to forget that the music is an art, it’s not a sport.

Just another quick example - Slash today is much better technically than the young Slash in the 90s, but does that really make him better guitar player. Many people would say yes, but if I have to choose I will pick any day the 90’s Slash, even with his out of pitch bends, because he was much more recognizable.

As every guitar player Richie also has his repertoire of licks in the bag and what always amazed me is the fact that in the 80s and 90s he never sounded the same, even when the octaves or the thrills with tap-pick-slide in the solos were a little overused, he still sounded new and fresh. If you don’t believe me, just listen to SITT.