I like both Jon and Richie; even tho I see the flaws in both of them. I also don't let that blind me to the
good that is in both of them. And I agree that when they're together it's even better. I've said it before: Chocolate's good; peanut butter is good; but a Reese's Cup is just freakin' awesome!
Sweetheart, if you listen to the whole damn Aftermath album, it's right in front of you. Richie even implied as much when all the questions and rumors were flying around asking Where's Richie? and Why did he not show up? He tweeted "to answer your questions if you want to know my heart, listen to Aftermath." (Close paraphrase) And so I did; and it's in every freakin' song, with the possible exception of Sugar Daddy (and if pressed, I could probably make a case for that one too). But the
first indication I got from his lyrics came from "You Can Only Get So High":
"You give yourself 10 second chances
Say 'I ain't quitting; I'm just splittin' for a while'
Ending like so many bad romances,
One more victory lap before you say goodbye."
Well, if that's all you have against him, then you should be 'good to go' because 1) according to Richie, he DID tell Jon before the tour that he didn't want to tour; that it was too soon (which probably means that he told him before they recorded the album because he obviously understands the release and tour cycle). And according to Jon (AFTER they finished the tour he'd pushed them into) they ALL told him it was too soon. So there ya go, Wish #1 - Done!
And 2) Richie has never said, nor implied, that he wanted to be out of the band. In fact, I'd say that the situation that we have today exists precisely because he DIDN'T want to be OUT of the band, which is why he even attempted to do the BWC tour. He wanted a break. To "split for awhile" not to "quit". But the option he was given, according to him, was to tour or leave the band. So against his better judgment perhaps, he chose Door #1, which set up Calgary and everything that followed. That should take care of Wish #2.
(Man, I wish I had one of those Staples "easy" buttons!)
Now as for the drama: So you saw it coming before the tour started, and I saw it coming as far back as Bamboozle, I-Heart, 12-12-12. That being the case, if you still believe that Jon
didn't see it coming before 3:30 on April 2, then we need to talk because I've got some ocean front property in Omaha that I'm trying to unload.
If Jon was blindsided by anything, it was his own conviction that Richie would never leave him high and dry, no matter how hard he pushed or how many times he pulled rank or played the ownership card. Just like he couldn't believe that he wouldn't get what wanted with the NFL and the record label. And in his defense, why would he? History had proved, up to that point anyway, that if Jon just worked hard enough, he could achieve whatever goal he set his mind to achieve. But for every irresistable force, there is, apparently, at least one immovable object. And it would seem that Jon just happened to meet
three of his during the same relative time period. I truly feel bad for him because, man, that's gotta suck - just right out loud.
So while I agree 100% that it would have been so much better if we could have skipped all the drama of the split, and spared the band and the fans - as well as Jon and Richie - you might want to extend your net a little further stage left, and grab the guy behind that white mic, too, when you start placing responsibility for the way things happened. Because while Richie is no doubt the one who pulled the trigger, Jon is the one who loaded the gun to start with. He could have stopped the drama before it even started had he not been so hell-bound and determined to do things his way - just like Frankie. No matter where I've looked, I haven't been able to find one single solitary good reason to justify why Jon wouldn't delay the release of WAN and the subsequent tour - since everybody, even the fans, said it was too soon - other than he simply wanted to get back out on the road. And whatever Jonny wants, Jonny gets. Or so he thought. I'm not so sure he feels that way now, though, because Jon's lyrics can tell a story, too, when someone cares enough to listen:
"I got what I wanted; I paid every cost.
I'd give it all back to get back what I've lost."
It's something to think about, anyway...
Thanks, but about the length... yeah, NOT a good thing! I'm sure if you did, some ppl would be petitioning for you to be banned! I really wish I could say what I want to say more concisely, but it is what it is.