[B.J.F.]

Then I wish that Jon would have realized that Richie wasn't happy, didn't want to tour, and not scheduled the tour. Jon did admit that he took the band back out too early last time.

Sadly I just don't think that there could have been a happy ending here. There might just have been a better way to end things than what happened. Surely there had to be something better than what did happened?

Jon and Phil X haven't had the time to have any real chemistry. And there is not enough time for them to ever have what Jon and Richie had anyway. Another confession I like happy endings, but then I guess most people do. And I'm wondering who is going to tour? I read an article where Phil X said he would probably tour. Probably?

[bonjovi90]

Originally Posted by B.J.F.

Jon and Phil X haven't had the time to have any real chemistry. And there is not enough time for them to ever have what Jon and Richie had anyway. Another confession I like happy endings, but then I guess most people do. And I'm wondering who is going to tour? I read an article where Phil X said he would probably tour. Probably?

He said probably in terms that no tour schedule seems to have been specified so far (at least not that we or, obviously, he knows of). On a recent RT show Jon said that they're planning on touring in 2017 "if everyone's healthy". So there sill might be some question marks as to whether another tour will materialize or not.

[JackieBlue]

Originally Posted by B.J.F.

Hey great you like Richie, but can also see his flaws. I like Jon and can also see his flaws. And when Richie and Jon were really together it was good very good...

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!

Originally Posted by B.J.F.

But I knew even before the BWC Tour started trouble was brewing. Before the Tour Bon Jovi did a show for the BBC. I saw the show and knew things weren't good... He performed it on the Craig Ferguson Show in Dec. 2012. And I might add he did a great job on that song, but note the date it was like he knew he was "Gone" from Bon Jovi before he actually left. If you listen to that song closely, it is like the whole story is right there in front of you.

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."

Originally Posted by B.J.F.

I just wish Richie would have told Jon before the Tour that he 1) didn't want to go on Tour and 2) he no longer wanted to be a part of Bon Jovi. Because it was clear he was already gone. We could have skipped all the drama of the split which would have been better IMHO for the band and the fans...

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.

IMO, 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, it would seem that 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...

Originally Posted by B.J.F.

Sorry I can't keep up with you in length of posting...

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.

[Tom_K]

Great post JackieBlue. You summed up my thoughts perfectly.

We need a like button for posts like these.

[JackieBlue]

Originally Posted by B.J.F.

Then I wish that Jon would have realized that Richie wasn't happy, didn't want to tour, and not scheduled the tour. Jon did admit that he took the band back out too early last time...

Sadly I just don't think that there could have been a happy ending here. There might just have been a better way to end things than what happened. Surely there had to be something better than what did happened?

Jon and Phil X haven't had the time to have any real chemistry. And there is not enough time for them to ever have what Jon and Richie had anyway. Another confession I like happy endings, but then I guess most people do. And I'm wondering who is going to tour? I read an article where Phil X said he would probably tour. Probably?

Sorry, I wasn't trying to beat a dead horse; but I didn't read this until after I posted.

It seems like you already see the point of what I was saying. (And most everybody else already knows waaay more than they want to about my feelings on the subject!)


But I do have something to add about that happy ending you'd like to see. Another lyric for you, in fact.

"Never give up, never give in, never..."

As far as I'm concerned, we haven't heard the fat lady singing yet; and it ain't over 'til it's over!

(I'd say more, but I think I just ran out of cliches.)

[luceknight]

Originally Posted by JackieBlue

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.

Jesus Christ, can I be in love with a post?
Thank you.

[bonjovi90]

Excellent post JackieBlue!

[B.J.F.]

Originally Posted by bonjovi90

Excellent post JackieBlue!

I totally agree! What a poster! I wish we had a heart smilie because I think I'm in love with JackieBlue and I'm going to listen to all of the Aftermath. It will probably break my heart because Seven Years Gone already makes me sad enough.

And I'm sorry I just can't see them getting back together. Maybe if Richie and Orianthi hadn't gotten together, but if you were Richie who would you take Orianthi or Jon? My money is on Orianthi besides in that relationship Richie gets what he wants because he is the one that is in charge!

[Rdkopper]

It was an okay post... I'm not sure I agree with it all 100%...

Not everything is as cut and dry as she's making it out to be...

Bon Jovi is a business and it was time to go back to work... You don't know the contractual agreement they had with their Record Conpany... Other people work for the Bon Jovi corporation besides Jon and Richie... They had 2012 off... Most people get 2 weeks vacation, Richie got a year... It's not as simple as 'okay Richie take another year and let me know if you need another one after that! Don't worry, the rest of the band and the road crew will just wait until you're ready'... If 2015 Burning Bridges was the deadline with that current contract, then they needed to get out 2 albums in 3 years...

I think Jon gave Richie more time then needed while completing most of WAN without him...

Both arguments are justifiable. I just think Richie was burnt out of the Bon Jovi machine and was being excluded from the creative process... Not to mention that Jon's probably a total dick to Richie in general...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[B.J.F.]

Originally Posted by Rdkopper

It was an okay post... I'm not sure I agree with it all 100%...

Not everything is as cut and dry as she's making it out to be...

Bon Jovi is a business and it was time to go back to work... You don't know the contractual agreement they had with their Record Conpany... Other people work for the Bon Jovi corporation besides Jon and Richie... They had 2012 off... Most people get 2 weeks vacation, Richie got a year... It's not as simple as 'okay Richie take another year and let me know if you need another one after that! Don't worry, the rest of the band and the road crew will just wait until you're ready'... If 2015 Burning Bridges was the deadline with that current contract, then they needed to get out 2 albums in 3 years...

I think Jon gave Richie more time then needed while completing most of WAN without him...

Both arguments are justifiable. I just think Richie was burnt out of the Bon Jovi machine and was being excluded from the creative process... Not to mention that Jon's probably a total dick to Richie in general...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I get your points as well. Those of us that are being entertained do tend to forget it isn't called the music business for nothing. Sports are a business as well. A player can't really say I'm not interested in this game so I'm going to skip it. Or if they did there would be consequences that they would have to face.

And since as promised I'm listening to Aftermath it is indeed all right there clear as day. Richie was indeed already gone from Bon Jovi before he actually left.