roksilde-2002 marked the last "dark" period in the band's existence... it's been about six years since the last time we sympathized with Ed and felt sorry for him and worried about him, the band, etc... And that whole "worried for Ed" is a pretty big part of history, given the multiple periods in their career when you legitimately were worried for him for some reason or another... i think it's part of why people love him so much cause you feel for him, like "just hang on Ed, it'll be okay".... but since the turn into 2003, they've given us a LOT of reasons to be happy for them-- playing a tour of some kind every year since 2002, releasing lots of boots, a few dvds, bsides, and a new album with a whole press promo launch... that "worry" isn't there for the band anymore, and they're kinda on autopilot, they're shows are too even if they mix up the setlist... what are the chances we'll ever "worry" about him/them again???

after attending Bon Jovi last night at the United Center out of a familial obligation yet seeing how that place was going crazy, literaly feeling it bounce underneath my feet, watching people sing like it was the Alive I sang in '06, I'm not sure how one can objectively propose that the band is now any different than Bon Jovi, at the very least functionally, but possibly even substantively... and if so, is it a bad thing?

when did we feel bad for the band prior to 2002?

and if pearl jam turning into bon jovi means bars will play pj songs instead of bon jovi all the time, im all for it.

1993- no music videos, ed's anti-media/privacy
1994- kurt/melody maker; firing dave- "jack irons saved this band"
1995- 6/24/95
1996- Rolling Stone hack piece
1998- happy for once
2000- happy twice, if not a little political disrest on the album (WTO Protests) then Roksilde on tour, then 9/11

Doesn't he complain about politics and the state of the world at every show though? I'm not sure if that is exactly optimism.

Also, maybe I'm just being picky, but wouldn't you sympathize more with the victims and the families of the incident rather than Ed? Maybe I'm missing something but I'm not sure why you would be worried for someone in the band in that situation.


The reasons you listed for them being happier... releasing an album (does that mean Robert Smith was a happy person when Disintegration was released?) releasing DVDs, going on tour, etc... these are all reasons for you to be happy. I'm not sure how this indicates the band is optimistic. I mean sure, I guess if you were severely depressed you may not want to go on tour, but I'm sure there are plenty of people that do it anyway or feel like they have to.

Also you can probably attribute him not wallowing in self-pity anymore to the fact that he has a child and has to grow the fuck up.

In all likelihood, he has a life outside of his band (yes?) and now he doesn't have as much time to spend worrying about whatever band drama is sweeping through the scene at the time.

I'm not sure how I see fanatical devotion of fans who are very attatched to certain songs means that the bands are the same?

ed bitches with a smile on his face and sometimes a bush mask too... he may be upset politically, but he separates it... all his collaborations and contributions etc, the dude seems pretty at peace with the world, even if mad at who holds power in America...

given all of those early times where you coudn't get a single touch of the band which was concurrent with various Ed crisises, compared to now, when he seems like he's made his amends, hangs out with Bruce in hotel bars, is a happy and generally amiable fellow and they are more accessible than they've ever been...

no offense, but worst reply ever. and who'se in your avatar? i don't like it

not in as foul a mood as the above would indicate

functionally, the entertainers had the same effect on the audience... but my observation was not just about the rabid fans, but playing sprawling american arena tours, being 10+ years out of your commercial prime ("commercial prime" = 2+ hit singles/staples on rock radio for an album), eliciting the most cheers from the crowd from your top singles which are at a minimum of 10 years old... what makes the two different??

1. Don't be a bitch
2. It is "now" not "know"
3. "Worst thread ever!" What are you? One of these?

Spoiler: show

http://www.harrycutting.com/graphics/photos/teens/asian-teenage-girl-with-white-teenage-girl-FC5042-31LG.jpg

4. Jonny Greenwood. You have a traffic light. STFU



but what do I know, Eddie is obviously a good friend of yours cause you know him so well, and you are clearly a connoisseur of internet posting.

you were trying for this but failed. i will apologize for being a bitch. but greenwood looks too mopey and emo and depressed... look into my black and white photo sad eyes, feel for me, think about the suffering artist i am... with the poutiest eyes ever...

That's all I'm saying...

Makes you reconsider Eddie's past

i was waiting for that comment... brother and his family are in the chicagoland area visiting... they wanted to take their son to a rock concert, and him and his wife being children of the 80s, it was right up their alley... and i went because a) i'm not such an elitist about this kind of stuff b) it meant a lot to my brother and c) i thought it would be really interesting objectively, as a point of comparison... and in all honesty, d) when i was wee lad in the 80s, i thought slippery when wet and new jersey were pretty bad ass and wanted to see what those songs sounded like, have the bon jovi experience i never had as a kid... and in all honesty, the man sounds a ton better than Ed does these days, it doesn't change my aesthetics and preferences now, and for whatever variety of reasons, i'll never want to listen to Bon Jovi ever on my ipod, but at least he sounds good for his fans... i can't listen to pj boots after the 2000 tour cause of the way ed's singing changed...

not following??? like the shit ed wore back in the day???

did they play rockin in the free world?

nope. but they did play "shout" ("now waiiiit a minute... you know you make me want to shout") in the Bad Medicine interlude breakdown... had the arena jumping with their hands in the air... like a charismatic revival

I wasn't trying to own you but if you feel that way... I don't know what to say. This isn't counterstrike or anything. You are quite the confusing poster, I'm going away now, because you have left me quite perplexed you see. Yes, quite perplexed you see.

i would REALLY like some discussion of this

or similar, functionally, to The Rolling Stones or any band 10 years out who relies on their older material. You positing functional similarity as a basis is kind of unfair and narrow, and begging for controversy. you could say they are the same as the spice girls too. terrible thread

I wasn't making a serious profound comment. From this side of the Atlantic ocean any comparison between PJ and BJ is unimaginable and not for elitism or similar things.
I tried to pretend i didn't see the who sounds better comment but it didn't work. JBJ nearly blew his voice in the 80's for how he sucked at singing, i know this thanks to some VH1 documentary i guess. You may not agree but EV is a much better singer. You just don't have a good ear for singers. It's not you is just that I.Turners can't see a great voice even when they are married to them (Ask Phil Spector why he didn't want the late Ike Turner in the studio while recording River Deep Mountain High).