An Open Letter to Jon Bon Jovi.
Dear Jon,
I know you will never read this. And I'm ok with that. I had a shitty day at work and I am going to take out all my frustrations on you via a letter you will never read.
I am not going to explain to you how long I have been a fan or how much your music means to me personally.
I am going to tell you why the "Establishment" doesn't take you seriously.
Playing cover tunes is fine. Everyone likes a good Rolling Stone's cover, or Bruce, or Bob Seger, or whatever.
But U2?
Seriously?
I understand you're in Ireland, but seriously?
You understand that they (U2) are your peers right? You guys broke within a few years of each other your seminal albums (Slippery When Wet & Joshua Tree respectfully) were released within a year of each other.
But somehow U2 is in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and you probably won't get in until A) you and Richie have an awful public feud leading to You & Richie not speaking to each other for years and Jann Wenner thinking "Hmmm I can sell tickets to see a reunited Bon Jovi back together" which is when you get inducted into the Hall of Fame or B) Pigs Fly out of the voters asses and you get inducted. In reality A has a higher chance of happening.
Oh and Bono is a respected philanthropist who's been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize. His work has been far reaching and touched millions, if not billions all over the globe.
You got into the New Jersey Hall of Fame and built some houses in New Orleans, Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey (which if New Jersey had an armpit Camden is it).
Bono 2, Jon 0
So I can't understand your thinking playing U2.
U2 has the biggest tour on Earth right now, their spaceship is AMAZING. The Circle can't compare, since you only have a half circle and Bono has a full circle (I've seen both so yes I can make this comparison).
Bono 3, Jon 0
Ok, but you can still sing, Bono does spoken word "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
Bono 3, Jon 1
Hey, you're on the board right?
By playing U2, you said, 'U2 is better than us'. Maybe not literally but figuratively. U2 will not play Bon Jovi at the New Meadowlands Stadium when they play there in a few weeks. They'd play Bruce over you. You are not on their level. Bruce is someone the look up to. Bon Jovi..... yeah not so much.
Bono 4, Jon 1
Speaking of which you played 4 nights at NMS not one single Bruce song yet 2 nights in Ireland and you're playing U2. I don't know what kind of pain medication you're taking with your wine, but stop.
There are other Irish bands you could have played. Like Thin Lizzy, remember back in 1989 you did a cover of the 'Boys Are Back in Town' and Jon you personally did several kick ass versions of 'Jailbreak' on the Destination Anywhere Tour.
To put it in more understandable terms, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles never covered each other. Why should Bon Jovi cover U2?
If Ireland has the greatest concentration of "die hard Bon Jovi fans on Earth" don't you think they would have appreciated more Bon Jovi tunes? If they're as die hard as you say they are they would know rare stuff off the box set, anything off the album Bounce, throw in a little Dirty Little Secret. But instead you 'covered' a U2 song.
If people want to see U2 they'll see U2, those people at the RDS today paid to see Bon Jovi but for some unknown reason you want to be Bono.
Since he's up 4 - 1 I'd want to be Bono too. But I'd rather see Jon Bon Jovi.
I hope this has given you food for thought, and I sincerely hope your surgery goes well.
Much love and some respect,
Debbie
6 comments:
this is a bit petty and a cheap shot, sorry. Especially the house building part. How many houses does he need to build before it matters?
And we already know U2 and BJ are not on the same level and never will be. Them playing U2 in Ireland didnt make that true only now. Isn't it more mature to just admit defeat? They'll never be in the hall of fame, they'll never be U2. So, life goes on, it's not that big a deal.
One of the reasons I didn't flip out at Jon calling himself a CEO unlike 99% of the fans is because that statement by him told me that he knows he is more successful as a corporate businessman of 30 years than an artist-- which he will never be regarded as-- even when he's dead. And that's not too shabby compared to what your average sucker has, either.
I don't think you got the point, and there is one. By covering U2 it was like them saying they're better then us. The media in general and probably a majority of the general public look on whatever Bono has done (in regards to Africa and clean water, etc) in a bigger and more favorable light.
They honestly should be held in the same regard as U2, but they're not and this is one of those reasons why.
I didn't say anything about him being a CEO, but since he said it its cleared a lot of things up for me, he looks at this as a money making opportunity over art. Which explains why some of the stuff on the last few albums has been so crappy.
Wow I posted something way longer and it seemed to just not take.
Long story short, I did get the point, I get they are figuratively saying U2 is better, but I dont mind that they are. As far as BJ being regarded on the same level, they are different bands and JT and SWW are VERY different albums and though I'm not really a U2 fan, I'd rather not get into which album is better. But I dont think a willingness to cover a U2 song is an important reason they dont get treated the same way.
As for Bono's work, he puts himself out there and gets both admiration and scorn for it, it comes with the territory.
I brought up the CEO part because I think that it's that Jon thinks he has more to show for in the business dept (objectively) than as an artist, and that if he is indeed thinking of this only as a money making venture, that's only because when he was making art it was still ignored.
Covering U2 makes U2 better than Bon Jovi? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so does it really, really matter that for a few bars in a 2.5 hour show Bon Jovi pay their respects to one of the greatest bands ever? Their peers, the equals, their box office rivals for the last three years? No.
Covering all those songs night and night after night during Bad Medicine, songs like:
Hot Legs
Roadhouse Blues
Pretty Woman
Treat Her Right
Does that make Rod Stewart(!), the Doors or Roy Orbison better than Bon Jovi? No.
Or covering Lola, Rockin' All Over The World and Rockin' In The Free World on previous tours, does that mean that Ray Davies, John Fogerty or Neil Young are now 'better' artistes than Bon Jovi? NO!
No, it's a nod by the band that they 'know' where they're playing.
I see your point but I think you take it a bit soo serious. It is not a competition - it is the media and journalist how keep on writing about who is the biggest selling artist and make stupid list of "100 top bands". I dont think the bands keep score, they are both succesfull beyond their wildest dreams. And I dont think it would be unreal to see U2 cover Bon Joiv someday.
Love your blog! Read it everyday!
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