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Post by prozach on Jan 13, 2004 20:43:34 GMT -5
I have open disdain for Jon Bon Jovi ( and I'm a big Def Leppard fan; you can see that I have very high standards when it comes to my 80's pop-metal bands) and I enjoyed reading on this site of the minor Paul/Jon animosity.
But, you can't get around the fact that Jon is insanely wealthy, and it seems that Paul doesn't do too much better than most of us. So, if you hook Paul up to a lie detector and ask if he'd switch places, what would he say? What would any of us say? Is it better to be cool and respected and still have money worries, or be a wank with a freighter full of cash?
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Post by liam studebaker on Jan 13, 2004 20:54:01 GMT -5
I have open disdain for Jon Bon Jovi ( and I'm a big Def Leppard fan; you can see that I have very high standards when it comes to my 80's pop-metal bands) and I enjoyed reading on this site of the minor Paul/Jon animosity. But, you can't get around the fact that Jon is insanely wealthy, and it seems that Paul doesn't do too much better than most of us. So, if you hook Paul up to a lie detector and ask if he'd swith places, what would he say? What would any of us say? Is it better to be cool and respected and still have money worries, or be a wank with a freighter full of cash? While I don't like Bon Jovi (the band), I certainly respect him. He came up from nothing to become the superstar that he is/was. He has never sounded holier than thou in anything that I have ever read about him. Plus he gave us Cinderella AND Skid Row!
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Post by jodi, queen of the underground on Jan 13, 2004 21:42:34 GMT -5
I have open disdain for Jon Bon Jovi ( and I'm a big Def Leppard fan; you can see that I have very high standards when it comes to my 80's pop-metal bands) and I enjoyed reading on this site of the minor Paul/Jon animosity. But, you can't get around the fact that Jon is insanely wealthy, and it seems that Paul doesn't do too much better than most of us. So, if you hook Paul up to a lie detector and ask if he'd swith places, what would he say? What would any of us say? Is it better to be cool and respected and still have money worries, or be a wank with a freighter full of cash? prozach have you been reading my e-mail? i had just this sort of discussion with the artguy that i work with. i was moaning about the thousands of dollars the company paid some soccer mom for a craptastic book on an equally craptastic subject and how if i were every supery dupery lucky i might, might, might get a story published and make $500. that being said, i like to think paul would take the high road and say being who is is vastly more important than money.
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Post by Kathy on Jan 13, 2004 23:49:21 GMT -5
I have open disdain for Jon Bon Jovi ( and I'm a big Def Leppard fan; you can see that I have very high standards when it comes to my 80's pop-metal bands) and I enjoyed reading on this site of the minor Paul/Jon animosity. But, you can't get around the fact that Jon is insanely wealthy, and it seems that Paul doesn't do too much better than most of us. So, if you hook Paul up to a lie detector and ask if he'd switch places, what would he say? What would any of us say? Is it better to be cool and respected and still have money worries, or be a wank with a freighter full of cash? As I recall the JBJ thing, he was miffed that the Mats were on the cover of Musician (?) as the best band in the world or somethign and JBJ was all like "Who they hell are they, we're at the top of the charts?", pissed the his band got shitty reviews. And yeah, on the flip side, I'm sure the Mats had their moments of "Fuck the great reviews, we wanna sell 5 million records and become filthy rich". When push comes to shove, would either party really trade places? I don't know... k.
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Post by fungo on Jan 14, 2004 3:06:01 GMT -5
I think Paul had the opportunity to be JBJ back in the mid 80's. When the Mats signed with a major label, they could have easily sold out and played generic wonder bread rock. I'm sure with the backing of the Sire they would have been huge. Paul made his choice.
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Post by claypigeon on Jan 14, 2004 9:56:04 GMT -5
Plus he gave us Cinderella AND Skid Row! As far as I'm concerned, that alone wins him an eternal spot close to my heart.
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duckfoot
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Post by duckfoot on Jan 14, 2004 10:06:03 GMT -5
I think Bon Jovi said that if Paul was such a great songwriter, why has he not heard of him. But Kathy, you may be correct as well. It was something along those lines. It's been a long time since I heard that quote. And to quote Paul during the bridge of "Dice Behind Your Shade's" on The Gravel Pit Live CD:
"Hey, you know Bon Jovi was with us in the hotel the other night in Philadelphia....Oh man, he is so totally cool.."
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Post by prozach on Jan 14, 2004 10:20:44 GMT -5
While I don't like Bon Jovi (the band), I certainly respect him. He came up from nothing to become the superstar that he is/was. He has never sounded holier than thou in anything that I have ever read about him. Plus he gave us Cinderella AND Skid Row! We Are the Middle-aged Gone Wild . . . This quote kind of put me over the edge with Jon: ''Rock & roll is a business of excess.... If I wanted two pizzas, I could get it. If I wanted two women, I could get it. But I don't need two pizzas. And I don't need two girls. And it wouldn't be nobody's business if I decided I wanted to eat both of those pizzas by myself anyhow.'' -- JON BON JOVI gets extra cheesy in People
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zook
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Post by zook on Jan 14, 2004 10:23:44 GMT -5
Something tells me that Paul and Bon Jovi were not so different when each was 18-19 years old. I'm sure PW was a little more cranky and rebellious but both loved music, wanted to play it and wanted to be rich and famous. But each made their choices as to how to do it. JBJ decided to play the game, get along with everyone, play media darling and cater to the fans. Paulie wanted it on his terms as an anti-rock star, piss on the corporate wags, screw the media and fans. He didn't want to become what Bon Jovi was.
I have no problem with how each one played it and I actually respect Bon Jovi for having talent and not being a bigger tool. Aside from having some more coin in the bank, I think Paul is relatively happy - he has his privacy, he makes enough to get by and still gets to make music.
Speaking of making money, though PW or the Mats never hit it big nor made tons of cash, I gots to believe he is living well enough. I read where the two principal members of punk band Screeching Weasel, who never hit the mainstream and didn't sell more than 100K of any album, each bring in $55,000 a year on royalities and merch. I may very well be wrong about this because I don't know the industry but I have to think that PW has to be doing at least as well as that. And living in the midwest has it's advantages - cost of living speaking. Do I think he deserves more - hell yes! But in the end he is making a living doing something he loves which is more than even PW probably expected in 1979.
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Post by adamapple on Jan 14, 2004 10:28:01 GMT -5
basically you're asking would paul sell his soul to be a star, well i dont think so, and even if he tried i am sure he would piss the devil off and get screwed over anyway....paul has enough self respect not to wanna be some overblown, made up, crappy songwriter singer for some lame rock band....that article with the jon comment came in the issue following the mat's being hailed as the "last best band of the 80's", i still have my copy, its a great article, and i remember the following issue coming out and laughing my head off at the bon jovi comment...proves the guy is reading to see if they mention his name out there, "wait a second we're the last best band of the 80's?"....the only good thing they ever did was let the insult dog from conan spend an hour or so throwing insults at them and their fans, that was good stuff...
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Post by prozach on Jan 14, 2004 10:31:21 GMT -5
Speaking of making money, though PW or the Mats never hit it big nor made tons of cash, I gots to believe he is living well enough. I read where the two principal members of punk band Screeching Weasel, who never hit the mainstream and didn't sell more than 100K of any album, each bring in $55,000 a year on royalities and merch. I may very well be wrong about this because I don't know the industry but I have to think that PW has to be doing at least as well as that. Very interesting. On a side note, did any of the Mat's albums go gold or better? Anyone have any idea what they're best album sold?
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zook
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Post by zook on Jan 14, 2004 10:53:45 GMT -5
In the Rolling Stone's 500 greatest albums issue they mentioned 2 Mats albums and for album sales all it said for both Tim and Let It Be was under 500,000. I don't know how much under but wouldn't you think it would be close.
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Post by prozach on Jan 14, 2004 11:02:53 GMT -5
the only good thing they ever did was let the insult dog from conan spend an hour or so throwing insults at them and their fans, that was good stuff... Triumph: "So, you're doing a vampire movie?" Jon (clearly annoyed): "Yeah." Triumph: "Finally, a role that requires you to suck!"
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Post by MrWhirly on Jan 14, 2004 11:09:55 GMT -5
Very interesting. On a side note, did any of the Mat's albums go gold or better? Anyone have any idea what they're best album sold? I read somewhere that Don't Tell A Soul was their best selling record and it sold about 350,000 copies. This was before the All For Nothing compilation came out, don't know how well that one sold..
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Post by prozach on Jan 14, 2004 11:34:39 GMT -5
Getting back to the original question, what would any of you do?
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gravy
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Post by gravy on Jan 14, 2004 11:46:25 GMT -5
I like a lot of bands that don't sell a lot of records and i like some bands that do sell a lot of records. I know i wouldn't want to be on TRL or play at the MTV,Grammy,AMA awards, but if i sold a bunch of records a la Matthew Sweet, Elvis Costello, NOFX, i wouldn't complain.
Prozach 2 things:
I saw Def lep in 1987 "in the round" I have been to Mercer, PA!
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Post by prozach on Jan 14, 2004 12:17:40 GMT -5
Prozach 2 things: I saw Def lep in 1987 "in the round" I have been to Mercer, PA! gravy Thing one - DL In the Round : Excellent! (Lifts lit lighter over head) Thing two - Mercer,PA : What on earth brought you here? The nightlife?
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gravy
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Post by gravy on Jan 14, 2004 12:22:07 GMT -5
I was in Franklin PA (my signifigant other's hometown) & i somehow ended up there for lunch. Turtle soup was on the menu!
Joe Elliot: "Sing it!" Crowd: " I want Rock n roll!"
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Post by claypigeon on Jan 14, 2004 12:30:29 GMT -5
Getting back to the original question, what would any of you do? I think what's important to consider here is that both guys are making the kind of music they want to. It's not like Bon Jovi started out as a hardcore band and then sold out to the hair metal gods. Jon and Paul are both doing what they love, but for various reasons Jon is vastly more successful. So to answer your question, if I could play the kind of music I wanted and do what I wanted with my career AND make a wad of cash, sure I'd do it. Maybe instead of Bon Jovi a better comparison would be the Goo Goo Dolls, a band that clearly strayed from their original direction and fan base once they saw their first big check.
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duckfoot
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Post by duckfoot on Jan 14, 2004 12:44:31 GMT -5
I think that the Goo's are a better comparison. I don't care for Bon Jovi's music, but I'll give him credit, he and his band are still around. As for the Goo's after they did Superstar Carwash, they took that big swing towards mainstream acceptance. I think when they did that "Iris" song (which makes me want to eat the business end of a Mossberg 12 gauge every time I hear it), they got it. I don't hate the Goo's. I don't much care for anything they have done since Superstar, but at least they make no excuses as to who they were influenced by. I'll give em even more credit for covering a Tommy Keene tune. Oh yeah, and if I remember correctly, during an acoustic set on WHFS here in DC, when the band was asked who their influences were, they indeed said the Mats. But when asked which song was their favorite, Johnny said, "Otto" from Sorry Ma.
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