then
it boils down to Ritchie, how much of his influence drove the band musically and stylistically? with that gone they have never quite been the same. some bands simply don't have the talent to continually innovate and re-invent themselves and settle into a sound and vibe they are comfortable in, don't forget, first and foremost these people put in the blood sweat and tears to write songs for themselves so there must be a point of "this is what we want to do, if people like it then more power to our elbows" in being of a certain sound.

(the same with Metallica, they have written about 6 decent songs since Cliff Burton died)
(Halfy By light alone, Tue 9 Feb 2010, 17:24, Reply)