All "These Days" Fans.......................

I would agree with this. I also agree that "Bounce" had something to say too, it's just that "These Days" really grabbed you in the gut and twisted. I could really feel the angst in Jon's vocals. It was the first and only time I felt like they were letting their souls bleed all over a recording. (Or their guitars...heh.)

TD is one of my favourite albums. I often listen to it to raise my mood.

As much as the songs itself deserves the credit, I would like to give a part to the producer, Peter Collins (where did he go? Never heard of him after TD!).
The production is extremly good, not like Crush or Have A Nice Day, those two got a bad production.
There's some great instrumentation on it two that we've never heard since the 90's... The mandolin, the sitar, the accordion, and the trombone and trumpet...
This as parts that raise the album. It's not only a regular album, it has a touch of stars in it.

I couldn't have said that better myself. That's usually how I try to describe the album to someone who has never heard it before.

I also have wondered what happenend to Peter Collins and how the band hooked up with him to begin with. I think at one point he produce Alice Cooper and Rush. Maybe it was through Alice Cooper that the band found him. I know Dave, Tico and Alice used to golf together a lot.

..Jon has mentioned a few times that he thought he was happy when TD was written and subsequently people have said that it is a dark album.

As I said before I think TD's is realistic...a mirror of what the real world is like.

When you're happy, you're strong mentally and in a better position to face fears, the truth and demons with honesty.

I couldn't have see it better .... exactly why I love this CD the most ... it's artistically their best work I think

Bon Jovi A to Z:
COLLINS, PETER
British born, Nashville-based producer who worked on Bon Jovi’s THESE DAYS albums. In the 80’s, he had massive success with UK pop artists like Nik Kershaw, Tracy Ullman and Musical Youth. In the 90’s, his focus fell onto harder acts like Queensryche, Rush, Alice Cooper and Bon Jovi.

I guess he was also the producer of Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, Prayer 94 and Always.

These Days actually puts me in a good mood, because I enjoy it so much.

http://www.drycounty.com/jovitalk/showthread.php?t=2231

I must admit the first time I sat down with it and listened to it I thought it was a masterpiece! (first day of release).

And there are a swag of great songs on it. IHLYG has to be one of the bands most diverse numbers, with killer atmospherics (and MGLBIMA for that matter).

But I know I'll get shot for my next statement!!

As much as I love the song, and trust me I do, STBI has the most appalling lyric of "If l don't believe in heroin, how can I believe in dope." I don't know about you guys but I struggle to find a worse BJ lyric. It makes me cringe when l hear it.

Still, You Had Me From Hello has some doozies!!!

LOL I totally hate that line too.