Lets talk about Crush

Crush has always come under quite a bit of crtisism and I really can't see why. I've been listening to it alot recently and I've totally recaptured my love for it.

Firstly I should say that Crush was the first album I ever bought, let alone my first BJ album, so it obviously has a special place in my heart. I remember thinking after I listened to it for the first time that I would never come across an album as good as that ever again, how naive I was, now perhaps if I had followed the band for many years and after the musical delights that were Keep The Faith, These Days and Destination Anywhere, I probably would've expected major things. Crush is a complete departure from anything they've ever done, to a point they were going back to their roots on it, not that it's anything like SWW but whereas every album up to this point had pushed Bon Jovi into new ground, with this album they didn't even try. Now I don't see that as a bad thing. It was as if they had nothing really important to say, so they just tried to put together an album full of great rock and roll songs, again I know they could be interpreted as an insult but I mean it in the best possible way.

It was just like they had achieved major success, they had told us who they were and now they we're comfertable where we are and we want to make good music and I think that's what Crush is all about.

Track by Track:

It's My Life was saying something. It was telling us exactly where Jon was in life and it has that slightly embittered rock star voice meshed with a hugley uplifting and optimistic universal tone. It's just a superb rock song. 5/5.

Say It Isn't So was an example of Jon Bon Jovi's sublime and diverse songwriting ability. It was a nice departure for the band as it sounded completely unlike anything they had recorded previously and it had a superb vocal from JBJ. 5/5.

Thank You For Loving Me could be the most under-rated ballad they've ever made. I think this song has everything that makes a top class power ballad. It has origional, heartfelt lyrics, sung with soul and passion mixed with superb music. It has the same magic that Bed Of Roses has and shines a light on everything that is wrong with AALY. 5/5.

Two Story Town is maybe my favourite song on the album. A great story, simple but intelligent lyrics and nice guitars. It's just a very simple, very catchy rock song. 5/5.

Next 100 Years is another great song. Whether intentional or not comparisons will always be made to Dry County and this song certainly dosen't have the epicness of DC and therefor comes off feeling a bit second rate'ish. Still a great song though. 4/5.

Just Older is such a brilliant rock song. Great driving guitars and drums with a great solo and a really well written lyrics. 5/5.

Mystery Train is a song I really like. Yes it may be poppy but it's got a great lyric and is catchy as hell. Reminds me a bit of those classic accoustic gems Noel Gallagher has written over the years. 4/5/

Save The World is cliched and cheesey but it's still rather enjoyable. The music is uninspried and feels like a bady imitation of Always, the lyrics are fairly cringe-worthy but it all builds to a great creshendo and Jon sings the hell out of it and for that I actually quite like it. It's enjoyable cheese. 3/5.

Captain Crash and The Beauty Queen From Mars is the best song and my favourite song from the album. I just adore this song. I love the story, I love the characters, I love the creativity of the song, I love the weirdness of it, I love the music, I love that it's sounds kind of poppy but it's all rock, I love the funness of it and as I said, I love everything about it. I really think this is the most creative song Jon and Richie have ever written. 5/5.

She's a Mystery is a funny one because taken on it's own I can't fault it. The lyrics are fantastic, the music is beautiful and it really is a gorgeous song but I can see no justification for why it made it on to the album because it virtually kills the flow of the album. 4/5.

I Got The Girl is similar to the last one, on it's own it's a cool little rock song with fun lyrics but I don't see why it made the album. It's not a track that should ever make an album. Would've made a good box-set song. 3/5.

One Wild Night is a prime example of what a poor producer Luke Ebbin is. The whole album could've been vastly better in the hands of a classy producer I can't believe they left this song completely undone. The 2001 version is 100x better. 2/5.

Overall Crush is a fantastic record, it dose falter towards the end though. Save The World should've been replaces since 2 ballads in a row was a bit much and the ending could've been tightened up but a couple of mis-placed songs dose not equal a failed record, far from it. I'd give it 4 STARS.


Phil

The fact it's your first album probably explains why you've got a soft spot for it.
Speaking personally I think it's their weakest album apart from the first two. I barely listen to it and when I do I skip about 6 of the songs! The best songs from the Crush sessions are Neurotica & Stay which didn't even make the album! When you compare Crush to an album like KTF or These Days I feel they really went backwards.
I truely hope this new album is markedly better than Crush and the production needs to improve ten fold. Thankfully Luke Ebbin is not involved which gives it a chance!

I love love this song. Its my favourite from Crush and would be in my top 5 of favourite Bon Jovi songs and I agree with a lot of what you say about it.

Crush was the first album I bought for myself...although I've known Bon Jovi since New Jersey. I do love the Crush album but there are some songs I do not like on it... She's A Mystery & I Could Make A Living Out Of Loving You (not on all versions I don't think). And I think the end of Next 100 Years just goes on and on. But the rest of the songs I do like.

Krycek, I'm just warning you that if you call a Crush song a rock song, you're gonna get ripped apart.

I only like about half of the album. The other half I could live without. There are too many DA leftovers on it, in my opinion. But it does contain my favorite song: It's My Life. I love Two Story Town as well.

I like Crush a lot too, but maybe mostly because it made me a Bon Jovi fan and it didn't leave my CD player for two months. It's not as strong as the four albums before it, but I think it was a solid effort from the guys and there was more good songs on it than there were bad. Here's my review track by track:


It's My Life - Talk box worked wonderfully on here combined with Dave's keyboard riff. Love the vocals and the song is just so damn powerful and optimistic. It pumps me up every time I listen to it. 5/5.

Say It Isn't So - Dfferent from nearly all Bon Jovi songs and many didn't like this, but I liked it. It has a fairly cool riff for a slower mid-tempo kind of song. 4/5.

Thank You For Loving Me - Never liked this no matter how much I listened to it. Bon Jovi were known for power ballads and there's no power in this at all. Leave the lovey dovey songs to Westlife I say. 2/5.

Two Story Town - Superb! Love the guitar and the lyrics, and it kinda reminds me of the town I live in, where one side of it just seems so false. 5/5.

Next 100 Years - It's not Dry County, but a good song non the less. Richie's long solo with the strings in the background sounds great. 4/5.

Just Older - This is a very mature song, and I think had It's My Life not been so catchy it would have been a great first single. It starts with "Hey man it's been a while do you remember me...." and the lyrics are great for the era that Bon Jovi were in. Sort of the 40s mid life crisis when you realise that you're past your prime, but wait a minute, you're not old, just older! Great song. 5/5.

Mystery Train - Never really appealed to me. 2/5

Save The World - This song is too soft. The lyrics are cheesy and the song seems to consist of a lot of strings when I prefer more guitars, keyboards, etc. I'm so glad this wasn't chosen as the Armageodon soundtrack. 2/5.

Captain Crash and The Beauty Queen From Mars - "I really think this is the most creative song Jon and Richie have ever written." No way, far from it! It's a good pop song, but what the hell is it all about? I like a song to make sense, to mean something like It's My Life, or Just Older does. It's really catchy though and good to sing along too. 3.5/5.

She's a Mystery - Dear me, what the hell happened here??? 0.5/5.

I Got The Girl - It's quite upbeat but rather cheesy, and made even cheesier by the fact that it's about Jon's daughter. 2/5.

One Wild Night - I think it's better than the 2001 single, because on Crush it is a rock song rather than a pop song full of artificial effects. The riff rocks, the baseline is funky, the lyrics although about a crazy night out make sense, and the solo is pretty good too. 4.5/5.

I Could Make A Livin Out Of Loving You - On my version of Crush I got this as the bonus track. It's not great, but not bad eiter. Neurotica (4.5/5) woulda been way better. 2.5/5


In my opinion there are a lot of good up beat songs on Crush and one or two good mid-tempo songs, but the lack of power ballads only gives it a 3/5 overall for me. I still like Crush, but those sappy ballads are enough to make me cringe! What's more they seemed to repeat the exact same formula for the Bounce album too. The next album will be a big one for me.

I think the only thing that discredits the album are two things. And they are called She's a Mystery and I got the girl.
Like you said, two songs that are quite enjoyable on their own but don't fit with this album, and having them next to each other really brings the album down.
Save the world i can deal with, mystery train I've always considered a good catchy song, nothing more nothing less.
The rest of the album I love.

WHAT!?



I think that One Wild Night (Crush Version ) is the best and the only real-rock song of the modern Bon Jovi. 2001 version is crap.

I think the remix is better. It flows, when the earlier versions hits the wall every time those stupid "na na na"s start. Too many stops.

Ice

The problem (or problems perhaps) with Crush is the time in which it was released. The band had built themselves up with quite impressive albums adored by fans and with each sees them maturing as musicians. Then after a 5 year gap they come back with something completely unexpected. Crush brought the band a new image and a new generation but completely undermined all the was achieved in the 90's as it was being made to sit next to the likes of Britney Spears on the charts. To me I see a lack of real emotion and each song makes me cringe (especially Save The World).

The album I got first was These Days and it still is my favourite album. It has something special amongst it ( so to KTF). I feel as though you could almost lose yourself in the music, that you can feel the bands emotions. The subjects of many of the songs actually matter but with their new releases they have become mundane and lifeless rather to focus on the drum loops.
But that is just my opinion and I sure someone can debate this.

WHAT?????????????????????????????????????????????? ???the most creative song they've written? maybe good lyrics but......

anyway CRUSH SUCKS!!!!