[Rdkopper]

Originally Posted by Bounce7800

Well the box set ended up being the fun fan album to a point. At that stage they needed a killer comeback and most of those songs don't fit the bill. I mean they are all good in their own way, but the wholesale replacement of what turned out to be Crush just wouldn't have cut the mustard. A mixture of those and what we got possibly, but it would only be a few of those at best.

I agree that these songs wouldn't be the big comeback and that's why I stated prior about not having a solid first single but as a Jon 3rd solo album, it might have been something cool to have... Or maybe I'm just taking the fan point of view and not seeing the big picture...

[Rdkopper]

Update:

Just finished Destination Anywhere... I know this album has its own thread going on due to the 20 year anniversary and is super hyped up by fans right now but I'm going against the majority.

Trust me, I really do want to love this album and really want it to be These Days Part 2 but its just not... Nowhere even close... Don't get me wrong, any effort by a youthful Jon in the late 90's will have some charm and moments but this album is just so freaking boring and stale... I'll call it a moment or mood album...

Every song has that same Drum Machine Beat thing going on and Jon hardly puts any vocal range or emotion into any of these songs... Just like all albums, I could always find a few songs that I really like and gravitate towards but as an album as a whole, I'm just not feeling it... Even the last song on the album that has a somewhat upbeat heavier sound is a true story about a very sad situation... As I'm nodding my head and tapping my foot, I caught myself and realized that this is not really a song I should be enjoying the way I am right now... It should have been a bonus track like Lonely At The Top...

The live performances have somewhat of a different story... Jon turns them from Brit pop into more rock type songs. He adds power,emotion, and range... Once I'm done listening to the entire collection, I'm going to re-listen to them all again live (in order)... I'll definitely have a different opinion when I get through the live album version...

Now all 4 bonus tracks are fantastic... They give me more of that Sex Sells type of vibe that I enjoy... Cold Hard Heart is brilliant. It's got that Teardrop / Labor Of Love type style which I really enjoy... Drive is an older track that contains those classic Jovi hooks... Even Let It Rain is a great song...I wish someone could translate the chorus... I always forget that Jon wrote that one...

In summary: Sure there are some brilliant moments but I expected much more out of a 35 year old JBJ in 1996/1997... After 7 prior albums of pure perfection, this is just not one of them or a go to album by choice!!!

These Days is next!

[jovifan93]

Here's the lyrics with translation in brackets:

http://www.songtexte.com/songtext/lu...-5344a3a1.html

[Rdkopper]

Originally Posted by jovifan93

Here's the lyrics with translation in brackets:

http://www.songtexte.com/songtext/lu...-5344a3a1.html

Cool chorus and awesome lyrics!!! Would love to hear a Jon only version of that... thanks for that...

Sent from my HTCD160LVW using Tapatalk

[Rdkopper]

When I post updates, I'm listening to each album in it's entirety from start to finish... It's not just a song here and there.... That's why my updates are spread out... When I'm at the beach, the pool, or long car ride, I'll pop whatever album on and try to complete the entire thing (it also depends on who I'm with and if they want to listen to Bon Jovi)...

Today I was getting coffee and broke the above rule and stared These Days... Right from the intro of Hey God, I immediately felt the difference... I didn't even finish the song but I already got that fresh air... Looking forward to this listen and update...

[steel_horse75]

Agree with your view on destination. The drums are awful. Drum machine? I like about a quarter of this album. Love August 7th, it's just me and the title track the others I can give or take

[Rdkopper]

Update: These Days

I finished These Days today and before I even start, let me just say that this is the window where there is no such thing as a bad Bon Jovi song... Even if I say that I'm not crazy about a song, it doesn't take on that same meaning of me saying that about a post 2000 song... In addition, their worst pre 2000 song is still better than any post 2000 song (for the most part)...

So yeah, There Days is a ****ing killer album and Jon owns it.. His vocals are insane and are at one of its peaks... The writing is incredible and the production is equally perfect... This is a Jon and Richie album and it really shows what these two are capable of doing as a duo with very little outside interaction... I'm not sure how much influence Peter Collins had on this album but considering it was kinda written all over the place, it all comes together very balance...

I remember wanting a soundtrack for Jon's first movie Moonlight and Valentino but instead got the song, It's Hard Letting You Go... I know they suffered some writers block and the songs come from different place....

TBH, I think this album could have even been better... They rushed this album out to capitalize off the hit, Always. Song for Song there are all perfect but as an album, it's missing some elements... I know it's a little contradicting to say it's great but I don't share the same love for it like I do for the previous releases... It's a mood album and I'm not a fan of mood albums... I also think that the bsides are best left as bsides...

I know the initial title was supposed to be Open All Night which is the song that ended on the Box and then another possible unheard song called Strip which was also a working title...

Can anyone confirm if the following were These Days songs...

Flesh And Bone
I Just Wanna Be Your Man
The Fire Inside

All in all, it's a great effort but it's not as solid as Slippery and Jersey... and although the writing is better than the first two albums, I still think that the first two albums are better...

However Jon's live performances of these songs are ****ing brilliant and it really solidifies them as a killer live band during this peak...

[Rdkopper]

Update:

My Own Crossroads Album...

I remember leaving work one day, getting in my car, turning on the radio, and catching an interview in-progress with Jon about future projects. The part that really stood out was Jon mentioning that he was writing a lot of songs for a bunch of future movies (including an upcoming Tom Cruise film.... now looking back, it was either The Firm or Interview With A Vampire). Unfortunately we really didn't get any of them but then eventually got some from Crossroads, the Box Set, and a few other places...

If you want to put together a collection of songs from a specific time period that gives you more satisfaction then Keep The Faith and These Days, here it is...

Considering that Slippery had 10 songs, here it is (or an EP)

1 Always - Movie
2 Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
3 Prayer '94
4 Letter To A Friend - This song has a movie vibe
5 Good Guys Don't Always Wear White - Movie
6 Gotta Have A Reason - Movie
7 Nobody's Hero - This song has a movie vibe
8 How Long Has This Been Going On - Jon n Richie Tribute
9 Always - Demo
10 Sat Night - Demo

Listen to these songs in this order... ****ing brilliant

[Rdkopper]

Update Keep The Faith:

OMG what a beauty and I could only describe this album as insane. I almost forgot how great this album actually is.. The production is insane... There is nothing better than Bob Rock in his prime!!! Dr Feelgood, The Black Album, and Keep The Faith...Jon's vocals are insane!!! One word "FEAR"!!!

If this album was released a year prior, it would have been up there with Slipper and Jersey... They just missed it by a year... I mean Dry County not released and promoted as a single in the US... This is their November Rain!!!

They really crossed into the 90's the right way... This album doesn't feel forced and they also didn't make the mistake that most bands did which is do a complete 180... They really balanced it out perfectly... There is a hint of 80's still in there but it's Bon Jovi entering the 90's... Fantastic job Bob!!!

I rank KTF higher than These Days because I feel like These Days does lack that epic song that most of the prior albums have... Don't get me wrong, they are all great songs but is there anything better than Dry County or Bed Of Roses?

There are 1 or 2 in there that I know some aren't crazy about like Women In Love and Blame It On The Love but they are still solid tracks... Listen to the bootleg of Women In Love.... It's Insane...

Even the bonus tracks are insane... I think a double album would have been a bit much but with the proper swapping of some songs, this could easily be up there with Slippery and Jersey...

Outlaws Of Love
Fields Of Fire
Starting All Over Again
Save A Prayer
Miss 4th Of July
Soul Truth

Next is my all time favorite album which is Blaze Of Glory!!!

[Rdkopper]

90's Ranking

1. Blaze Of Glory
2. Keep The Faith
3. My Crossroads EP (songs released between KTF & TD's)
4. There Days
5. Sex Sells
6. Destination Anywhere

Actual Albums:
1. Blaze Of Glory
2. Keep The Faith
3. There Days
4. Destination Anywhere