Hi new to the forums this is my first post so please be nice !!!

I really feel that the new album has to be a sucess - especially here in the UK.
I used to work for Universal Music (who own Mercury Records) and although Jovi are considered one of the "super groups" their album sales in the UK have been in decline since Crush was released.
Slippery, Jersey, Faith, Crossroad and These Days have all sold either just under or just over a million copies each in the UK (Crossroads sold just over 2 million !!!)
Crush, Bounce,the live album and Have A Nice Day - have barley sold a just over a million between them and the boxset (100,000,000 fans etc) barely made it over the 2000 mark

I feel that since These Days the bands music has been patchy to say the least - IMO if you take half of crush and half of bounce you have a decent album.
HAND was a better album by the band (apart from the dreadful "who says you cant go home" - truly bland) but I cant help feel they have never reached the heights that are there for them to get to - they can do it but they seem to play it safe - to safe IMO
Its no coincedence that when they play live - the biggest reaction is for the songs off the 1st 5 albums (IMO 7800 & New Jersey are their best albums) - the newer stuff dont seem to get so much of a reaction

Im not slatting the band - they are still my favs of all time but I wish they would take of the shackles and make an album we all know they are capable of making.

I really hope the new album rocks in the way that jovi can - i havent listened to any snippetts (only the single - superb) but i just hope that it dont sound too much like "who says...." for me that is the wrong direction.

Keep the faith !!!