New Jersey Demos

Another topic that's been discussed multiple times before but between new fans and nothing else going on, why not?

So if you didn't know, New Jersey was supposed to be a double album. Most people have heard the additional demos (If not search Youtube Bon Jovi Demos/Outtakes)

Questions:

With Bon Jovi being the biggest thing ever at this time, why did they go against the double album?

Why do the demo versions sound like they were slowed down? Has anyone tried to speed them up? If so, how do they sound?

Were these ever completed and just sitting in the vault?

Does anyone feel the quality of these songs lack in terms of comparison to the songs on the NJ album (not in obvious terms of sound but in lyrics, music, etc)?

Do you think they would have helped the integrity of the album more? Less? The same?

Although Diamond Ring has been released on These Days, the New Jersey live performance version is unbelievable. Opinions?

AFAIK, the only reason it wasn't a double album was because it was a massive ballache in terms of cost and stocking of, what would mostly have been, a double vinyl. If the stores would have difficulty stocking it, it wouldn't have sold as much. I don't think the quality of songs were an issue as a lot of the demos were promising.

I wish more of the NJ demos were officially released. I LOVE Growing Up The Hard Way, and there are a bunch more that are just killer as well.

The music co didnt think it was a good idea as people would have to pay more
for the double sided vinyl at the time
Maybe some day they will release Lots of bands incldg Stones Pink Floyd Pearl jam and others are releasing their outtakes and demos in a boxset these days

I agree, they should release them. Yet I think it was a good idea not to include them on the BS cause obviously, the die hards already knew the demo songs anyway. Without the NJ demos, we really got something we didn´t already have on the 4 discs.

That said, I wish we could someday have the demos as a high quality release. Re-issue of the NJ album (25th anniversary, for example) would be nice, with a second disc consisting of the demos. That will never happen, of course, given the situation in music business nowadays.

Love is War and Cadillac are awesome songs. Love is War definately couldve replaced a song which made the final cut.

New Jersey unrelased songs are amazing.
I love songs Love is War ,Let's Make it Baby, Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore.

Cadillac Man is a fantastic song. No one seems to know whether a proper studio version even exists. If I remember, it was intended to appear on a motion picture of the same name. I´ve seen the film, it´s nothing spectacular so I´m quite happy the song wasn´t used.

I do like Love Is War but let´s face it, it´s just Bad Name part II. It sounds like they were just trying to recreate the moments of SWW. There was some interview back then where Richie said how nervous Jon had been in the beginning of the songwriting process for NJ. Jon was desperate to write a monster hit in the vein of the first single of SWW. Consequently, one of the first songs they came up with was Love Is War. It´s got the same chord progression as Bad Name and even the vocal melody sounds alike in certain parts. Personally, I prefer the rawness of the demo version. The officially released version sounds too overproduced to me.

Speaking of the demos, it´s fun to hear the "na na na na" hook being used on several songs. They seem to have tried it on many songs before they finally realized how well it suited BTBMB.

It´s amazing how many great rock songs they´ve got in there, still unused. GUTHW, River Of Love, Love Hurts... I guess back in 1988, Bon Jovi could do no wrong.

I gotta disagree there. I think New Jersey is the only truly perfect album this band has released, not a single song on there that could be dropped IMO.