Revisiting HAND Album

I don't get the hate for wildflower.

I think it is one of the best moments of the album. It's mature sounding as opposed to avril lavigne-styled teen pop that is hidden behind many of the songs.
It almost could have been in Crush or Destination Anywhere.

Agreed. I've always really liked the song. Great solo too. Sounded good live too, the one time they played it.

I agree. Pleasant melody and clever lyrics. Jon sounds like cares. Instruments are also very clean, which I think showcases the good that Shanks brought to the sound at the time.

On the flip side, Shanks didn't produce Wildflower, that'd be one of the 4 Rick Parshar did.

Interesting, I did not know that. I now see he also did Story of My Life, which I really like from a production standpoint.

I'm in that weird group that thinks that new 4 rival and better a lot of what was on the OG album. Leans a little heavier into the Killers pop-synth route and I go back and forth on how many band members played on the tracks but I find them fresher and more fun than Complicated etc.

I also recently revisited some back catalogue. It's amazing how time changes things but I found that sometimes, first impressions are pretty spot on.

The album isn't terrible overall but I look back at it as the one that started Bon Jovi's trend of weak middles which I feel didn't go away until Forever. There are too many songs on this album most of which are unnecessary and uninspired filler tracks.

Have a Nice Day 8/10
- The lyrics and the whole idea behind the title and the smirk are very very cheesy. I don't mind the track since it does actually sound good, and it's a solid rock song, but the lyrics keep me from wanting to listen to it again.

Want to be Loved 7/10
- This is an ok tune but not a repeater, and kind of a letdown right at the beginning of the record.

Welcome to whatever you are 7/10
- Decent continuation after the last track but still shallow waters and weak.

Who says.... 8/10
- So, this isn't bad as a song or an idea and I rate both versions the same. It's a decent tune and I obviously prefer the track 4 version because I am no fan of pop-country. The issue I have is that its success with the Nashville crowd gave them the idea to make an awful album next. Lost Highway is a war crime.

Last Man Standing 9/10
- I am not sure if I prefer this or the boxset version, but I think here, on this album, this version is needed because the past few tracks were not all that great, and the next few tracks are mind-numbing.

Bells of Freedom 4/10
- One of all-time low points from Jovi for me. Unfortunately, most other songs that I scored a 4 or even lower came from Bounce and all the records that came after HAND.

Wildflower 5/10
- Skip

Last cigarette 6/10
- Skip

I Am 9/10
- Probably my favorite track and their best ballad on this record.

Complicated 6/10
- I always think of Avril Lavigne here. I think they used some of the same rhymes she did.

Novocaine 6/10
- I had to listen to this just to remember it.

Story of my Life 7/10
- Not a bad song for ending the record but too little too late.

Who says (country) 8/10
- See above at no. 4

Overall, it's a 6.92/10 for me, ranks 9th out of 16 records right behind Forever and 7800 for me. Forever doesn't have as weak of filler tracks as HAND, and 7800 didn't have a ton of fillers dragging it down in the first place.

HAND was the first album for me as a fan, thus it has a special place. However, already then album for me was so commercial sounding and tiresome on ears (later only did I understood it's due to "loudness wars"), I remember when my brother asked me how can I listen to that overproduced crap while Complicated was playing, and I basically agreed on the spot.

But something magical about Bon Jovi obviously persisted beyond the album as such. And I guess that emotion stayed until now: mix of some unexplainable magic with always present disappointment of every new release.

With the exception of title track, this album also started Shanks' style of guitar production, where almost every instrument tends to be mushed together in some kind of background white noise behind Jon's vocals that was I think source of most of my frustration with his production.

Though from today's perspective, I can almost appreciate the try-hard aspect, it was the last time that Jovi tried to conform to the teens of the day (and basically succeeded with me I guess).I still remember how every one of my friends wanted to listen to new Bon Jovi single (HAND) on iPod that my cousin brought that summer with her

I'm a fan since Keep the faith came out, I was 15 back then. Saying this, my favourite albums are SWW, NJ, KTF and TD. Have a nice day is the best of the rest together with Crush. HAND is album I can listen without skipping any song and the 4 bonus tracks that didn't make the album are excellent, Dirty little secret being one of their songs of the "new" post TD-era.
My favourite songs on the album are Bells of freedom, I am, Have a nice day, Welcome, Story of my life and Complicated. I also like Who says, which was cool live.
I would give the album 7.5 or 8 out of 10.

1. Have A Nice Day - 9/10
2. I Want To Be Loved - 6/10
3. Welcome To Wherever You Are - 7/10
4. Who Says You Can't Go Home - 7/10
5. Last Man Standing - 7/10
6. Bells Of Freedom - 7/10
7. Wildflower - 5/10
8. Last Cigarette - 7/10
9. I Am - 9/10
10. Complicated - 5/10
11. Novocaine - 7/10
12. Story Of My Life - 8/10
13. Dirty Little Secret - 9/10
14. Unbreakable - 7/10
15. These Open Arms - 7/10

Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk