Originally Posted by Faceman

That's an interesting discussion about making Stranger II or Slippery II. That discussion is nothing new, we're having it for at least 20 years - I'd even go that far to say it's there right after Slippery went through the roof.
Before the release of 2020 we discussed the same while guessing which direction the band will take with the new record and if there's still one hit left in Jon.
Especially with the discussion whether Jon has one more hit in his pen - and I think one can very well transfer it to writing a great album again - I was thinking if it's even possible for a band that's been that long around like Bon Jovi are, to have another song or another record that satifies the fans' desire for another Slippery (or in Richie's case another Stranger).
To start with my personal answer right away: I don't think so! It's impossible.
If you look at those bands that are as long around as Bon Jovi are (or even longer)...The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce, ACDC...all of their hits, all of their hit records are the old ones. When you go to a Stones show I never heard anyone saying "A Bigger Bang was such a masterpiece, I hope they're playing Sweet Neo Con" or going to Bruce saying "Gee, Wrecking Ball is awesome, I hope he's doing the full album." That doesn't happen. The old bands are having hit records because they have the fanbase, they have a fanbase hoping for a new classic, they have the reputation so casuals buy their records and they have the quality which makes their albums good enough to give them a listen and that are not bad enough to be that disappointed to never return again (at least for the most part of the listeners).
I think everyone hopes that their favourite band accomplishes to rewrite that one big record again. But due to that hope it isn't even possible for the band to do so. We want another Slippery or another New Jersey or another Keep The Faith or another These Days. But the album isn't allowed to be a copy of those records, the songs aren't allowed to sound the same as those old songs, the lyrics aren't allowed to be the same as on those records. So I'm wondering: How has a new 2021-Slippery, a 2021-Born To Run, a 2021-Sticky Fingers or a 2021-Back in Black have to sound to make it through the fans' quality management? I don't know. With Keep The Faith and These Days the band lost a lot of die-hards that loved Slippery and New Jersey. The fans that were gained with Crush love both periods. People come, people go.
How can one of those old bands have another hit which is on the same level as Prayer, as Satisfaction, as Highway To Hell or as Dancing In The Dark?
With Blood In The Water we got a song that was highly praised. But soon after came the first comments saying "it's the similiar melody to Dry County which makes it so likeable, despite that it's the same mediocre song like the last 20 years."
So I think it isn't a coincidence that all the big hit singles of those old bands are from a long time ago. Of course every once in a while one of those new singles made it to the top. The Stones most recently made it with Ghost Town. But I think we all agree that this song never will be considered playing in the same league as Satisfaction, Jumpin' Jack Flash or Brown Sugar do.

So I think it's the natural run of time. You hit it big, you have those big records. If you're lucky you even have those big hits and big records for a certain period of time. But the longer you stay, the harder it gets to repeat those records which made you that big. Failing is inevitable because you can't repeat such special things. It's like having the first date with the love of your life in your favourite amusement park. It's the most beautiful day in your life. And everytime you come back with her to that park you want to make it that special again. But it never will be the same feeling again. Because times change, situation change, people change, moments change, memories change. It is what it is.