The Circle Vs Have A Nice Day

Definitely 'Have A Nice Day' - it's 1 of my favorite Bon Jovi albums.

Just for Shits & Giggles...

Have A Nice Day 10/10
I Want To Be Loved 8/10
Welcome To Wherever You Are 10/10
Who Says You Can't Go Home 8/10
Last Man Standing 10/10
Bells of Freedom 7/10
Wild Flower 6/10
Last Cigarette 9/10
I Am 9/10
Complicated 5/10
Novocaine 10/10
Story Of My Life 9/10
101/120 = 84%

We Weren't Born To Follow 7/10
When We Were Beautiful 9/10
Work for the Working Man 6/10
Superman Tonight 10/10
Bullet 8/10
Thorn In My Side 8/10
Live Before You Die 5/10
Broken Promise Land 9/10
Love's The Only Rule 10/10
Fast Cars 6/10
Happy Now 7/10
Learn To Love 9/10
94/120 = 78%

So it was closed than i thought... o well - lol

HAND is an easy winner IMO. Brilliant album. I can listen to it over and over and not get sick of it. The Circle sucks in comparison, IMO.

For me HAND was just so average and it comes 2nd to Crush as the album I dislike the most.
I dislike 6 of the first 8 songs (last man standing & HAND I like)
It also cotains the Bon Jovi song I detest with a passion - WSYCGH
I reckon this is the song that made fans who were unsure of the band say "yes I now hate this band!"

The album picks up towards the end but the best songs are the bonus songs Unbreakable, Dirty Little Secret and These Open Arms.

I really really like the Circle apart from Bullett.

I think there has been far too much analyzing with the new album. Play it and enjoy it. If you dont like it dont play it - but for me its the best album since These Days.

HAND for me. I just love that album, though when it came out I damned it as a pop album with poor songwriting and poor playing (somple chords, just a few, tiniy solos etc.). But it grew on me over the years, and this summer I've been listening to it over and over, and it "clicked" more than ever. I even enjoy "Welcome To Wherever You Are" (with the worst BJ lyrics ever) and "Who Says You Can't Go Home" - I'm sick of it live, but the album version is fun.

HAND might not be the best of all albums, and my favourite of the 2000s is still CRUSH, but I listen to HAND the most. It has a soothing warm sound - while The Circle has a rather cold, soulless production - and the songs might be simple and short, but somewhat to the point. A few of them stand out as personal favourites, "I Want To Be Loved" or "Last Man Standing" are cool rockers with good lyrics, and "Novocaine" is simply one of their best songs of the decade for me. And "Complicated"... well, I love to sing along to it and I'd love to hear it live. I know, I know, it's a IML-clone, and I dislike it for that, but then on the other hand it has those great lyrics that just get me everytime. It's like the lyrics are written about me...

Anyway, I'll try a rating now:

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

--> 79%

The Circle

1. We Weren't Born To Follow: 6/10
2. When We Were Beautiful: 7/10
3. Work For The Working Man: 8/10
4. Superman Tonight: 7/10
5. Bullet: 8/10
6. Thorn In My Side: 8/10
7. Live Before You Die: 4/10
8. Brokenpromiseland: 8/10
9. Love's The Only Rule: 8/10
10. Fast Cars: 6/10
11. Happy Now: 8/10
12. Learn To Love: 7/10

--> 64 %
So it's quite obvious that I prefer HAND over The Circle anytime. But of course, TC has the possibility to grow. A few months after the release of HAND my rating would've looked quite different...

In the first place, there was a lot of enthusiasm towards the Circle on this board but recently there seems to be a contest of who hates the new album most

I said this back in November and I still think the same way: The Circle is one of the best BJ albums ever, it´s in the top 3 for me. The honeymoon phase came and went and nothing has really changed. I still listen to it on a daily basis. For me it´s NJ, TD, TC, in no particular order.

Have A Nice Day is ok, nothing more. The first time I heard that album I was somewhat disappointed. During these few years, it has grown on me to some extent and I´ve learned to like it. I think the title track is awesome. As an album though, I don´t rank it very high.

I will love HAND until the day I die but The Circle wins pretty easily for me.

Ah, now someone mentioned bonus tracks, If I rated those with the rest of HAND I see how I might prefer it.

Dirty Little Secret 9/10
Unbreakable 8/10
Nothing 8/10
These Open Arms 7/10

If I add those ratings to my current HAND rating of 79/120 you get 111/160 which gives HAND a new percentage of about 70%, the same rating I gave the circle. Depends if you consider bonus tracks or not.

Of Course HAND is better. It's their most underrated album. I love lyrics, vocals and melodics. With NJ this is their best album of all time.

Circle is also good but have some average songs.


1. "Have a Nice Day" 9/10
2. "I Want to be Loved" 10/10 (lyrics!!)
3. "Welcome to Wherever You Are" 10/10
4. "Who Says You Can't Go Home" 10/10
5. "Last Man Standing" 9/10
6. "Bells of Freedom" 9/10
7. "Wildflower" 9/10
8. "Last Cigarette" 10/10
9. "I Am" 11/10
10. "Complicated" 10/10
11. "Novocaine" 8/10
12. "Story of My Life" 10/10
(+ DLS 11/10)
Overall score: 115/120 (without DLS) = 96%

As for my current Circle song ratings (a noticable drop from when they first came out):

1. "We Weren't Born to Follow" 9/10
2. "When We Were Beautiful" 7/10
3. "Work for the Working Man" 9/10
4. "Superman Tonight" 11/10
5. "Bullet" 8/10
6. "Thorn in My Side" 9/10
7. "Live Before You Die" 5/10
8. "Brokenpromiseland" 10/10
9. "Love's the Only Rule" 11/10
10. "Fast Cars" 7/10
11. "Happy Now" 10/10
12. "Learn to Love" 6/10

Overall Score: 102/120 = 85%

I can't seem to find my review for HAND so I can't give a score. I definately remember doing one, and I'm sure HAND would come out on top. Not that it's a great album, but I definately think it's got more power, passion and meaning that The Circle has. Some shite songs like Complicated and Bells of Freedom, etc but some very good ones like I Am and Novacaine.

Have A Nice Day
When We Were Beautiful
Work For The Working Man
Superman Tonight
Last Man Standing
Bells Of Freedom
Live Before You Die
Brokenpromiseland
Love's The Only Rule
Complicated
Novocaine
Learn To Love

Choosing between Bells Of Freedom and Thorn In My Side was difficult as was the choice between I Am and Love's The Only Rule. Those two will flip-flop depending on my mood.