The Problem With 'This Left....' Is...... (minor spoiler)

The expectation of the fans waiting for it. Already I can sense the band are in a no win situation. They are going to include, what, 10 songs. Then 2 new ones and then some covers. So, out of all the songs they have ever recorded they have to pick 10.

And then there is the record company. Can you imagine the look on the faces of the suits if Jon walked in and said he wanted to re-do stuff like 'Blame it on the Love' or 'Hearts Breakin Even' or 'If I Was Your Mother'. No dice. So they HAVE to include 'the hits', even though the general hardcore fan who owns all that they do, seen them live x times, has bootlegs etc does not want to hear the hits.

So, we are all going to snipe, me included, because 'Dry County' is overlooked again, because we've always loved 'Wild is the Wind' but it rarely gets played, because 'Stay' was the best ballad they've recorded since 'Always' and that didn't even make an album!!!

Looking through all the posts just now there seems to be consensus that the following songs should be in (not the ones we know are there, the hits etc)

1. Something to Believe In
2. These Days
3. Dry County
4. In These Arms
5. Wild is the Wind
6. Blame it On the Love (a few have mentioned this)
7. Hearts Breakin Even

Paradoxically just by having these discussions we are transferring our unreal expectations onto the band and putting pressure on them to fulfill them.

IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN - we might as well stop speculating about which of our favourite songs stands a 1 in 1000 chance of making it. It's gonna be the hits with the odd surprise and cover. I wish they would ditch the covers idea to be honest and put on more of their own songs, but again, it aint gonna happen. Putting covers on is a good marketing ploy to get fans who think 'Well, I own the albums, what do I need this one for?'

I'm as guilty of this as anyone. Just read the German post that says 'Misunderstood' is gonna be on it and groaned!!!!! Read that 'Always', 'These Days' and 'Something to Believe In' are gonna be on it and cheered (but then thought, well, if they love these songs so much, why do they rarely play them live anymore!!!)

We are all making snap and rash decisons based on what we want as hardcore fans. It's only gonna disappoint us, after all, Bon Jovi are hardly risk takers in their choice of songs for live shows, why should they take risks on this.

I for one am not going to look at anymore speculation, just gonna buy it and see. That way, I think I might like it better!

Agreed! Esp the last paragraph

I think you're right about the expectations and the hit factor. In the end, it wouldn't matter what they did, they'd never please everyone. Sometimes it seems they don't fully please anyone.

I'm looking forward to the CD because it sounds like they're really doing some different takes on songs--BTBMB as a waltz, for instance. I already enjoy so many types of music that it's going to be great for me to hear my favorite band branch out. I like waltzes. I have a record of them that I spin every once in a while, so it's going to be really really intereresting to hear Bon Jovi's take on a waltz. I like diversity. I'm sure the people waiting for SWW part 11 will be sorely disappointed once again.

At the end of the day, if the band is happy, that's all they can really worry about. They have to please themselves and if people like it, great. If not, it's not going to cost them their recording contract.

Becky

Some very good points, James

I usually try to avoid speculating and commenting, altho I sometimes can't help but do that. For me, part (most? )of the excitement of a new album is no more there, simply because the information is so readily available. Also because there's a lot of time between official announcements and the actual release, the speculation and anticipation and (over)analysis inbetween just kills the "freshness" of the album - it's almost like I'm supposed to be disappointed with the album even before I've even heard it. Also the surprise element is in a way dead before it could even be born... I mean that if there are a few surprise/rare songs, people are gonna say it's only right and there should be more. If there aren't any, it's the same old discussion about why BJ won't take risks or include some rarities/surprises/whatever. Also, to me it seems like the two new songs don't even have enough space to breathe before they're suffocated with all the negativity/analysis/discussion...

It's only understandable that we all are excited about the album and want to discuss it, and want to weigh all the different possibilities etc... But to me personally that takes a lot of the aforementioned "freshness" away from the album.

I don't know if I can do it for real, but I'd like to keep away from most speculation/information about the new album (I haven't read most posts on it anyways, including the official and semi-official information). I'm trying to get back that feeling I used to have when buying a new BJ cd - being excited when it's finally in my hands, not knowing exactly what to expect or how I should feel about it even before having had a listen... And then listening to it for a few times before starting to form an opinion on it.

Just a quick note having just read Becky's comment... Before this I didn't even know that there is gonna be a waltz version of BTBMB - just goes to show how much I've followed the discussion it seems. But this is the sort of thing I'd like to just know the moment I hear the album for the first time, not weeks beforehand. I suppose those days are gone when surprises are really just surprises.

I think I should do what Paul did with the setlists... Keep away from the board until the album comes out. It was so great watching him on tour, not knowing what to expect setlistwise And then knowing that he was genuinely surprised and happy about the setlist, when everybody else were just weary. This is the sort of thing I'd like to experience. On that same token, I know I won't keep away and I know I'll hear these "spoilers" since I'm so curious I'll check some posts anyway.

Sorry

Sorry I mentioned that! Jon had mentioned that in an interview that was posted a while back, so I didn't think it would be a "spoiler" to mention it.

Becky

It's ok Becky, I didn't mean it that way. I don't mind too much if I read this sort of thing, I know that whenever I read a thread on this there might be somethings I haven't heard before. I hadn't read that Jon interview before, I knew there was a waltz version, just didn't know which song it was.

i remember i managed to avoid everything about the band other than release dates from june 2001 to September/October 2002... if not January 2003. When I bought Bounce all i knew of were the songs from SBE, and i was honestly pleasantly surprised because the songs they played there were the better ones from the album generally.

This time it's not a surprise so much anyway since but for 2 songs we've heard the rest anyway, but i'll still keep an open mind. I have opinions already, but I'll always listen before i let them turn concrete

Some good points... I know Wanted and BTBMB will be on it, I doubt Bad Name, and I haven't heard anything about Prayer.

But I AM excited about hearing It's My Life. It will be very interesting to hear that song done acoustically.

And remember what Jon said... "we initially wanted to do just an acoustic album. But when we got in the studio, we started experimenting and now the result is totally different"- something like that. Even if you are expecting a lot of rare songs, you STILL might be surprised!!