These Days Era or How Bon Jovi aren't the same anymore.

They keep on deleting most of the stuff I post lately. I already complained! The website owner is informed. Maybe we have some change soon as this has gotten ridiculous here. I ain't no backstager but surely it cant be worse there!

Erm, did that have any relevance to anything I said?

Aloha !

I partly agree with Bon Jovi having been at their peak in the 1995 Era, I do think that the These Days album is overrated on this board. Yes, I think it's a good album, but it's about as far away from the rock band people learned to love with Slippery and New Jersey as Crush is.

At this board, many people here loved the These Days album and therefore see the These Days Tour as the tour on which they peaked. However, when comparing a 1996 show to a European show from the 2006 tour, the 2006 show is a lot more uptempo than the shows in promotion of These Days, and has a lot more energy in it.

I'm sure I'd enjoy a 1996 show, but those shows are just a bit slow. Too many ballads, too many slow songs. Yes, all those songs are good and performed close to perfection, but again, it's not why I like Bon Jovi. I like them because of the uptempo songs, and some ballads are nice, but playing them all in one concert makes the concert itself a bit boring (just go to a Bryan Adams show and you'll get my point).

Dusseldorf 2006 really, really showed that Bon Jovi still knows how to do it. The very fact that there were a lot of shows in 2006 that ran close to 2,5 hours shows that Bon Jovi still can play those long shows. If only their song selection would be better, the shows would make the same impact as those shows in 1996. Yet, that'd still require a lot from Jon, since he's the main factor why this band doesn't rock out as much as they used to do. He can't deliver the things anymore a rock singer should deliver.

Bon Jovi didn't peak in 1996 because of the These Days album, Bon Jovi peaked in 1995 and 1996 because they had the right attitude. They were focussed on the music, and they'd put their soul into rock & roll. Nowadays Bon Jovi sometimes are on fire, like Dusseldorf 2006 and a few other shows every tour, but if Jon's not up for it, and just goes thru the motions, you get a show that's good, but lacks the depth and feeling you want to experience at a concert. And that's why they rarely peak nowadays.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Excellent comments Seb - I particularly like your last paragraph which is why I quoted it. I do like the These Days album but I have said the same thing about the These Days setlists.

I saw a pile of shows recently in Newark and it was just as Seb said. None of them were bad - even going through the motions they are still better than most. However there were several "who cares" type shows and then there were a few nights that reminded me why I am still a fan. When this band is on top of their game (and that falls mostly on Jon's shoulders) they can still put on a show that will blow you away.

i agree with seb and Kathleen here, spot on comments,

i think if we all look at Jovi now, we know they can put on a fantastic show if they are in the mood for it, which to be honest after nearly 25 years is something u have to respect. i just finished the musical "wicked" on a 3 week run and tho i loved every minute there were a few shows i just went through the motions and sometimes i really really went for it. there will be fantastic nights during this tour, like kathleen mentioned and Seb, shows like Dublin in 2001, pissing with rain but my god what a performence!!

yes bon jovi are going through the motions, with albums too, they are not doing them to thier full ability (but unlike these days, they have nothing left to prove anymore) doesnt mean they have lost the ability, thier next studio album good be thier best yet, depending on the mood Sambora and Jon are in.

the these days era as great as im sure it was (im 2 young to know) was maybe the equivlent to U2s Zoo tour, was fantastic, and they wont be able to pull that of again, but i have faith that this band is not a past it as u mite think (or hope). Lost Highway was a very good album for what it was aimed for, they nailed the country/rock crossover perfectly, a great album, i dont care if u see it as selling out, they never claimed that this wasnt going to make a country influenced album, you bought it known what it was, ant there fault u didnt read what was on the tin.

Jovi are on top form for what they are trying to achieve this time round. Maybe thier next studio album may be a harder rock album that will bring people back into the fold,

they are not the Jovi of the These days era but they are also not pretending to be, if you really hate it then stop listen to the new stuff, keep listening to the albums that you like, and wait to they go on a greatest hits tour!

i love these days, listening to it as i type (by 12 hes got a gun, the odds are bet against him that hell not make 21)and i prefer it to the new stuff which i am fond of! its not the same style of music, but nither was bat of hell 1 - bat 2, nor was Joshua Tree - how to dismantel, whats the story - to that latest oasis album, Born to run - Magic,

things change, direction changes, maybe the reason they are still going 25 years later is because they changed the music and in their minds stayd fresh, we have the choice not to stay fans of a band, to stop going to thier concerts but i see see more people going to them every concert, so they must be doing something right

if u want a band who stay the smae go for ac/dc, go for aerosmith ( they play their old stuff al the time, go for iron madien, go for motley crue. bands that i love but they are not pulling the crowds or shifting the albums or going on great shows like Jovi are doing, and do they have the same desire or in the mood to still do close to a 100 area and studium tours every 2 years are so? in the past 8 year we have had, crush tour, one wild night tour, bounce tour, have a nice day tour, lost highway tour, name another band who have done 5 tours in 8 years for 5 differnet albums? i dont think we can balme them for losing a bit of motivation!, thats werew the crowd and weather come in!


ok thats my rant over, granted its 3.30 in the morning and im back from a night out in a loud, alcohol cheap, nightclub, were i got dont stop me now, living on a prayer, sweet child o mine, dude looks like a lady, vertigo, its my life (jovi again) and read my mind all played one after the other, tho not in theat order, what a night!, feel free to pick away at my rant, does it make sense? lol

Yes, that's right. No one wants bon jovi doing the same things over and over again. We just hope GOOD SONGS from them like they used to do, not that CRAPPY country and that kind of record they have been recording for 7 years.

And you know what, i just hate that backstagers and that kind of person who loves everything the band does. It's annoying.

I'm keeping askin' myself: why Jon Bon Jovi did not release LH as a solo album? Maybe even i would enjoyed that. You know... in carrer solo you have freedom to do whatever you want, but as a band, people (fans) expect some things from them.


If Metallica (or whatever) decided to go country, their fans would still following their asses? I don't think so. And why all Bon Jovi fans is still there????

I just can't find a good explanation for that. It's obviouslly that their songs are not good as it used to be but they still have a growing fan base inside US.

because metallica have stuck to the same formula and do it well over and over, they do not get a new fan base, they keep thier old one which replaces the older generation, Jovi are diffferent.

they could have kept the same SWW formula and been half successful, kept the 80s fan base and maybe would ahve been able to get a new through the 90s and 00s, same as maybe AC/DC did. but Jon doesnt have the voice for it. they done these days and got a new fan base with new material that sparked thier 80s fanbase, got a new one from the 90s,

same as its my life and crush, got them a new generation while keeping the perivous 2, and now we have LH, thats again has brought them a brand new generation into the fold.

unlike metallica i dont expect more of the same from Jovi, i expect good rocking music from them, catchy songs that i will annoy my friends singing! for me i have MAM, any other day, stranger, ILTT, and others on LH that make me listen to it,

Bon Jovi can make any type of music they like, i wont mind as long as i likeit personally, and connect witht eh music, yes the older stuff my be better to some people, but i always have the old stuff in my MP3 to listen to if i get bord, and at the minute i like LH and i am looking forward to seeing them live in June.

I think most fans that are being honest with themselves that have been aroud pre-Crush would agree that the music produced in this decade dosen't really come close to anything from the 80's and 90's. There is definately something missing that made Bon Jovi great.

When it comes to the live experience, I believe Jon is still a great front-man and the band are as tight as ever. I just feel too often than not, Jon is happy to play it safe when it comes to the set-list and there are not enough 'magic-moments' that match up to the band in the mid-90's.

Bon Jovi have not reached a new fan-base since the Crush album! Lost Highway has so far sold less than any album in this decade, so it's a fantasy that have some-how 'cornered' the Country market!

Agree completely! AS I can clearly see there's a tendecy towards my opinion finally!