these days : the LAST true bj album

What happened to the freedom of opinion?

I think it's kinda funny that Jon spent years moaning about how people saw him as good-looking frontman, and he's desperately trying to get to that position again... The chest waxing was pretty desperate attempt, don't you agree? I mean, he went through all that pain just get a movie role?

Ice

True.

Ryan

bon jovi are going to have to make a big choice soon. they either keep finding new fans and losing old along the way or consolidate what they've got and respect that the reason we all like them is because they are a rock band through and through.

and krb, jon's shirt 'fell' open a lot before crush.

What's the point about These Days?

It's great. you play it and you say:"wow". It breaks your hard.
Some say:"Nah...boring, too many ballads."
I don't understand that at all....it's one of the mos "changing" Bj albums.

Hey God - hard rock...really really heavy guitar and drums, great vocal performance, amazing well done lyrics and probably the most agressive BJ song. it's unique. BJ haven't realesed after or before such a song but it's not a cheap copy like Hook Me Up for example where they tried to be heavy just because of linkin park fans that might listen to the album.And amazing 2 guitar solos. Live it's just one of the best moments of the shows it is played in. And EMA 1995 was the best BJ performance at any awrd show.

Something For The Pain...completly different style. great guitar riffs, great lyrics, great mood, great vocals, even better backin' vocals. Amazing arrangments . Just ****in' great song. i love it.

This Ain't A Love Song - the last real BJ ballad . What great guitar parts. What amazing vocals...you might think Jon yells in your eras. And very good drumming."Should have listened when you said good night!"

These Days - one of BJ's masterpieces. the lyrics are poetry. Great rythm changes and fantastic piano work. Great guitar solo and backing vocals. It's one of the songs you wish you wrote when you are a musician. Alone this song is 1000 times bettr than the whole BOUNCE album

Now there were 4 songs...i don't see any similarity between them but it does also seem you can't have the one without the other.

Lie To Me - very soft ballad. Amazing lyrics. good intrumental. Most important: IT'S NOT CHEESE like 100% of the ballads that followed

Damned - great heavy song. Amazing guitars. Some of the best. ****in brillinat drumming. One of the solo-s you think...."****, i'll never be that good" first time you hear it. SOme funky vibes that make the song unforgetable. Great message....or the way it's presented. Unbelivable good....one of the best hard rock songs that were written in the 90s

My Guitar Lise Bleeding In My Arms - that's my fave These Days song. Bj have never before written something like taht and Jon tried to do something similar on DA but he didn't manage. Absolutley brilliant. The lyrics: Poetry again! The music....i would call it a bit progressive but not in a typical way. It feels to me you would get the message withoput hearing the lyrics. When the guitar riff starts reapeating 24 times i think before the absolutely amazing solo,it just shows you how every idea has been used before and how long you have to search to have something good. And than it's ubelivable,you find what you were looking for. THE SOLO KICKS ASS. It's so heavy but it just ends as the song begins,mellow. than you think you lost evrything but the ANGER is there and the song becomes powerful again...ending with JON's best Studio scream.Tell me, what's better thn that?"Misery likes company...."

Letting Go - my all time fave ballad. The lyrics are simply a love poem. The guitar seems to miss but those 20 seconds in the end just make Mark Knopfler look old. And Jon's 2 voices combined with that "legendary" guitar sound...and ending with that deep note. It's a much more experimental song but what a great song....i could listen to it forever.
"But i made my last trip to those carnival lips where i bet all that i had on you!"

Now i talked about 8 songs. What is boring about this? You did never get such diversity on any BJ album but you didn't get such a UNITY on any BJ album that came before These Days

Hearts Breaking Even - great melody,nice lyrics good vocals. It goes a bit to Aerosmith but i wouldn't say it's a rip off. It has that BJ feeling. It's not my fave song but I like it. It's not a typical ballad but not a rock song either and it's not the type of Missundertood pop-rock. It's definetly a intresting part of the album.

Something to Believe In - Jon is doing the philosph a bit. The lyrics are weird. I'm not sure if i really understand them even i believe so but: WHAT HELL OF DRUMMING, WHAT GREAT BASS and what experimental GUITAR. It's a ****in' amazing song. One of my faves. Jon screams his ass out again . And it's the difference between the "moderate" beginning and the agressive end that make this song a masterpiece. i don't know any other band that wrote something similar. This song alone is more intresting than BOUNCE will ever be.I mean , it even has something of a bass solo.

If That's What It takes - i just love the drumming on this song. Whenever I hear it , i feel ,man.....Tico is great. He rocks. It's a kind of rock song...also a bit Aerosmith influenced but I love it. i think it's one of the most underrated songs BJ have. And it's so NOT bon jovi but on the other hand it's so much of Bon Jovi.

Diamond Ring - written in 1988, this is their only full acoustic song on an album. It's a great love song. "Diamond Ring, just put it on your hand..."

All I want Is Everything - what a hard rock song...just great. How much energy, how much power. You really feel Jon is angry. You think he'll smash your head if you meet him. And than he repeats "I want it" i don't know how many times... it gets so tensionated that you don't even know what is happening.The solo is just great and Jon's vocals kick your ass as like few times. One of my all time fave hard rock songs written by anybody. "I had enaugh of having nothing...i will take just evrything!"

Diamond Ring- after such a heavy song it's the perfect break you can take before starting it all over again with Hey God!




Ok...now i ask you one more time: WHAT IS BORRING ABOUT THIS RECORD?

It's no doubt the most diverse BJ album but on the other hand : IT' MORE OF AN ALBUM than any other BJ album was before or will ever be, except of New Jersey. These Days is a masterpiece. Thank God they realeased it.

And there is somethin else. I guess the tracklist is somehow more important than on any other album. It's a chosen tracklist, not just a throw-up of songs like BOUNCE.


Now this is why i consider THESE DAYS a masterpiece and my fave BJ album along with New Jersey!

great review devilsson, i can't wait to get my copy :P

These Days blows away anything I have in my collection. Including all U2 records I have. But...

There is one downside to These Days. In the US the record flopped really really bad. Really bad. I think it was too good for American taste.

Methinks that's the reason they turned away from TD paths.

i think it has a lot to do with this but also to do with them getting out of their 'dark period' that made the songwriting so meaningful.

Richie,

What dark period? The record was recorded in 1995. In 1994 they produced very successful Cross Road. Richie married Heather. Jon's first son was born. What dark period? Jon has repeatedly said that he was very happy when TD came out.

what do you mean with that???

there was something that did it! they've even said in retrospect that the album is very deep and dark. as i songwriter myself, that inspiration has to come from somewhere. maybe lack of faith in the world has something to do with it. watching concerts from that time, jon repeatedly makes references to 'stars being out of reach' and only hopless romantics believing. there was something, whether conscious or subconscious.