When was the last time you were excited for a Bon Jovi album?

I was soooo looking forward to These Days. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations and after that I really lowered them for all the albums which followed. And it was nice when a couple of them (Bounce and The Circle) surprised me in a positive way.

I found Have a Nice Day somewhat satisfying when I was first released. I felt the title track along with a few others really answered my prayers at the time with what I really wanted from this band. I played it regularly for a good year after it was released. "Have a Nice Day", "I Want to be Loved" and "I Am" I couldn't get enough of, but I find I care a lot less for it now in revisiting the album in recent years.

Yet when Lost Highway was in the works, my anticipation went flacid. Weather it was the country/Nashville ingredient that put me off at the time, I don't know. I still sought after snippets, which up until then still gave me somewhat of a buzz and the final album still had a handful of songs that I liked, but as a whole it was a bit boring.

The Circle was the same, though the only hint of excitement was from wondering what the band would produce without the Nashville twang. And again, some good songs but whilst it's a notch above Lost Highway, it's still largley forgettable for me.

What About Now held almost no excitement at all before, during and afterward. After hearing the studio rehearsal clip of the title track, I thought there's really nothing to hope for now. Forget praying for another hard rock guitar driven stadium playing album, I'd be lucky to hear just one or two decent songs at all. I quite liked "I'm With You" but that's about it.

I was excited for WAN and disappointed again, the last album that lived up to my own hype for it was Lost Highway which, seemingly controversially I actually loved. More than HAND at first - HAND as an album was a grower. The Circle had a few good songs but was too U2 for me.

Have a Nice Day was the last album I expected with great emotion. Looked a back to rock, and they had a new producer ... obviously was not great rock, but at least it was a breath of fresh air.

I was excited for What About Now, and I will be excited about any other album they release. Unless its a country album.

The last album I was excited about was The Circle. I wasn't excited about Lost Highway because of the country twang... I just saw it as a one-off project as opposed to a true new Bon Jovi album. So when it came time for the The Circle, I was really anticipating it.

By contrast, I wasn't that excited about What About Now because it was just too soon. The whole thing.. album and tour was just too damn soon.

If they ever do another album, I'll get excited if they drop Shanks and move on to someone else that can freshen things up.

Yup - you pretty much summed it up perfectly. WAN was too soon but I was excited for The Circle (and I still love it). I tried to like Lost Highway but over time I just couldn't. So 2010 was the last bit of real excitement for me. I would like for there to be more in the future.

I was excited for The Circle too.



Until I listened to it.

Have A Nice Day. Easily my favorite album they did since KTF.

The Circle surprised me, though.

My god - it breathes.