New shows (promo?)

They were favorable towards it, though, and I'm looking forward to it. The album sounds very balanced in terms of the material and styles.

For those of you keeping track, I just updated that link to include better versions of:

New Years Day, This House Is Not For Sale, & The Devils In The Temple which sounds absolutely amazing...

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I've had a massively busy weekend so just got round to listening now...

- How good is that ending of THINFS? I loved it. Glad they added decent guitar work for the live version.

- Living with a Ghost. Sounds like a mash of something from What About Now and Crush eras. Sounds like a decent song. Very typical Jovi. Enjoyable. I quite like this one.

- Knockout has to be one of the worst songs by the band in terms of production on the album. Thankfully it works well live and Dave and the guys really support Jon's voice so well with their backing vocals. Sounds good!

- Jon's vocals on the verses for Labor of Love are so well suited. I guess these are the type of songs that fit his range now. I like Labor of Love, but I can see it being the toilet break song of a show. Similar to Amen where you can hear more people talking in the crowd than the song itself.

- ...if you were BORN AGAIN TOMORROOWWWWW! This sounds like one of the best. I was actually taken back a bit by that intro. I'm loving this one. And again, the backing vocals with Jon's lead actually sounds pretty dam good. If this is what they sound like minus Richie and Bobby, but with Shanks, Everitt and Phil X then I'm ok with that. They sound great. Though if Richie was there it would take it up a notch even further I reckon. I still miss that man.

- Roller Coaster. This is a fun one! Though I do hate that "rollllerrrcooassteerrr-errr" bit. Sounds a little lame to me. And when the chorus kicked in, I immediately started singing Modern Love by Bowie Overall though, I dig this one.

- I really like the story behind the recording of New Year's Day, and I love how it made the album become a real "band record". As for the song itself, it's a nice one. Probably on par with THINFS imo. Nothing great, but enjoyable enough.

- "How we doing so far, ok?"

- This one is a rocker. Devil's in the Temple. I like the heaviness of it. It's definitely not a melody-driven song like many of the other tracks, thus I think I'll need to listen to it a few times to really appreciate it. What I do like from first listen though is the keys in the chorus. Really adds to the atmosphere of the song.

- Scars on this Guitar is the first song I don't instantly like. I'm sure it will grow on me but it's, so far, my least favourite track. It reminds me of one of the slower filler songs from Bounce. I hope it doesn't become a set list staple. It ain't bad, but to me it sounds like a filler... a filler with thought, if that makes sense.

- No wonder God Bless this Mess was initially scheduled to be a single. It sounds like a typical Jovi single from the past few years. The lyrics, the sound, the structure. It's modern Jovi that we've come to love/hate. It's not bad. It's not great.

- Reunion has a fun chorus. It's better than the preview we got at the graduation, but it still falls a little short for me. It does sound like WLOL part 2, so maybe that's why I'm being critical of it (cos I freakin love WLOL). At the very end of the song in my head I started singing "I close my eyes, and picture your hand in miiii-iiinnee" lol. It's a sweet song, but not a standout.

- "How we doing so far, alright?"

- Not since The Distance/Love Me Back to Life have two Jovi songs sounded so alike. Real Love is a replicate of Blind Love. Maybe that's why it's a bonus track? It's nice to listen to.

- Oh look, it's a guitar solo. All Hail the King ain't bad. Sounds like something from HAND and the main riff sounds a little like the main riff in Born to Run by the Boss. I don't mind that this one is a bonus track. Make what you will of that.

- Come on Up to Our House is pleasant. I liked it more as the song went on. It fits as an album closer. Wouldn't rate it amongst my favourite tracks of the album, but it's good enough.

Overall, I quite enjoyed it on first listen. The best thing about it all though is how enthusiastic and proud Jon seems and how the vibe of the band seems pretty high. I loved the love Jon showed for Tico and Dave. They seemed like they were having fun.

Jon's voice definitely seemed to get stronger as the show went on. It sounded thin at times but was definitely much better than what it was towards the end of the WAN tour. Having said that, none of these songs require long and high notes like a lot of their hits do, so we'll see how it all sounds once the tour kicks off.

Stand out tracks for me were Born Again Tomorrow, Roller Coaster and Living with a Ghost. These will probably change though as I listen to it more. Can't wait for the studio versions.

Massive thanks to the live broadcasters and those who edited tracks. Great stuff

Is there audio of We Don't Run?

You gotta give Devil a few chances.... This is a fantastic song... an album of this would be a dream come true... This is the type of song I can hear at a sports event and no one expecting it to be Bon Jovi

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After a few listens I also wanted to give my 2 cents to this here. But I will reserve final judgment until I heard the album, so this is going to be a bit shorter and simpler, with ratings just between 1 and 5, 5 being the highest ... at least I'm planning it this way

- New Year's Day: Overall sounds like That's What The Water Made Me part 2 for me, but fairly enough differently, and I'm completely alright with it. Like that song - 4

- Come On Up to Our House - Decent album closer. Like the chorus, bridge, and the short but sweet guitar solo. The verses fall flat for me - 3

- Rollercoaster - Doesn't do much for me, I have to say (but glad you all are enjoying it! ) It reminds me of a mash-up of Bon Jovi sound with a faint hint of Bowie vibe in the verses and then J-pop songwriting in the chorus. Also a 3, but like Come On Up to Our House a bit better - 3

- Born Again Tomorrow - Hell yeah, so far the best track for me. Everything's just great on this song, and perfect for modern Bon Jovi. Melody, energy, vibe, guitar solo, has a bit of Dirty Little Secret imo. - 5

- Living With the Ghost - As Savvi said, typical post-2000 Bon Jovi, but very solid. Like the lyrics, the overall vibe and especially the build-up after the solo/bridge. - 4

- Scars on this Guitar - The best ballad on this album for me (compared to Labor of Love and Real Love), but nothing exceptional. Still a - 4

- Devil's in the Temple - Really appreciate the energy and the moody, dark vibe, the big sounding drums and guitars. Hope none of that is getting drowned by the prodoction, but after BB I have some hope again that Shanks will get this right. Can't decide what rating to give it, will have to listen to it a bit more, I guess - 4/5


"Honorable mentions" (Bonus tracks)

- Real Love - Blind Love part 2, doesn't do anything for me, though I like Blind Love.

- All Hail the King - Like this fairly much, fits the overall mood of the album, nicely done, but also nothing special. But I'm still glad that we'll get this as a bonus track


The band sounds very good on the new tracks, and Jon sounds better than on most of the old tracks. I think, if sold properly, the songs have a chance to please the crowd, so I hope they are playing more of this on the tour, instead of reducing the number to 3-4 again...
Plus, on a side note, I think Richie's backing vocals could have done a lot to some of those tracks. Good things, I mean.
I also was sceptical of Everett Bradley at first, but after seeing this show (on the internet), I think he would be a nice addition for the tour.
Furthermore, I'm now very curious about how the songs would/could have sounded with Phil recording the majority of the (lead) guitars, but I guess we will only get to know that on the next album - if there is one, which I hope.


Edit: Okay, heard Devil again, and also love the keyboard in the chorus. And now it's clearly a 5 for me

Also like the new Pearl-Jam-esque stage setup with Hugh in the front, and the guys also moving a bit on stage. Hoping for a more mobile Jon and further guitar battleing when they hit larger stages.

All the songs are in better version here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsm...KTJHOO9QDwrl8A

Odd how the reviewer (presumably not a jovi fan) thinks Scars on my GUITAR is about Jons wife. Clearly want listening to the story behind the songs!

I guess the "drop" talked about in one of the interviews is the switch from Born Again Tomorrow's first chorus into the second verse, right? And also can see where they get the EDM vibe from, with just the bass drum in the verses and the first chorus almost without a beat. Just hope it's Tico on the studio version and not some drum computer

Can't listen to any more of it...
And I'm not saying that like I'm excited, and want to hold off for the release of the album.