Ok. we can tell our opinion about all stuff we can listen so far. Some songs looks that they are not complete and all are not mixed. Of course some of them probably won't be on official Richie album but thats no matter. Let's say we discuss officiall unrelased songs/demos.
Vote 1-6
01.Nowadays - 6/6 - Verses are in Brit Pop & Foo Fighters style and chorus is very MSPreachers style (PFTYman or SATTiger). I like it very much. This is very powerfull song. I can see this as a single. I would like to Hear Jon on this one.
02.Every Road Leads Home To You - 6/6 - I love it from first time I heard it. Very Bon Jovi style of song. Reminds me AODay type of song. Richie should give this one for Jon and record as a band.
03.Sugar Daddy - 1.5/6 - I don;t like it. Voice effect make that I listen it to the end. It looks like it will sound like WGIGOn but for me WGIGOn has 5.5/6 so I see BIG differences
04.Wheathering The Storm - 2/6 - Verses are too slow. Chorus start really strong but after it change into style I don't like. Little borring. Boring.
05.Learning How To Fly (Broken Wing) - 4.5/6 - Yes it's very ARTBelieve and Alive song. I want to listen it as a finished song. Great rocker but not as good as ARTBelieve. Great guitar work in solo.
06.Takin A Chance On The Wind - 1.5/6 - Little country/cowboy/bluesy song. Too slow for me. I don't like too much thats kind of songs. Boring, boring, boring.
07.7 Years Gone - 5.5/6 - At start it sound like Willing To Try kind of song. I love chorus. And I love how Richie sing "shadow burns too bright shattered silence in the night". I don't like chcnge music and more guitar in the middle of the song. I like solo it's like solo from Everyday but much longer.
08.Burn The Candle Down - 5/6 - Start of song remind me Beatles. Chorus is very powerfull. I like effects on thats song. I like solo at the end of the song.
09.Forgiveness Street - 3.5/6 - Slow ballad. It's She's A Mystery kind of song (but more dramatic) for me. I like it but nothing more.
10.Backseat Driver - 5.5/6 - This one is best kind of song for Richie voice from this album. I don't like too much verses but chorus is brilliant! and final solo is masterpieces. Reading what Supersonic said it lookslike this one won't be on final album. I would like see it on finall cd because it's great song. It's remind me BJ songs like I'LLSWIDead or BIOTLORNR but it's much better from that 2 which I really hate.
11.World - 2.5/6 - Soft. Sounds like The Beatles. I don't like lyrics. Worst from all of them.
12.You Can Only Get So High - 6/6- start like Moby song - Wait For Me (little slower). I love emotional verses and amazing chorus. "You can only get" part remind me part from Take Me on ( "If you want really love"). It was annoying from first some listenings. But part when Richie singing "siingin same old story" is best verse part from any song from this album. Beside OLBurning or FTime it's his best ballad.
14.Walk Beside You Ruff - 6/6 - it don't sound like unfinished song for me. I love it in that version. Final chorus is really amazing.
So as you can see some of this songs are really great. Maybe not as good as BJ songs (before Crush and after- btw I don't see rason to part their music before and past Crush) but I don't really have too much expectation from Richie and make something better that I think it can be. I probably buy this album. For now I have only Stranger from Richie on vinyl.
Positives: Great songs. Gret melody on some of them, great effects, very modern, fantastic guitar work of some of them. Some of them are really fresh.
Netgatives: I'm not Richie voice fan and some of these songs would be greater for me if Jon would sing them. Richie best fit in songs like Wheathering the storm or Takin A Chance which I really don't like.
Songs which MUST be on official album: Nowadays, ERLHTYou, LHTFly, 7 YGone, BTCDown, Backseat Driver, YCOGSHigh, WBYR.
Songs which I don't really care and I wouldn't choose them on final album: SDaddy, Wheathering The Storm, Takin A Chance On The Wind, FStreet,
Songs which I wanted to hear by Jon and band: Nowadays, ERLHTY, LHTFly, 7 YGone, BTCDown, YCOGSHigh and WBYR.
It's Better Than others albums? It can be better than USoul but not as good as a Stranger. I will wait for final version.
It's better than BJ post 2000 album?? No. Not even close. Some songs are great but BJ songs like I Am, DLSecret, AODay, WLOAL, IML or STonight are masterpieces for me from music, meldoy, lyrics and Jon's voice. I can't said it about Richie work.
Overall: 4.3/6
If Richie will choose best songs for me from it it can have strong 5.5/6 . It's vote looking only on Richie stuff because compare it to for excample Circle his 5.5 = 4. AOTLowdown - 4 / Circle - 5.5
I would like to hear Jons solo than Richie but Richie made some really great work. I hope he always make some great song with Jon on their BJ album