[liljovi93]

Originally Posted by KeepTheFaith2211

You see, I'm undecided.

I liked the album at first, even though I was disappointed with it. There are some songs I like: I Love This Town, The Last Night, One Step Closer, Seat Next To You, Lost Highway and Whole Lot Of Leavin'. However, songs like Strangers, Lonely, Summertime I just don't like. I'm in the middle with this album.

You said you liked Strangers the other day.

[KeepTheFaith2211]

Originally Posted by liljovi93

You said you liked Strangers the other day.

I did at first. Sorry for the confusion.

[bj54]

I've always liked the album and like that BJ tries to do different stuff. They don't do the same music over and over like other bands. That's why they're still here 25 years later and still filling stadiums. I love all their music and never get tired of it. Everyone's a critic, but they can't write songs like that or make millions like BJ can. I only wish I could.

[Captain Walrus]

Yeah, it ain't really a country album, and the whole Nashville concept was an interesting one executed rather lazily ... how many songs on the album have intros that sound near exactly the same? By my count it's over half. Actually some of the most interesting songs on there are ones that genuinely do sound a bit country, such as Whole Lot Of Leaving or Walk Like A Man.

Like the rest of BJ's post - 2000 stuff, there's enough songs I like (and in some cases really like) on there for me to call it a good album in the grand cheme of things, but nowhere near the standard of the Big 4. I'm glad the guitar solos seem to be making a return though ... gives me hope for the next album, although I'm not gonna hold my breath.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by The Walrus

but nowhere near the standard of the Big 4.

I would make it the Big 5, I adore "Crush", but that's another story. Anyway, '"Lost Highway". I agree that it's not really a country album and cannot be judged therefore. It is more like a Jon & Richie project to me, it doesn't have the feel of a proper BJ album. And the songwriting is somehow skin-deep and shallow. They praised it as their artistical move to express their feelings after losses and break ups. But in fact, the lyrics are just plain and simple, the music as well. See a song like "Summertime". Is that mature? It sounds like a step backwards to me. Like "The Last Night" - so nice. And that is the band that wrote "Wanted" you might ask. Sounds like standard songwriter stuff.
The whole album has that lack of effort, it sounds like Jon & Richie threw some chords together, wrote some quick lines on the back of a hotel bill (not in a way it went with "Bed Of Roses") and made Tico and Dave play along.

But you know what? I like it. It's still fresh and good. It's not the big rock or whatever album I was hoping for, it's not as diverse as HAND, but not trying at the same time. Criticism or not, it sounds like a band just doing what they want to do. Not giving a shit about the critics. That's what makes it great, the self esteem. HAND was trying to hard to be something it could not be.

LH has great songs, sure. There's nothing I dislike, except for "Strangers". It might be good, but I can stand it only in a few situations. "Lost Highway" or "Make A Memory" therefore are classics for me, just like IML or HAND, while it has some damn good album tracks like "Whole Lot Of Leaving" or "Any Other Day". And then tracks like "Everybody's Broken" or "One Step Closer"... here it becomes obvious what I said in the first paragraph. The attempt is there to write some deep songs and not only do some be happy-pop stuff, but it fails halfway through lyrically and musically. But in the end, I still like the songs. I don't know why, I like LH and sometimes I prefer it over HAND.

For the next album I want a more rocklike bandfeel, yeah, I wanna hear a band playing again, not two songwriters and their buddies. That's what this is like, two guys taking an easy job. But it's good in some way. I enjoy it at least. And that's the most important criteria in the end.

But why oh why is "Lonely" not on the album? Just like "Postcards" wasn't on "Bounce"... I'll never understand those decisions. But then, wouldn't a perfect album be boring?

[Panda]

When people say im contradicting there opinion about saying "Lost Highway: lost cause" is a bad signature, im saying absolutely that because its not a lost cause. they gained thousonds of new fans from it...... and yes, lost thousonds. but it wasn't a lost cause.....

[Supersonic]

Aloha !

Originally Posted by Bang A Drum

When people say im contradicting there opinion about saying "Lost Highway: lost cause" is a bad signature, im saying absolutely that because its not a lost cause. they gained thousonds of new fans from it...... and yes, lost thousonds. but it wasn't a lost cause.....

They didn't gain any fans with that album. None whatsoever. If they'd gained any fans with it they would've sold more tickets on this tour than on the previous, which they obviously didn't. None of the shows in Europe were sold out and none of the Prudential shows were sold out either, no matter how hard the band tries to claim they were. Bon Jovi managed to get an average of roughly 45.000 people to a concert in 2006 and went to an average of roughly 35.000 in 2008. If the album was really such a success you're trying to make it look, what concerts did all those thousands of fans they gained go to?

And yes, making a country-rock album because country-rock is hot at the moment is a lost cause. You'll end up making an album that'll never gets you anywhere apart from being flamed by your fans and being flamed by the press. Just look at how the tour started. It was supposed to be a Nashville influenced tour but the violin stuff soon enough disappeared to the back of the mix because nobody really liked it. Again, lost cause.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

[Ferret]

So much for all the blind fans you talked about, eh?

[KeepTheFaith2211]

Originally Posted by born_to_run

They lost the die hards like me and won the housewives!

Good.

Anyway, so what if the album wasn't as good as it should have been? They have a chance to make up for that with this next album.

[KeepTheFaith2211]

Originally Posted by born_to_run

Still most of the guys on here gave the tour a rave review. I consider the LH tour the worst BJ tour ever! Worst CD and worst tour!

Worst CD - Your own opinion.

Worst tour - Absolutely not! Great performances, shows that weren't predictable, Jon's voice in great condition etc.