Bon Jovi "Fan Album": Burning Bridges- Out 21 Aug

Originally Posted by semigoodlookin

I think this is a really interesting album. Many are praising the songs so far, some not, but the general consensus seems to be that this collection is solid, better than WAN, and more towards what we expect and want.

I am trying to figure why that is and I think it is because for the most part they ditch the "socially conscience" pretext under which most Bon Jovi output has come with in recent years. Of course, while Bon Jovi flew under the banner of socially conscience since Bounce (HAND and LH also trod this line) it was with the circle and then WAN where Jon really started to see himself as a voice for the people.

Obviously, we know that is misguided on his part, but aside from that it really started to take away from the music. What Jon fails to get (or it seems that way) is that he spoke to people from the start, his and myriad co-songwriters lyrics and music spoke to a massive amount of people on all kinds of levels. Since he moved away from that and started attempting to deliver a deeper message on the human condition he lost the touch for just connecting with people through song. I am sure plenty who love WAN and The Circle will disagree, but I think Jon's social soapbox direction for the songs on those albums took away the core and heart of what his music always emoted.

Back to these new songs. While the social commentary is certainly not entirely absent, it is definitely less obvious than the majority of content on the last two full studio releases. I think this is the reason why most can say, "sure, these songs are not masterpieces, but I can get behind these, they speak to me".

These songs were written just for the sake of it, and are much more traditional Bon Jovi than those tracks with a social bent. There seems to be more honesty behind them (I am not saying they are honest), whereas the last two albums seemed utterly contrived and smacked of a guy trying too hard to be something his artistic output never was. Before wrapping up what is admittedly a long post, I want to clear up that some of what I have heard from Burning Bridges I hate, other things I love, but I think my general point applies regardless.

I find it interesting that these are a collection of songs that Jon did not want to release, he is obligated to do it and in the brief official news he has offered seems to be distancing himself from them. In other words, this album is unlikely to point a way forward and may actually be the last fleeting glimpse of the Bon Jovi I imagine most of us loved in the first place.

I hope I am wrong in that, but could the next album build on this or is this truly the closing of a chapter and we are really getting into what Jon really wants next year... more socially conscience records?

Originally Posted by ezearis

I thought the original post (OP) was starting to get a little bit confusing because of the chronology-like format, so I completely rewrote it. Hope that way's better for the new users, or the ones that don't check the thread too often.

Originally Posted by ezearis

I thought the original post (OP) was starting to get a little bit confusing because of the chronology-like format, so I completely rewrote it. Hope that way's better for the new users, or the ones that don't check the thread too often.

Originally Posted by ezearis

I thought the original post (OP) was starting to get a little bit confusing because of the chronology-like format, so I completely rewrote it. Hope that way's better for the new users, or the ones that don't check the thread too often.

Originally Posted by ezearis

I thought the original post (OP) was starting to get a little bit confusing because of the chronology-like format, so I completely rewrote it. Hope that way's better for the new users, or the ones that don't check the thread too often.

Originally Posted by Bounce7800

Excellent job on the OP, can you just chuck the longer samples links back in?