Real Life (Single) 1999
 

What did everyone think of this when it was first released as Bon Jovi's 1st new single/music since 'These Days' ?

Is it what you expected?

Does this song still hold up now?

Would it ever have worked live?

Aloha !

I was thinking well this is odd, a single out of nowhere that will go nowhere in the charts.

I do remember that I recognized it right away as a Bon Jovi song. Back then it was on number 1 for weeks as the most requested video on MTV, and I had never heard it. There wasn't really the possibility to download it and all that sort of stuff. From the first chords I knew it was a Bon Jovi song and liked it right away,but felt a bit let down that it didn't have a proper guitar solo, something about every Bon Jovi song had at that time.

The song is alright, but it's obvious that they had no intention of releasing it on one of their own albums. It would've been a b-side back then, but a very good one anyway, hence them giving it away. I was surprised that it didn't end up on one of the Crush singles or as a bonus track for Crush though. When looking at it now, Real Life would have fit on Crush, and could easily replace one of the bad songs on it. It would not have worked as a live song though.

For anyone who also remembers; how cool were the signs in that video revealing the album title "Sex Sells" and the signs saying "Bon Jovi are back"? :)

Oh, the good old days.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Yea, I loved the video and the signs. I actually always liked this song and still do. It's one I choose to play on my Ipod all the time.

deb

I remember I liked it a lot when I first saw it on VH1, I also remember never hearing it on the radio and only seeing the video for like 2 or 3 times.

Looking back at it, the song really isn't all that but I think it would have worked live, mybe the crowd wouldn't have recognized it but that happens with half the gems in the set list anyway.

I love this song, and yeah it probably could of been a bonus song on crush.

I dont think it would work live though.

The video for the song is on the extra features for the EDTV DVD.

And I think its a great song.

It would have made sense to include it as bonus track on Crush at least. Maybe not as an album track as IMO it doesn't quite fit the groove of the album. But I gues that's why we had the box set.

As a song, it's nothing spectacular by the band, especially it's the first thing they released since These Days, but it's still a good song. I like the lyrics, but the song itself doesn't exactly leap out at you, and it's in need of a good guitar solo. It's certainly up there with the better BJ songs of the last 10 years. The video is cool also.

First time I heard it was when I went to see EDTV. I recognized it right away. I always thought it was OK. A bit flat in places.

I hate the version on the box set. Jon sounds whiney in that one.

Meh me and Real Life had an on/off relationship. Sometimes we're cool with each other and other times I wanna burn it onto it's own CD and snap it on half and in return it wants to come alive and smack me in the face.

i think it's a great track :-)