I think Ugly was the latest single released and even not getting propper promotion it had the best performance in the US if I'm not wrong.

People in América just enjoy happy stuff from (Jon) Bon Jovi. That was a very big miscalculation.

Yeah, Ugly would have been a good choice. Janie or Every Word Was a Piece of My Heart would be the best picks in my world. Catchy upbeat choruses. I don't think any of them would have been any huge hits, but htey would have done better as the lead single than Midnight In Chelsea.

To me, there is not a bad song on it. The only weakness IMO was naming a song "Janie, Don't Take Your Love to Town" because Kenny Rogers has the same song title only with Ruby and it was a massively popular song. The title and chorus did a disservice to the fabulous lyrics in the verses. The verses really say something. The chorus needs help.

Great album. I got into them around the TD era so this was the first album related to the band where I was a fully fledged fan. I was also 17, just finished school and going through growing pains so in a way, I could really relate to the sort of change Jon was going for with this.

To be honest Midnight in Chelsea completely underwhelmed me at the time although I grew to love it. Some of lyrics are very clever and Jon saying he'd rather paint "No ones asking me for favours, no ones looking for a saviour, they're too busy saving me" on his chest than take it back really made me believe in everything he was saying. It's a shame he's shat all over that statement for the last 17 years.

For me there is no weak song. The lyrics are also some of the best he's written. My personal favourite is Staring at your Window...". That song is really underrated and despite a slightly weak chorus, the lyrics in the verses are phenomenal. But I love the album. "Queen of New Orleans", "Janie", "Every Word", "Its Just Me" and the title track are my other favourites but the whole album is some of Jon's best and most innovative work. It's a shame it bombed commercially in the US.

And 20 years?!? Unbelievable.

Some of my very favourite performances from that era:


Those screams are insane!

I remember the first time I heard Destination Anywhere. It was the day after school let out for the summer, just a few years ago, and I had YT up while I was cleaning and organizing in the classroom before leaving for summer break. I don't remember which song it was that came up on the playlist; maybe "Learning How to Fall". But I clearly recall thinking "Where the hell did that come from??"

It was the first that I knew of the DA album. I think I had heard about the movie; but maybe I thought that was all it was, idk. I don't think it had registered with me, at that time, that Jon had done a solo album besides Blaze.

I spent the rest of that day and most of that week listening to the album - and asking myself, "How did I not know about this?" So I credit DA with motivating me to look for other gems I might have missed along the way. It was a good summer for me and Bon Jovi. :)

As far as the album itself goes, I'm not crazy about Ugly; and I have no use at all for I Talk To Jesus. I know opinions here vary about whether or not Jon had anyone specific in mind when he wrote it; but it sounds to me like he's venting some frustrations, yet doing it in a way that could be blown off if someone wanted to call him on it. It just has this passive-aggressive feel to it that doesn't sit well with me. Perhaps he didn't intend for it to come across that way, or maybe it was an inside joke. But either way, it's just a little too specific, IMO; and that kinda ruins it for me.

I like all of the other songs, though; especially DA, Staring at Your Window, Every Word, and Janie. (Although I agree with Becky about that title. Every time I see it, I keep expecting to hear Kenny Rogers singing, "Oh, Rooh-ooh-bee...") :)

It's a good album... Every Word, Staring at Your Suitcase, and Midnight in Chelsea are probably my faves.

I really love this record. There are only two songs that aren´t really my cup of tea: Ugly and the title track.
Fave Songs are Little City, It´s just me, Queen of New Orleans and Midnight in Chelsea.

Looking back on it I feel that this was the last project where Jon wasn´t afraid to be creative and try something new. The sound of the record, the idea with the movie and also his new style.

Still to this day I am yet to listen to this album in full. It doesn't appeal to me at all.

I guess it's just an album similar to These Days in terms of feeling or not feeling it. Didn't listen to These Days the first two years I had gotten it and then it hit me with full force when I wasn't in a particularly good place. Same happened with DA.
Other here praise how good Undiscovered Soul is, yet I am the one who hasn't listened to it from start to finish since I can't connect to it at all.