I gotta agree, the album is great :) Let's say The power of prayer has something unusual in it :) and in fact Bruce has a great voice, i i basically can't understand why many rockstars known for their 70s / 80s / 90s music are so underrated nowadays :???: Also i'm completely excited about Paul McCartney's new album :cool: this guy is amazing :-D

And coming back to the topic, 2020 has been on my "favorites" playlist for a month :p Lower the flag, then Beautiful Drug and finally Blood in the water are for me kind of top 3. A plus is also Jon's voice, which makes the songs even more atmospheric tracks.

One month on and the tracks I keep going back to are Shine, Luv Can, Let It Rain, Lower the Flag, Blood in the Water and Do What You Can (with Nettles).

I still can't get enough of "2020" one month later. It's a great work of the band!

2020: The New Album
 

Now, one month later I think it’s a good time for me to re-evaluate the album’s significance. I praised it quite a lot in the beginning.

I can’t help but still love it. What a fine and honest album. Of course it was clear from the very beginning it would tank on the charts, given the lack of coupling with the concert tickets. No tricks this time, so what we got is the sad truth. No chart success for Bon Jovi in the modern music world. Those days are long gone, no arguing. And it makes me sad. I’ve always been the overtly or even naively optimistic supporter of my home team and here we are now. I find it sarcastic that after all these years of IML carbon copies, Jon finally makes something very genuine and honest and this is what happens.

Could someone with more insight in the music business please tell me, is there a possibility of the label actually dropping Bon Jovi, as a consequence of all this?

Blood In The Water is one of their greatest post 2000 songs, I can’t get enough of it. A masterpiece.
Lower The Flag gives me the chills every time I hear it. I just have to admire Jon’s incredible ability to express so much sadness yet so much hope in the same song. Story of Love has grown on me a lot during these weeks, it’s such a beautiful song. It sure is different.

Beautiful Drug was and still is a disappointment for me. It lacks punch. Had it been recorded during the New Jersey sessions, it would have sounded bigger than life itself, though. There’s no problem in the songwriting. It’s just feels as if all the energy is gone. No Mickey Mouse on steroids any longer. The strength of the album isn’t in the rockier songs this time.

Do What You Can is very mediocre as a song. Yet it speaks to me on a very personal and intimate level. It captures my feelings and experiences at work last spring during the first wave of the pandemic. That song gave me hope back then, and now that the virus is spreading exponentially again, I find myself getting back to that song. Like Jon said during the When We Were Beautiful era, writing a song that touches people’s lives and forever marks memories is the closest thing to immortality a songwriter can get. I find the song’s message even comparable to
Livin’ On A Prayer’s promise of a better tomorrow.

Of course I am not by any means saying Do What You Can and Prayer would be comparable as songs. So please don’t get me wrong. But you get my point.

Luv Can got into my all time Bon Jovi top 10. It’s the ultimate love song for me. The last 1,5 minutes still haunt me, actually the whole song does. I know Jon keeps talking about these boy-girl songs as if they weren’t that essential or particular at all. But damn, what a fine and perfect song. I can’t get enough of it.

Shine has been a grower on me. It sort of reminds of Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. It even gets close to Luv Can. I got married this summer. On our wedding play list, I can assure you there were a lot of Bon Jovi songs. I just wish we could have gotten 2020 in May, as originally scheduled. These two songs should definitely have been on the list.

This album speaks to me more than any other album since These Days.


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It's not an old fashioned style record contract now. The band finance the recording themselves and the label then licences the album from the band for a specific amount of time. Normally 5 or 10 years. After which the rights will revert back to the band and they can then re-release it themselves or licence it to another label. In this sort of arrangement usually the contract is per album, so there is no set length of contract by time or number of records and the label can always refuse to licences the next record.

I see. This clarifies a lot to me. The world has clearly changed more than I expected.

Thank you for taking the time to explain this.


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2020: The New Album
 

It has but if you’re selling a lot of albums you have no worries.

It’s a shame the album tanked but the 2 or 3 before this probably would’ve as well if not given away with gig tickets.

I’ve only listened to 1 song in last couple of weeks and that’s Blood in the Water.
I’m learning some GNR and BMTH stuff on guitar of late so been listening to them a lot lately.


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I can't help but find this song fantastic when you think about it being not just a boy-girl song, but a prayer, a conversation with you creator. You're seeking for help and it answers you back: "love will let you live again".

It's really good. I mean, well, still i'm glad the band has released such an album.

"2020", 15th Studio Album & The JBJ Soul Foundation | Jon Bon Jovi | Talks at Google

2020 has a solid song collection. I still listen to the album in its fullness, but in a different order than the official tracklist.

I usually leave American Reckoning and Unbroken as the last tracks, I like these two, but if they are in the first part of the album or in the middle, it feels too slow and boring ... So leaving these two tracks at the end, and adjusting the order of some more songs, makes everything sound more dynamic for me, and thus be able to enjoy each song with a quite pleasant flow.

Luv Can and Shine feel very well mixed and mastering, more crystalline than the rest, I wonder if the whole album sounded like this before the lockdown, but at some point, they changed the mix again or something.


If the band had more songs finished, I hope that sometime we can get them. Jon said something about a Christmas release about a Deluxe Edition if I'm not mistaken, I think it was on a podcast interview. I hold on to that.

1. "Well, four of them were written after the Nashville sessions and I would say another four on
the album were certainly tweaked if not completely rewritten because like I said everything had
the opportunity to be even more specific, and whether it was rewriting Beautiful Drugs lyric in the verses outright, or tweaking verses in Brothers In Arms to be specific about places in time that I was at, so you know like I said everything had the opportunity to be a page in the last year and a
half's history or at two years of history, there are songs like Blood In The Water which you know I wrote in about the administration, but even though the characters I was writing about two years ago, the names have changed but the situation hasn't, you know we see it constantly evolving and again I'm not taking sides but I'm citing the obvious, there's always seemingly blood in the water around
what's happening you know in D.C. at this time, so I made sure that all of this is timeless and classic and topical and includes anyone and everyone that's living in this time."
2. "The question is When will anyone hit the road again?
Not before '22... so I can't see it happening on a scale that I'd be accustomed to for a year and a half."
3. "I suggested that they leave us the cameras, the lights, the stage, so that I could capture one time the band in a room performing this new album in its entirety. And we did, so we're in the midst of editing that, but the big picture is if I can't tour in a timely manner I'll have something to share."
4. "we won't have a number one record on the pop charts for the first time in a long time and that's because it's a different model"

'22! That's disappointing. This album really would lend itself well to intimate, lower capacity venues.

Yeah, but seriously, what's gonna change before the latter half of '21? Nothing! Even if there is a vaccine early in '21, it'll take most of the year to get everyone vaccinated, and until then I wouldn't feel comfortable in a room of even 20-50 people, and I guess a lot of people feel the same way...

This is an occasion for artists to compose and record new music. It is the ideal moment to take the last stage of the beatles as inspiration, they decided not to go on tour, to focus on composing and recording music. That would be fantastic. Imagine several Eps or a double album.

True! But what's he gonna write about? If he doesn't really worship the boy/girl songs, what's left? More hope/change is gonna come songs? While I don't mind those, I don't think that's what you'd hope he'll do ;-)

I'm afraid Jon will never give up on touring, he seems addicted to live shows despite the reduced touring plan Jon loves the road (and probably the money) too much to ever give it up.

Why do think he continued to tour even after he bad blown his voice out, because he won't ever give up touring or playing live. I bet Jon will be still on the road touring even he gets to Bob Dylan's age. He's just never gonna give it up!

It's basically good he's not gonna stop. Why should he give it up? If he loves it, and still he has lots of loyal fans, it's quite understandable that he goes on tours. It's his passion and i'm really glad he doesn't want to close this chapter of his life.
Sure, he had some problems with his voice - but right now there's a visible change, the "singing lessons" definitely helped him, maybe let's just support him and be happy about his voice's recovery.

Sorry to say this, but Jon's voice hasn't really improved at all - the Biden rally performance of Who Says showcased that very clearly. All the so-called vocal recovery heard on the 2020 promo shows and the KOS "live" stream was a result of autotune.

I'm not saying that his voice is just like it was fifteen - twenty years ago. Nothing like that. Jon's voice has changed a lot and, dear, i'm not gonna argue - but in my opinion it has impoved. Also i think being content with his voice recovery would be better right now than worrying that Jon's voice doesn't sound like it used to sound. ;)

I'm open to any song Jon wants to share with us, if he wants to take a new course or if it's about politics again, so be it. Jon is a workaholic, he loves to compose, record and perform live, the latter is not going to be able to do so for the next two years. Do you think Jon will sit on his couch and wait 20 months while? ... I don't think.



I wasn't hinting that he would retire from touring forever, I'm just saying that as long as he can't tour due to covid, he could adopt the late-Beatles years model.

Now is a good time to experiment with music.

I wonder if Jon actually knows how great Blood In The Water actaully is.

He promotes the album like Do What You Can is its saving grace meanwhile he's got the gem sitting right in front of him.

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Blood in the water seems to be the Dry County of XXI century 😂 but i'm not surprised that Do What You Can is the single, since Jon wrote it and it was released in the time that we'll probably never forget...

It is a real gem but I think we should have already got used to Jon's weird singles selection 😛 TBH I still hope for another one or two singles (Beautiful Drug or Blood In The Water could be ones...)

Blood On The Water is not single material, just like Dry County wasn't.

The real answer will be when/if they start touring the record. In my book, it should be played at (almost) every show, but if it never/rarely gets played, you will be right. The song is also very easy vocally, so there's no voice excuse to not play it.

Oh you're right 😂

I know it's already been mentioned, I just want to check.

Do all the physical copies of all the editions have the shorter version of Unbroken?

I've just got my Japanese edition and it's the shorter one. What about the US or international editions?


Btw..
Let me revise the history of that song:

1. They release a single, the track has over six minutes.
2. They release a video, the track is shortened to over 5 minutes.
3. They release a choir version but someone f**ks up and there is no lead singer. The track has slightly changed lyrics to be more universal and not American. The track has over 5 minutes.
4. A few hours later the track is replaced with the correct version now including the lead singer (narrator :D in that case)
5. They finally release the album and someone f**ks up again so the video version cut is on the physical copies.
6. A few days later they release a deluxe version of the album online, which has the correct, longest version.

Not to mention that it doesn't make any sense to buy the hysical copy because no matter how much you pay, you get less than when you have Spotify.. There you can find the long version of Unbroken, plus both Japanese bonuses plus another bonus - the duet version of DWYC.
Shouldn't it be the other way? To offer the stripped down edition to the streaming services and online shops and release a worthhwile edition to support physical copies? The only physical bonus I got is a DVD. Yes a DVD in year 2020 as a part of an album even called 2020. The videos on youtbe are in higher resolution. I mean they should have waited with the deluxe edition (but announce it!) and include the live version of the album there. But still, DVD doesn't make any sense today, put there a bluray. Otherwise the package is really beautiful, making it look like an LP. There I can see the added value of the physical copy.

I'd be more than happy to listen to the album online or even buy the iTunes edition and wait a month for them release a deluxe version as mentioned above.

I don't regret spending the money. I just don't get the "business" behind. I feel a bit ripped off for being a loyal fan.

Bit harsh! I think it's great and it certainly did the business in the charts especially in the UK.

Completely agree on everything.

There's absolutely no way in hell Jon will ever be able to pull off Blood In The Water live. The verses, sure, but the range of the chorus is placed exactly at his weakest point (mid-to-semi-high register) and he'd most likely croak through it about as horrifically as he does the verses of These Days nowadays.

I've just discovered that my CD also has the shorter version of Unbroken (5:16 instead of 6:08 ) because the local Universal distributor f***ed up and fulfilled my preorder on Oct. 23 instead. During that time, I had been listening to the CD-rip I had made with the longer cut and naturally assumed that the physical album would contain the full Unbroken track rather than the single edit. Now I regret having purchased what is shaping up to be a crippled standard edition which is expected to be succeeded by a deluxe one for Christmas. Had I known there'd be a deluxe CD with Luv Can, Shine , the DWYC duet and the uncut Unbroken, I'd gladly have skipped on what we were given now.

Same here :-(

It doesn't make any sense to release a physical deluxe edition which will be the same as the online versions.
However if they add something really valuable, I'll be really pissed off for buying the Japanese deluxe now. I do it with all albums. On the other hand, I can only imagine that the bonus might a DVD or hopefully Bluray with album played live. I can live without that. I'd be really really pissed off if they add new music on the album. It might be just country DWYC and that's also something I can live without :D

Anyway, they really should annouce such things beforehand. There aren't many people who buy physical copies so ripping them off is not a good idea.

As I've said - i'd be completely fine with an online version album the day it's released and I'd wait for a deluxe box for Christmas for example. I just don't want to buy the physical one twice.

Yep. But I would be happy if they release a Christmas edition with more bonus tracks. It is the only thing that would attract me to buy it. Simply launch a deluxe edition with 20 songs.

About the recorded concert playing the album, I prefer it to just be a streaming thing.

.

As it was wrote 2 years ago he's probably long forgotten about it.



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I think way too much has been made of jon saying there's a deluxe version out later.

The original barely sold so why would label pump money into a deluxe?

If there is one i think the 2 bonuses tracks and video DVD will be added as that's it.

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That would be a complete waste, who wants that dvd when a streaming you can get it in 1080p?

If you are going to waste an disc, at least include more bonus tracks, at least it will be sold thanks to the fans. Or if you are not willing to spend one disc, then fill the first disc with several bonus tracks that we do not know.

At the end of the day, we win, because we will get more songs.

But the "fans" didn't exactly buy the original.
I just don't see the label saying "this bombed but yeah we will release a deluxe version".

I hope we do get a deluxe version but I don't see it.

I just think if one is released it will just have 2 Japanese tracks on them as I think Jon was surprised they were liked so much.

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Most definitely. Even more so, since there is already a Deluxe edition, albeit only in digital form. If a physical one is released, it will most likely be exactly that. I wouldn't keep my hopes up for something else, at least...

Albums under-selling is a big reason of why they get re-released with bonus content though. A new single, a new video, some bonus content and you can pass it off like an "extended edition". If it was selling well there'd be no reason to try again with this. They need product to remind people they're still out there with no touring.

This isn't about attracting the fanbase, it's about getting people who haven't already bought it to give it a second chance.