Be interesting to see if he does a review of What About Now. Surely this is the bands worst ever album which I haven’t listened to see since the year it was released. I would imagine it may hold bad memories for Jon considering it was Ritchies last album and one he clearly didn’t really want to be involved with.

It doesn't matter what Jon says. I love this album, the songs on The Circle flow into each other so well.

The sound is a great thing for me, atmospheric, everything sounds in its place, it doesn't feel like a wall, the drums sound powerful, majestic, and the guitars had a great feeling back then, different from what they had done before.

If I have to put something negative, it is that they reuse or plagiarize other popular songs. Working Man's biggest flaw was that he copied the bass line from Living on a Prayer. Bullet did have those "yeah!" so mediocre they remind me of Backstreet Boys. Live Before You Die seems Joey... It's things like these that annoy a little, but as a whole, I think it's a good album (not perfect), and especially a post2000 personal favorite.

Remember when The Circle was released and Jon was at pains to stress that this was 'Richie's album'? I always interpreted that as Jon being gracious and supportive of Richie given what he had been through in the previous years. I wonder if Richie really did have a strong influence on this album and that is one of the reasons that Jon does not think too highly of it.

As others have said, it is so frustrating that his reviews are so short.

Did Jon ever actually say that this was "Richie's" album? Is there a quote? I know that some of the fans did, but I thought that was based purely on the fact that he had a co-write on every song. Personally I don't hear much Richie in this album at all, from a song writing or production perspective.

I loved this record when it came out and I still love it. In my opinion the songs that are good are superb. There are a few that are meh. But to me, Love's the Only Rule is a masterpiece.

He did say it's a Richie-heavy album, just like he did with TLFR back in the day.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entert...-drugs-1038928

He did say something along these lines in one of the countless promo radio interviews, I vaguely remember that David was with Jon when he said it. I still may have it, but I have a folder with roughly 50 interview snippets from back then, so I can't go through them all now. Not sure if it was "Richie's album", but it was a comment very supportive of Richie in terms of him stepping up and "being all over the record".

However, I've also heard from sources that Jon and Richie actually weren't seeing eye to eye at all when it came to the sound direction of it. Richie wanted to go for a much more guitar-driven, anthemic sound, reminiscent of their 80's stadium hits and Jon, knowing how the sound went in the decade afterwards, was pretty much striving in another direction. That "compromise" is probably why this album sounds a bit off production and sound wise.

This is an interesting read. "The four of us - me, bass player David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres and Richie - went into a room, closed the door and sat down..." How did this get botched so bad that David is listed as the bass player?

Also interesting to note both The Circle and What About Now weren't supposed to be albums before things picked up speed. His recollection of Lost Highway has changed considering it started as a duets album with him, Richie and various country artists before it morphed into what it became.

Jon probably just said their (first) names, and whoever wrote the article then figured "wait, they're a band, they have a bass player, don't they?".

I too remember a "this is absolutely Richie's album" comment in audio form. I might be thinking of TLFR, though, but I am pretty sure he said it about both albums.

So many great memories from that Era, meet and talk with Obie for the first time.Been in the from row in O2 ang high five wit Jon during concert..... saw them 4 times in O2 :cool: . I love this album, for me right after Bounce album. If that's "Richie album" that i love it even more!