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!

That makes sense. If the guitar was more prominent on this album it could be better but this album is where solos got even shorter (follow didnt have one and only got one as the fans kicked up a fuss) and by the time WAN came round there were hardly any and thats how its gone from there.


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Gave The Circle a listen to based on he topic. Holds up better than I thought, even the production, whilst not at These Days or Lost Highway levels, is much clearer than the muddy mess that were to follow. Probably because it was the last album where they didn't have to do a huge amount of work to hide / improve Jon's vocals.

Even the weaker half of the album was more enjoyable than I remembered, plus studio versions of Follow and Working Man were a nice change, often miss out on listening to the original versions rather than concerts.

I would hope that Jon still rates Thorn In My Side, one of my favourite from the album and an absolute highlight for me live. The live era was the best time ever for me as a fan, thanks to going to multiple O2 shows and then HRC the following year.

I agree. I think it's VERY important to note he's not trashing the era (nor do I think he's trashing the album). To a LOT of us, it was the last great kick in the can as far as the band goes as a touring entity with Jon's voice and a good deal of rarities brought out of the cobwebs.

But hearing him talk negatively about something from 2009 brings me hope he's gotten more honest with fans.

I am torn on this one, like all post 2000 albums.

If you had a choice to mix in the 4 new tracks from the greatest hits what songs would you swap from the Circle?

I love The Circle so I wouldn't change much but the weak tracks on the album are When We Were Beautiful, Live Before You Die, and Fast Cars, and to a lesser extent, We Weren't Born to Follow and Learn to Love.

I think that This is Love This is Life, No Apologies, and The More Things Change are far better than these five album tracks. If This Is Our House could count, I would choose that one too. My tracklist would be something like this:

1. No Apologies
2. Work for the Working Man
3. Thorn in My Side
4. Superman Tonight
5. Bullet
6. The More Things Change
7. What Do You Got?
8. Brokenpromiseland
9. Love's the Only Rule
10. This Is Love, This Is Life
11. Happy Now
12. This Is Our House

Aloha !

He's only talking negatively because pretty much every song of the album went over like a lead balloon and it being the first album spawning absolutely no hit singles. This was supposed to be Bon Jovi's first "serious" rock album in 15 years and the plan was to convince everyone after Lost Highway that they were still a rock band as opposed to "having gone country". Yet instead they sound like a borderline parody/tribute act being neither.

Still, Jon kept insisting on playing most stuff when the atmosphere at every show during which more than 3 songs of that album were played was dreadful. Superman Tonight, When We Were Beautiful and Work For The Working Man sucked out all energy during every show and there's a reason why most other stuff was rarely played. The album's just full of mediocre songs that just didn't work. Instead of gaining back the fans they'd lost with their country phase they pretty much lost a large of that group of fans forever.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Always loved The Circle. I've probably 'grown out of it' the longer time has gone on but some songs still hold up.

Love's The Only Rule is one of my favourite songs by the band. Loved it from the minute I heard it and then the first live performance, even though Jon messed a bit up, shown a more energetic side to Jon that we hadn't seen in a while.

Brokenpromiseland & Happy Now are quality songs. Love the intro to both!

Thorn In My Side is great but I prefer the live version.

Superman Tonight is excellent. From the snippet we got on some TV show or film, I loved it. Not into snippets much but I just knew I'd like this one.

Learn To Love is probably my favourite closer to an album. Not sure why. It isn't the best song in the world but I'll always remember listening to the album for the first time and thinking it ended well.

Live Before You Die & Fast Cars are songs that people would skip but I have a soft spot for them. Love the rasp Jon has on 'YOU FIGHTT' on Live Before You Die.

Not a fan of Follow, Beautiful or Working Man.

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Yeah but Jon is iron-clad into re-writing history to fit his version. It feels rare when he admits failure.

The solos had actually gotten LONGER from Bounce to Lost Highway, and certainly more stand out-ish... as much as I like the track, Bounce's solo is more of a melodic bit than a typical Richie solo.

So next week is 14 years since The Circle was released.

Whats your views on it? like it? hate it?

When JBJ was doing those mini album reviews he said this album doesnt hold up and that was few years ago now.

The O2 were great gigs and although the album is bang average the tour was the last great tour.

I dont think i love any songs on this but can listen to WWWB, Superman Tonight, Thorn in my side, Brokenpromiseland and loves the only rule. Few others i dont mind.

There never were any bonus tracks for this and apparently the 2 ear marked for bonus tracks were used on the GH album a year later.

views????

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The Circle was released in the UK the same day by Father passed away, so I will always link the two together and "Live Before You Die" resonates especially with me for that reason.

More objectively....generally it's a decent bunch of songs* with average production. IMO the songs worked a lot better live, and the O2 gigs were generally great, even if we didn't get the full album nights that were mentioned. Plus the tour setlists were superb, and Jon put his heart and soul into Love's The Only Rule every night which transformed the song.


* I exclude Fast Cars from this - one of my least favourite Jovi songs.

I love half and the other half I can take or leave.

Superman Tonight, Thorn In My Side, Brokenpromiseland, Loves The Only Rule & Happy Now I absolutely LOVE.

Learn To Love I will always have a soft spot for and I don't know why. I always thought it was a nice ending to the album.

Live Before You Die & Fast Cars aren't great yet I listen to them and don't feel the need to skip.

This album will always hold a soft spot for me. It was released when I was in first year of sixth form. I walked to school most days listening to the album. Playing videos games with the album on etc... it reminds me of a nice time in my life when I was 16 and didn't have much to care about.



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I never got into this album. I like Love's The Only Rule and Superman Tonight. The rest I can live without

Same for me, didn't like it from day 1. It is trying too hard. I find it a cold album too, it all feels so calculated. Love's The Only Rule is the only song I like.

Bullet....awful.


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Sorry if this has already been discussed to death on this forum…

But I was just thinking about This Is Love, This Is Life. If I remember correctly, the song was supposed to be on TC as well. Didn’t JB say the song was something like 7 minutes long to begin with? It was a song he said he believed would become an obvious hit. Then, for some reason, it never made TC and later on, it was re-recorded for the GH album. They even changed the title, which was originally ‘This Ain’t Love’.

Does anyone have any deeper info on this? I would love to hear the original version on the forthcoming (?) box set (probably only in my dreams, though).


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I don't recall him saying anything about a 7 min version but the info stems from an interview he did with Masanori Itō to promote The Circle. It was a track Masa pointed out was very good but Jon said it was pulled so that tells you that if it was on the promo disc being given out to press junkets, it was pulled very very last minute.

The defunct torrent I found from before The Circle even came out had it by it's later title though so the whole thing is very confusing.

Thank you for the additional info.


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It's safe to say that torrent will still be discussed on this board on The Circle's 20th anniversary.

My favourite songs are Brokenpromiseland, Thorn in my side, We weren't born to follow and from the GH This is love, this is life. The rest of the album is ok, except When we were beautiful which is just boring. In my ranking of this century albums this one comes fourth, behind Have a nice day, Crush and Bounce.

Over the last weekend I listened to the whole Circle album again. That album is definitely a drum focused album. The drums are huge! And such a big driving factor. Apart from WWBTF, every song has absolutely driving drums. Love the drum sound too, not the snare though. Sounds awful, but the Tom's sound amazing! Tico did a great job on the album.

I'll never understand why they spent years overplaying WWBTF while ignoring Thorn In My Side.

One was the lead single, the other an album track.

As far as the album goes: Thorn in My Side, Brokenpromiseland and Learn to Love are very good. Bullet and Born To Follow are good. The latter especially has grown on me; some really pretty instrumentation on that track (I wonder if the shitty initial solo soured the reception?).

For an album that was more or less an accident, it surely has held up nicely.

The Circle was the last decent album imo. The only two songs I feel compelled to skip are When We Were Beautiful which bores me to tears and Learn To Love, which is nothing great to start with but the halle, halle parts are annoying and kills it dead for me.

Call me cynical but I didn't buy the whole thing about adding the solo because of the uproar from the fans. I think they always had the solo recorded and always planned on releasing the solo-less version first to radio. They just spun it as that for a PR stunt. After Lost Highway they were trying to win back the rock audience, and talking about guitar solos probably seemed like a good idea.

I couldn't even find the solo-less version on Youtube, it doesn't seem like that one got a proper release in the end. If that was always the plan, it certainly went over worse than they'd assumed

There were promo singles with the version pressed and party shipped out, I used to have one of them. Richie even was quoted that he was emulating some Beatle-esque kind of vibe 'cause he was in the mood the day they originally recorded it. And still, while listening to the final version, I get the feeling that the solo was inserted afterwards 'cause the mixes don't seem to match 100%. If it was done on purpose right off the bat, it was a poor job with regards to that.

It was the version that was played on the radio at the time and it was also the version on the commercially released CD singles internationally. It kinda gives it away though that the instrumental version on the CD single featured the guitar solo, even though the main track didn't...

I think, *think* both versions are on spotify, no idea if they took it down or not.....

https://youtu.be/2WPGMZAhi5w?feature=shared


The original version of WWBTF.