Albums: Good and bad, my thoughts about the whole thing
 

First of all, as Kathleen brought up in previous thread, there is quite a variety in what are our favourites. I believe that is what has kept Jovi alive this far, they appeal to different kind of people, not just common pop/rock fans. Not just people with different likings in music in general, but also people of different ages. I think that's quiet a good job from band originating from 80's. Most of them similar 80s-bands has vanished or touring the clubs. Also, looking at the "era-thread" what can we assume about their present form?....excactly, down the hill they go. Bounce is way up in worst album list, and knowing other releases.....oh well. Where did they take the wrong turn, and where should they go next if they're to "kick a**" again......well here it goes:

Worst album then, 7800, Geez! Obviously majority here doesn't want Jovi with rough edges & hard rock, well congratulations, that's absolutely just what Jovi avoided to be since 7800. If you take a closer listen to 7800 today, you can't avoid noticing how much harder album it is than any other of their releases. It is poorly produced, and even arrangements and partly songs themelves gives me a feeling that it is done way too quickly. Dunno, I might be wrong about it, that's just how it sounds to me. But still, I like the album. And I am disappointed that they didn't follow that road. Bounce. Modern production, less rock and more catchy mid-tempo pop/poprock. Just the opposite to 7800. Sounds like an album that should please everyone, so what when wrong? I think it's not as bad album as often called, for me it just ain't a rock album at all. Just pop. I suppose I am right assuming noone here wants Jovi as plain pop band. I know I dont that's for sure. So, few albums that didn't get any nominations for worst one: KTF, SWW & NJ. Everyone more or less liking them kinda gives us the idea how we see the band, and how we hope them to be: More rock & closer-to-earth feeling as KTF, and Larger than life stadium-rock like SWW & NJ. Not bad combination now is it?....in fact, none of those 3 albums is my absolute favourite, but producing an album that combines good sides of all those three....well, I'd say it would restore some faith.

Best album then. TD, followed by KTF & NJ. For me, TD is absolutely what Jovi is *not* about. I have trouble understanding how on earth people rate it as the best album. Or, if people liked it that much, they *must* be very disappointed with everything else Jovi did, since TD simply lacks everything that other releases are about. Go figure. KTF is an album I understand a lot more. It is rock, even its weaker cheesy tunes, it still leaves a feeling of a rock album. NJ, stadium-rock-album. Compared to SWW, more cheesiness in songs and in production. Compositions very similar to SWW, so similar that if released as double album with SWW noone would have noticed any difference. Except for the cheesy part. I would have expected SWW to be quite on top, for me it was the birth of larger-than-life-stadium(hair)rock [note: not metal, just rock].Thinking back, it is in fact bit hard to describe what SWW was/is. Its not metal for sure, but there's more heaviness in it than in average stadium act of 80's. Ok personally, I was disappointed cos they smoothened most of them rought edges off, but still, SWW was and I guess still is a milestone in rock music. Even if it ain't one of my favs. Noone seems to like Crush, which is quiet odd to me. Keep in mind that Crush actually did bring lotsa new fans. Where are they now? 7800? I guess there's no need to go through it again, it's not liked, except by couple of ppl here. So just like in good-part, I guess we can determine what kind of album we don't want....something mid-tempo catchy pop *or* real rock with lotsa rough edges, can't really see a way to combine those into one album....production-wise I do think that bouce/crush were just grey mass, so please bring in real rock producer. Let me ask you this, if Jovi would now release an album like 7800 was, would you be thrilled or disappointed?

Once again I must add that this is how *I* see the whole thing, in this rant there are no facts whatsoever, just my thoughts about those few threads I started. And well, go on discuss this. Let me know what you think about all this? Does few albums liked by everyone even mean anything when it comes to what we hope from the album(s) to come?.....

Interesting read. I think part of the mystery is caused by people picking what they like least and best based on the whole package--not just the songs themselves, but the expectations we have for the CDs. I'll use myself for an example. As live CDs go, is One Wild Night really a piece o cow mature swarming with blow flies? Or is it a decent compilation?

I admit my harsh judgement is flavored by my expectations of what OWN could have and, IMO, should have been. For people who come in and pick up the back catalogue, they don't have the expectations of the fan who waits patiently for a new release. It is what it is and you weren't led to think it was one thing or another by the press preceeding it. I think we judge the new releases with different standards and, honestly, harsher standards based on what we think make the band great and what we want rather than what they deliver.

Becky

hmmm. I think one difference here is how people look at 'the best' album and that may have a lot to do with the differing choices.

You say 7800 is their best (or you like it best) because it is rough, hard and generally more what Jovi is supposed to be/used to be. I don't disagree, but there is no way in hell that I'd ever put an 80s album on my favorite list just as I will never put an 80s band on my list of favorites. I have nothing against the 80s -- enjoyed them to bits.

When I say my favorite album, I don't look at it from the perspective of what it was supposed to be, but rather how I can relate. I don't relate to the 80s much anymore - it's mostly nostalgia. Maybe I am stuck in the 90s then, lol.

Most people that voted TD as their favorite album did so due to the lyrics. Not that the music isn't awesome, but I think the lyrics are what most people can relate to when they say they love TD. So really, in a perfect world, BJ would come out with a 7800 sound - rough, hard and all, but no cheesy lyrics about parties and chicks ;)

my 2c.

As usual, I should have been more careful with my words. I have always said that my fav is 1st. I've been saying that there's more to 7800 than people seem to notice. And, IMO, 7800 is *way* better than usually considered as among jovicommunity.

80's. I don't pick my favorites based on when/where/by whom they were recorded, I just concentrate on music. At times I even put aside sh*tty production that was quite common back then. From my point of view, it's not nostalgia, it's just a fact that in the past people made some truly kick-a** music. Not just Jovi, also hundreds of others.

What comes to OWN, yet again this si just my opinion..they tried to combine a collection & live album. As idea itself it sounds like a disaster, as it turned out to be. I would have understood live album containing recent setlist but songs picked from various shows from *recent* tour, that at least would have given it some sort of backbone. OWN, IMO, is just what u suggested it being.

my bad ... I do remember now. (it's still early here)

No, I absolutely enjoy every album they released before TD. I´ve never said that Farenheit is their worst because it is not. And why I like TD? It has got nothing to do with what BJ is supposed to be, it has got everything to do with the fact that I like the album, the songs, the whole package the best.


I wouldn´t be disappointed because Farenheit is much better than their 2000´s releases.

Re: Albums: Good and bad, my thoughts about the whole thing
 

That's the thing about SWW, it's polished but still raw. Every time I hear a Slippery track on the radio I go "why don't the live versions sound like that anymore". It's because they've lost hunger they still had. There's a feeling on the early recordes that they lost on KTF. They tried to become more "adult" more "mature" and forgot that rock is supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be a little cheesy. It's nor grunge, it's not heavy metal, have fun with it!

Ummm.. Crush didn't bring any new fans, It's My Life did.

And TD is still the worst, if we're not counting OWN or TLFR.

Ice

I'm one of those who hate 7800 with a passion and I'd run and hide if BJ were to release something similar. I'm also one of those whose favourite album is These Days. But those two things put together don't mean I appreciate Bounce at all. Bounce it's almost there with 7800 only in a different category. I find 7800 awful because of the gloomy atmosphere and the sound and the songs and Jon's voice. I find Bounce awful because I don't like that kind of "digital" music. I'd rather listen to a real drum, a real guitar sound.

So for me the best times were from SWW to TD. I'm not into either side of those - not the previous, not the following.

As for TD not being "Jovi" - well it is since it's signed by them and to me the lyrics to My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms are much better than those of King Of The Mountain and I'd rather Bon Jovi followed the TD road that the 7800 road. Maybe I'd be the first to hate a new TD. Maybe I love TD because it's so unique (but then again every album by them is).

But I don't really get that TD-is-not-Jovi thing. "They build the walls around you then they tell you you don't fit..."

Bon Jovi, the band = optimism.
These Days = pessimism.

Ice