My Thoughts on "Crush"
 

*I originally wrote this as a reply in the Nashville thread, but decided it was better off as it's own thread. So as no to drag that one more off topic*

I don't know,
I still love Crush. It's not my favorite BJ album, nor is it the album that got me into Jovi (the name is more of an age reference) But that being said, I love the album. I really like every song, except for "She's a Mystery", "Mystery Train", and "I Got The Girl". "Thank You For Loving Me", "One Wild Night" and especially "Save The World" have weak spots, but are generally listenable, to me anyway. As for the rest "It's My Life" is pure Bon Jovi. "Say It Isn't So" is one of my favorite songs, of any band. I love the guitar riff, I love the lyrics. "Two Story Town" is one of Bon Jovi's best hard rockers, IMO. "Next 100 Years" is an odd song. My friends and I have kind of adopted the lyrics as a motto, but I think it would be better without the solo. It's a good solo, just kind od tacked on. "Just Older" is an great song. Great personal lyrics, really shows the band's personality. Still listen to it at midnight on my birthday every year. As for "Captain Crash and The Beauty Queen From Mars", this is one of my favorite songs. Yes, it's different, but I think different is good every once in a while. I really like the guitar melody, and the tinge of absurdity in the lyrics.
I know alot of people wil rip me for this, but honestely I couldn't care less.
Figured I'd share my opinions.

Its my life and Just older are the only songs i still would say that I truely like of that album - and thankfully these are the two that the band have kept on in the setlists these days.

Every now and again id listen to the album all the way through, but its not a great album. Its a world away from KTF and These Days in so many ways (my fav albums) but its not so much the change of sound (the squeaky clean production) that i dont like, as i like HAND, just alot of the songs are very middle of the road and dont do anything for me. Its a mixture of feelings i have about this record, i just cant put my finger on them.

Maybe its the disappointment due to JBJ saying the bullshit like ''this is our back to roots record - close to classic bon jovi sound'' bollox that Jon gave in interviews running up to its release. No Jon, its not - it sounds more like an NSync record.


andi

I'm a huge Crush fan, and it will always have a special place in my heart as it's the album that got me into the band. Regardless of that though, I really do think it's a great album. Although I prefer HAND, Crush is the only album of this decade that sounds truly honest. It sound like a band simply making the music they want to make and not trying to create a surefire hit album (Bounce) or go for a harder, edgier sound (Bounce) or be ultra modern (HAND). It just sounds pure and honest and true to who they were at that point in time.

I certainly have issues with the song selection because the album really suffers towards the end.

The first seven songs are majestic, from the classic rockers of IML, Next 100 Years and Just Older, to the more laid back style of Two Story Town (my favourite from the album), the beatles-esque, Destination Anywhere style SIIS. Mystery Train stands out as one of the finest pieces of music Jon has ever created, and Thank You For Loving Me is so vastly underrated.

The later quarter loses direction though. Save The World is embarrassing, though Jon's vocals are superb. CC&TBQFM is fantastically original. Personally I think She's A Mystery is an absolutely beautiful song but is totally out of place on the album although taken on it's own merits it wonderful. I Got The Girl is fun but should never have made the album and One Wild Night is too raw and too under produced. The 2001 version is how this should have sounded.

So this is where it gets confusing for me. It's not a completely perfect or consistently quality album but I still rate it very highly. I love the sound of the album, as I said earlier I love the honesty of it (similar to DA in that way) and I think this really had potential to be their best album. This is the tracklist I have on my MP3 player and this for me would probably be their best album.

Garageland
It's My Life
You Can Sleep While I Dream
Say It Isn't So
Two Story Town
Next 100 Years
Mystery Train
The One That Got Away
Just Older
Captain Crash And The Beauty Queen From Mars
Real Life
Temptation
Hush

The album that makes you a fan will always hold a special place for someone, thats one of the reasons i guess why These Days is my fav album of all time - it was just the right album at the right time in my life, id just got into BJ with Crossroad and this was the new latest album and everything just sounded right.
I know there are alot of people on here who joined the bandwagon with Crush, then theres those who did it with KTF and then even back with Slippery etc

Everyone has the own reasons for liking an album and makes their own connection with the material i guess.

And butters, yeah Hush is a great track and should have been on the album (as should garageland and temptation -was temptation def a crush era track btw?)

andi

Yep, it was released origionally as a b-side to one of the singles (IML, I think) in a very different form to the box-set version. The box set version is much better, IMO.

My IML copy had hush and i think 'you cant loose at love' on it. The latter there which is pretty pants in my opinion

That is utter shite. Actually musically I think it's amazing and the chorus isn't that bad but that first verse. Seriously, did he list anything you can't lose? Quite possibly the worst lyric ever.

Hmm, I know it was realised with the It's My Life singel, BUT my cd doesn't contain the Temptation song. The cover says it contains it, but it doesn't.
I got two versions of the single, but only one of them should contain Temptation.
Weird stuff... Happend to anybody else?

I've got 3 versions of It's My Life -single and one of them has Temptation on it.

Ice

Same here, there was a big error made by the recordcompany. There was apperantly a problem with the pressing of cd-single.