All "These Days" Fans.......................
 

My last post for a while!!

Do you think that when Jon & Richie wrote the songs for These Days that they were depressed!?
I have read interviews where Jon says we were "Really in great spirits" when they released the album.

To me, this album has the most sombre lyrics of all of their albums.

Jon said in an interview about Bounce in 2002 "I would describe a Bon Jovi song as 3 minutes of optimism."

Somehow I don't think the same can be applied to songs on "These Days".

I personally like to listen to it when things aren't going my way, but not when I'm happy.

I know it is a favorite album of a lot of BJ purists, but I believe 9/10 albums have been full of optimism - except for TD................just wondering why people feel that it is their favorite........

There you go then, Jon said they were in great spirits.

Because music means more to people when things aren't going well in their lives and, due to our masochistic psychology, the songs we like listening to when we are feeling low are the depressing ones. Hence, given the stresses of modern day living, 'These Days' fits the bill of a melancholy masterpiece perfectly.

...I don't see These Days as depressing..I see it as realistic..seeing the world for what it really is warts and all.

Most BJ albums are idealistic and optimistic.

TD's is my favourite BJ album because it's honest and real.

It is a kickass album, but it does have that dark side to it, even Jon said so himself. And yes, it does show how the real world is hard and this CD is showing just that.

Like Windy said TD is the most realistic, down to earth, serious and mature album. It was a perfect follow-up to KTF wich already showed a more matur and serious side of BJ.
Also the way TD was compiled and production fits in perfectly with the lyrical content. It still has a good flow altough songs sounds differnent production-wise (Hey God --> Something for the pain as example)

TD is the only BJ album that actually has something to say

I think the other big album with something to say was KTF.
Hold on and believe in fast changing times (and I think especially keep your faith in BJ).

Is that a fair statement?

Well, "having something to say" and being successful in saying it are two different things.
I'm sure that the band fully intended for Bounce to have something to say about 9/11, or for HAND to have something to say about America today.
I tink i's a matter of personal opinion to judge if they succeeded or not.

Jon has also said on reflection that These Days wasn't a very positive album even though at the time he thought it was. Richie has said that Jon was "exercising some dark demons" when he was writing for These Days. Now what exactly that means is probably something we'll never know.

Almost all of theme have something to say!