New Jersey or These Days, which do you prefer?
 

I've just been reading a different thread which mentions New Jersey and These Days as the bands best albums. Everyone has their favourite album from Bon Jovi but out of these two albums, which will come out on top?

These Days has better songwriting, but musically New Jersey is much better IMO.

These Days. The songs have more of a timeless feel where NJ just sounds dated to me.

For me, NJ is the epitome of Bon Jovi.

Slippery sounds dated but I don't think New Jersey does.

For me it's These Days, then KTF, then New Jersey. I like more songs from New Jersey than I do from KTF, but the KTF ones were everything to me when I go t into this band, and they still are.

New Jersey. Easy choice.

New Jersey by far. The only song from the These Days sessions I really enjoy is Wedding Day, and it's not even on the album

I love both of them, but I voted for "These Days" because it was the first Bon Jovi album I got, so I'll always choose TD.

New Jersey.... although Keep the Faith and Slippery are much better than both :p

Unsure. NJ because musically, its better. TD is lyrically better, so it depends on what you are looking for in an album.
NJ has a lot of catchy songs, TD has a ton of lyrical masterpieces.

I like title track of These Days more than anything on New Jersey, though New Jersey is one of the most consistent albums I've heard from any artist. Every track is great. The only album that rivals the consistency of this album would be U2's Achtung Baby, in my opinion.

So New Jersey.

New Jersey is their best album, These Days is their fifth best album IMO. Easy choice.

Indeed. These Days is my pick.

In fact, I'd go so far as put Keep the Faith ahead of NJ. NJ vs Crush is better question for me. NJ would probably win, but I'd have to think about it.

These Days is a little more daring in approach, but the themes themselves aren't even all that different (Living In Sin and Wild Is The Wind are pretty dark for a pop metal record), it's more in the delivery.

Musically, it's no contest for me - New Jersey is catchy as hell, whereas These Days tries to be moody, but ultimately, Bon Jovi do catchy rock much better than thoughtful adult contemporary. Production on both albums is very good, highlighting the different approaches.

New Jersey by far for me.

I listen to These Days more than New Jersey. So I voted for These Days.

Both amazing albums and I appreciate them equally, each depending on my mood.
But since These Days features my favourite BJ line ever in Diamond Ring my vote goes to it.

I love New Jersey, but These Days is superior musically and lyrically. It's Bon Jovi at the top of their game.

These Days hands down. Even Richie likes it guitar-wise.
New Jersey is my second favorite, at least the acoustic guitar has some justice on that. :smilecol:

Agreed! I picked NJ :)

Easiest choice ever. These Days.

Love These Days, but Jersey owns it.

The thing is... I'm listening to 'New Jersey' a lot more often. It is a great album. I like to listen to 'These Days' only if I had appropriate, not surprisingly, little bit cloudy mood, to enjoy it most. But the fact is 'These Days' stands on higher level at least musically. It's not that infectious, but the material requires more advanced skill, at least from Richie. I wouldn't say it's enough to state that the musicianship is 'better' though.

Anyway, both had my 10/10, so it's a draw.

I've probably listened to These Days more as a complete album so i'm leaning towards that. NJ has some outstanding highlights but These Days is a more complete, synced body of work.

Having said that all this NJ talk is making me want to give the album a dust off.

New Jersey- No debate from me

My two favourite albums! :confused:

I went with These Days. It's aged far better than New Jersey IMO. I listen to it far more often and over the years I've got something different out of it, probably due to getting older and living through certain experiences I yet to have back when I was 15.

New Jersey is still a beast though.

Funny, for me New Jersey is timeless while These Days feels dated. Also New Jersey has I'll Be There For You, one of my all-time-favs, as well as Living In Sin, Blood On Blood, Wild Is The Wind, so many great tracks - so an easy win for NJ over TD for me...

'These Days'. Easy.

These Days, New Jersey, Keep The Faith, and Slippery are all 10 out of 10 albums for me, so it would be splitting hairs and just choosing which style I prefer today. For example These Days speaks to me more as a 30 year old than Slippery does, but for what it is Slippery is equally special too. I agree that These Days took more skill, ESP from Mr Sambora which makes the album stunning and also very sad considering the following 15 years.

Anyway, in terms of the best. I think New Jersey was THE masterpiece of its genre, and lyrically and musically transcended it. These Days is also a masterpiece, but more in how it showed the band for what it truly was in terms of talent and what could have been in the future.

I think it is a tie, both as good ad each other. I think most people should conclude it is a tie, if not ask a different question, not which is better, but which is worse.

New Jersey.

I love them both...but New Jersey is one of my favorite all-time albums ever. I find I can still listen to those songs everday and they don't get old for me.

NJ all day.

For me although I like TD there are too many slow songs on it and also I think it started the Jovi decline.

New Jersey was the bands peak musically. They will never beat it. Ever.
Its all been down hill after NJ.
Not a single song I skip. Love everything about it. My fav album of all time.

Agree with all the NJ lovers here... this was Bon Jovi at their peak... cocksure and consistent. One of the only albums I own where skipping a song would be like jumping a chapter in a book. Jon used to set the band's albums out like a movie or a story, just like he used to construct set lists with the perfect amount of rise and fall.

Also, the production is EPIC...

New Jersey is much more fun

Definitely NJ for me. Could listen to it all the time and never get sick of it.

For those who were around when NJ was released – I don’t think there was a more magical time to be associated/into the band.
Everyone wondered if SWW was a fluke seeing as the first 2 (although excellent) didn’t set the world alight – so could JBJ and the boys better SWW?
You bet they did.
Never forget the closing lines from Kerrangs! Review (which got 5 stars). Sit back, buckle up, crank up loud and enjoy the magical ride.

If we're talking about everyday mood, I'm more like New Jersey. And I love glam and 80's rock in this veins. Love. But 'These Days'... There's something so unusual in this album.. I've changed my mind, there's no draw. Been listening to 'These Days' all day now and it just amazes me every time I hear that album. Their peak. Guess it's the music's peak ;-) The notes of perfection, the words straight from the inside. Can't believe in that excellence... They can never release any good album anymore, became pathetic or whatever. They have always been my band. The favourite by a mile. But just because of that particular album, they are the biggest in the world. Forever.

These Days sounds like no other Jovi album

Love both but have to go with NJ

Exactly - which is why the political albums will be dated soon too. Art transcends time and place and it should.

In my opinion These Days is their masterpiece.

These Days, definitely!