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I still remember the early HAND leak like 3 days before the album dropped. I Am stood out big time. Captain Jovi was, as always, ecstatic. I kinda wanna look up that moment, but man, I wouldn't know where to start. I think it was a like 1200 page thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thinny (Post 1273504)

Yeah you're right I guess. I always forget about that song. I was thinking of Bells Of Freedom, I Am, Welcome To Wherever You Are.

I guess I Am isn't technically a ballad but it feels like one to me for some reason.

Maybe their comments were made before Wildflower was added, as it wasn't on the original track listing.

Richie was making the comment on the EPK that that there were no love song songs on the album but I'm not sure at what point that was made. Had to be during the photo shoot for the album and by that time the Who Says video was already filmed I believe. BUT he also didn't play on it and referred to it as "Wildfire" on a radio interview so he legit might not know too much about it.

Though, I don't know if I consider it a "love song". He's singing about an eccentric woman he knows that always changes her mind. I think when a statement is made about no love songs it's about the sweeping ballads, yer Always, I'll be there for yous, Thank you for loving me's. It's a middle of the road pop-tune and I'd consider Bells to be more of a power ballad than Wildflower honestly. Point is, this dumb word is all subjective.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_jovi (Post 1273507)

These Open Arms was the "Alwaysy" ballad, it just didn't feature on most copies of the album. Japanese bonus track I think?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by James_86 (Post 1273511)

These Open Arms was the "Alwaysy" ballad, it just didn't feature on most copies of the album. Japanese bonus track I think?

Sent from my ELE-L09 using Tapatalk

That's a good point. There's no way that statement about no love songs could have been made until AFTER These Open Arms was removed and delegated to bonus track territory.

I'm very hopeful that Obie is taking part in the next video. Since he's typically in charge of going through what they have recorded and cataloguing them it could very well mean we'll get clips of a bunch of unreleased songs....

.....a guy can hope, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_jovi (Post 1273513)

That's pretty much what I was thinking/hoping too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supersonic (Post 1273446)

So no, I don't think it's the same. I think what they're doing now is different from incorporating a various amount of influences. Nowadays due to the the constant overkill of adding outside influences they're so out of touch with nowadays music in general that it's hard to find out what a Bon Jovi song would sound like nowadays. Bon Jovi were never the most original act but Bon Jovi were also a band easy to identify. I remember when Real Life hit the radio long before the internet gave out samples. You just knew it was Bon Jovi, even when Jon wasn't singing. Compare this to stuff from the Circle. What About Now. This House Is Not For Sale. Take away Jon's voice and you're left with something completely generic and unidentifyable.

I can understand the band not wanting to sound the same. I don't mind the change in sound if the songs are there. These Days doesn't sound like New Jersey, Crush doesn't sound like These Days. These are good steps. But unlike with the first 2, since Crush, the songs just aren't there anymore.

With every subsequent release they're stripped further from their own identity and I don't think the band has ever played a song together in the past 10 years they just enjoyed playing. They're going through the motions. The band sounds tired of just playing what is ultimately Bon Jovi light. "Oh, here's that thing that other artist did before". "Oh here's that intro done by that other artist". The lack of own input is what's halted the creative output and what's ultimately caused Jon's river to run dry.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Very good analysis and some very valid points. Though I'd like to disagree about The Circle. I recently listened to it in full again, and I sincerely believe this is the last true band effort, and probably the first since These Days (or maybe Bounce). It has songs, atmosphere and feels sincere. Also I wouldn't know where they would've taken "influence" from.

Also I think there are some songs on there that the band truly enjoyed and made epic live, like Love's The Only Rule for example.

And considering HAND: I liked it when it came out and still do. Wouldn't know either where they would've been "influenced" on that one, other than I believe My Chemical Romance on Complicated (?). But still it's the first one where they only tracked and overdubbed, and it shows.

I agree 100% with Seb analysis,except IMO,it was not since Crush,but since Bounce that the songs arent there anymore.
Bon Jovi,as a band,changed since HAND,since John Shanks is in the organization,since they were not 5 guys on stage anymore,since they didnt sound in any record as a band anymore.
For me,Bounce and its tour,were the last time Bon Jovi were the Bon Jovi we all loved.

And I have to disgree with jovifan93 and his love for The Circle album.
For me its their worst album ever.
They try in almost the whole record,to repeat or copy his own old hits or another artists songs.
Just to mention a few:
Working Man reminds to Prayer,Bullet to Faith,Born to Follow to Born to be my baby,Learn to love is a try to rewrite his own Hallellujah,Brokenpromiseland is a copy and paste of a Coldplay song,etc
To my that is the problem with that album.just the opposite as you said,the lack of creativity,sincerity and overall,the lack of good songs.
They had nothing to say with that album.
Appart from,for me,the worst John Shanks production on a Bon Jovi album ever
It lacks of the atmosphere you mention,it seems like a computer album,the songs dont walk,I dont know if Im explaining well.
It is like if you try to put all the songs in a washing machine and then released them.
Bullet is a clear example of what Im trying to say,the production destroys the song(appart from not being a good song..)

My biggest issue with The Circle is that the performances sound a little anemic. Still, the best thing they've done post HAND. Some really nice compositions on there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xavi (Post 1273521)

Hmm, strange how opinions can differ. With atmosphere I meant the big drums and reverb that was present last on the New Jersey record. But yes, it's noticeably more static because of the way it was recorded.

While I cannot disagree about copying their own (and maybe other) stuff, I strongly disagree about having nothing to say. Songs like Learn To Love, Live Before You Die, Bullet, Love's The Only Rule, Superman Tonight and even the much-hated Fast Cards all have a deep meaning and good lyrics for me. Which cannot be said much about most stuff on What About Now or even Crush, as far as I can recall the album tracks...

It truly felt to me like Jon & the band wanted to try to make a real band album again, and for some they succeeded, for others they failed, and afterwards it was just business for JBJ, and then the rest is history...