[SmirkSteve]

When I first bought These Days back in 1995 I loved it, even to the point of having (It's Hard) Letting You Go playing when I broke up with my girlfriend of 2 years!! Anyway, over the years I played it less and less and in my mind I didn't like it as much as SWW, NJ and KTF - it got to the point that I have hardly played it all in the last few years.

I can't explain why really - probably had an early mid-life crisis and looked at everything from the 80s (not that KTF is 80s) with that nostalgic glow that one does! In recent years I would play Bounce (criminally under-rated), Have A Nice Day (massively over-rated by me in the past, probably because of Last Man Standing) and more recently Lost Highway, but still no These Days. It seemed like there was a mental block letting me enjoy it, or even wanting to enjoy it.

Anyway, on the way to work this morning the heavens opened and I was stuck in traffic with almost zero visibility so I decided to put These Days on. WOW, just bloody wow! How can I have been such a plank for so many years??? It was like listening to a new album, and a sensational one at that. All the love I had for These Days in 1995 came flooding back and I kicked myself for drepriving my ears of these phenomenal album.

I know this is nothing new to most in here but as I crept down the motorway I heard song after song of exceptional quality, and Jons' voice just blew me away - the power in Something To Believe In is amazing. Listening to the album made me remember how much I love the aforementioned (It's Hard) Letting You Go, These Days, Lie To Me and the fantastic My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms. The stories being told, the emotion being shown and the scintillating sound - I was blown away, to put it mildly.

If That's What It Takes was playing when I parked up and I can't wait for the day to end so I can listen again on the way home.

[RS8MB0R8]

Right, that's it! I'm going to put 'These Days' on now!

It's brilliant when you rediscover albums like that. Unfortunately, the only BJ albums I can try that with are Crush, Bounce and HAND as I play the others fairly regularly. Somehow I don't think I'll experience the same feelings with those albums as you did with 'These Days' this morning though.

[crashed]

It's the one album I can't go long without listening to -

For me, it's the Young guns II soundtrack I don't put on very often though it's the first one I fell in love with. I like the feeling of putting it on after a long time and just getting caught up in the feelings of the songs again.

[Shaz]

Guess that's what makes TD such a classic album...the sentiments etc., expressed throughout are as poignant and relevant today as they were 13 years ago. For me, KTF was their penultimate album, and TD is their benchmark.

S.

[hometownboy]

i never really understood what the big fuss was about these days , but one night i just lay in bed and listened to the whole album and then it hit me , it is a fantastic album. i love almost every song on it (especially these days , something to believe in , and this ain't a love song, damned aswell but especially the intro !) maybe this will be the album that will get out me out ot my "cant listen to bon jovi" phase lol

Songs i still dont really like are diamond ring , it's alright , i just dont think it's up to quality of the rest of the album and something for the pain , it's not bad but not great either

[Chica Guacamole]

Glad to hear of your re-awakening! I experienced a similar thing with the album a few months back, on a plane to France. I annoyed the crap out of the other passengers haha.

[RS8MB0R8]

Originally Posted by hometownboy

Songs i still dont really like are diamond ring , it's alright , i just dont think it's up to quality of the rest of the album and something for the pain , it's not bad but not great either

I was exactly the same with 'Diamond Ring' but since hearing it live at Twickers just over a week ago, I have a new found liking for it - I even learned to play it on my acoustic too!

[hometownboy]

Originally Posted by RS8MB0R8

I was exactly the same with 'Diamond Ring' but since hearing it live at Twickers just over a week ago, I have a new found liking for it - I even learned to play it on my acoustic too!

lol , when they played it at manchester , jon said something like "now this is one we havent done in a while" and i turned to my dad and said " holy shit! it might Stick To Your Guns!!" you can imagine my disappointment lol , but still i did enjoy it , it suprised me how well it worked in a stadium

[Bon Jovi Princess]

Yes i love These Days especially Something to Believe In ...

I WATCHED LIFE CRITICISE THE TRUTH

is one of my fave ever lyrics of Bon Jovi .... the older I get the more i see what he means!

i always see These Days as being their darkest collection ... only really got into it last year ... i can now really relate to the anguish and soul searching that i hear in these tracks.

Totally love it all and am playing it on my ipod now (and revising of course!!)
It is just GREAT !!!!

Great thread you started

xx amanda xx

[crashed]

Originally Posted by RS8MB0R8

I was exactly the same with 'Diamond Ring' but since hearing it live at Twickers just over a week ago, I have a new found liking for it - I even learned to play it on my acoustic too!

Shall I expect that at the next gig, Gav?

Maybe you should do a Richie solo show too...cover The Answer and Father Time.