[Dave 1986]

Originally Posted by Captain_jovi

More. of. this. Don't wait for the machine and editing, if this is the best you can do with just an iPhone your fans will eat this up by staying visible instead of sitting around. Love it.

Definitely. It is interesting how much we are eating this up, but we have our reasons. Even if he only grazed over this one, it’s nice to see a chilled out Jon talking more candidly about the past and off the cuff like this.

I would love for the band to talk more extensively about this album in future, such as the inspiration and writing process for some of the songs and what frame of mind they were in at the time. Now is the perfect time for something like this. Have the guys do a Skype chat or podcast (including Richie if possible) talking about the album with each other.

[Captain_jovi]

Originally Posted by Dave 1986

Definitely. It is interesting how much we are eating this up, but we have our reasons. Even if he only grazed over this one, it’s nice to see a chilled out Jon talking more candidly about the past and off the cuff like this.

I would love for the band to talk more extensively about this album in future, such as the inspiration and writing process for some of the songs and what frame of mind they were in at the time. Now is the perfect time for something like this. Have the guys do a Skype chat or podcast (including Richie if possible) talking about the album with each other.

Stuff like this is bottom of the barrel, zero budget-zero effort things to post and it's sad that doing the bare minimum in 2020 is enough to get us happier BUT it's a step in the right direction! If there's no music, talk about your past, tell new stories, share photos. Hell, an old unreleased demo would work wonders for the fanbase right now.

[Dave 1986]

Originally Posted by Captain_jovi

Stuff like this is bottom of the barrel, zero budget-zero effort things to post and it's sad that doing the bare minimum in 2020 is enough to get us happier BUT it's a step in the right direction! If there's no music, talk about your past, tell new stories, share photos. Hell, an old unreleased demo would work wonders for the fanbase right now.

You’re right, but bottom-of-the-barrel is all people can do during this time and I’m cool with it, hence why it’s so perfect to do something as low-key as this. There’ll never be another reason to do this when this is all over. Like you say, no machine, no PR, no pressure, just have fun. Have the guys just chilling, riffing (not literally in this context) and just having a laugh along the way, then put it up on YouTube.

[KeepTheFaith2211]

Already commented but this album truly is a masterpiece. Hey God may be their best ever effort. It proves the band could rock and get a bit heavier. All I Want Is Everything is a real blast of energy. Bitter Wine is a personal favourite and I think the darker, moodier tracks on the album are some of their finest, too.

[Dave 1986]

Originally Posted by KeepTheFaith2211

Already commented but this album truly is a masterpiece. Hey God may be their best ever effort. It proves the band could rock and get a bit heavier. All I Want Is Everything is a real blast of energy. Bitter Wine is a personal favourite and I think the darker, moodier tracks on the album are some of their finest, too.

I love "Hey God". It's probably the last true 'rock' single they released. I like a lot of the other rock songs from later albums like "Undivided", "Bounce", "Hook Me Up", "Have a Nice Day", "Bullet" to name some, but those sound too processed and forced where as "Hey God" has that raw, organic sound and energy that's just been lacking ever since. As much as I love These Days the way it is, the one thing I wish were different was if it had more rockers in a similar vein.

[Alphavictim]

It could certainly do with some more rockers, yeah. It is an overtly moody record.

However, I find Hey God to be a bit too shouty and weirdly 90s by now. The guitar tone is very much of that era (as is Slippery's), and AFAIR there's not a whole lot of bass. I dug the "heaviness" of tracks such as If I Was Your Mother much better, especially since that one also had a chorus that played to the band's core strengths.

[YOVANAfromPeru]

He obviously didn't considerate/read the These Days album version with All I Want Is Everything and Bitter Wine
I always liked When She Comes... (Hey God single)

[GabrielC]

These Days is a masterpiece. It's the band at their peak. It deserved to do better in the charts in the US, so Jon would have a better look at the album.

Anyway, everything that comes about this album would be great. I would love a Super Deluxe edition, with demos and alternate takes on the songs, like Def Leppard did with Slang. I can only dream.

[steel_horse75]

Without doubt it’s one of their best. But I didn’t think that when released. I was 20 when it came out and I remember running down shop and getting Cd, sticking it on and was like..WTF have they done. I was so disappointed. Probably because I was listening to a lot of Pantera, White Zombie in 95 and Skid Rows Subhuman Race was heavier as well.
I remember loving hey god then it was followed by the poppy SFTP, then a ballad, the title track was slowish and then lie to me (which I used to hate) was another slow one. Damned picked it up then guitar lies bleeding was another slow one. It just didn’t get going like previous albums. It just seemed slow and dull to me.
But...as I’ve got older I really started to appreciate this album more now I’ve loved and lost, hit the bottom and them come up again I feel I can relate to the album 100% more.
It’s a grower over time for me as the last 10 years Ive really started to appreciate the album.
The b-sides at that time were great as well.
As I said ld lose diamond ring and replace with wedding day and although I can listen to SFTP I’d have preferred Prostitute or When she comes but it’s their last great album. Everything after has been hit and miss.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[semigoodlooking]

Even if your opinion falls on the side of not loving this album, it is recognizably an excellent work.

Jon missed an opportunity here. I would have liked to have seen him listen to this album and offer a commentary of sorts. Perhaps he wanted to avoid the look on his face of slow realization that he is nowhere near the same songwriter he was and no longer has a sidekick who was all over that record.

I don't know how Jon could listen to These Days and it not give him a kick up the ass. Denial is wonderful thing, I guess.