[peewee]

Guess I'm a little bit bored, so here's my review of this "better" album.

1) Have A Nice Day:

Great One. Great Melody. Great Rocking. Perfect to be a number one hit single. I missed the drum solo that appears in the demoed song.Its a pity that the band continue with the two snare drum hits before the chorus like in Its my life... A comment to the producer as well. Good job hiding Jon's damaged vocals with lots of power backing vocals. That turns the song to the poppy bj way style.

2) I Want To Be Loved:

Love the guitar sound on it. The message of the song. The melody of the chorus is kinda easy and expected. (Sorry for my english) . The heavy riff-solo sounds amazing but the whole song seems to be a little bit boring when you listen it a few times. Tico's amazing on the drums crashing that way...

3) Welcome To Wherever You Are:

Amazing title and lyrics but I expected more from this song as I heard Richie saying this was one of his favourites on the album. Nothing more to say.

4) Who Says You Can't Go Home:

The first time I heard this one I thought Jon was attempting to reversion Someday Ill be Saturday Night mood to it. Very Springsteen here. And in my opinion, like Jon always enjoys to do, a reminiscence of Counting Crows Accidentally in Love. I like this one though. Lots of changes in the drums, stops etc...

5) Last Man Standing:

Never imagined in any of the ways that BJ could do some riff like that. Powerful and amazing. If this song would have been wrote before, with Jon's vocals at his top and when Richie enjoyed making good guitars (these days album) with continue riffs like in hey god... Would have been great. Great solo too and great ending. Never expected this one. BON JOVI'S BACK

6) Bells Of Freedom:

No words to describe it. Best kinda "these days song" since these days times... Love the feeling, love the vocals, love the melody... I miss a better solo instead of the rip off of the last vocal job that Bono does in the end of With Or Without You. Amazing though. BON JOVI'S BACK

7) Wildflower:

As a writer myself, I have to say its a great intro and lyrics. Beautiful song but dont think it fits on the album. Any of the bsides would have been perfect.

Last Cigarrette:

Funny tune. Catchy One. Unexpected things on it. The bridge and solo emulates "Something For The Pain" with the slide guitar solo. The chorus is the weak part of the song. Kinda similiar to Simple Plan sound. Nice to see David writing again.

9) I Am:

Amazing. Great feeling, great melody, great lyrics, great mix between acoustic and distornioned guitars.FIRTS BJ SONG TUNED DOWN HALF TONE IN AN ALBUM (since Young Guns soundtrack but because Jon screams in the songs) No words... BON JOVI'S BACK

10) Complicated:

Love this one. Heavy guitars on it. Love the melody too. Miss a better solo. Here we have 2 snare drum hits again before the chorus.BON JOVI'S BACK

11) Novocaine:

Strange one. Its a good song with never heard drums on it like in Last Cigarrete. Love the solo. The melody is way too easy though.

12) Story Of My Life:

Catchy tune too. Very similar to Last cigarrete because of the same chords in the chorus. Love the strong guitars. Upbeat lyrics.

13) Dirty little Secret:

Amazinggggggggg. The best of U2 and BonJovi in a song. Amazing melody, amazing guitars, amazing lyrics, amazing production, amazing solos and amazing richie's back vocals. BON JOVI'S BACK

14) Unbreakable:

Good powerful but easy song. Amazing solo panned to the left side (first time I see this in a bj album I think) It reminds me the bounce demo "Alive"

15) These Open Arms:

Beatiful song. great lyrics. Could have made the album. I miss a solo but... love this one. SECOND BJ SONG TUNED DOWN HALF TONE.

16) Nothing:

Kinda similar to I am because of the tuning down and the same chords. Good one. Like to hear it. THIRD BJ SONG TUNED DOWN HALF TONE


GOOD POINTS:

- More guitar work
- More BJ sound
- More Richie Lyrics
- For the first time in years, masterpieces like Bells of Freedom or Last Man Standing or I am.
- Never get bored of this album

BAD POINTS:

- The single choices.
- Leave Dirty Little Secret or Unbreakable out of the album
- Jon's vocal skills are going down down down...


Thank you for reading! Greetings from Barcelona

[MrIks from Finland]

Not bad, not bad at all. I'm bored too so here's mine.

HAND 8.5/10
Best choise to be the first single. Guitar solo is pretty good. I would have put one more verse to the song... between guitar solo and the last chorus; the song is over too soon.

IWTBL 7/10
Catching guitar. Really missed a real guitar solo... An average song, nothing special. Too easy and simple to be Bon Jovi.

WTWEYA 6.5/10
Disappoinment. The only "love song" of the album but doesn't do it's job. It loses to it's brothers All About Lovin You and Thank You For Lovin Me. Again too easy, too simple and too short. And where is the guitar solo?!

WSYCGH 8/10
What to say... At least it sells. It is filling the empty chair which is booked to country song. But loses to it's brothers Right Side Of Wrong and Saturday Night. Good melody and good gutar solo. A typcal song to release as a single.

Last Man Standing 9/10
A real rock song. Fills it's duty well. I'm little bored to the song by now... maybe because it already was released as an "acoustic" song. But good song indeed al thought something is missing to be the next Hey God or I Was Your Mother.

Bells Of Freedom 8.5/10
Without the similarity of This Ain't A Love Song it could have been brilliant: A great ballad which takes me back to Keep The Faith. It is still a one of the best on the album but still... the similarity irritates me.

Wild Flower 7.5/10
Too simple and easy... again. You can see that it wasn't in the original set list. Guitar solo is great, have to say that. Not a bad song but also nothing to make it special.

Last Cigarette 8/10
Very good melody and good guitar solo and Richie himself is on fire in this one. Too short song and too poppy.

I am 8.5/10
One of the best on the album. Good guitar and good melody. Words are terrible I think but I can forgive that. Too short and simple song as well. But still a good song.

Complicated 8.5/10
I hate that drum which hit twice before the chorus. I don't know why they use it so often. It's My Life started it and now they can't get it out of their system. Still good rock song. Song that is important to keep the album on the right course. Catchy guitar solo.

Novocaine 9.5/10
The Best song on the album. Interesting lyrics, good guitar and finally something else that we are to hear.

Story Of My Life 8/10
Again good melody as always on Jovi's songs. But nowdays it just isn't enough. We need something else. Few more Novocaine's. It reminds me too much of Last Cigarette.

Sum up:
+Great first single.
+The mood.
+Novocaine.

-Too easy and simple.
-Lack of guitar solos, doesn't reflect Richie's talents at all.
-Loses to Bounce and Crush.
-Cannot even compaire to the one and only; These Days.
-Bad choises of singles.
-Nothing new and interesting except Novocaine.

[Captain_jovi]

WTWYA is the only love song? I think that goes to Wildflower. I wouldn't even call "Welcome..." a ballad. Mid tempo maybe, but I dont want to open up THAT discussion again, heh.

[MrIks from Finland]

Well Jon also said that Welcome is the only so called love song on the album...

[Captain_jovi]

Originally Posted by MrIks from Finland

Well Jon also said that Welcome is the only so called love song on the album...

He did? When? Before or after the album was re-done.

[MrIks from Finland]

Yes he did... After the album was re-done. Just before releasing I quess.

[Captain_jovi]

Originally Posted by MrIks from Finland

Yes he did... After the album was re-done. Just before releasing I quess.

Interesting. This is the first I've heard of this, I'll have to search this out, thanks for the heads up.

[Bongo VII]

If he said that, he's an idiot.

[MrIks from Finland]

It was some interview which I saw on youtube if I remember correctly.
At least I'm hundred per cent sure that he said that.
He said that HAND is loud rock record and there is only one love song: Welcome To Where Ever You Are.
But it about a year ago when I saw it...

[Javier]

They were talking about the album and Jon said that there was only one love song on the album.
Then they went on to talking about the album tracks and welcome was talked about.
He never said that welcome was the only love song on the album, FACT.