These Days
released 1995
reviewed by Cars
main page
This proved that Bon Jovi were not just a cheese-fest soft rock band but excellent writers who had the capability to really rock with some hard hitting lyrics & heavy guitaring. Just check out the opening track Hey God & you'll see for yourself.
Unfortunately as many bands tend to do to get the neccessary airplay the first single they released off this was boring & predictable - This Ain't A Love Song. By far the weakest track on here.
With such gems as the brooding My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms to the uplifting These Days right through to the sing-a-long fest that is Hearts Breaking Even this is the record that proved them. Made after the departure of bassist Alec John Such I don't know if that made the band "deeper" but whatever it was worked a treat. We'd already seen a change & a more "grown up" feel from it's predessor Keep The Faith & this followed on nicely from that.
To me this is the last great Bon Jovi record - this was their peak. It was accompanied by sell out shows at Wembley Stadium & they really were the golden boys of rock. For me things went downhill afterwards with great tracks on subsequent albums being lost in amoungst the overblown slushy power ballads that they managed to get away from on this album.
Sure, they can still sell out stadiums, sure they're still gonna sell millions each album & sure they're still one of my favourite bands. I just can't help wishing they'd stuck to the formula they created on here. It may not have guarenteed mass radio airplay but it would have guarenteed a lot more respect, & respect is something they deserve.
10 out of 10
Best tracks - Hey God, These Days, Damned, My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms, Hearts Breaking Even, All I Want Is Everything
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