After the end of the ‘Keep the Faith’ tour in 1993, the band need some time, so Jon Bon Jovi went on vacation and immediately started writing songs. Over the next 9 months, he and Richie Sambora wrote and demoed close to 40 songs. I guess they didn’t need much time. But the album was taking longer than anticipated so they agreed with the label to put out a greatest hits set called ‘Cross Road’ in 1994. The album did well. The band also ran in to trouble with bass player Alec John Such. Due to unsatisfactory performance during the live shows, they decided to dismiss Alec from the band in 1994 as well.

This made the album a four-piece technically as Alec is not on the album. Who is on the album is Jon, Richie, David Bryan and Tico Torres, officially. Unofficially, on bass was Hugh McDonald who we already met as he was the bass player on the song “Runaway” from the band’s debut album. They brought in producer Peter Collins to co-produce with Richie & Jon, but things weren’t easy. They started recording down in Nashville, TN. After 10 days of that, Jon wasn’t happy and erased all the tapes. Recording moved to New York to Jon’s home studio and also various studios in Los Angeles. One of the problems they had in New York was the band Fear Factory was recording their album and they were so loud that recording was not possible for them in their studio. Now, that is loud!

The album, ‘These Days’ was finally done and released on June 27, 1995. The album only went to #9 in the U.S., but overseas, the album was huge. It went to #1 in the U.K., Switzerland, Australia and numerous other countries. It sparked 5 singles and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. They might not have been as popular in the U.S., but they were still doing fine. The album itself still sounded like Bon Jovi musically, but lyrically, it is a much darker album. It is not a rock & roll party full of sunshine. The band was in a good place funny enough. The music saw them really take the darkness of grunge but put it with the Bon Jovi sound. A lot of bands at this time were going heavier and completely changing their sound, but not Bon Jovi. And it worked.

The album opens with one of the heavier songs on the album, “Hey God”, and in the same epic way they open all their albums. According to wiki, the song was inspired by Jon looking out a window at 57 St. & Broadway and seeing a guy in an expensive suit standing next to a guy sleeping on the street. Also according to wiki, Richie was inspired by the song while looking out of his limo and seeing a homeless guy sleeping in a cardboard box. Who knos which is right or they both are. The song questions if God has forgotten about the world as all the good shit is gone and there nothing but bad. It is a darker tone, darker lyrics and sees the band questioning the world. A total ballbuster of a song. The song was the final single, but not in the U.S. and was released on June 24, 1996. It was a minor hit in Canada and several European countries. It is one of my favorites on the album.

“Something for the Pain” is up next and it is more like classic Bon Jovi. There is an Eastern influence to the guitar sound at the opening, but Richie’s guitar turns more bluesy. Another little more serious song lyrically wrapped in a more upbeat song that makes it feel happier. A nice dichotomy. The song was the second single released on September 5, 1995 and would go to only #76 in the U.S., but reached #2 in the U.K. proving more they were bigger overseas than in the States.

Then we get a string of ballads and first is “This Ain’t A Love Song”. The song is a sad tale about a lost love that was never recovered. Heck, even the ballads on this album aren’t really uplifting. They are just as dark as everything else on the album. The title even tells you this isn’t a love song. This single had more succes going to #14 in the U.S. and #6 in the U.K. It was released on May 23, 1995 and was the first single off the album.

The next ballad is the title track “These Days” and opens with a very haunting piano intro and then the full band comes in and it still sounds like Bon Jovi. But the song is morose and about all the crosses we all bare whether we are rich or poor. No one seems happy and we all struggle with something. I have to admit I really love the turn this album has made for the band. The song was released as a single on February 26, 1996 and went to #6 in the U.K., but nothing in the States.

The third ballad in a row does mess with the tempo of the album,but the songs on their own are still so good and “Lie to Me” is no different. The song is another sad love song about two lovers who are broken and struggling with life. A common theme for the album. It is powerful and the keyboards on it are drenched in sadness. Jon’s vocals are soft at times and grow to be so strong and forceful. There is a tenderness to it all as well. One of the highlights is Richie’s backing vocals as without his backing vocals it doesn’t sound like Bon Jovi. The song was also a single and was released on November 13, 1995 only reaching #76 in the States, but #10 in the U.K.

Then the band picks the pace back up with “Damned” which is a rocking blues track and has a funky guitar riff played by Sambora. It has a catchy chorus and is the jolt the album needs after three ballads in a row. Another dark subject as this one is a guy involved with a married woman and we know that can’t end well and as a result his soul is damned. Richie has a killer solo on this one and probably the best on the album as he goes wild with it.

They slow things back down with one of my favorite songs on the album “My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms”. They were having writers block with this one and took the sage advice from “Bed of Roses” to come up with this one and instead of a piano it is a guitar. The song is about a loss of love and inspiration and is one of the darker songs on the album if that is possible. This song really spoke with me when it came out and why it is one of the best on the album for me. It isn’t flash or fancy and pretty limited musically, but damn it draws me in. It is the fact how it builds and builds until it climaxes as the end. Who doesn’t love a good climax.

Then we get a song that was written for a movie called ‘Moonlight And Valentino’ and Jon appeared in the movie and wrote the song. The song, “(It’s Hard) Letting You Go”, doesn’t really fit the album in my opinion. It sounds more like a Jon solo song than a Bon Jovi song. If it wasn’t for Richie’s back vocals I would’ve said it was a Jon song. There is a long keyboard note that is so sad, some classical sounding guitar and yes, it is another ballad. It isn’t a bad song by any stretch of the imagination, but it is case of too many ballads for me.

“Hearts Breaking Even” is next and is my least favorite song on the album. The first real misstep. It is an overly bluesy number that seems so contrived. Lyrically it isn’t great, musically it is cheesy and really messes up a solid album up to this point. Delete as it doesn’t fit the flow of the album or the sound.

Then we get to not one of my favorite songs, but the actual Favorite song. “Something to Believe In” might be my favorite ballad they have ever done. Yes, there are a lot of ballads on the album but none as good as this. Tico’s drums have a tribal feel, Richie’s “hey, hey, hey” backing vocals are superb. David’s keyboards are a paintbrush adding color while Hugh’s bass is giving it more texture. Jon’s emotive vocals hit the perfect notes and feel every note. A song about about false hope, a song about lost faith and song about life being an illusion. It is so personal to me as I have felt like this before. There is so much horribleness in the world that it is hard to believe in anything. This is one of my favorite tracks by the band and it doesn’t get much better than this.

“If That’s What It Takes” brings the tempo back and rocks out a little but it seems contrived and disingenuous for me. The keyboard tone is awful and like nails on a chalkboard. The song is cheesy lyrically and musically doesn’t fit with the rest of the album. Delete this one for me.

The last track on the original album is “Diamond Ring” and we have seen this before as a leftover track from the New Jersey Sessions. It was on the Super Deluxe Edition in an unfinished demo style. This time it is complete and is done in a more acoustic fashion. It is bluesy and chugs along with an air of coolness factored in to it. I think I like this version a lot better. I also like when the albums end with a cool, slightly different song. It works well here.

The final two tracks are the Japanese Bonus Tracks. My version of the album is the first issue on vinyl and they added these bonus tracks to complete the album and I think that is cool as it gives those of us who owned the album before a reason to buy it again. First track is “All I Want Is Everything” and is about kids today growing up wanting everything that everyone else has and wanting it now. An entitlement thing maybe. The song isn’t like the rest of the album so I see why it was left off, but it sound like Bon Jovi and there are some cool elements. I even here a little talkbox in it. Not a great track, but not bad either.

The final track is “Bitter Wine” and is about a guy that has lost love and is pretty bitter about it. It is piano based and not that good. A little cheesy and doesn’t grab hold in the chorus. Feels unfinished or at the very least still needs work. A very skippable track so I see why it was left off the original album. Still, I do like collecting these songs though.

Track Listing:

1. Hey God – Keeper
2. Something For the Pain – Keeper
3. This Ain’t A Love Song – Keeper
4. These Days – Keeper
5. Lie to Me – Keeper
6. Damned – Keeper
7. My Guitar Lies Bleeding in my Arms – Keeper
8. (It’s Hard) Letting You Go – Keeper (1/2 Point)
9. Hearts Breaking Even – Delete
10. Something to Believe In – Keeper
11. If That’s What It Takes – Delete
12. Diamond Ring – Keeper
13. All I Want is Everything – Keeper (1/2 Point) 
14. Bitter Wine – Delete

The Track Score is 10 out of 14 Tracks or 71%.  The album is better than this score because it still leaves 10 great songs and if that was all there was this album would’ve been a 5 Star album, but it is not.  The first half of the album is incredible strong, might be one of their strongest, but the back half is incredibly weak.  Now, that doesn’t take away from the fact that one of my all time favorite Bon Jovi tracks is in the back half with “Something to Believe In”.  I also love “Hey God” and “My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms” as well as most of the ballads. With all that being said, My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars as I did say I really like this album.  For me, it was right place at right time with this one.

NEXT UP: BON JOVI – ‘LIVE FROM LONDON’ (1995) – DVD REVIEW

THE BON JOVI COLLECTION SERIES:

1. Bon Jovi – The Albums Box Set (2017)
2. Jon Bongiovi – The Power Station Sessions (1980-1983) (2001)
3. Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi (1984)
4. Bon Jovi – Shot Through the Heart: Live in Cleveland, OH March 17, 1984 FM Broadcast (Bootleg)
5. Bon Jovi – 7800° Fahrenheit (1985)
6. Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (1986)
7. Bon Jovi – New Jersey (1988)
8. Bon Jovi – New Jersey: Super Deluxe Edition – Disc 2/DVD (1988)
9. Bon Jovi – “I’ll Be There For You” – Cassette Single (1988)
10. Jon Bon Jovi – Blaze of Glory (1990)
11. Jon Bon Jovi – “Blaze of Glory” – Cassette Single (1990)
12. Richie Sambora – Stranger in this Town (1991)
13. Bon Jovi – Keep the Faith (1992)
14. Bon Jovi – “I Believe” – 7″ Single (1992)
15. Bon Jovi – Cross Road (1994)
16. Bon Jovi – “Please Come Home for Christmas” – CD Single (1994)
17. Bon Jovi – These Days (1995)
18. Bon Jovi – Live From London – DVD (1995)
19. Jon Bon Jovi – Destination Anywhere (1997)
20. Richie Sambora – Undiscovered Soul (1998)
21. Bon Jovi – Crush (2000)
22. Bon Jovi – Live From Osaka E.P. (2000)
23. Bon Jovi – “Thank You For Loving Me” – CD Single (2000)
24. Bon Jovi – The Crush Tour – DVD (2000)
25. Bon Jovi – The Love Songs E.P. (Promo) (2001)
26. Bon Jovi – Tokyo Road: Best of Bon Jovi (2001)
27. Bon Jovi – One Wild Night Live: 1985-2001 (2001)
28. Bon Jovi – Bounce (2002)
29. Bon Jovi – Unauthorized: Rock ‘n Roll Legends – Bootleg DVD (2002)
30. Bon Jovi – This Left Feels Right (2003)
31. Bon Jovi – Target E.P. (2003)
32. Bon Jovi – Wild in the Streets: Unauthorized – Bootleg DVD (2003)
33. Bon Jovi – This Left Feels Right – DVD (2004)
34. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Part 1) – (2004)
35. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 1, Part 2) – (2004)
36. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 2, Part 3) – (2004)
37. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 3, Part 4) – (2004)
38. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 4, Part 5) – (2004)
39. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 5, Part 6) – (2004)
40. Bon Jovi – Have a Nice Day (2005)
41. Bon Jovi – Live from the Have a Nice Day Tour (Walmart Exclusive) (2006)
42. Bon Jovi – Lost Highway (2007)
43. Bon Jovi – Lost Highway: The Concert (2007)
44. Bon Jovi – The Circle (2009)
45. Bon Jovi – When We Were Beautiful Documentary DVD (2009)
46. Bon Jovi – Live at Madison Square Garden – DVD (2009)
47. Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection (2009)
48. Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Video Collection – DVD (2010)
49. Bon Jovi – Inside Out – DVD (2012)
50. Richie Sambora – Aftermath of the Lowdown (2012)
51. Bon Jovi – What About Now (2013)
52. Bon Jovi – Live E.P. (RSD – 2013)
53. Bon Jovi – Live 2 E.P. (RSD – 2014)
54. Bon Jovi – Burning Bridges (2015)
55. Bon Jovi – This House is Not For Sale (2016)
56. Bon Jovi – This House is Not For Sale – Live From the London Palladium (2016)
57. Bon Jovi – The Albums Box Set – The Extra LP (2017)
58. RSO – Radio Free America (2018)
59. Bon Jovi – 2020 (2020)
60. Bon Jovi – 40th Anniversary Box Set (TBA – I Hope it is out by the time we get here)

We’ve reviewed a bunch of pieces already over the years and won’t review again. They are as follows:

1. Bon Jovi – The Brotherhood Tour Book (1988-1990)
2. Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi Tour 2011 – Tourbook
3. Bon Jovi – The Rock History – Bootleg CD
4. Bon Jovi – “You Give Love A Bad Name” – 12″ Single
5. Bon Jovi – “You Give Love a Bad Name” – 7″ Single
6. Bon Jovi – Red Hot & 2 Parts Live E.P. – 12″ Single
7. Bon Jovi – “Wanted Dead or Alive” – 7″ Single
8. Bon Jovi – “Bad Medicine” – 7″ Single
9. Bon Jovi – “Born to Be My Baby” – 7″ Single
10. Bon Jovi – “I’ll Be There For You” – 7″ Single
11. Bon Jovi – “Lay Your Hands on Me” – 7″ Single
12. Bon Jovi – “Living in Sin” – 7″ Single