These Days (album)

These Days
Studio album by Bon Jovi
Publication (s)	June 19, 1995
admission	December 1994-April 1995
Label (s)	Mercury Records
Genre (s)	Hard rock
Title (number)	12
running time	63:53
occupation	Vocals and backing vocals: Jon Bon Jovi Guitar and backing vocals: Richie Sambora Drums , percussion : Tico Torres Keyboard and backing vocals: David Bryan Bass and backing vocals: Hugh McDonald
production	Peter Collins , Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora
Studio (s)	Sanctuary Sound II, New Jersey (USA)
chronology Cross Road - The Best of (1994) These Days Crush (2000)
Single releases May 23, 1995 This Ain't a Love Song 5th September 1995 Something for the pain November 3, 1995 Lie to Me March 4, 1996 These Days June 3, 1996 Hey god

These Days (English for: " Nowadays ") is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Bon Jovi , which was released in 1995.

background

During the These Days Tour, Bon Jovi played 17 times in Germany, more often than ever before, and they have not yet broken the record. In total they played over 120 concerts in over 30 different countries during the tour.

In the years following this album, the band took a break. During this time, the band members Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora focused on their own careers and each released a solo album.

Musical style

Musically the album differs a lot from the previous ones, because the music is darker, sadder, and now and then already depressed, in contrast to Slippery When Wet or New Jersey , which were much more cheerful and energetic. A power ballad like Bed of Roses or Always cannot be found in this sense either. Even This Ain't a Love Song is more melancholy and resigned than powerful.

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

These Days   US 9 07/15/1995 (20 weeks)   UK 1 07/01/1995 (56 weeks)   DE 1 06/26/1995 (66 weeks)   AT 1 06/25/1995 (19 weeks)   CH 1 07/02/1995 (19 weeks)

Singles

This Ain't a Love Song   US 14th 08/12/1995 (20 weeks)   UK 6th 09/10/1995 (9 weeks)   DE 9 06/15/1995 (18 weeks)   AT 6th 07/02/1995 (14 weeks)   CH 4th 06/04/1995 (20 weeks) Something for the pain   UK 8th 09/30/1995 (7 weeks)   DE 51 09/25/1995 (10 weeks)   AT 36 10/22/1995 (1 week)   CH 10 10/08/1995 (13 weeks) Lie to Me   US 76 07/10/1995 (9 weeks)   UK 10 11/25/1995 (8 weeks)   DE 46 11/20/1995 (14 weeks)   AT 20th 12/24/1995 (8 weeks)   CH 20th 12/10/1995 (12 weeks) These Days   UK 7th 03/09/1996 (7 weeks)   DE 61 03/18/1996 (10 weeks)   CH 31 03/31/1996 (5 weeks) Hey god   UK 13 07/06/1996 (6 weeks)

Track list

1. Hey God (6:10) ( Jon Bon Jovi , Richie Sambora )
2. Something for the Pain (4:46) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Desmond Child )
3. This Ain't a Love Song (5:06) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)
4. These Days (6:26) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
5. Lie to Me (5:33) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
6. Damned (4:27) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
7. My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms (5:41) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
8. (It's Hard) Letting You Go (5:50) (Bon Jovi)
9. Hearts Breaking Even (5:05) (Bon Jovi, Child)
10. Something to Believe In (5:26) (Bon Jovi)
11. If That's What It Takes (5:17) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
12. Diamond Ring (3:47) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)

Bonus tracks from many international editions

13. All I Want Is Everything (5:16) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
14. Bitter Wine (4:34) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)

Bonus tracks from a few American editions

13. All I Want Is Everything (5:23) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
14. Como Yo nadie Te Ha Amado (5:03) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)

Bonus tracks of the special edition from 2010

13. This Ain't a Love Song (Live) (7:13) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)
14. Diamond Ring (Live) (4:42) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)

Bonus CD of the French Special Edition 1995

1. Always (Live) (5:52) (Bon Jovi)
2. Good Guys Don't Always Wear White (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
3. Prostitutes (4:28) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
4. Lonely at the Top (4:14) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
5. When She Comes (3:29) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
6. The End (3:39) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, David Bryan )

Bonus CD from the 1996 Australasian Tour Edition

1. This Ain't a Love Song (Live) (6:23) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)
2. I Don't Like Mondays (Live) (5:57) ( Bob Geldof )
3. Livin 'on a Prayer (Live) (5:55) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)
4. You Give Love a Bad Name (Live) (3:40) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)
5. Wild in the Streets (Live) (4:55) (Bon Jovi)

Bonus CD of the European Special Edition from 1996

1. Fields of Fire (4:10) (Bon Jovi)
2. I Thank You (3:14) ( Isaac Hayes , David Porter)
3. Mrs. Robinson (Live) (3:21) ( Paul Simon )
4. Let's Make It Baby (6:19) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child )
5. I Don't Like Mondays (Live) (5:58) (Geldof)
6. Crazy (Live) (3:29) ( Willie Nelson )
7. Tumblin 'Dice (Live) (4:17) ( Mick Jagger , Keith Richards )
8. Heaven Help Us (Live) (4:34) ( Ron Miller )

Bonus CD of the Japanese Special Edition from 1998

1. This Ain't a Love Song (Live) (6:23) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)
2. Hey God (Live) (7:09) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
3. These Days (Live) (5:49) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
4. Something for the Pain (Live) (5:27) (Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child)
5. (It's Hard) Letting You Go (Live) (6:29) (Bon Jovi)
6. Rocking in the Free World (Live) (5:54) ( Neil Young )
7. 634-5789 (3:10) ( Steve Cropper , Eddie Floyd )
8. All I Want Is Everything (5:16) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)
9. Bitter Wine (4:34) (Bon Jovi, Sambora)

Cover versions

• "I Don't Like Mondays" is a The Boomtown Rats cover version. The song was originally released on the 1979 album The Fine Art of Surfacing .
• "I Thank You" is a Sam & Dave cover version. The song was originally released on the 1968 album I Thank You .
• "Mrs. Robinson “is a Simon & Garfunkel cover version. The song was originally released on the 1968 album Bookends .
• "Crazy" is a Willie Nelson cover version. The song was originally released on the 1962 album ... And Then I Wrote .
• "Tumblin 'Dice" is a The Rolling Stones cover version. The song was originally in 1972 on the album Exile on Main St. released.
• "Heaven Help Us" is a Stevie Wonder cover version. The song was originally released on the 1970 album Signed, Sealed & Delivered .
• "Rocking in the Free World" is a Neil Young cover version. The song was originally released on the album Freedom in 1989.
• "634-5789" is a Wilson-Pickett cover version. The song was originally released on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett .

Things worth knowing about the bonus CD of the French Special Edition from 1995

• The live version of "Always" was recorded in 1994 at the Théâtre Saint-Denis in Montreal and first appeared on the 1995 single Someday I'll Be Saturday Night .
• The song "Good Guys Don't Always Wear White" was originally released in 1994 on the soundtrack for the film Let's Do It Like Cowboys (English original title: The Cowboy Way ).
• The songs "Prostitute", "Lonely at the Top", "When She Comes" and "The End" were released for the international market on the 1995 single This Ain't a Love Song .

Interesting facts about the bonus CD of the Australasian Tour Edition from 1996

• The live versions of "This Ain't a Love Song", "I Don't Like Mondays", "Livin 'on a Prayer", "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Wild in the Streets" were released in 1995 at Wembley Stadium Recorded in London and originally featured on the 1995 single Something for the Pain .

Worth knowing about the bonus CD of the European Special Edition from 1996

• The song "Fields of Fire" was recorded during the recording of the album Keep the Faith and was first released on this special edition.
• The cover version "I Thank You" was first published on this special edition.
• The live cover version “Mrs. Robinson ”was recorded in 1996 at Riverside Studios in London during the TV show TFI Friday and was first published on this special edition.
• The song "Let's Make It Baby" was recorded during the recording of the New Jersey album and was first released on this special edition.
• The live cover version "I Don't Like Mondays" was recorded in 1995 at Wembley Stadium in London and originally appeared on the 1995 single Something for the Pain .
• The live cover version "Crazy" was recorded in 1995 at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank and first released on this special edition. The specialty is that drummer Tico Torres took over the vocals for this live recording .
• The live cover version "Tumblin 'Dice" was recorded in 1995 at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank and was first released on this special edition. The specialty is that keyboardist David Bryan took over the vocals for this live recording.
• The live cover version "Heaven Help Us" was recorded in 1995 at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank and first released on this special edition. The specialty is that guitarist Richie Sambora took over the vocals for this live recording.

Things worth knowing about the bonus CD of the Japanese Special Edition from 1998

• The live version of "This Ain't a Love Song" was recorded in 1995 at Wembley Stadium in London and originally appeared on the 1995 single Something for the Pain .
• The live versions of “Hey God”, “These Days”, “(It's Hard) Letting You Go” and the live cover version “Rocking in the Free World” were recorded in 1995 at the Athletic Stadium in Johannesburg and originally appeared on the 1996 single These Days released.
• The live version of "Something for the Pain" was recorded in Miami Arena in Miami in 1995 and originally appeared on the 1995 single Lie to Me .
• The cover version "634-5789" was originally released on the 1996 single These Days .
• The song "All I Want Is Everything" was originally released as a bonus track for many international editions of the album.
• The song "Bitter Wine" was originally released as a bonus track for many international editions of the album. An interesting side note is that the song is available twice in the same version on this Japanese special edition: once as track 13 on the regular CD and once as track 9 on the bonus CD.

Interesting facts about the 2010 Special Edition

• Both of the live recordings added to the 2010 Special Edition are known only to have been recorded during the These Days tour. The live version of "This Ain't a Love Song" is therefore not the same live recording that was included on the bonus CD of the Japanese Special Edition from 1998.

Information on individual songs

The title track These Days is about many difficulties that people of our time have to overcome. During the Lost Highway tour, Richie often sang the song because of all the problems he had to go through in 2007. The album title also appears outside of the title song in lines of individual songs, for example in Hey God and in My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms .

There is a Spanish version of the single This Ain't a Love Song , Como Yo Nadie Te Ha Amado , which was also sung by several Latin American interpreters, the most successful cover being by the Mexican singer Yuridia .

reception

The fans are divided about the album. Some appreciate the lyrical quality (at least compared to previous albums) and the changeability of the band, others think the album is tearful, too dark and therefore completely untypical for Bon Jovi and are therefore disappointed.

Like the fans, the critics were rather negatively surprised by the dark sounds of These Days . Rock Hard magazine, for example, only awarded half of the possible ten points, which Thomas Kupfer justified as follows: “After the incredible success of Cross Road - twelve million worldwide, 1.5 of them in Germany alone - it was to be expected that Bon Jovi would also be relies on quieter sounds on his new album. The concept of covering the radio stations with ballads across the board worked too well. That New Jersey's Finest after the rather experimental studio album Keep the Faith put this idea into practice in such a drastic way is surprising. Cynics will describe These Days as a successful EP with an abundance of superfluous bonus tracks - a classification that can be left behind even after listening to the disc several times. Only the brilliant opener Hey God , which should be known from the stadium tour just completed, the Something for the Pain reminiscent of Def Leppard's Let’s Get Rocked and the somewhat kitschy single This Ain't a Love Song really got stuck in the ear canals . After further iterations, the title track, in the best Springsteen manner, and the worn My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms pass as "good", but then? Unimportant pissing songs make up the rest of the album and present the man, whose name has always been synonymous with excellent Melodoc rock records, in a terrifyingly weak form. If the unbelievable success is not accompanied by an increasing loss of ideas and a lack of creativity. "

The album was far more successful in Europe than in the band's home country, the USA ; there the album only reached number 9 on the Billboard 200 and only two singles were charted.

The album went platinum in the US , double platinum in Canada, and gold in Germany.

The album stayed at number 1 in the Austrian charts for 5 weeks and in the charts for 19 weeks and was awarded platinum.

In total, the record has sold over 10 million times worldwide.

Sales figures and awards

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Australia (ARIA)	platinum	70,000
Belgium (BEA)	gold	(25,000)
Germany (BVMI)	gold	(250,000)
Europe (IFPI)	3 × platinum	3,000,000
Finland (IFPI)	platinum	(64,725)
France (SNEP)	2 × gold	(200,000)
Japan (RIAJ)	3 × platinum	600,000
Canada (MC)	2 × platinum	200,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)	gold	7,500
Netherlands (NVPI)	platinum	(100.00)
Austria (IFPI)	platinum	(50,000)
Switzerland (IFPI)	platinum	(50,000)
Spain (Promusicae)	2 × platinum	(200.00)
United States (RIAA)	platinum	1,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	2 × platinum	(600,000)
All in all	5 × gold 18 × platinum	4,877,500

Main article: Bon Jovi / Music Sales Awards

Web links

• Official Bon Jovi website
• Official German Bon Jovi website
• Album review at rollingstone.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Information about These Days Tor  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Turkish, but the list is in English)  
2. ↑ List of concerts on the These Days Tour (+ additional concerts)  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Dutch)  
3. ↑ Charts DE Charts AT Charts CH Charts UK Charts US
4. ↑ Bon Jovi lyrics for Hey God
5. ↑ Bon Jovi lyrics for My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms
6. ↑ List of performers who have sung Como Yo Nadie Te Ha Amado
7. ↑ Chart placements by Yuridia in the USA
8. ↑ These Days review
9. ↑ These Days Review ( Memento of the original from August 10, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English) 
10. ↑ These Days experience report ( memento of the original from April 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
11. ↑ Bon Jovi USA chart placements
12. ↑ Gold and platinum awards in the USA
13. ↑ Gold, platinum and diamond awards in Canada
14. ↑ Gold and platinum awards in Germany