These Days is Bon Jovi's sixth studio album, and was released on June 27, 1995. This was the first album Bon Jovi released after the firing of bassist Alec John Such. Hugh McDonald unofficially replaced Such as bassist. At the time of release, the album was a huge commercial hit, particularly in Europe and Japan but failed to impress the audience in the United States. In the UK, the album was particularly notable for producing four Top 10 hit singles. The high sales of the album in Europe auspicied a re-issue of the album under the name of These Days Special Edition a year after its original release. The album was remastered and re-released in 1998, adding the music video for "These Days" as a bonus track.
Album information
These Days was the first album Bon Jovi released after the firing of bassist Alec John Such. Hugh McDonald replaced Such as bassist unofficially. The album produced by Peter Collins, was regarded as a much maligned album full of subtle lyrics and deeper references with respect to life today. It was an overall darker album in contrast to the band's usual brand of feel good, inspiring rock songs and love ballads. Along with heightened lyrical development, the group's sound continues to evolve away from the usual pop-metal fare. Jon Bon Jovi occasionally drifts into a raspy voice, while David Bryan's keyboard playing veers from the lush orchestration of "Lie To Me" to a simpler harpsichord tone in "If That's What It Takes." Still, Bon Jovi remain a guitar-driven band, and Richie Sambora's muscular style has expanded to include some tasty electric-sitar playing.
Bon Jovi's characters on These Days weigh in with more mature and darker conflicts than those explored on previous albums. On "Hey God," a family man on the brink of homelessness cries out for spiritual guidance. The title track goes a step further, describing the sheer hopelessness that goes with not having a place to live. Other characters who've lost their way are either on quests of faith ("Something To Believe In") or have found other altars to worship at ("Something For The Pain").
Commercial reception
These Days was a huge commercial success, specially in the Japan and the European markets. In the UK the album was largely anticipated, and it had replaced Michael Jackson's album HIStory at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spent four consecutive weeks at #1[1]. These Days holds the record for the band to spawn the most Top 10 singles, with four singles charting on the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart ("This Ain't a Love Song", "Something for the Pain", "Lie to Me", and "These Days"). The album also topped the European Albums Chart for seven weeks and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry certified "These Days" three times platinum, denoting three million shipments within the continent. In 1995, the album was ranked number 2 on Q magazine's list of the Top 50 albums of 1995.[2] In 2006 the album featured in the Classic Rock & Metal Hammer 's The 200 Greatest Albums Of The 90's.[3].
In the United States, the album was received with lukewarm success. These Days spun only one hit single in United States. This Ain't A Love Song reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the album debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200, it slipped down the charts very quickly, and in all it just sold over one million copies in United States.
Awards
In 1995, Bon Jovi was voted 'Best Rock', at the MTV Europe Music Awards and at the BRIT Awards, the band was awarded for the 'Best International Band'.
Re-release
The album was re-released in Europe on June 1996 in a box package including two discs—the original album and an extra CD which included previously unreleased songs. The set was issued as These Days Special Edition. These Days Special Edition was not listed in the UK charts as a different album than the original These Days, and helped the album to jump from #129 to #11 during the band's European Tour at summer of 1996.
Track listing
| Writer(s) |
| 1. |
"Hey God" |
Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora |
6:10 |
| 2. |
"Something for the Pain" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora, Desmond Child |
4:47 |
| 3. |
"This Ain't a Love Song" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child |
5:07 |
| 4. |
"These Days" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora |
6:27 |
| 5. |
"Lie To Me" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora |
5:34 |
| 6. |
"Damned" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora |
4:33 |
| 7. |
"My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora |
5:41 |
| 8. |
"(It's Hard) Letting You Go" |
Bon Jovi |
5:51 |
| 9. |
"Hearts Breaking Even" |
Bon Jovi, Child |
5:06 |
| 10. |
"Something to Believe In" |
Bon Jovi |
5:25 |
| 11. |
"If That's What It Takes" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora |
5:17 |
| 12. |
"Diamond Ring" |
Bon Jovi, Sambora, Child |
3:47 |
| 13. |
"All I Want Is Everything" (May not be on all releases, especially U.S. release) |
Bon Jovi, Sambora |
5:16 |
| 14. |
"Bitter Wine" (May not be on all releases, especially U.S. release) |
Bon Jovi, Sambora |
4:33 |
Personnel
Additional musicians:
Charts
Album -
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1995 |
UK Top 75 Albums Chart |
#1 (4 weeks) |
| 1995 |
European Top 100 Albums |
#1 (7 weeks) |
| 1995 |
Germany |
#1 (3 weeks) |
| 1995 |
Japan |
#1 |
| 1995 |
Australian ARIA Albums Chart |
#1(2 weeks) |
| 1995 |
Austria |
#1(5 weeks) |
| 1995 |
Finland |
#1 |
| 1995 |
Switzerland |
#1(2 weeks) |
| 1995 |
Ireland |
#1(5 weeks) |
| 1995 |
Denmark |
#1 |
| 1995 |
Hungary[4] |
#2 |
| 1995 |
The Netherlands |
#2 |
| 1995 |
Sweden |
#2 |
| 1995 |
Italy |
#3 |
| 1995 |
Norway |
#7 |
| 1995 |
US Billboard 200 |
#9 |
Certifications
| Country |
Certification |
| Australia |
2x platinum |
| Austria |
Platinum |
| Canada |
4x Platinum |
| IFPI Europe |
3x Platinum |
| Finland |
2x Platinum |
| France |
7x Platinum |
| Germany |
3x Platinum |
| Italy |
2x Platinum |
| Japan |
4x Platinum |
| Sweden |
Platinum |
| Switzerland |
Platinum |
| The Netherlands |
Platinum |
| UK |
3x Platinum |
| US |
5x Platinum |
References
