Journey/Survivor wrote:kgdjpubs wrote:SF-Dano wrote:I really don't get it. What is it you want Journey to sound like? And why can't a good song be a good song, regardles of what era it sounds like it came from. I just don't understand what some expect from this band.
I expect them to sound like Journey. Beyond that, a good song is a good song regardless of the style. Just stating the obvious that the sound up to this point has been an 80s band. Maybe they would have slowly changed sound like Bon Jovi did had they remained together, but the ten-year breakup pretty much ended any chance of that.
I, personally, have little use for Bon Jovi music that isn't from the 1980's. I do kind of like that "It's My Life" song. But other than that I haven't liked anything I've heard from Bon Jovi post-1980's.
I have to give Journey credit for continuing to sound like Journey. Look at how many of the other Classic Rock bands have tried to sound more "modern" by incorporating Grunge or Country or rap into their songs. Thank God Journey have never done that!
For me, it just boils down to the simple question---is it a good song? I like some bands that changed very little in sound over the years, and some that had massive style changes on every album. I'd prefer an album that takes some chances and has heart 100 times over an album that stays true to the famous sound of the band, but leaves me cold (see Def Leppard for several pretty good examples of this!). A good song is a good song regardless of whether it has layers of backing vocals, whether the guitars of keys are higher in the mix, or whatever else that production and arrangement can change. Spend a little bit of time tweaking things in the studio, and you could turn a bunch of songs into anything from metal to grunge to country to acoustic pop.
For Bon Jovi, I think I've found something from almost every album that I like. Like the 80s stuff, like the 90s stuff, generally like the post-reunion material, even though I think they have been sounding tired lately. Heresy or not, I think These Days is their best album, and best lyrics and vocals by a country mile. Favorite album to listen to? Not exactly as it's more of a mood album, but I think it's some of the best music they have recorded. Not sure I really want a second version, as it is pretty dark and desolate, but it's raw emotion on an album the likes of which you rarely see from that band.
Maybe it's just me then, but I thought that it sounded a
