These Days [Import Bonus CD] - Bon Jovi

With These Days, Bon Jovi firmly established itself as an adult contemporary act. The band still has its fair share of rockers, but they seem half-hearted and incomplete. Instead, Bon Jovi sounds the most comfortable with love ballads and working-class anthems, from hits "This Ain't a Love Song" and "Lie to Me" to the acoustic "Diamond Ring." In fact, as the years go by, Bon Jovi gets musically stronger. Not only are the best songs stronger now, but the playing is more accomplished. Keeping these improvements in mind, it's no surprise that the group was one of the few pop-metal bands to sustain a career in the mid-'90s. [The two-CD import release adds two bonus tracks to the first disc ("All I Want Is Everything" and "Bitter Wine") and adds a second CD that offers the following bonus tracks: "Fields of Fire," "I Thank You," "Mrs. Robinson," "Let's Make It Baby," "I Don't Like Mondays," "Crazy," "Tumblin' Dice," and "Heaven Help Us."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide