BON JOVI TELLS IT LIKE IT IS...

You asked what you wanted, and now Bon Jovi answers! Jon Bon Jovi and David Bryan have huddled up and responded to your questions. Get One to One with the Jersey Boys. Read on. -VH1

Q:I really love your new album, Crush, but I noticed that it has a different musical style to it. Do you agree and do you think your writing style has changed over the years? If so, how?
- Sharon from Las Vegas
Jon Bon Jovi: Sure, it's changed as we've changed. I'm proud of each of the records at the time of their release, and yet there are gonna be a few that stand the test of time forever (I hope).
Q:Jon, after all these years of touring, and the past eight albums, do you still get that adrenaline rush before you go out on stage?
- Joann from Westerly, R.I.
Jon Bon Jovi: Sure, the most important thing is the last 5 to 10 minutes leading up to the show. You have to get as psyched for Boise, Idaho, as you do in London and New York.
Q:How do you think "good ol' rock 'n' roll" can overcome the boy bands and girl bands that seem to rule all the charts today?
- Caryn from Orlando, Fla.
Jon Bon Jovi: Don't try to compete with any fad. There's room for everyone. If fact, there are some lessons to learn from all of them.
Q:What is it like on the opening night of a new tour?
- Jessica from Paris, Ark.
David Bryan: It is a great feeling. Finally after all the preparation and practice it's time to do the show and have fun.
Q:How has your audience changed from, say, 1984 to now, in 2001?
- Nichole from Chula Vista, Calif.
Jon Bon Jovi: It's bigger. They're there to see us and challenge us to surprise them with a great show. In the beginning we were eager to prove that we were different than our peers, but that took time and persistence. Slippery began the true Bon Jovi era.
Q:How many hours of sleep do you average while on the road, and what do you do to entertain yourselves while touring?
- Kashmir from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
David Bryan: I usually sleep for 6 or 7 hours a night. Sometimes I play golf or tennis when I have a day off.
Q:Did you guys ever think that you would make this big of a comeback after the big split in the '90s? How does it feel to be back?
- Charlotte from Apple Valley, Calif.
Jon Bon Jovi: We never split up - I can't say that enough! In '94 we released Cross Road and began to tour. During that tour (in June '95) we released These Days and toured well into '96. There wasn't a lot to say lyrically as a band, so a very mutually agreed upon two years to pursue solo projects and movies was set into place. True to our word, I presented 30 songs to the band in September of '98. With the sale of PolyGram to Universal, we wrote 30 more and waited for the merger. The result made it worth the wait I think.
David Bryan: I don't think we ever broke up, so it's not really a comeback, just a continuation. It feels great to have a new record out and touring on it.
Q:How do you decide which songs you will play at each concert, and is there a favorite that has to be in each set?
- Michelle from Schenectady, N.Y.
Jon Bon Jovi: The basic hits are there nightly, but we do cater the set to how we feel and what part of the world we're in. "Something for the Pain" was a bigger hit in Europe so we may do that. The ballads are tough because I don't want to do more than two on any given night, and there are certain album tracks, even on Crush, that we love but don't go over as well.
Q:If I were stranded on a desert island, and I had never heard of Bon Jovi, what song would you have me listen to that would give me the best idea of who you are?
- Kathleen from Mesquite, Nev.
Jon Bon Jovi: "Wanted Dead or Alive," "It's My Life," "Livin' on a Prayer," "Blaze of Glory," "Bed of Roses," "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Keep the Faith"... I could go on but they'd have to rescue us or you'd kill me.
David Bryan: "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Livin' on a Prayer."