Rolling Stone Q&A with Jon

RS: I wouls like to say that, like you, I hail from the great state of new Jersey. And I feel everybody should announce this with pride. Why don't they?
JBJ: Oh, I think they do now. With The Sopranos and the reinvention of New Jersey, now it's sory of hip. It used to be that anyone from Manhatten would think they had to take thier passport and change money to go through the tunnels. Now it seems like everyone tells you they were from New Jersey at one point in thier lives. You get beat up so long until finnaly people give in and say " oh F*** he's hip.
RS: I think there are regards in which people always acknowledge you were hip.
JBJ: Oh I doubt that. The success of the band was not because of critical acclaim, it was the blue collor working guy who bought those 90 million records. It wasn't because we were on anybodys best-of list. But things are cyclical, and it happens to be in an up hill cycle right now. And this time alot of people have come around and said youve withstood the beating and your still here, congratulations.
RS: Oh. Well, I really like Crush and it sounds like kind of a stupid thing to say but it's a great sounding record. I love the production.
JBJ: Oh, thats not a stupid thing to say. I thank you for that. It was a very conscious part of the effort. Especially early on, alot of
times people said " you have to see Bon Jovi live; your missing out if its just the records". There too slick, and over produced. There not sapturing the energy they have on stage. With this record its a very big open live feeling. And we had to come full circle to get the that point. Blaze of Glory- where I was supposed to be writting fiction that in retrospect was 50% me and 50% Billy the Kid. Keep the Faith was more of a socially conscious record. And then These Days although I didnt feel it at the time was a very dark record. And Destonation Anywhere was of course my art record.
RS: What do you think are the virtues of age?
JBJ: Experience. There are circumstances you may have thoght you were in control of ten, twelve years ago that in retrospect you werent.. Now I can see that trouble comming. Or those disapointments. Or that jubilation. Like now, I wouldnt think any record is the almighty just because i wrote a hit song. But i also dont throw up and night if a record doesnt work or the ticket sales arent what they could or should be.
RS: And did that literally used to be the case? You were just a kid. Do yopu remember your dreams?
JBJ: With this movie unfortunatly I dream about vampires every figging night. But ive had dreams in my life that have been right on. I was very close to my grandparents and when i had the opportunity to audition for Pay it Foward, it was while I was recording Crush. So the had to fly back and forth all the time to get the opportunity to work with Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt. I was thinking about it like "oh christ what a beating, its not even a guarentee, etc. And i actually had a dream that night where my grandmother said it was inevitable. I walked out and got the job on the spot.
RS: What are the different rewards of acting vs. Bon Jovi?
JBJ: With acting its the gift of humility because I come in an contribute, much like the bass player on our record does, lays down
the bottom , and then we say " thank you very much goodbye".The bass player can say "that sux" and you dont go " oh no no no listen" You are talking to the man who has written these classic songs.
RS: Really? When I see a band playing like a band i always think something like " Theres a kind of love I'll never be a part of.
JBJ: Thats true too. Its a sexless marriage. And with us, that came with time. Any animosities, any jealousies, have long gone away. Everybody understands thier role, including me. And you have expierienced the good the bad and the indifferent in your life together, more then you have with your wife. Every hill we climbed we climbed together and every war we fought we fought thogether. As cliched as it sounds its true. You know the truth is when i walk away from this set, i'll see these people again at the premier and then ont see them maybe ever again. This is a much more lonely existence.