BON JOVI – Bounce

Bon Jovi didn’t do much wrong in growing up, and super guitarist Richie didn’t do much wrong marrying one of the most beautiful actresses either. Bon Jovi easily survived the nineties, simply because they still delivered good songs, so good that people just couldn’t deny them. Take “Always” for example, “Bed Of Roses” or “It’s My Life”, or “Everyday” off this new record “Bounce”, they are all so good it doesn’t matter what kind of bad karma image-wise you have from a few decades ago. Bon Jovi was always relevant, and will always be, always (baaaabyyyyy!!!).

That being said, this album is far from their best effort. It’s not bad at all, and maybe it’s the teenager in me complaining, but great parts of the album is just too grown up. So grown up it becomes a bit boring. While a couple of the songs are really good, others I am just glad when they’re over. The three first songs are among the best material the band has done, and also the title track stands strong, but the rest makes me want to go to bed (and even alone as I wouldn’t be able to impress Richie’s wife much after hearing that stuff…) Lyrically, Jon Bon Jovi still fancy singing about Joey and Jimmy, and even a couple of melody lines are stolen from the past. (The beginning of “Joey” reminds me of “Wild In the Streets”).

Somehow, and though you may think I ramble too much, this is a well produced album that is good in its own manner. Maybe I expected too much as Desmond Child has been involved? Even that hit-machine seems to be a little lost for ideas, or lost into religion for all I know. This album will go down well for most Bon Jovi fans, it just won’t bring back too many of the old hardcore fans from way back. Who am I anyway, to judge a man who rightfully made a fortune out of creating good music???