Bon Jovi pushing the envelope while staying true to form!

A review by Douglas M Nece / necebogey@aol.com

This is the album I felt "Crush" could have been. "Crush" just didn't gel and lacked the support of the few really great songs the album had. Plus it seemed that Bon Jovi was taking steps backwards rather than forwards musically. "Bounce", however, is a different story. "Bounce delivers what I consider to be four different types of songs. The album is at its best with the heavy guitar driven songs. "Undivided" and "Everyday" kick it off beautifully with some balls out rock and roll. It may upset those who are looking for a balls out rock and roll album. Don't worry there's more, they just don't consume the album. Track 3, "The Distance" is my personal favorite. It is unlike any Bon Jovi song I have heard (I hope it's a single - I'd like "Undivided" to be a single too). "Love Me Back To Life" also stands out to me as well as "Hook Me Up" as songs that have that unique appeal to them. "Bounce" is a great adrenaline song, not quite "It's My Life" but a worthy live song for years to come. The ballads are a breath of fresh air with the exception of "All About Loving You" - It's better than "Thank You For Loving Me", but still seems like a typical Jovi ballad. "You Had Me From Hello" and "Open All Night" are beauties, especially "You Had Me From Hello" - what a sweet little acoustic rhythm. The song that hovers between a ballad and a Rock song, "Misunderstood" is another stand out on the album. I don't know if I agree with it being the second single, but it doesn't upset me. Of the two story telling songs, one grabs me and one doesn't. "Joey", the weakest song on the album seems like a story that goes nowhere, and a waste of a beautiful piano melody. "Wrong Side of Right", on the other hand, is a great song with a well told story, and sadly contains Richie's only really great guitar solo, which to me is the albums only true downfall (not enough of Richie's guitar solos) All in all, I simply love this album. My favorite is still "These Days", but this one is not far behind it in my book. Hope you guys enjoy it. They are still an excellent rock and roll band.

Rating: 10/10

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