Bon Jovi 2020: The Reviews

Got the name of Brothers in Arms wrong so how closely were they listening?🤔

Well, KTF will also and forever be my favourite BJ album. But I just because there practically are not 'fillers' on that album. Of course you can't release 13 singles of an album and they DID release the strongest songs
. But goddamn... Fear is such a great song. Perhaps one of the loudest, strongest songs they've recorded. If I was your mother - that's another song that has never been used, but it is such a sledgehammer. The lyric, the guitars, the overall production, the vocals, ... just.. wow. Woman in Love is at least as good as Wild in the streets and or Social disease ( Don't know why these songs come to mind). I want you IS an amazing ballad, but when there's Bed of Roses on the same album, I want you is always gonna be second. Blame it on the Love of Rock'n'Roll and Little bit of soul are still cool songs. Sure Blame it on the love of rock'n'roll has its big brother I'll Sleep when I'm dead on that record and Little bit of soul does not stand out, but it is a super decent track. And we got Save a Prayer as a bonus in Europe - that songs was amazing ( it has the darkness of If I was your mother, and the power of fear, mixed with a bit of achtung baby by U2) ...
I know what I am writing here is totally irrelevant to this thread, but damn KTF was great and got me excited for a trip down memory lane.

It's all personal. Perhaps there will be kids who'll say 2020 is the best record they've ever heard. Could be. For someone who just picks up on Bon Jovi, hears this record and thinks : this is exactly my cup of tea. Who knows.

Youre right with the KTF record.Ive always thought the second part of record is weaker than the first half.
But,you are wrong with These Days. "No one has ever bothered about If tbat what it takes Bitter wine?"
In my case, Hearts Breaking Even,If That What It Takes and Bitter Wine are my 3 favourite songs from my favourite BJ record and I could tell you a lot of fans who think like me.

Mariskal rock review (spanish rock web/magazine)
In spanish 7,5/10
https://mariskalrock.com/criticas/cr...bon-jovi-2020/

Aloha !

They didn't just release the strongest songs. They released the first 4 songs and then tried to release 2 more which both tanked compared to the other 4. The gap between I Believe and Dry County was 7 months. The gap between Dry County and Always is 4 months. It's easy to say that those who hadn't bought the Keep The Faith album would've thought Dry County was a new song of a new album and it still did nothing. Fans like it, others don't. It's shows off "our" band, but besides Bon Jovi fans no one cares for that song. Take out the mid section and all everyone else will hear is an average song going nowhere. It's not bad, but it's not very good either.

But that's the thing, you're saying it's personal while an objective reviewer will just point out the facts saying it's either not very original, vocals are weak, lyrics are simplistic, guitar work is great. There's nothing personal about it and it's up to a listener whether he'll appreciate more of the same or will skip rehashed metaphors and melodies. I've no idea why this is so hard to understand for so many Bon Jovi fans. They often get so defensive when "their" music isn't liked upon release while the same fans will shelve a new album as well albeit just a little bit later than a casual listener.

All songs you mentioned never show up on any compilations or best offs made by fans. I like most songs you mentioned but I know I like them because I'm a fan. You won't win over any people by playing Fear or Save A Prayer but play the singles of the same record and they're almost universally liked. Rank Keep The Faith from best to worse and everyone will put the same batch of songs last. There's a reason why everybody thinks Bed Of Roses is great and Thank You For Loving Me isn't. Why people, despite supposedly adoring every song on the Keep The Faith record, instantly forget the existance of I Want You. Sure, there's people who like all of those, but they're the exception and almost certainly a fan of the band anyway, familiar with the sound.

The same goes for reviews, they're catered towards people who aren't as invested as you and me are in the band. Those who don't wear Bon Jovi couloured glasses and are able to judge it for what it is.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Reviewer seem to praise the songs that are political or what is happening right now, then bashes the rest.

Variety Review: https://variety.com/2020/music/revie...medium=twitter

However I so disagree wbout the songs with him I suffer through the first three, almost four songs to enjoy tracks from 5 to 8

I love that in the reviews they mention Sambora as a member that rocked Bon Jovi.

This is an unbelievably boring and pretentious album. Every song sounds the same, there is no musicianship to talk of, and the lyrics are too cliched, hamfisted, and just plain dull for me to take the heavy subject material seriously. It's trying to be a whole album of American Skin (41 Shots), except all these songs are completely forgettable and lack any nuance whatsoever.