[Bleeding Purist]

Honestly, I find the title of this thread entirely too self serving...but it is pretty apt. So you gotta be sure to the read title minus the ego and just being matter of fact but putting it out there.

I've actually been listening to this album for some months now. I think that was obvious from some of my posts here and there..that I was aware of the songs. At some point in the last quarter of last year..my hearing seemed to stabilize relative to the condition it had been in for the greater part of last year. It wasn't the same as before..but it was still enough to work with to be able to give the Have A Nice Day album it's time while it was still fresh enough.

I guess it's taken me this long to say anything direct about it because the real benchmark of an album is how well it holds up measured against the whole of the band's catalog. The band runs this kind of test whenever they go on tour playing the newest material mixed in with songs from throughout their history. I tend to construct my own sets with the latest material mixed in..in a running order that should have the songs complement each other when they come together. Anyway..I did that today. So I have a verdict.....

Have A Nice Day - You know what? I do not like this song. I've tried...so hard. I do like the guitars. It's infectious enough as a whole..hooks all over...and they just don't catch. I'm just not buying it. It's just to damned crafted. Next to the past material.....it was just flat...a bathroom break. Sometimes I think maybe it would stand better if It's My Life and Everyday didn't exist...but It's My Life is actually the superior song and I wouldn't trade it in (you must understand...I did not take to IML for a long time...especially not after having someone try to sing a Backstreet Boys song along with it instead of the actual lyrics and proceeded to do this anytime It's My Life was played within ear shot of him....yes..it took me a long time to not gag and actually love it.) HAND screams the continuance of the band's mid-life crisis...actually writing songs that are designed to make the band come as youthful instead of seasoned musicians and experienced adults. I require more...................................and I'm really ****ing tired of: *double-cymbal crash* "(recite name of song here" starting off the choruses. Once was enough, and it's called It's My Life.

I Wanna Be Loved - Lyrically....it revisits the mindframe Jon must have had when he wrote "If I Was Your Mother." Except where the KTF track was just a wierd perspective illiciting raised eyebrows..but credit for being creative and otherwise sonically sound.....I Wanna Be Loved is just irritating. "Yeah sure I was fed, but no one was there, when I was in need." Cry me a ****ing river. What the hell?? Then we start getting stock rock in the form of a "I'm gonna live life to the fullest" chorus. This song was phoned in. I do have a guilty pleasure in it...I do actually listen to it through. But it's like staring off into space....it's oddly pleasuring yet a waste of time.

Welcome To Wherever You Are - I'll be honest...frankly I get so bored within the first few seconds of this song that I'm usually hitting the next button. Like the previous song...it was phoned in. It has nothing about it that really holds me. All I can say is I'd rather this than the usual offending ballads known from Bounce or Crush. So in that regard, it's an improvement. But it's still skipped. Maybe someday I'll figure out what it is with this song that some of you like..but mostly it's just a yawn fest.

Who Says You Can't Go Home - You know what? I love this ****ing song! Response to it on this board was so lukewarm...especially in the early days when it first started popping up in the sets as a preview to the coming album other than HAND. The fact it is country-tinged put off alot of you...some of you are outright aversive. Me....I find the lyrics to be an album highlight..the hook not too overdone..and catchy enough at the same time. There really isn't any cringe time on this song other than if you cannot handle the country aspect. It's still very much the band and I maintain the country element is nothing new. Some choose to call that fusion of country and rock done by Bon Jovi as "wind-swept." It's a perfect description, but it doesn't change what it is..it just makes it more palatable to those who would never admit to liking anything having to do with Country. The chorus is laid back, but it's effective this time. Lyrics like "Been there, done that, and I ain't lookin back on the seeds I have sown. Saving dimes..spending too much time time on the telephone....Who says you can't go home" are already classic. There is no real retreading going on here. I do ****ing love this song and it is the best chosen single since It's My Life.

Last Man Standing - There is already a post all about this song alone...so it's not news that I am mostly not moved by the album version, but the live version as it is performed on the limited edition live CD is what finally won me over.

Bells of Freedom - Any song starting off with bells is gonna earn a gag response. There is just no way around that and any professional in the recording industry should know this. It has been driven into the ground...it has about as much dramatic effect as Stonehedge props droppin from th sealing on stage. That sin is committed here. I do appreciate Jon's performance here...but it's a recycled song dressed in relatively recent political lyrical content that fails to convince.

Wildflower - I honestly don't have any snide remarks on this one. The problem with it is it's just boring. The lyrics are actually some of the best in years.....no cringe moments....the cringe moments are found in the delivery of the song. Namely, the ole: *full band stop* "(recite name of song)" rears it's head here.

Last Cigarette - I like it enough. The chorus is a bit too pedestrian..but the verses are pretty good. It's hurt by the fact the latter Story of My Life is just too similar and vice versa. It's helped by the infamous breakdown post-solo. But handicapped by bad habits...a variation of *full band stop - recite title* happens yet...again...... it's a form of passive aggressiveness I believe. They are bored and all want to be doing something else but comfortable at the same time.

I Am - It's pedestrian...the lyrics are juvenile in spots.....but the delivery actually makes it a worthy single if they should ever go that route. The verses draw you in quickly and the chorus only brings it home. It's obvious that the theme of the album is to be simple yet effective....in most of the cases it doesn't because of the aforementioned bad habits...but here..it actually gets pulled off. It's one of those tracks that you hear once and is resonating long after it's ended.

Complicated - Jeezuz..****ing....*&^%$#! Is this Max Martin's fault? The man singing this song is 46 years old! Not 16. Give me a ****ing break! This is teenaged whiny bullshit. And again with the: *full band stop* "(recite song title)" How many times is this on this album alone??? 17?? This is the 6th song on the album they have that cliche happening.

Novocaine - Ok, finally we get into adult reality here. This is one of the winners on the album. The lyrical content is mostly excellent...with the now already regarded classic "I guess there'll be no happy endings when "once upon" is doing time. There's a different kind of meaning now to "Living on a Prayer." Some don't seem to notice and the rest don't seem to care." The Dr Phil line needs to go. It's the kind of line that can quickly date a song when referring to a pop culture aspect of that sort. At least the artistic creativity switch was on when this one was written. It captures the desperation and numbness of the moment quite well...been there enough. Where the edge being attempted in Have A Nice Day is nearly laughable, here it is genuine.

Story of My Life - Pedestrian...safe...but I do like it. I get the impression it would translate live quite well...better perhaps. But in the context of the album..it just adds to the repitition and bad habits. The verses elevate it however, and it doesn't pander to the juvenile crowd...however the corniness factor is pushed....particularly "whadya say"...*gag*

As a whole...only Who Says, Last Man Standing, and Novocaine rise on the album as being the worthy material when standing with the whole of the band's work. The theme of the album is pedestrian and safe and constructed of every over-used cliche they have. I personally find myself put off by it more than even Crush or Bounce did. They are clocking in and doing the bare minimum until clocking out with no overtime to put more effort into it.

The lack of effort is obviously calculated, and that's the problem. The heart and soul of an impassioned band isn't present nearly enough to overthrow that tendency to just feed the McDonald's consumer mentality. The band truly needs a long vacation....then if the fires can burn again as they did when Jon sat down and wrote Dry County....setting off a wave of writing some of the band's best material in their entire career for several more years..they can go for a new album...or solo albums in Jon's and Richies case if that is what they are really feeling. But don't do it just to be doing it. Save for the few bright spots...they were just doing it.

[Bongo VII]

allow me to be nitpicky and single-minded for a moment:

how come just Jon and Richie get to do solo albums?

/nitpicky single-mindedness

Nice review. I disagree with a lot of it (you got me dead-on with Novocaine, though), but I do very much appreciate that you weren't ever negative for the sake of negativity or positive for the sake of positivity. You back up everything you say, and I totally respect your opinion.

[Captain_jovi]

Originally Posted by Bongo VII

allow me to be nitpicky and single-minded for a moment:

how come just Jon and Richie get to do solo albums?

/nitpicky single-mindedness

Nice review. I disagree with a lot of it (you got me dead-on with Novocaine, though), but I do very much appreciate that you weren't ever negative for the sake of negativity or positive for the sake of positivity. You back up everything you say, and I totally respect your opinion.

Because those two solo albums will be the only ones that affect how the band will sound on the next Jovi record. Granted Dave co-wrote a handful of tracks on this new record, I don't foresee him coming back into the writing fold. His next solo record could be polka-rap and it won't change a damn thing when it come time for the next band record.

[Living_on_my_Hair]

Interesting review. Disagree with most of it though.

The title track is one of their better singles, and one of the best on the album IMO.

If it wasnt for all the rock cliches then it wouldnt be bon jovi, just as U2 wouldnt be U2 without that signitature edge guitar sound which very rarely is ever absent - some people hate it and complain that all U2 stuff sounds the same, but what can you expect when its their sound and they want to stick with it; its their decision.

I think your problems and mine to some extent with some of the newer stuff is with *us* the fans and not the band - Bon jovi are doing what theyv almost always done and right basic pop rock songs with great hooks etc and if we aren't taking to them anymore then thats our problem, maybe we'r just getting tired of the same formula.
If the band didnt want to write these types of songs they wouldnt, as illustrated by some songs on KTF and the These Days album, aswell as solo JBJ.
Many people here may prefer their more 'serious' or genuine work, but lets face it, 90% of us are fans due to the original Bon Jovi sound, and not from listining to Dry county or These Days on the radio.

My point is that what appears to be mediocre, recycled and cliched material nowadays is due to fans perception, and their wishes to 'hold on' to whatever period or sound they most prefer, and the fact that many of us are now older and the same old formula that they still use just doesnt ''do it'' for some people anymore.

Im sure if the band feel that theyr in the right place etc, we could get another These days or whatever, but i honestly believe that they are happy doing what they are doing right now with HAND and if some of the fans aren't happy then like i said, thats theyr problem. Maybe they just need to let go...?


andi

[Living_on_my_Hair]

Oh, and i must be one of the few that quite like 'Complicated', its just a big fun dum pop/rock song. If your looking for anything more out of it, then yes you'l be disappointed i guess.

My favourite album and song is These Days by a long shot, but i became a fan due to hearing Prayer, bad name, Runaway, Always etc like many people did, So i now just accept the chiches and 'cheese factor' with Bon Jovi and dont let myself get worked up... that much.


andi

[eriK]

Good review.

[Sambora1]

Happy to hear your personal health (i.e. hearing) has improved or at least it has stabilized. I like reading argumented reviews. I share your opinion on Novocaine, especially after seeing it live from the Philly show... great play with David's and Richie's problems. Cheers mate!

[Bongo VII]

Originally Posted by Captain_jovi

Because those two solo albums will be the only ones that affect how the band will sound on the next Jovi record. Granted Dave co-wrote a handful of tracks on this new record, I don't foresee him coming back into the writing fold. His next solo record could be polka-rap and it won't change a damn thing when it come time for the next band record.

Ok, now I get it.

Although I'd love to see David come back in the writing fold because I have a history of liking songs David helps with way more often than not (I can't think of a song he's got a credit on that I don't like).

And if David did a polka-rap record I would die.

[eriK]

Originally Posted by Bongo VII

And if David did a polka-rap record I would die.

He has actually said in a Swedish magazine that he gladly would do a euro disco album if it would sell 50 million copies... Richie said “**** noo!”

[spunkywho]

BP - you are right on and thanks for such a well thought out and observant review!

Completely agree, except that I think Welcome is an ok song and it doesn't bore me more than the rest of the album.

I very much like/agree and relate to your explanations right down to the staring off into space kind of nice...

OH, but I thought Jon was 44 not 46 same difference...