A 'Bounce' in their step
03/28/03
John Soeder
Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
The title track of Bon Jovi's latest album, "Bounce," has struck many listeners as a national rallying cry inspired by the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001.
Study the fine print in the liner notes, however, and you'll see the hard-rocking tune is dedicated to Bill Belichick.
So is the song about the resilience of the American spirit. Or is it an ode to the former Cleveland Browns coach, who went on to lead the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl victory in 2001?
"It's both," Jon Bon Jovi said. He and Belichick have been pals since the 1980s.
"I had the title 'Bounce' back in July 2001," Bon Jovi said, checking in by phone from his home in Middletown, N.J. He and his namesake pop-rock band perform Monday at Gund Arena.
"Bounce" started out as "a sports anthem about how Bill went from being run out of New York to winning the Super Bowl," said Bon Jovi, 41. "I know what he went through, having been friends with him from his days with the Giants to when he was run out of Cleveland to when he was with New York, then New England.
"Watching this guy who really got dissed by . . . the Jets and by New York go on to win the Super Bowl - I loved it for my friend. I was really happy for him."
Does he believe Belichick got a raw deal in Cleveland?
"It's old news to me," Bon Jovi said. "I forget the circumstances. It was so long ago.
"People see one thing. They think one thing. But you don't judge a book by its cover. Bill Belichick is devoted, hard-working and loyal to a fault. . . . He finds it hard to accept a pat on the back every so often.
"And surprisingly, he's a big Bon Jovi fan."
"Bounce" took on a whole new meaning after Sept. 11, according to Bon Jovi. He said the song also applies to his band, which bounced back to the top of the charts after temporarily falling out of fashion in the grungy 1990s.
The core lineup of singer-guitarist Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres has been together 20 years. They've sold 93 million albums worldwide and scored a string of hits, including "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Livin' on a Prayer" and the 2000 comeback smash "It's My Life."
Two other songs on the new album, "Undivided" and "Everyday," also deal with life in the shadow of Sept. 11.
"I saw people who wouldn't give each other the time of day prior [to Sept. 11] all became one, regardless of their backgrounds - Republican, Democrat, black, white," said Bon Jovi, whose hometown lost 32 people in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
"I had written some very specific songs from the point of view of . . . people who were hoping their loved ones were going to come home," he said. "I tried to put myself in the shoes of people I personally knew. But because they weren't my shoes, I was fictionalizing it. I felt it was presumptuous.
"So what could I do? I put myself in the position of a bystander who says, 'I'm gonna live my life everyday. I'm not gonna take anything for granted, because who knows?' "
Bon Jovi said he was trying to strike a more universal chord than fellow New Jerseyite Bruce Springsteen did on his album, "The Rising."
"I'm not saying what Bruce did was wrong," Bon Jovi said. "We were both here on [Sept. 11]. We were both on the beach - not together, but we both watched the towers burn.
"He decided to be the widower. I decided to be the reporter, watching the community."
Bon Jovi said he is "very pleased" with the "Bounce" album, which was released in October. It has sold 601,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"It's safe to say it's more of an evolution than a departure. I didn't intend to make a Brodsky Quartet record," Bon Jovi said, referring to the classical-music combo best known among rock 'n' roll fans for its collaborations with Elvis Costello and Bjork.
"As a songwriter, I think my storytelling songs have progressed," Bon Jovi said.
"Joey," one of several ballads on the latest album, is very much in the Billy Joel/Elton John tradition, with a string arrangement echoing John's classic oldie "Levon."
"Joey" is "certainly paying respect to the greats," Bon Jovi said. "Over the years, I had attempted it with songs like Dry County' or Bed of Roses.' A great song like Levon' was definitely a serious influence. I'm not shying away from it. I not only admire and respect Elton, but I'm glad to say I would borrow from him any day."
Elsewhere on the new album, Bon Jovi paraphrases John Lennon on the us-against-them minisaga "Right Side of Wrong" ("Life was just what happened while we were busy making plans") and appropriates a line from the movie "Jerry Maguire" for the love song "You Had Me From Hello."
"If someone says it better, I don't mind taking it - as long as you don't deny credit where credit is deserved," Bon Jovi said. "Also, sometimes it [motivates] the listener to go and find out the source. My mother once told me, Go find out who your influences' influences were.'
"A lot of kids in the streets don't know who John Lennon was. They don't know Levon' is a 30-year-old Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition.
"Obviously, I'm influenced by other music. . . . I read. I write. I watch movies. And [inspiration] comes from all of the above."
Bon Jovi's role on the final season of the television series "Ally McBeal," in which he played McBeal's handyman boyfriend, sparked "Open All Night," the last cut on "Bounce."
"The depth of the character left me wanting," Bon Jovi said. "I would've made him more like the song.
"But anytime I'm acting . . . I'm enjoying the craft."
Bon Jovi is no stranger to the big screen, either, having appeared in "U-571," "Pay It Forward" and a half-dozen other films. With his band on tour through August, however, his acting career is on hold.
"There's no time for it," Bon Jovi said. "It's breaking my heart. But I'm fortunate enough to have a great day job."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
jsoeder@plaind.com, 216-999-4562
03-28-2003, 04:02 PM
The Plain Dealer interview w/ Jon 3-28-03
