I'm addicted to this band; I simply have to listen to
Bon Jovi on a regular basis. It has something to do with the positive effect it has on my mental state of mind and of course the fact that it's one of the most melodic bands to ever surface.
Have A Nice Day is the band's ninth studio album and remarkably it's the same four guys that appeared on the other eight albums. Talk about continuity.
One of the best aspects about
Bon Jovi is their ability to release albums that somehow remain true to the original vision and still has a very distinct character. Have A Nice Day sounds refreshing, extremely melodic and have been gifted with some fantastic lyrics. It's a deep album and at the same time it's uncomplicated and to the point, also represented by the fact that most songs tick in at round 4 minutes. Fact is that each time I thought I had figured this one out, it just kept getting better and better, a bit like the Bounce album, which I ended up adoring too.
The album starts out in the best possible way, the title track is a world-class catchy rocker that is bound to go straight in. It's got both attitude and a huge sing-a-long refrain.
From the first listen I knew that I would end up cherishing
I Want To Be Loved, just the way Jon sings those exact words drips dramatically with longing and torn feelings. The guitar riff is ultra heavy and the legendary talk box makes yet another cool contribution.
Amazing lyric quote:
I can forgive you but I won't re-live you, I ain't the same scared kid I used to be.
The overall vocal performance is one of Jon's best; just listen to the emotional beginning of
Welcome To Wherever You Are, which goes into a phenomenal chorus, filled with healing energies, man I love this song.
Even though it's some kind of ballad with great smooth acoustic guitar work it contains an inner source of unreleased power and unfaltering hope that makes it seem vigorous and with edge.
Amazing lyric quote:
Welcome; you got to believe, that right here right now, you're exactly where you're supposed to be.
After this thrilling opening it becomes very clear that these guys mean business, the performances ooze with tightness, professionalism and the simple joy of just playing your instrument.
The honeysweet guitar lick leading into
Who Says You Can't Go Home is a good indication of what this beauty has to offer. This song is bound to make you feel just a little bit better. A simple and joyful track with some detailed drumming and a matching bright solo spot.
Last Man Standing has a more serious approach. The chorus is decently direct, the guitar solo is full of soul and the structure a bit unmemorable, so one of the least good songs.
A couple of cuts took some time to really unfold;
Bells Of Freedom was one of them but by now the power chorus is stuck to my head and refuses to leave me alone. The mid-section guitar melody adds that extra something to the song and with these kind of vocals, every song is bound to improve dramatically.
Wildflower is also one of the tracks that first blossomed after considerable dry listening. The opening and closing line:
She wakes up when I sleep to talk to ghosts just like in the movies, is another passage that keep haunting me.
It isn't the most exciting composition but the warm strings lift it above the OK mark.
As we enter the last part of the album we run into some huge songs like the up-tempo rocker
Last Cigarette, nicely supported by copious key passages. Ritchie's driving lead work brings back memories of the early days and the chorus is amazingly catchy in its own straight-ahead fashion. The bass add lots of texture to this marvellous song.
I Am injects a more sombre atmosphere, but again there is hope in all the sadness with lines like:
When you think that no one needs you, sees you or believes you, no one's there to understand, I am. simply beautiful.
The varied acoustic guitar does a great job in given the rhythm section its own unique feel.
The "in your face" formula dominating the solid
Complicated gives it a hard rhythm path, a stomping track with a spellbinding vocal passage.
Novocaine is filled with both energy and frustration, two elements that somehow goes well together in the
Bon Jovi universe. The excellent chorus has been given a thrilling choir attachment and the axe solo really rips.
Story Of My Life starts out with a harmonious piano passage before a thick and raw rhythm guitar sets in, supported by heavy drums and tight bass lines. The refrain is uncomplicated and works pretty well. All in all this is another successful creation on a very successful album.
The production is excellent: Crisp, bright and finely balanced.
Even though we write October this is for me already one of the most heard CD's of 2005 and also one of the absolute best.
A comprehensive, profound and super melodic album.
Written by
Tommy Tuesday, October 11, 2005
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