With their sixteenth studio album, ‘Forever’, the New Jersey band repeats formulas of the past in an album that is braver than wise
One night, Jon Bon Jovi I woke up inspired. She sat on the bedroom floor, next to the bed, with a notebook and a pen, humming the part of the song she had dreamed about.
The next morning, he went down the stairs of the house, wearing only his underwear, repeating the melody created during the night so as not to lose it in the world of dreams. He found his wife and Billy Falcon, a songwriting partner with more than three dozen collaborations since 2000.
He sang the entire verse and asked his partner what the chorus would be to connect to what he had sung: “I wrote you a song”, Falcon replied (“I wrote a song for you”, in free translation).
This is not just the chorus, but the title of one of the songs Foreverthe brand new album from Jon’s band, Happy Jovian adorably disposable album from a discography that’s more brave than sensible, arriving on digital platforms this Friday the 7th.
At 62 years old, Jon smile. “A man can write a good chorus in just his underwear,” he says in a video posted on the band’s YouTube channel.
The singer of Happy Jovi tells this and other stories in a series of short videos (some lasting less than a minute) on YouTube, detailing each of the new album’s 12 tracks.
An unstoppable band
Happy Jovi he refuses to stop, even if the decision puts his legacy at risk. It is no coincidence that the band remains active in the studio to record new songs with a frequency that even the youngest would envy – Foreverlet’s be clear, it’s their fourth album in ten years.
For some time now, veteran contemporary groups, or even those younger than Jon’s group, have understood a movement in the market towards a slowdown in the creation of new music. Let Aerosmith tell it: With each new tour with a new album, Joe Perry, the band’s guitarist, complained about the lukewarm reaction to recent material.
Jon, however, continues to embark on a journey of self-affirmation. In the group’s last tour before the break, the singer underwent surgery on his vocal cords worn out by the hoarse high notes of ’80s songs, such as Living by prayerthe band has played at least five songs since 2020the most recent album so far, a figure considered high (even too high), for touring bands with more than three decades of existence.
After all, the average fan of Happy Jovi know how to name three songs on the album 2020. However forgettable And now? (2013), Burning bridges (2015), This house is not for sale (2016), the albums of this most recent year.
And Jon’s insistence may have justification in an incessant battle to achieve new success, as has happened with It’s my lifea song released in 2000, when Bon Jovi’s heyday was in the 1980s.
A quarter of a century has already passed It’s my life and the album Forever. AND Jon Bon Jovi remains adamant in the craft of creating songs and touring.
A repeated repertoire
The sixteenth album by Happy Jovi suffers from the same woes of recent vintage, sounding as if the band had scraped through the rice cooker to salvage even the last few grains – now all that’s left are burnt spots stuck to the metal.
The group is gradually becoming a pastiche of itself. Living proof, for example, is “the rock you asked for,” Jon announces to his fans. Music is pure juice Happy Jovi with a blatant repetition of patterns: the choice of the talkbox (the instrument that transforms the voice into noise, used in Living by prayer), to Phil X’s guitar solo, in an exaggerated attempt to recreate the power and style of Richie Samborathe band’s original guitarist, left the group in 2013.
During these songs, Happy Jovi it’s constantly self-referential, in such an egotrip that it justifies creating an album just for self-massage: you see We made it look easy AND My first guitarboth compositions dedicated to looking to the past.
Legendarya rock song sped up with a pop refrain, celebrates the journey so far: “I got what I wanted, I got what I need”, sings Jon, with backing vocals at the most critical moments, to drown out the insufficiencies of his voice on the most high.
Self Waves AND Seeds mix, forgettable, with dull vocals and generic compositions, the album’s sixth track stands out for its personality. Kiss the bride it is dedicated to the wedding of Jon’s daughter, Stephanie. A sweet ballad, with a soft melody and autobiographical verses. In times of greater popularity Happy Jovi, perhaps music would play during weddings. In 2024, music is expected to get lost in the multitude of singles released by the ton every day.
Forever arrives in the second half in a strange way. Walls of Jericho it is religious music, with chorales and grandeur, while The People’s House seeks to preach political unity in times of polarization.
Jon’s vocal limitations after surgery, covered extensively in the documentary Thank you, goodnight: the story of Bon Joviavailable on Star+, weighs on the album’s uniformity. There are moments in the folk ballad Empty manduring the verses preceding the chorus, in which Jon’s voice merges with that of Bob Dylan – which isn’t necessarily a compliment.
With reduced resources, he too no longer has his past partners by his side, with the guitarist leaving permanently. Richie Sambora, an important figure for the band’s sound. There are melodies that are too easy, almost stereotyped, with high-note choruses and lilting verses.
Finally, Forever massage Jon’s ego and his resistance. “Seventeen, I’m a rock star,” he sings My first guitar. Jon is a rocker at heart and deserves praise, even for making it this far.
With more than sixty years of life, the rocker is keen to demonstrate that he is alive and ready, even if no one says otherwise, with more courage than common sense, as if he were still a teenager.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
