Bon Jovi's new record, What About Now, came out on Tuesday and I, of course, sprinted off at lunch time to buy it. Alas, the only places I've seen it in town - since record stores don't really seem to exist anymore - only had the regular edition (12 songs) and not the deluxe (15 songs) edition which is why I do more business with Amazon.com than I ever do with local retailers since I seldom find music or books locally that I want, but can always find them on-line. Of course, my deluxe CD doesn't arrive until Tuesday, so I have a copy of the 12-song CD in my possession as well. Um...anyone want a free CD next week? I'll have one up for grabs. :o)
So, the new CD...where to begin. I'd heard the tracks What About Now, That's What the Water Made Me, Because We Can, Army of One, Amen and What's Left of Me prior to the concert a couple of weeks ago and prior to my purchase of the disc. I listened to the BBC Radio One concert that they did earlier this year several times in preparation for the Charlotte show because I wanted to know the new songs. *shrugs* It's one of the many quirks of being a fangirl. I liked the songs, but after just coming away with an ambivalent feeling after the concert, I think that tainted my first listenings of the CD. I listened to it twice the first day and was calling it "average" and "mediocre". I'm not sure that the "average" label doesn't still apply, but mostly in terms of it's the typical record that the band has been producing in recent years. I was reading a tweet from Eddie Trunk saying that they band hasn't done anything hard rock since 1991's Keep the Faith and that's pretty accurate. I never thought of them has a hard rock band anyway, but my perception of what defines hard rock might be skewed. The Jovi of recent years is more pop rock and that's ok by me. I'm not sure what I expect when a new record rolls out, but I'm trying to let go of any expectations I might have so they aren't easily dashed.
That's why I think I'm better off as a fandom of one. It's so easy out here on the internet to find other fans and get into discussions, read reviews and blogs, and find out what people think of the music, but all that seems to do is frustrate me. Sometimes it sways my opinions before I even have the chance to form a true opinion of new music and I have to let that go. I read some reviews of WAN and a lot of them were bad, saying things like "why can't they make another record like Slippery When Wet?" (that one has been going around for years) and generally giving the band crap for not making a really guitar-laden, rocking record. But now that I've listened to the CD several more times, I have to admit that I really like it. Maybe not every single song (I'm not super into Beautiful World or Room at the End of the World), but it's a pretty solid record, if typical in terms of what they've released since Lost Highway and The Circle. And labeling it "typical" doesn't make it bad. It just...is. *shrugs again*
I found it odd that they were starting a tour so much sooner than the record was coming out, but that is indicative to me that something is wrong within the band. I can't put my finger on it and they all still seem to be smiling and happy, but I think something's not right with the band and that is a sentiment I've seen expressed by others on-line as well and one that I had rolling around in my head before I realized other people thought the same thing too. Maybe it's because Jon wrote most of the songs on his own or with someone other than Richie. Maybe it's because I have wondered after listening if this didn't start out as a solo project for Jon and then somehow morphed into a band record (in theory, if not in writing). Something just feels wrong about the whole situation. I will not be shocked if this is the last new Jovi record we get for many years. Dave has his theater career going writing music for Broadway shows. Richie proved with his recent CD that he can go out and rock all on his own. Tico is an artist and I assume still has his baby clothing line. They have other things they can do and it's not like they don't all have plenty of money. Perhpas it just is finally burning a bit that Jon gets all the attention and is the only one that actually has the recording contract and now the rest of the band are salaried players. I've never cared about Jon Bon Jovi as a solo artist at all, so I would hate to see anything split up the band completely, but I expect this to be their last record and tour for a while. I'm be truly surprised if it's not.
And that may not be a bad thing. Take a nice, long break. Regroup. Do all your solo projects and enjoy life. Then get together again and write as a band. Jon and Richie tunes are always the best in my opinion.
I think I'll just continue to mosey along as a fandom of one now though. I hate being swayed by the opinions of others that make me question whether I really like songs that I have always enjoyed or make me dislike something before I even give it a chance. And I hate more hearing the complaints about this, that or the other which only add fuel to my fire of wanting to complain about things related to the band. Social media and the internet can be great, but they can also be frustrating. I want to kick back and simply enjoy my favorite band and the great music they have made over the years. I think if I can keep that idea in my head and allow myself to back away from a lot of the rest of it, I really will find my joy and enjoyment once again in Bon Jovi. I've loved them since I was 12. I know that's not going away. But now I want to start to really appreciate them again. I think I deserve that. And maybe they kinda do too.
So, the new CD...where to begin. I'd heard the tracks What About Now, That's What the Water Made Me, Because We Can, Army of One, Amen and What's Left of Me prior to the concert a couple of weeks ago and prior to my purchase of the disc. I listened to the BBC Radio One concert that they did earlier this year several times in preparation for the Charlotte show because I wanted to know the new songs. *shrugs* It's one of the many quirks of being a fangirl. I liked the songs, but after just coming away with an ambivalent feeling after the concert, I think that tainted my first listenings of the CD. I listened to it twice the first day and was calling it "average" and "mediocre". I'm not sure that the "average" label doesn't still apply, but mostly in terms of it's the typical record that the band has been producing in recent years. I was reading a tweet from Eddie Trunk saying that they band hasn't done anything hard rock since 1991's Keep the Faith and that's pretty accurate. I never thought of them has a hard rock band anyway, but my perception of what defines hard rock might be skewed. The Jovi of recent years is more pop rock and that's ok by me. I'm not sure what I expect when a new record rolls out, but I'm trying to let go of any expectations I might have so they aren't easily dashed.
That's why I think I'm better off as a fandom of one. It's so easy out here on the internet to find other fans and get into discussions, read reviews and blogs, and find out what people think of the music, but all that seems to do is frustrate me. Sometimes it sways my opinions before I even have the chance to form a true opinion of new music and I have to let that go. I read some reviews of WAN and a lot of them were bad, saying things like "why can't they make another record like Slippery When Wet?" (that one has been going around for years) and generally giving the band crap for not making a really guitar-laden, rocking record. But now that I've listened to the CD several more times, I have to admit that I really like it. Maybe not every single song (I'm not super into Beautiful World or Room at the End of the World), but it's a pretty solid record, if typical in terms of what they've released since Lost Highway and The Circle. And labeling it "typical" doesn't make it bad. It just...is. *shrugs again*
I found it odd that they were starting a tour so much sooner than the record was coming out, but that is indicative to me that something is wrong within the band. I can't put my finger on it and they all still seem to be smiling and happy, but I think something's not right with the band and that is a sentiment I've seen expressed by others on-line as well and one that I had rolling around in my head before I realized other people thought the same thing too. Maybe it's because Jon wrote most of the songs on his own or with someone other than Richie. Maybe it's because I have wondered after listening if this didn't start out as a solo project for Jon and then somehow morphed into a band record (in theory, if not in writing). Something just feels wrong about the whole situation. I will not be shocked if this is the last new Jovi record we get for many years. Dave has his theater career going writing music for Broadway shows. Richie proved with his recent CD that he can go out and rock all on his own. Tico is an artist and I assume still has his baby clothing line. They have other things they can do and it's not like they don't all have plenty of money. Perhpas it just is finally burning a bit that Jon gets all the attention and is the only one that actually has the recording contract and now the rest of the band are salaried players. I've never cared about Jon Bon Jovi as a solo artist at all, so I would hate to see anything split up the band completely, but I expect this to be their last record and tour for a while. I'm be truly surprised if it's not.
And that may not be a bad thing. Take a nice, long break. Regroup. Do all your solo projects and enjoy life. Then get together again and write as a band. Jon and Richie tunes are always the best in my opinion.
I think I'll just continue to mosey along as a fandom of one now though. I hate being swayed by the opinions of others that make me question whether I really like songs that I have always enjoyed or make me dislike something before I even give it a chance. And I hate more hearing the complaints about this, that or the other which only add fuel to my fire of wanting to complain about things related to the band. Social media and the internet can be great, but they can also be frustrating. I want to kick back and simply enjoy my favorite band and the great music they have made over the years. I think if I can keep that idea in my head and allow myself to back away from a lot of the rest of it, I really will find my joy and enjoyment once again in Bon Jovi. I've loved them since I was 12. I know that's not going away. But now I want to start to really appreciate them again. I think I deserve that. And maybe they kinda do too.
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