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SCORE - 40%
40%
I seem to have gained a reputation for disliking Bon Jovi. Giving Burning Bridges a 10% grading might have helped propel that train of thought for some, and my views on This House Is Not For Sale, This Left Seems Right, Lost Highway, What About Now and The Circle certainly wouldn’t have helped.
Now I look at it, I actually dislike more Bon Jovi album than I like. I’ve never broken it down like that before. This revelation should say more about the band than my personal critiques. I hold their first 5 albums in high regard and worship at the feet of New Jersey.
I also think Have A Nice Day is one of the better examples of a classic band updating their sound and still kicking ass.
With 2020 being universally regarded as the year of Satan’s armpit, it may not have been the wisest idea to give your big new album the same moniker. Perhaps though, it is quite fitting for the wrong reasons.
We all know the great Americana singer/songwriter Jonnie B Jovee wishes to take his place alongside fellow rockers Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, but he’s missing more than one ingredient that makes those two legends the icons they are.
Jonny B Jovee could have been a legend in his own standing had he just stuck to what he did best. Of course, his voice will no longer play along and his lifelong writing partner Richie Sambora bailed in 2013, so fans have to live through his midwestern acoustic heartland rock dreams with him.
For me the album holds just one track of note and that is the lead track Limitless. It remains me a little of the modern rock Have A Nice Day vibe, just without the voice.
There’s a couple of token rockers thrown in, but the majority of this album is comprised of self-aware slow to mid-tempo tracks, carrying forward the album’s political and social messages.
That part doesn’t bother me – for the most part, I’m on a similar page as Jon’s political commentary, but you don’t have to be boring to make a point.
The deluxe edition adds two more utterly lifeless ballads and a duet of the uptempo Bruce Mellencamp styled Do What You Can.
I’d love to say that Bon Jovi are back, but they’re not. Jonny B Jovi is however and if you’ve been riding alongside his recent musical path, you’ll know what to expect here.
Jonny sings that ‘we start to die the day we are born’. Same could be said of this album’s sales on release day. Who could ever have imagined the guy that sang Living On A Prayer would one day be versing about chicken farms in Arkansas?
Right on target Andrew!
There are a few good songs on 2020…
Seen the band over 10 times Live.
Bought every album they have and i will disagree with you Andrew on Lost Highway, As i think it’s a fantastic album.
As for Bon Jovi 2020?
Easily the worst album since Fahrenheit. What a load of drivel.
If the songs were catchy you could at least say that but as soon as i heard Limitless as the first single i knew the writing was on the wall
Compare that to some of there fantastic first up singles from previous albums
There isn’t one song on this album that would make any Bon Jovi album
Do what you do and don’t buy this garbage.
Jon has clearly lost the plot.
Look JBJ is a great guy but like you said his vocals are no longer a willing partner in this venture. I jumped off the Bon Jovi wagon many years ago. I feel so will his fans…
Correct Gerard. The worst album of JBJ. He loose a fan and that is me.
Agreed! And as far as him being a “great guy” Gerard, barf!
he trying to be bruce springstein now a days, to much!
Everything sounds like SOLO since Have a Nice Day, guessing with each record bandmates input was minimal to the direction of the group.
I Surprisingly Enjoyed This Album!!!
This is one of the most boring albums I have ever listened to. And I don’t need to be lectured about politics by a millionaire who has no idea how the common folk live.
Agreed 100%!
2 good songs “Beautiful Drug” and “Brothers In Arms”, the rest is crap.
Their last great album was “These Days”
Boring songs that I couldn’t get through. This is what he delayed the album for months for? I expected something better than this for sure.
Jon Bon Jovi, “The Rocker” is dead!
2020 Boring album to death and another dissapointment in row! In his more mellow/Midwestern era, the only one that I actually lilked is “Lost Highway” and that is because Richie Sambora was still there helping him with quality songwriting. To be honest from 2020, the only good track for me is “Limitless” and thats it.
Lets move on and forget about this!
Hi all. I’m sorry to say that this is clearly an album by Bland Jovi. Fan from She don’t know me and will always be. Unfortunately, the last 10 years have been hard on the band. Listened to a couple of times and that will be all she wrote.