Now Bon Jovi Sounds More Like a Brand Name

The foot-stomping anthems Bon Jovi diehards have come to expect from their New Jersey brothers in arms are very much in evidence throughout its twelfth album "What About Now". The boys rank right up there with Bruce Springsteen as champions of the fallen, marginalized, underappreciated links in the chain that make up the American society. That, oddly enough is also what the ongoing problem threatens to be. Having listened to "Now" all the way through Bon Jovi, though in no way running the risk of being a corporate entity a la The Rolling Stones, does toe the fine line between deeply moving calls to action and a Disney squeaky clean version of a band that bleeds patriotism down to its deepest marrow. "Because We Can" the leadoff rock hit is a good example. I'm not saying I don't appreciate Jon Bon Jovi's commitment to not just being a wave in the ocean, nor do I resent him bringing that impulse out in the masses. However, a little too much of a spotlight shined on the folks groping for a painfully limited supply of momentum building oxygen does get heavy handed regardless of the number of mini stage plays set to a rock background that are put together assembly line style in a way Henry Ford himself would've approved of. The role call of shout outs to struggling segments of the population employed in "What About Now" appears to touch on just about everyone save the janitor in the coffee shop who probably makes even less per hour that tourist bauble makers having the sweat drained out of them in a Mexican sweat shop.You can rest easy if your tastes run more to Jon's continued fascination with the opposite sex and how he and she can beat the odds regardless of how daunting the situation they face. "That's What The Water Made Me" is awash in that all hands on deck testosterone engulfed chorus that struck me as novel during the "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Born To Be My Baby" days but in this case sounds more like five guys trying to prove they've still got it or trying to prove to themselves they never lost it in the first place. The most unshakable image to be culled from the album stems from "Thick as Thieves" one of the starry-eyed orchestral creations whipped up by our strumming chefs. In this classic boy meets girl story even on the electric chair love never dies. The female lead merely sits on her honey bunch's lap and waits (eagerly?) for the electric chair to zap them off to the great beyond. Did Romeo and Juliet get less of a raw deal? You be the judge. "Amen" and "The Fighter" are two other tracks that pump the spirit of human drama to the hilt, beyond the hilt, and defies us to even relocate where the hilt sauntered off to. The latter is a bit tedious in that it sort of winks at Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer". Jon claims he's not a boxer by trade much the way Paul and Art sang about their protagonist who was "a fighter by his trade". Possibly I'm nitpicking. If you're going to cross reference a pop duo to lend your project weightiness why not the twosome that elevated pathos to another realm entirely with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" four plus decades ago. I'm sure there are many women out there who buy into Jon's dreamboat version of the sensitive male right down to the drops of cologne wriggling down his chest. Don't mistake me. I have no problems with Jon as a human being or as a rock 'n' roll thespian. What bugs me is that his band's overarching themes only run to two channels. If you're down and out and ready to throw in the towel Jon's got your lifelines. If you're a woman who craves reminders of how beautiful she still is Jon's got you covered. But if you're looking for a band that's shaken off the image of being too comfortable in their style of lyricism, like that well-worn pair of slip on loafers your father owns I doubt you'll walk away from "What About Now" sensing Jon (Bon Jovi), Richie (Sambora), Dave (Bryan), Hugh (McDonald) and Tico (Torres) have chiseled into their body of work any sign of sprouting bonafide ambition. Uniformity might be okay if you're McDonald's and all its customers want out of the deal is a ready to wolf down burger and fries. For Bon Jovi, a band whose golden age is officially threatening to occupy the real estate far behind the rear view mirror it's an uneasy rut to find them stuck in. To their credit Richie has his metallic moments. His solo on "I'm With You" slams a pulse into what could've been a belabored, world weary song. Tico still possesses a wicked touch on drums, particularly on the likes of "Because We Can". Jon's sincere vocals aren't at issue. It's the insisted upon name brand that threatens to pull them under. Bon Jovi needs to return to its roots if it wants to continue hanging with rock's big boys. I can live with them wanting to ixnay any and all plans to revisit those bottles of Aqua Net hair metal bands staked their reputations on, though.