Bon Jovi has never been accused of being the most subtle band in the world, and with Bounce, their eighth studio album in 18 years, they've done little to change that perception. Long after the bright spandex and big hair disappeared, their made-for-arena vocals and guitar solos are still going strong. While it's definitely welcome during an otherwise somber time in rock, their music unfortunately ends up paying the price.
The disc starts out promisingly enough: Both \Undivided"" and ""Everyday"" are big, feel-good rockers despite their 9/11 subject matter. While neither are half so sophisticated or eloquent as ""The Rising"" (by that other guy from NJ), these songs manage to rise above the grief in a swell of patriotism and joy of life. Coupled with ""Love Me Back to Life,"" these tracks showcase the sounds that made Bon Jovi famous, and rightfully so.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album by comparison only finds a patchwork of old standbys and ham-handed lyrics. Sure, there are the love songs, but ""All About Loving You"" is much more about mid-life domestic bliss than the pain and yearning of ""Always."" ""You Had Me at Hello"" only barely manages to rise above its wince-worthy title and ""Open All Night's"" lyrics ""I got your taste at the back of my mouth/I want to reach in and pull it out"" are a whole lot more grotesque than sexy.
Even Bon Jovi's cowboy standards, represented here by ""Right Side of Wrong,"" aren't as trustworthy as they once were. The song provides the obligatory outlaw reference, but urban cowboy hold-ups aren't quite as engaging as riding out in a blaze of glory. ""Joey"" and ""Misunderstood"" feel similarly awkward; songs of teenage angst being sung by a man who just turned 40.
Bounce's lowest points don't come, however, until the in-your-face stadium sing-alongs. ""Hook Me Up"" has a great melody but its lyrics are so ambiguous (Hook him up to what? Crack? A dialysis machine?) as to be totally devoid of meaning. The title song, a reference to America bouncing back after 9/11, inappropriately induces giggles. A grown man singing ""Bounce! Bounce!"" at the top of his lungs is far more becoming of some freakish children's television program, or at least the opening credits of ""Baywatch.""
Bounce will probably never make the top of any album list; however, it has its fun moments, planned or not. And after all, Bon Jovi is not a group that can be accused of doing anything half way, even in their missteps.
