On the back of last year's somewhat unexpected Pitbull-Bon Jovi collaboration comes Armin Van Buuren's remix of "Keep the Faith", which was officially released on 28 February.
The track had made its debut at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, when Armin brought Jon on stage as a surprise guest and Jon got to jump around in his Hampton Water trucker cap without having to sing anything. (Not trying to be snarky, just making an observation, lol.)
And here's the extended mix:
It's not really my jam, to be honest... but Bon Jovi's had some awesome songs (including "Keep the Faith") and if stuff like this compels someone new to give them a shot, I'm all for that. Spread Bon Jovi like a beautiful musical disease, I say! Or a social disease. 'Cause a deluxe version of Slippery When Wet featuring 7 additional tracks (live or alternate versions) is available now. See what I did there? 😉
Anyway. The day before Armin's "Keep the Faith" came out, the Rock for Responders benefit concert for Los Angeles’ firefighters and first responders was held. Richie Sambora joined Phil X and Orianthi -- who were part of Matt Sorum's Kings of Chaos supergroup for the event -- on stage to perform lead vocals and guitar on "Livin' on a Prayer". Check it out:
Look, it's kinda messy, I won't lie. And I'm no body language expert but I'm pretty sure Phil had no idea what Richie was doing on the night and was just going along with whatever. But I don't think Richie has anything coming up that he would have been rehearsing for so some rustiness is to be expected as well, especially as he was a late addition to the lineup. It's still a cool moment to have on tape.
They were also all together for the final jam of the night, a performance of blues-rock standard "Going Down":
I've always referred to this song as "Run Run Rudolph" but it's actually called "Run Rudolph Run". Whoops.
Anyway, Jon Bon Jovi joined The Philly Specials (a group of Philadelphia Eagles football players who also sing, something I did not know about until recently, being from Australia) for a cover of the Chuck Berry classic. Phil X played the guitar solo.
Check it out!
But if you're after something a little heavier to get you through the holidays, Phil X and the Drills released "Don't Wake Up Dead" with Ray Luzier from Korn earlier this month:
Regardless of your tastes, hope everyone has a wonderful festive season, a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah if you celebrate it, and a happy new year! It's always a bit crazy to think about literally anyone on the planet reading my little blog about a band from a country on the other side of the world, so thank you. 🥰
A Bon Jovi and Pitbull single was definitely not on my bingo card this year.
But Pitbull sampled "It's My Life" for his new song, "Now or Never" and here's the official video featuring Jon:
And the lyric video if you want to sing or rap along:
This unlikely collaboration (as opposed to just the sampling of a certifiable banger) was hinted at in a show Pitbull did at Jones Beach in Long Island, New York back in September of this year. Jon was a surprise guest on stage for this song, in what was a pretty cool moment even though I don't think his mic was turned on at any point:
Arguably a cooler performance by Jon and Pitbull is this one of Pitbull's song "Thank God & Jimmy Buffett" from the Jimmy Buffett tribute show at the Hollywood Bowl back in April:
The official music video for "The People's House" by Bon Jovi featuring The War and Treaty is out now. Since this version came out, I've been trying to decide if I prefer the album version or this duet version and... I think I actually like the duet more. Just feels more rousing, anthemic and soulful.
Somewhat ironically, news of Jon and his production assistant's heroics broke on R U OK? Day in Australia -- an initiative that aims to prevent suicide by encouraging people to have check-in conversations with each other... and frankly, an initiative that I (as a mental health survivor) have always found pretty naff. Well-meaning, but ends up being silly in practice. But I guess this event proved that conversations can save lives, which is sort of the point, even if the day itself has become an excuse for companies to host morning teas and pretend they give a crap about their workers.
Sorry, I digress.
Jon also officially endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz while promoting "The People's House". Naturally, the endorsement has upset some folks, but shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the last two decades.
It hasn't escaped my attention that this is technically the third single from Forever
(even though this particular version of the track isn't on the album)
-- yet the second single, "Living Proof" still has no music video...
Bon Jovi's latest album Forever dropped on June 7 and I've listened to it quite a few times in the last two days. My pre-ordered CD from Japan also arrived this weekend so it was great timing.
Obviously the album is still a shiny new toy, but here's my initial take on each track (with lyric videos where available). Feel free to add your own thoughts, including completely disagreeing with me
Legendary - written by Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon & John Shanks
"Legendary" was the lead single so I've written about it already, but I didn't post the lyric video at the time. My thoughts haven't changed too much -- I like the song without being blown away by it, and it does still make me happy to see Jon looking happy. (The demo version actually sounds better though, but more on that further down.)
We Made It Look Easy - written by Jon Bon Jovi, Ryan Tedder, Andrew DeRoberts & Nick Long
A look back at the early days of the band. I really like those high backing vocals in the chorus -- is that Everett Bradley? There are no personnel credits listed in the liner notes as far as I can see, so I'm just going by the sound of the voice. Glad Shanks didn't write this, lol... oops, am I letting my snark out?
Living Proof - written by Jon Bon Jovi & John Shanks
Already wrote about "Living Proof" as well, and I'm still digging it. Wish it'd been the first single now, since "Legendary" seems to be the one that's getting played whenever Jon does promo for the album -- and I think it would've been more interesting for casuals and randos to hear this instead. And yes, Shanks co-wrote the song... but I'm not that perturbed about his songwriting, really. It's his influence over the Bon Jovi brand that's the issue; his writing is fine in itself.
Waves - written by Jon Bon Jovi, John Shanks & Jason Isbell
My ears really perked up when I first heard this. Cool sound, great lyrics. I'm not overly familiar with Jason Isbell's body of work, but if that's his contribution, they should write with him more.
Actually, this would also be a more interesting single choice than what they usually go for, but it won't happen because no one in the Bon Jovi camp cares for my brilliant ideas, lol.
Seeds - written by Jon Bon Jovi, Ryan Tedder, Sean Douglas & Michael Pollack
Jon said "Seeds" is probably his favourite song on the album. I like this one too, it's got a catchy little poetry to it.
Kiss the Bride - written by Jon Bon Jovi & Billy Falcon
This one is pretty gooey. But most wedding songs are written from the point of view of the couple, so it's sweet that Jon wrote one from the father of the bride's perspective for Stephanie. Just not really something I'm likely to gravitate to ordinarily. I do prefer "I Got the Girl", which was written for a then-five-year-old Stephanie... speaking of which, do Jesse, Jake and Romeo have songs written about them?
The People's House - written by Jon Bon Jovi
This song wouldn't sound out of place on a much earlier album. Like, say, something from the 90s? A tick from me.
Walls of Jericho - written by Jon Bon Jovi, John Shanks & Philip Lawrence
This was the other track (after "Waves") that I immediately wanted to play again when I heard it. I also totally want this to be a single, and know it almost certainly won't happen. But the song rocks, it's rousing, it's anthemic, Jon sounds great, and the only thing that would make it better is a guitar solo.
I Wrote You a Song - written by Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon & John Shanks
It's a good thing that Ed Sheeran is probably the least likely artist to go around suing people at the moment, because this song has "Thinking Out Loud" all over it. I'm going to assume it was accidental, lol.
Living in Paradise - written by Jon Bon Jovi & Ed Sheeran
But befriending and collaborating with someone is also a good way to avoid getting sued by them, haha.
Funnily enough, I've seen every Ed Sheeran concert in Perth so far, including a gig at the Riverside Theatre, where he was literally tuning his own guitar between songs. (Less than a year later, he played two sold out gigs at Challenge Stadium and has just gone upwards from there.) I don't know if my Ed attendance record will continue, but I'm a big fan of his acoustic songs and what he does with the loop station, while not being as keen on some of his big poppier stuff. I like "Living in Paradise" though -- it's good, solid power pop.
My First Guitar - written by Jon Bon Jovi
Jon wrote this about buying back his childhood guitar. I like the verses more than the chorus, which feels a bit melodramatic somehow, but it's alright.
Hollow Man - written by Jon Bon Jovi
Jon's always sounded good on these pensive acoustic songs. Some fans hate them, and you obviously don't want the whole album full of them, but they suit where he's at in his life right now and feel genuine. The masturbate line made me laugh (or smile), which I guess was the point, ha.
That Was Then, This Is Now (Japanese bonus track)
My Japanese is very rusty but I don't think the Japan CD listed the songwriter(s) for "That Was Then, This Is Now". It contained the same album booklet as the Australian CD (and I'm assuming other markets), but included an additional insert in Japanese. This insert had what appears to be an introduction of the band's history by music writer Masa Ito, and the Japanese translation of the lyrics.
Anyway, really cool sounding, wistful rock song that coulda/shoulda made the album proper, but whatever. I've felt that way about other outtakes before. Jon clearly ain't gonna listen to my awesome advice, as we've established. 😉
Legendary demo (Japanese bonus track)
Not drastically different from the version that made the cut, but I just like it a lot better. It sounds less polished, but in a good way. It feels more real, not so much like Jon sitting in a studio with John Shanks, crafting what they think a Bon Jovi single in the 21st century is "supposed" to sound like.
Conclusion
Very early days, but I love the album overall. Yes, Shanks' fingerprints are on it (I should probably make peace with that) but Jon can still write a great song. He sounds pretty good if not amazing, though obviously he's not going for crazy high notes.
But I'd love the rest of the band to have more direct input. My main gripe with current Bon Jovi is that it seems to be the JBJ + Shanks show, when you have these other awesome musicians at your disposal. Give them the freedom to be as brilliant as they can be, and I have every faith they will be.
Maybe on the road or on the next album. But for now, we've got Forever and I'm happy with it.
"Living Proof", the second single from Bon Jovi's upcoming album Forever, dropped on Friday.
My verdict? This song is pure flipping joy and I will be taking no questions at this time. (Just kidding. Questions are always welcome, as are comments and messages, even if you disagree with me.)
Here's the official lyric video:
The talkbox sounds sooooo damn good and it's nice to hear Phil X actually getting to do something interesting. It doesn't happen nearly enough, and that's probably my biggest gripe with "new Bon Jovi" -- because I do still rate Jon as a songwriter, but Phil's talents have been seriously wasted over the last decade. Especially in the studio. John Shanks, for whatever reason, has a massive hold and influence on Jon (and I acknowledge he co-wrote "Living Proof") but the dude is already producing everything... so he can take a back seat on the guitar and let Phil cut loose like the rock star we know he can be. Just sayin'.
Sound-wise, "Living Proof" is reminiscent of parts of the Have a Nice Day and Bounce albums, plus "This Is Love, This Is Life" (which deserved a little more than being a throwaway track on the deluxe edition of the Greatest Hits).
"Living Proof" doesn't break any new ground but I don't need it to, nor do I think anyone has ever considered Bon Jovi the world's most original band. I just dig the song. It pumps me up, it makes me happy.
What do you think of "Living Proof"? Good, bad, meh? Let me know!
PS. Richie stans, I haven't forgotten about his new songs. I'm just super busy with work, plus I wanted to talk about all four together since the cover art and press release suggested they're meant to be part of a set. I'll post after I'm finished with a conference this week.
Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story dropped a little over a week ago -- it was waiting for me on Disney+ in Australia when I got home on a Friday night.
Now, I didn't try to rush out and be the first to write about it because:
a) "breaking news" isn't my vision for the blog -- and there are plenty of other fans, podcasters, etc. covering that ground;
b) I didn't want to just binge all four episodes right away at the expense of being able to process what I was watching;
c) I do have other things in my life, including needing to be awake and alert for Saturday morning commitments, instead of being tired and distracted by thoughts of Bon Jovi.
So I watched it over a few days, chatted to some people about it, and then came back here.
What do I think?
Honestly, I love it. Is it perfect? No, but it was enough for me. Is it very Jon-centric? Sure, but the elephant of the decade (Jon's voice) was a key factor in Bon Jovi's success during their prime, and is integral to any future they may have.
At times it was quite heartbreaking to see his struggles with his voice laid bare. I mean, we've all heard it. I've blogged about it. Other fans have talked about it. News articles were written about it on that rough 2022 tour. But we also saw him being aware of it and trying to do something. We saw the other guys on stage trying to pull him through and support him.
As for Richie Sambora... well, I'm really glad he's in the documentary. I think he still has a massive chip on his shoulder, but I also completely understand him feeling pushed aside by John Shanks during the What About Now sessions. An album which, given what transpired afterwards, I don't think I've listened to since 2013.
Speaking of which, Shanks comes across kind of badly in his interview -- his little smirk and chuckle about being the guy between Jon and Richie made me uncomfortable. It could've just been nervous laughter, of course. I giggle when I'm nervous, and since I don't know Shanks at all, I can't possibly say he had any malicious intent. But yeah, it just didn't look that great.
There are plenty of fans who simp for Jon or Richie, think the other is the devil, and had already made up their minds long before this documentary aired. Nothing about it would've changed their thinking. But most of the criticisms levelled at one man could easily apply to the other. They both have rock star egos, they both twist or embellish details to make themselves look better, they're both stubborn AF. Like seriously, bros, you were both in your goddamn 50s when all this went down... be better!
But I'd love to see Richie back in the band, Phil X as the "other guitarist" and Shanks just... not? I don't hate the guy. I mean, he came on board to produce Have a Nice Day, an album that probably saved my life when I was a teenager. But it seems weird for him to have had this much influence over the band -- and particularly Jon -- for such a long period of time.
Speaking of guitarists, Bobby Bandiera should've been interviewed. He was around for almost a decade, from the Have a Nice Day tour until the end of Because We Can tour... and I think he'd have had some interesting things to say about that time, if he was willing to share.
Before anyone else brings it up, long-time manager Paul Korzilius wrongly claimed the 1995 "Live in London" shows were the last shows at Wembley Stadium, but I'm very confident he just misremembered, and there was no deliberate lie there. (Probs could've been fact-checked in post-production though.)
Super cool to hear a decent sounding recording of "Cadillac Man" from the archives. Here's a performance of this underrated song, from Osaka in 1991 -- how freaking good:
So yes... in summary, I enjoyed the documentary. Wouldn't have hurt to hear a little more from the rest of the band, past and present (though Alec John Such passed away before he could be interviewed). And it might have been a bit tighter with less previous footage woven in (e.g. from Access All Areas and When We Were Beautiful). But all in all, it was worth watching. For me, at least.
I know there are a lot of folks for whom Bon Jovi ended when Richie left, or when they "went country", or "got too commercial" or whatever.
There's an Australian band that I used to absolutely love, and a big part of that was their long-term lineup (which wasn't the original lineup, but the one I got to know on tour over about 10 years). Now that lineup is no more and I find myself just not being able to get excited about them, not going to their live shows anymore, etc. There were many times I thought that could be happening with me and Bon Jovi, but... no, not yet anyway. They're my band. They're still my band. Even as they are now, not quite where I want them to be. I guess that's the realisation I got from Thank You, Goodnight. The heart and dagger tattoo on my back is forever -- literally, but also figuratively.
Have you watched Thank You, Goodnight yet? What do you think?
PS. I have not forgotten about Richie's new music. It's cool that he (or his new marketing/PR person?) realised that there's a lot of renewed interest in him thanks to the documentary, and he should totally take advantage of it. I'll make a separate post for the new tunes.
