Whilst I have my own thoughts on this collection of music (which I will tweet at a later date, if you're desperate to know my point of view), I felt that her perspective might be better as Burning Bridges is clearly meant for B.J fans instead of the casual listener. If you like her style of writing over mine, definitely let me know so I can beg her to write some more posts & get more regular visitors.
Anyway, take it away Sarah!
Hello Wembley! (Or James' blog...whatever). Upon James' request, I'm here to do a small review of the new album from Bon Jovi. Mainly because I've been a massive Bon Jovi fan since I was around 12 years old which, let me tell you, is a long time ago! I've seen Bon Jovi live three times so far and will continue to do so whenever he tours. Burning Bridges is supposedly a 'fan album', whatever that's supposed to mean! I will tell you now though, I'm not a writer, so this may seem a little amateurish (apologies!). So yeah, here's what I made of Burning Bridges.
First of all, I didn't know what to expect from Burning Bridges. I only heard that it was a selection of songs that Bon Jovi wrote that never got finished. So I suppose in a way I was expecting an eclectic mix of songs in different styles from previously released albums. For example, I was hoping for a song that sounded like it belonged on the Lost Highway album, or a song that had the feel of Slippery When Wet etc.
I will cut to the chase. I was bitterly disappointed.
Overall, the album is 80% depressing ballads, with two or three songs that are a bit more upbeat. Maybe it's illegal to release an album that's more than 80% dirge so Bon Jovi had to put some happier songs into the mix, who knows. The whole album felt thrown together, more of a private collection of dick stroking songs for Jon Bon Jovi to listen to whilst taking candlelit baths with a mirror to admire his very own face. The songs lacked passion and drive and were quite frankly dull. Usually on Bon Jovi albums you at expect at least one ballad, which I can cope with and sometimes enjoy, but this...this was just something else!
I feel, ultimately, like this album was a massive 'fuck you' to Richie Sambora. Why? Well, the lack of show stopping guitar solos with tons of feeling. The fact that Bon Jovi's vocals come first, and the musicians come second. Honestly, I cannot remember any riffs from the ballads on Burning Bridges. When I think about the album, all I can hear in my head is Bon Jovi's voice. That is not coco! (Talking of Sambora, I cannot wait until he releases a new album, because I know I will get quality music, amazing guitar solos, and passion... lots and lots of passion!).
There were three songs on Burning Bridges that I enjoyed:
1) "We Don't Run"- A punchy and typical Bon Jovi song. Nice drum beats, lots of 'whoah-ing' in the vocals, and a chorus that would sound amazing on a stadium tour. I can picture this song going down a storm at one of Bon Jovi's gigs. There's a small guitar solo which sounds like Phil X is trying to imitate Sambora's unique sound, but we all know Sambora would've done it better! Overall though, I do like this song. It's strong and will stand the test of time.
2) "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning"- OK, first things first, this song sounds like it was supposed to be on the Lost Highway album. Not a problem for me, but it may be for other listeners. I have to say, Tico Torres is on fine form and remains one of my favourite drummers. His drumming is simple but effective without being too flashy (*cough* Lars Ulrich *cough*), and compliments the songs well. I have just one problem with this song. The lyrics on the chorus. What on Earth is 'Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning' supposed to mean?! Doesn't that happen to all of us, unless we meet our demise on a Saturday? What irritates me more is the fact that Bon Jovi already has a song that states 'I'm feeling like a Monday, but someday I'll be Saturday night'. Does Bon Jovi need some sort of mental intervention so he can figure out what day of the week he wants to be?!
3) "I'm Your Man"- So this song almost didn't make it onto my top songs from the album, but I did find the song to be listenable and didn't have many problems with it, so I thought I'd be fair and add it to the list (the very teeny-tiny list!). So the song itself isn't anything special but I did like the quirky and ever so slightly 'Oasis' sounding riff. It sounded uplifting and would make for good background music. The lyrics are typical of Bon Jovi, speaking of lovers, phonecalls and other obvious themes. They're not deep and meaningful but they aren't offensively shite either. I don't have much else to say about the song, it's just...acceptable!
As for the title track, well...give me strength. Is this the ultimate 'piss off' track for Sambora I wonder? The lyrics are bitter, set to an over joyous country style song with what I can only describe as oompa-band undertones! According to NME however, the song is about their split from Mercury Records. This is possibly true, I just can't help but think these lyrics, especially after Sambora's (rather unexplained) exit from the band, are a bit harsh. This however, is just my opinion!
So overall I would give the whole album a measly 4/10. I wish it could've been more, as I'm an avid Bon Jovi fan, but I refuse to sugar coat shit. The thirteenth album for these guys is an absolute flop. Thirteen is unlucky for some but definitely unlucky for Bon Jovi and a huge disappointment for their fans.
I just hope they have something amazing lined up in the near future, so we can all forget about this sorry incident!
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