Bon Jovi – What About Now (2013)
Bon Jovi has just released their 12th Album, What About Now. Those of you looking for another Slippery When Wet or New Jersey, you will have to keep looking, this album isn’t it. I can’t even call this a hard rock album, it simply is not. What About Now is more of a mainstream pop rock album.
Jon Bon Jovi’s voice is in fine form, and he sounds great, but the music is too poppy to hold my interest for very long. Bon Jovi has always been a band that has spread its wings and tried it’s hand at different musical styles. While as a hard rock album, this may be an epic fail, as a pop rock album, it isn’t too bad. The music just isn’t what I want to hear on a Bon Jovi album. I long for the hard rock style that made Bon Jovi famous. I guess the millions of dollars the band is making touring has allowed them to become a genre defying act. Good for them, bad for the hard rock fans out there.
What About Now might not be the epic disaster that the countrified clay pigeon Lost Highway was, but it still won’t hold much appeal to the hard rock fans out there. The big stadium anthems and heavy riffs of their earlier music can’t be found on the new album. That is the style of Bon Jovi music I enjoy, and for that reason I just can’t get into listening to this.
What About Now leaves me with this final thought, “What About The Rock”!? It is still okay to rock Jon! Your new album does not.
This is perhaps a shallow perspective on What About Now, but this hard rock fan probably won’t give this CD any more plays beyond today.
If you have an open mind, and are a fan of pop/rock or possibly even Christian rock, by all means, give What About Now a shot. If your taste in music leans towards the harder style of rock or heavy metal music, you will probably want to avoid this album. Tread at your own risk!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Because We Can 
2. I’M With You
3. What About Now
4. Pictures of You
5. Amen
6. That’s What The Water Made Me
7. What’s Left of Me
8. Army of One
9. Thick as Thieves
10. Beautiful World
11. Room At The End of The World
12. The Fighter
Bon Jovi is:
Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, guitar
Richie Sambora – guitar, backing vocals
Hugh McDonald – bass, backing vocals
Tico Torres – drums
David Bryan – keyboards, backing vocals
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What can I say about Bon Jovi? Sheesh. I was around when Runaway was released and figured he was promoted for teen chix. Heard the Farenheit LP and thought it was ok. I did enjoy three tunes off Slippery. Didn’t like what I heard from his New Jersey lp. Time went on….
Then a friend of mine had Bounce play on his CD player in his car. It was on and playing. Didn’t make any impression on me whatsoever. Then it occurred to me that he had some rock songs back in the day. I gave up and frankly boycott this band. Play the songs for the chix dude, but you ain’t ever gonna gain the respect of the hard rock crowd. It amazes me that there’s an audience for this pablum year after year. There ain’t no music there. Nothing.
This review begs the question, when was Bon Jovi ever a hard rock act? I know I’m splitting hairs here, but I grew up in jersey, and had bon Jovi rammed down my throat on a daily basis. I would consider them, even at their hardest, hard pop at best.