It's record release day today! That's right people, Bruce Springsteens ''Letter to you'' comes out today. Well came out today. It's evening here. And though I don't have it yet, (living in a country where tap water and color tv are a bloody miracle) I am beyond excited. Only heard one song and I am completely and totally in love. I know the rest of the record is going to be amazing, though I refuse to listen to it before I hold it in my hands. Internet and streaming completely destroys the pleasure of listening to the record for the first time when you actually get it. I envy everyone in the 80's that had that full effect. Vinyl on, playing an album from start to finish. Fucking amazing. I only listened to the title track ''Letter to you'' and those lyrics you guys, that voice, the emotions which the song is sang in. Holy hell. If the rest of the album is anything like it (and I'm sure it is) it's going to be a fucking masterpiece. Not that he can do a bad album to be honest. Well. I wasn't a big fan of the ''Devils & Dust'' but that's a topic for another day. Make sure you come back for an album review. Soon. To be honest, I already know this, for me, is the only thing that's going to save 2020.
And for now I'll do something I've never done before. I'll write a review on an album I don't actually own. Why? Because I don't plan on buying it, yet I've been asked to share my opinion by a couple of my friends and also readers that are still not fed up with me. Cheers guys, I love you. So here's a few more lines other than just ''I hate it''. Spoiler alert? It's not going to be a nice opinion. It gives me no pleasure to write these lines believe me. It's a band I love, band I always loved, but hell lately? I can't stomach them. Yes we're here again, yes this is about Bon Jovi. Again. And yes I am sobbing over the vinyl I own (Slippery when wet, New Jersey, fucking selftitled album,…), thinking how the fuck did a band that was this good fall this low?
Are y'all following these recent rumors? Richie Sambora actually left because his kid needed him and Jon was a bitch who didn't understand that? Rumors are rumors yes but if there's even a tiny bit of truth in that? That really, really clouds my opinion on the man. And the plagiarism rumors? That would be…a really low hit for a big star. Omg don't even get me started on that recent ''I wish Richie Sambora had his life together'' and that ''inability to put his life together is the reason for ''This house is not for sale'' ''bullshit. Jon you egocentric son of a bitch. Is this some sort of a joke? Does the universe revolve only around you? Like are you trying to be funny? Are you fucking trying to undermine all he accomplished WITHOUT you? Are you trying to make him look like a low class ''has been'' while you're the one who really is turning into a ''has been''? Richie finally looks happy and healthy and more importantly sober. His music still sounds like music, which honestly can't be said for Bon Jovi no more. (Sorry Phil).
It seems to me that people forget that musicians after all are still musicians. And touring 18 plus months must be a nightmare. You know how much ''normal'' life you miss out on? We have this illusion it's all booze, drugs, women and parties, when in reality it's drugs to cope with a pretty lonely existance. It's beyond bizarre to me how come a musician doesn't understand a fellow musician then? Aren't they going through the same struggles? Or hey are your wife and kids that bad that you enjoy being away from them for so long? What? Someone had to ask. Here's the deal Richie knew when it's time to stand back, to take a break, to rethink about his life and career, which is something Bon Jovi should have done years back.
I guess this is on me…I was putting too much faith into this new album, I don't know why, I should know better. ''This house is not for sale'' was already a shitty album. And 2020 being a shitty year, why should an album wearing 2020 as a title be any better? I'm going to borrow a line I read online ''this aint your momma's Bon Jovi'' and it really isn't. Sigh. Long gone are the days of ''New Jersey''. Only thing I can really say is thank fuck that my preorder didn't go through when I wanted the album because that would of been money thrown out the fucking window.
It's not even that much about the voice. Even if all I can say is ''what the fuck is going on Jon?''. Y'all seen the youtube clips right? From the live shows (which I barely remember at this point) It sounds like him, but it doesn't sound like him, I swear I sound better in the shower while waxing my bikini areas. No joke. It's a nightmare. It's hard to listen to. More than my ears it hurts my heart. Seriously. I worry about him, about his voice permanently damaged, about not being able to sing at all at some point. The fuck? Why is everyone sticking their heads in the sand? Why won't someone tell him ''that's it get help''? have y'all noticed how it all went downhill since Richie left? I'm sorry but like this is not the same band ever since HE walked out. It is what it is. Sometimes it feels like he just stopped trying after Sambora walked out. Stopped trying lyrically wise too. I'm sorry but ''This house is not for sale''? I have a hard time believing that after everything that followed concerning the band. Or am I wrong and the ''house'' aint the band and this was a clever way to tell us he's got a career in realestate? Well fucking get to it then, everything's better than recent music.
As a starter…what the fuck were you thinking calling the album 2020? Seriously. I don't get it. It makes absolutely zero sense. Album was set to be released in May and it was done by then obviously, only Corona held it back untill what 2 or so weeks ago. So during quarantine he wrote two songs that replaced two original songs on the album and thank fuck you guys because these two songs are the only good songs on the record. One about George Floyd, the protests, the black lives movment, a ballad. The other one a ''Corona anthem'' with this country vibe and sound? Perfect. I love everything about it. Music and lyrics, even the voice (when polished on the album) is not so bad. See these two songs, that weren't supposed to be on the album are the only thing that reflect the year 2020 and make the album title have a little sense. The rest? What the fuck?
I listened through the songs on youtube. More like listened to under 30 seconds and pressed skip because it's just hard man. Hard to listen to. Freaking torture. ''American Reckoning'' which is the song about George Floyd and the racist violence in America is a great song. It's actually got this ''Springsteenish vibe'' , kinda reminds me of something you'd hear on Nebraska. It's not too surprising because we all know Jon looks up to him (who doesn't?). The thing is I really like the song, I do, no joke, but it's still, I don't know. It kinda doesn't sound like him, it doesn't sound ''honest''? Maybe that's closest to the emotion I feel. You know when Bon Jovi would write ''Always'' and ''Bed of roses'' and god damn ''I'll be there for you'', we all know they're about his wife, and these are honest, these are beautiful, they're packed with so much emotion, hell you fell in love with his wife too just listening to them and now? While ''American Reckoning'' is beautiful and I'm not going to deny that there are emotions in this song you can hear them, it feels sorta forced to me. Feels like trying to make a statement. Feels like wanting to be a stadium band when you're barely fit to fill up a bar. Am I making sense? Something is not right. The song with the potential to pull at your heart strings, passes through as background noise.
The thing is that lyrically most of 2020 is great. I read through the lyrics not listen to them because that's just impossible. The lyrics are political, they paint a picture of so many things going on in the past couple of years, not just 2020 (except Limitless, jesus christ how many fucking times can you repeat limitless in one song, feels like a broken record to me at some point), but the problem is you can't listen to it. You just can't. I could just about understand that they went for this ''whiny'' type of music so the lyrics are more prominent ….but like…? No thank you. I can't. All I keep thinking about is the vibe and the feeling this album gives me. You know when Tommy and Gina were young ''living on a prayer'', living on love and life and promise. Everything was okay then and now? This album is the worst ending to that illusion. Tommy and Gina grew up. Their dreams died a painful death and all there's left is pain and sadness and tragedy that this album illustrates. And I'll be damned if I stay around for it. Sometimes holding on to some dreams, some fake illusions is much better. Happier.
Jon when talking about retirement said something along the lines ''no one loved the fat Elvis'', I'd punch his smug face for that. ''Fat'' Elvis could still sing. So this ''mockery''? Ridiculous. You're over there howling like a wounded moose making fun of Elvis? It's time. Time to retire. I'm not stuck in the 80's I'm all about experimenting and growth. I LOVED Springsteens ''Western stars'' that was completely different. But this is not growth, this is not experiment, and it's not trying out different things…this is just…a hot mess. Sometimes you don't go about fixing what doesn't need to be fixed. A good rock album was all that was needed, nobody asked for a wanna be pop rock fake ''uplifting'' bullshit, and in the end it's not uplifting at all but depressing and to be honest, I don't think anyone can handle any more depression in this already fucked up year.
And lastly…y'all are aware that aside from Bon Jovi there's also Jon's solo projects? So giving a Bon Jovi album the cover that he did with 2020…his fucking face like he's Blake Shelton or some shit like that and the band just happens to be there, bystanders, completely forgotten, same with the music video ''Do what you can'', where the hell is the band?…doesn't that speak, no actually doesn't that shout volumes of where his head is at?
Here's the deal Jon was worried about the tone of the album, receiving critisism because it's too political. Listen to me, political is good, the lyrics are good, it's everything else that's shit. I wonder how the rest of the band feels about this music. Not that I will find out, they feel like hired help at this point anyways.
That's that, it's like I said, I don't like it, I can't stomach it, I wont buy it, I won't listen to it. Now excuse me while I play a couple of videos from concerts, especially the one in Milano and cry. First of because I pretty much forgot what a concert is (fukn se na tilnik korona) and second because that thing in Milano, that, THAT was an out of body experience, just thinking about it makes me shiver all over. It's like ''sex is great you guys but have you seen Bon Jovi in Milano?''. It was the best Bon Jovi concert and honestly? I feel blessed that I saw it. I feel blessed that despite never going to a show again (I refuse to) at least this perfect memory remains. A memory in which, life was perfect and so were Bon Jovi.
P.S. Chances are slim to none, but Jon, should you ever read this, I apologize for the rude words, name calling, swearing but not album opinion and please for the love of everything holy get your shit together because I don't really like a world in which I hate one of my favorite bands.
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