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Bandname: Bon Jovi
Title: Have A Nice Day
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 20th of September 2005
Record Company / Label: Island Rock Records

 
Introduction

Last summer, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora headed into the studio with producer/writer/musician John Shanks to begin work on what would become the band's ninth studio album of original material. The trio got along famously and the songs came quickly. Recorded primarily at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, the new album was being done while at the same time the finishing touches to the band's box set were coming together. (DVD footage of the band used in the box set was filmed in Studio A at Henson, while the new album was recorded in Studio C.) As Jon Bon Jovi was about to turn the album over the record label before Christmas, he changed his mind. The music had come so quickly (which is not the way Bon Jovi usually records and album - normally, they'll write 30 or more songs and whittle them down to the batch that end up on the album.) So, while everyone else went on holiday in December, Jon headed back into his NJ studio... wrote some more songs, tinkered with the original batch... and when the band regrouped in 2005, they went back into the studio. They worked on the revised versions of the original songs and recorded four new songs. And before you knew it... it was spring 2005 and release was looking like fall of 2005. And, here it is….


Line-Up

Jon Bon Jovi – Vocals and backing vocals
Richie Sambora – Guitar and backing vocals
David Bryan – Keys
Tico Torres – Drums
Hugh McDonald - Bass


Website



Song Review

01. Have A Nice Day - 3:49
The album starts of with this cathy one ‘Have A Nice Day’. This is the kind of song which you hear one time and then immediately like it and remember it. It had catchy guitar riffs and vocal  lines. The song tells us to do whatever we wants and go for our goals, even when it gets tough.

02. I Want To Be Loved - 3:49
A great follow-up at ‘Have A Nice Day’. This song too tells us to really live the life and fight for the person you want to be. A great detail in this song is that Bon Jovi is using the good old sound of the voice box again, just like in ‘Living on a Prayer’ and ‘It’s my life’ I think this is a detail that really belongs to the famous Bon Jovi sound

03. Welcome to Wherever You Are - 3:47
Jon vocals are a little bit nosy in this song. When hearing Bon Jovi live (and believe me I’ve seen them a million times ;-) ) Jon always get this funny nosy sound in his voice, which you don’t hear on the records, except for this song. It’s not annoying though. It’s a average song, but nice to listen too. Everything fits perfectly together: vocals, guitar, backing vocals, drums, keys, but there’s nothing very spectacular in it.

04. Who Says You Can’t Go Home - 4:40
Talking about catchy, there’s this song ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’.  It has such a catchy song line that it immediately makes you wan to dance with it. When visiting Bon Jovi’s Largest Listening Party in Heineken Music Hall September 16th they played this song live and everybody was swinging along. It’s all about staying normal, just the regular person you always were no matter was happens during the rest of the day.

05. Last Man Standing - 4:37
Everybody who has the DVD of ‘This Left Feels Right’ as already familiar with this song, because the DVD contains the accoustic version of this song. As they say for theirselves: ‘Last Man Standing’ in its original form was a somber, acoustic based song, but there was more meaning in the lyrics. Therefore, the song made it to the studio with Jon and Richie and was reworked. The version included on ‘Have A Nice Day’ is electric and much more aggressive. Rock 'n' roll is definitely not dead.

06. Bells of Freedom - 4:56
When reading the lyrics of this song it comes to me that this song must be a political statement of it could have been written for the 9/11 disaster. Unfortunately I don’t find the song catchy enough to listen to it, which is really too bad, because this song definitely has a big meaning.
The song lines are just not getting to you, they are rather a bit annoying to listen too and the music is not really that spectacular.

07. Wildflower - 4:13
I think Jon must have written this song for his daughter growing up. To me it’s a follow up for ‘I Got The Girl’ from the ‘Çrush’ album. This song contains beautiful subtle string arrangements playing along with the guitar and keys, which makes it a real joy to listen to it.

08. Last Cigarette - 3:38
It’s definitely not about quit smoking, no… it’s all about a love that you gives you such a great feeling that you never want it to stop. Listening to this song makes you think that you are listening to an old Bon Jovi record, because it has that great Rock and Roll sound again. In the end you hear a slow part with backing vocals sing ‘Woohoohoo’ in a kind of Beatlesish way, backing Jon’s vocal line. This is really a funny part in the end.

09. I Am - 3:53
Great guitar parts in this one. Really nice to listen too, makes you want to swing along. Also the lyrics are great: it’s about backing your loved on up.

10. Complicated - 3:37
A nice Rock and Roll one again, which makes you want to see the band live again. ‘Complicated’ is one that can’t be expelled on the setlist.

11. Novocaine - 4:49
‘Novocaine’ is already the most discussed song of this album. The record company and Jon (Vocals) have already confirmed that this song is about the divorce of the marriages of one of the bandmembers. The fact that April’s, David’s (Keys) wife, name is not mentioned on the book makes the fans on the forum think that it’s about this marriage, while the other half have stated that it’s about Hugh’s (Bass) marriage. Whatever, the song is not catchy enough to make you willing to find it out. The drumparts are very annoying, makes you think that they don’t belong in this song or are not being drummed by Tico. It just don’t fit the rhythm of the song. Maybe that’s wat they wanted, but it just don’t get to me.

12. Story Of My Life - 4:09
Hail Richie (Guitar)! Great solos like only he can play them. A subtle, but present guitar solo sound walks along the song, which is just great.

13. Dirty Little Secret (Bonus Track) - 3:33
Yes! This one is already my favourite when hearing the first note of it. With ‘Dirty Little Secret’ they prove that they still have Rock and Roll in their veins. Gain hail Richie Sambora (Guitar) for his solos. The drumsound on this sound is just great and the strong basssound replenishes the drum. It’s strongly song by Jon, which makes it the hit of the album. I can’t wait to hear this one live!!

14. Unbreakable (Bonus Track)* - 3:47

15. These Open Arms (Bonus Track)* - 3:42
* not featured on all cds including our review sample


Cover photo




Extras

DVD ‘Live from Atlantic’ (with the Limited Edition)


Technical Summary

Total playing time: 53:30(60:59)
Total songs: 13(15)


Conclusion

Except for the front cover artwork, this whole album is just great! The cover is just a red drawn smiley face, not very attractive ,but funny in a way…

When you have read this whole review you see that I use the word ’catchy’ a lot. This album really is catchy: it makes you want to dance, swing and sing along and certainly want to see them live, esp. with songs like ‘Dirty Little Secret’, ‘Complicated’, ‘Have A Nice Day’ and the swingable ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’. 

‘Have A Nice Day’ is a very strong album which put Bon Jovi back on the map again as a real Rock and Roll band.

Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extra: 9
Total: 9

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