Search - Bon Jovi :: The Circle / When We Were Beautiful (CD + DVD)

Jason P. from DAVENPORT, FL
Reviewed on 11/6/2013...

I would like to start this by saying I listened to this album over a dozen times. No snap judgements here. I like to really digest records and songs before I make up my mind about them. I am a long time huge Bon Jovi fan. One of my favorite bands of all time. I buy everything they release based on my loyalty to them for the music they gave me while I was growing up. I have great respect for them as a band and as a force that navigated itself through the changing culture of music for almost 30 years. That is a feat for any band.

With all that being said and in mind I listened to their new album, "The Circle", and here are my thoughts... what the HELL is this? This album is garbage. And it takes ALOT for me to say that. But the truth is the truth. I don't hold it against them at all that they ripped themselves off with the "We Weren't Born To Be My Baby", or the "Work For The Working Man Living On A Prayer". If a band has been around for 30 years some things are going to sound the same, I don't mind that. I don't hold it against them that Jon's voice is gone. That is not his fault. He sacrificed it for us. By touring and recording for over two decades FOR US. His voice is shot, but that's not the problem. The problem is these SONGS are terrible. T E R R I B L E.

And this is a "rock" album the way LOST HIGHWAY was a "country" album. Hell, in fact, I will go on record saying LOST HIGHWAY was more of a rock record than this crappy CIRCLE album. I mean, LOST HIGHWAY was just uptempo Bon Jovi with a little fiddle here and there. I dare you to put those two records next to each other and see which one makes you bob your head more. Shame on Bon Jovi for calling THE CIRCLE a "rock" record. Either they know better and it's a marketing ploy, which burns my blood, or they REALLY THINK this is rock now, which breaks my heart.

How did this kind of music become "rock"? This Bon Jovi record is just a U2 album sideways. And I'm one of the few who never, never liked U2. Hell, the last tune, "Learn To Love", is just "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" sideways. And the lyrics were obviously influenced by his love for Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Which "I do Leonard's favorite version of Hallelujah." states Jon in the When We Were Beautiful companion DVD. Is it just me, or is Jon kind of becoming pompous? Ugh.

So this is a U2 album mixed with Coldplay. And DAMN Coldplay for making that stupid 8th note snare kick kick snare kick kick snare kick (repeat) drum pattern popular with "Clocks". That is an awful rhythmic pattern for a rock song. The ONLY band to copy that and make it work is Bon Jovi with the tune "Have A Nice Day." It actually worked there. But since then I have heard it more and more. Danger Danger ALMOST made it work with "Rocket To Your Heart", but it's also in Def Leppard's 2008 "Gotta let It Go", and on THE CIRCLE it's on here THREE times! "Superman Tonight", "Happy Now", and "Fast Cars." My god it wears thin fast. No one can ROCK to that.

And since I am mentioning "Fast Cars", what the hell happened to Desmond Child? I suspect he had very little to do with these tunes really. Cuz HE still rocks (Bat Out Of Hell III, Scorpions "Humanity" album, the tune "Bad News" by Orianthi). Desmond can still rock it, that's why I was horribly disappointed with the tunes he "co-wrote."

I will say one positive thing about this record... the ONLY good song is "Live Before You Die", which I would bet a weeks pay was written during Jon's Nashville sessions and left off of LOST HIGHWAY. It has that same framed lyrical structure and theme of the Nashville tunes. I like this song, but one out of twelve is not good.

Hell, I can go on and on. The more I heard this album the more disappointed and aggravated I became. Just one thing after another:

My buddy Joe in high school had a band that had a song called "Thorn In My Side" and it was better than this Bon Jovi Song.

"Love's The Only Rule" I'm guessing is Bon Jovi's stab at a club song. What the hell is this song?

"Work For The Working Man." What irritated me about this song is the "tick tock" tone of the snare drum when the tune starts. Listen close, you will hear it too. And that kinda sums up the problem with this record. It's OVER thought. Over researched. Over processed. When they recorded "Living On A Prayer" they recorded what sounded good. Set up the drums, play, let's rock. Now they are recording a similar song and messing with the tone of the snare, over thinking everything, trying to give the MASS what it wants while us true fans who stuck with them through every album (even the crap "Crush" and "Bounce") are standing here scratching our heads. I have never said this about a Bon Jovi album but... don't buy this one. Just don't buy it. This is their worst. album. ever. I would smile through 7800 Fahrenheit if the alternative was sitting through this contrived, stuffy, disappointing, soulless, corporate "rock" album.

Here is what Bon Jovi needs to do, This is my dream: They need to make ONE more album. One great killer rock album... and then disappear. (I have always had this fantasy that the band BOSTON just disbanded and faded away after their first album so that THAT could be their legacy and not taint that amazing band with all the crap that followed. They would have been LEGENDARY!). Jon and Richie need to sit in a room with Desmond Child for six months and write. Really write. They need to gather a handful of people that are still really able to rock and have them help with the backing vocals (Aldo Nova, Steven Tyler, etc, or unknown back up singers. Whatever it takes to get the big Bon Jovi chorus back). It's not Jon's fault he can't sing anymore, but you don't have to have a crazy range to make a good rock record, Stage Dolls "Get A Life" taught us that. They need to get in the studio, Jon needs to loosen his grip on the reins a little bit, they need Desmond Child or Bob Rock or ANYONE with skill in ROCK behind the board. Twelve songs, 6 rock balls, 3 ballads, 3 mid tempos about loyalty and brotherhood and time passing. And the final track on the album should be flat out driving ROCK. And it should be the title track of the album: "Blood From A Rock"

Then they never record again and leave us with a good taste in our mouths.

That is my dream.

I'm sorry I rambled so much, but if I spend this much time writng this it's cuz I'm passionate about it. I want my Bon Jovi back. Not these turds that made THE CIRCLE. If this was the FIRST Bon Jovi record you ever heard... would you buy any more?

I apologize if I offended anyone. I mean no disrespect to the band or the fans, just saying what I think.

Avoid this record. Treat it like the fourth Indiana Jones movie: pretend it doesn't exist.

I'm finished . . .

radiodude | Columbus, OH | 11/14/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a huge Bob Jovi fan for more than 20 years. I have all their cds, including the singles just so I can hear the b-sides. But it just doesn't do it for me anymore. Jon's voice has gone from a high pitched scream (which I enjoyed) to a constant whine. The music is poorly recorded and over produced. You can tell just by listening to it that everything is recorded separately and put together on Pro Tools. Jon has gotten to the point that he's repeating the same lyrics album after album. And, most importantly, there's NOTHING special about these songs! I guess when I get nostalgic, I'll pop in my copy of New Jersey and remember what this band used to be about. But I'm done buying the new material."

Bon Jovi Comes Full 'Circle'

Antoine D. Reid | Durham, NC United States | 11/10/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For me, 'The Circle' is probably the best Bon Jovi album since 2002's release of Bounce. Ever since then, it's felt like Bon Jovi was mellowing and going away from their roots as they experimented with taking the rock out of their songs and playing with acoustics (as with This Left Feels Right: Greatest Hits With a Twist) or watered-down pop (as with Have a Nice Day) or country (as with their last release Lost Highway). While I know one of these three albums struck a chord with new and old fans alike, as a hardcore Bon Jovi fan, these lacked what 'The Circle' has. It's back to rock, it's back to the stadium anthems and 1980s vibe and spirit that the group seemed to have strayed from. In all, this is probably one of the most unexpected musical surprises for me in 2009; not only did Bon Jovi return but they came back with a heavy-hitting rock album that really holds nothing back and sounds as if it belonged among some of their best albums like 'Slippery When Wet' and 'New Jersey'.



The Good: There's much to like about this album. The overall direction of this album feels somewhat retro; this doesn't sound at all like what Bon Jovi's produced as of late. It was true return to their roots with lots of guitar riffs and heavy drums (such as on "Work For the Working Man", an anthem for middle-class America); there was more depth and emotion packed into the music such as the reflective "When We Were Beautiful" and "Live Before You Die". Even though the music sounds dated with its 1980s rock treatment, the lyrics feel very modern and current, a penchant that attributes to Bon Jovi's popularity throughout the past few decades. If there's a theme to 'The Circle' it's optimism in the face of adversity and challenges. Whether it's through asking for love and compassion as in "Bullet", encouraging you to get the most out of life as with "Live Before You Die" or simply surviving heartbreak as in "Thorn In My Side", 'The Circle' feels very inspiring and encompassing. The last few albums from this group left me somewhat uninterested because they felt like concept albums; deliberately dabbling in country or putting aside their personality and rock background for something different. That was okay, but 'The Circle' packs a punch. It's far more emotional, leaves a lasting impression, is more catchier than the group's efforts in the 2000s. This album definitely got me excited and has me listening from track one to the end without skipping, a rare quality in many releases these days.



The Bad: There are a few songs that didn't work as much for me as others. "Superman Tonight" is my least favorite on the album; yes, it's rock but it felt like an attempt at a rock-love song but lacks sentiment and emotion. It also felt like a re-hashing of music the group's done before because they've made reference to 'Superman' in the context of love and relationships before on previous albums and this track just didn't vibe as well with the rest of the record. "Loves The Only Rule" is another track that didn't click with me; it's not as rock orientated and more pop and feels like an outtake from 'Have a Nice Day'. These two tracks aren't horrible but they feel awkward and disrupt the flow of the album just a bit.



When We Were Beautiful (DVD): The Good - It's beautifully shot in crisp, all black and white. It includes snippets of live performances from the 'Have a Nice Day' and 'Lost Highway' tours. It features all of the members of Bon Jovi, giving them each a moment to shine and explain what they contribute to the group. Probably the most poignant moment was Richie Sambora describing his personal troubles in a very candid manner and how work and Jon Bon Jovi keeps him in line. The Bad - the documentary is a tad bit lagging. Jon Bon Jovi spends a good portion of the album playing the 'it's lonely at the top' role; he and others in the group casts himself in the role of leader and creative genius and explains that he's responsible for so much that he feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. Hearing him complain about the woes of fame scene after scene got a bit irritating and annoying.



In all, if you're a fan of old-school Bon Jovi, 'The Circle' is going to please you. It's a definite return to form and ditches the mellow/country vibe the band's been playing with for the last few years. This edition also comes with a DVD of a mini behind the scenes documentary that celebrates the group's 26 years in the business. While the casual fan may not find the 'When We Were Beautiful' documentary interesting, die-hard fans will definitely be pleased with it and should check out Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful, a book of photos that covers the groups history in addition to this special edition. It's refreshing, invigorating, rock music; something that's very rare and missing in today's music market. Because it's not country or mainstream, and because it's more akin to what was popular in the '80s rather than what's en vogue today, some may dismiss or overlook 'The Circle' but I encourage everyone to give it a listen. Definitely more fun, inspired and better produced than most of the group's 2000s efforts. Definitely worthy of your listening to and purchase.



Listen to These: "When We Were Beautiful", "Happy Now", "Live Before You Die", "Learn to Love", "We Weren't Born to Follow""