Bon Jovi's 'Forever' - Album Review

Quite often on this blog I champion veteran acts that still regularly put out new albums. Just this year already we have had albums from Magnum, Saxon, and Judas Priest - all of whom have been treading the boards for many years - and it never ceases to amaze me how some bands and artists manage to keep sounding creative and vital well into their twilight years whilst others are content to trot out the same 15 setlist staples live year after year. Whilst there are plenty of older bands that do fall into the former category, there are plenty more that do not - but I live in hope that some of them will find some enthusiasm and follow the lead of The Rolling Stones and their excellent 2023 release. Another band which has generally been fairly prolific in their later years, though, is Bon Jovi. Unlike those aforementioned bands, though, a new Bon Jovi album is not always something to celebrate. Despite being quite a big fan of the New Jersey-based arena rockers, I am not sure that they have released anything genuinely essential since 1995's These Days. Everything up to and including These Days is pretty much classic in my eyes and the drop-off since has been pretty stark. There have been good moments, though, with both 2005's Have a Nice Day and 2007's Lost Highway proving to be a bit of a mini resurgence creatively in my opinion, but much of what has followed has been pretty poor overall - with 2009's The Circle and 2016's This House Is Not for Sale (which I briefly discussed here) being the exceptions. Given that This House Is Not for Sale was actually pretty decent, despite it following the bland What About Now (which I reviewed here) from 2013 and the leftovers collection Burning Bridges from 2015, I had somewhat high hopes for 2020's 2020 (which I also reviewed here) - but it turned out to be quite possibly the band's worst album to date. Everything which has made Bon Jovi's output extremely hit and miss for nearly three decades at this point was dialled up to 11 on 2020 - including limp songwriting, the lack of any weight from the band, and a couple of pretty po-faced and egregious songs which were hastily written to address some of the big issues of the year. Bruce Springsteen Jon Bon Jovi is not and the album fell flat in my opinion. Given the lack of any meaningful input from the rest of the band, too, 2020 more than ever felt like a solo album. The line between Bon Jovi the band and Bon Jovi the man has blurred significantly over the years, particularly since Richie Sambora left the band in 2013 - with most Bon Jovi albums a product of tame producers, song doctors, and minor splashes of the old magic. As such, then, I had basically no expectations for Forever, the band's sixteenth album which dropped earlier in the month, but I am happy to report that it is significantly better than 2020 - and some of the songs here are up there with the best material from This House Is Not for Sale. It is certainly no classic, but it rights some of the wrongs of the last album - and actually rocks a little in spots. It is the band's second album as an expanded seven-piece, with long-time producer and second guitarist John Shanks and percussionist Everett Bradley still on board.

Speaking of Shanks, he is probably a big part of the reason why Bon Jovi have been so hit and miss in recent years and the band could certainly do with shaking things up production-wise, but that is not likely to happen any time soon - especially now Shanks is in the band, too. He has been responsible for some good songs, though, and the opening track here, Legendary, is one of them. It is an up-tempo, poppy single which is not hugely different from other lead-off tracks on the band's other recent albums - but it has some bite to it and the chorus is good. Opening with clean guitar melodies, the drums from Tico Torres soon crash in and a hooky wordless vocal melody takes over - providing an early hook. Once Bon Jovi starts to sing, though, the verses pair things back some what - with a subtle groove from the rhythm section, driving piano from David Bryan, and plenty of acoustic guitars. Lots has been made of Bon Jovi's declining vocal abilities over the years, but he has never sounded that weak in the studio in my opinion - despite a more nasally tone. As such, he sings well here - with a more subdued tone during the piano-driven verses, before letting rip a bit more during the hooky chorus. The chorus makes use of the wordless vocal hooks from the song's intro, too, with the rest of the band also harmonising well with Bon Jovi to give his voice more of a kick. It is a simple song overall, then, and it is screaming out for a guitar solo from Phil X, but it is a good way to kick off the album. A personal favourite here, though, is We Made It Look Easy - a more atmospheric piece which is not generally what I want from the band, but this track for some reason really works for me. It starts slowly, with a rhythmic pulse thanks to the rhythm guitars and Hugh McDonald's bass, and the verses slowly expand over a percussive groove from Torres and the keyboard warmth of Bryan - before a cinematic chorus takes over. There is U2 edge to this chorus, which I am not generally a fan of, but I really like the overall vibe of the track - with Bon Jovi's voice sitting nicely against the swirling layers of guitar and a simple synth refrain. A slightly heavier bridge adds a brief moment of toughness, but generally the track is one which sticks to a more keyboard-heavy sound which compliments Bon Jovi's aging voice - whilst some nice guitar leads close things out. Things take a heavier turn on Living Proof, which makes use of a talk box during the main riff - something which the band famously utilised during both Livin' on a Prayer and It's My Life previously. This is probably the album's toughest song overall. It is still pretty tame really in the grand scheme of things, but it is nice to hear X and Shanks laying into their guitars a bit more - with X's talk box riff being pretty memorable. This is riff is used throughout the verses to accent each vocal line, with the rhythm section adding a simple groove, whilst the chorus feels like a bit of a throwback to the band's early days - without quite tapping into that magic. A brief guitar solo also harks back to that time, but again it fails to live up to the best moment from that era. Nevertheless, though, the song is still a fun one - and the opening three cuts here have all impressed in one way or another.

The rest of the album does not benefit from such a level of consistency in my opinion, but there are still strong moments to come. Waves is not as memorable, though, especially as it feels like it is going to be another pretty big rocker - before morphing into something more low key. The opening guitar rumble feels like it is building up towards something a bit meatier - but once the verse starts Bon Jovi is essentially left alone with an acoustic guitar for a slow-burning build towards what is actually a pretty decent chorus. This chorus is not as tough as the song's opening hints at, though, and I think there was a bit of a missed opportunity here to really kick on and create something more dynamic. One thing that does make the song stand out, though, is the approach to lead guitar. Bon Jovi has seemingly wanted to largely dispense with such since Sambora's departure, presumably to not need to share the spotlight, but this song has a pretty decent guitar solo - and both the chorus and the later verses have a few tasty guitar leads. I wish there was more of this on the album overall, as X is a tremendous player who has never really had a chance to shine in the band. Seeds has a bit more of an urgency to it, but arrangement-wise is pretty similar to the band's recent core sound - which sees songs build up slowly towards a bigger chorus. The verses are not so stripped back here, though, with more of a pulse from McDonald's bass and Torres' bass drum really punches through the speakers. Bryan's keyboards add depth, but generally the groove of the rhythm section and some tick-tock guitars further contribute to the song's staccato groove - which build towards a more string-heavy chorus which slows the pace down and sets Bon Jovi's voice against an atmospheric backdrop. Later chorus renditions are a bit more up-tempo, but this is a track which generally reverses the typical arrangement - with punchier verses and a slower chorus rather than the other way around. This vibe does work nicely, though, even if the song is not one of the album's strongest moments overall. The slowest and sparsest song on the album, Kiss the Bride, follows. Written about Bon Jovi's daughter getting married, the song is unsurprisingly heartfelt - with Bryan's piano leading the way along with some subtle acoustic guitar. There have been a number of songs like this on recent Bon Jovi albums, but given the subject matter and the prominent piano playing this one stands out a bit more. I think what helps this song, too, is the fact that it is the only song like it here. There are other slower tracks on the album, but it is the only real stripped back and organic piece in this manner - and the use of slide guitar melodies during a brief instrumental bridge works nicely to add some variety. Coming half way through the album, too, it provides something of a change of pace.

Following the heartfelt ballad, the band rocks out a bit more again on The People's House - which has a funky feel and it reminds me a little of the vibe created by Keep the Faith back in 1992. Bradley's percussion is very prominent throughout this track and he is really in the spotlight here. His grooves lock in nicely with Torres' drum beat to create the song's funky and upbeat feel - whilst the driving bass playing of McDonald also adds plenty of depth. This is a song for the rhythm section, then, but some electric piano melodies from Bryan early on and some guitar layers create a varied sound. There also a pretty stinging guitar solo, at least in the context of this album, too - which helps the song's upbeat vibe to hit harder. I wish there were more solos here, so it is nicely to hear a pretty busy one during this track - and the chorus is another pretty big one with some subtle harmony vocals and a retention of the song's core, infectious groove. The song is another overall highlight in my opinion and there is plenty of life to be found here. A simple up-tempo vibe continues throughout Walls of Jericho, an acoustic-led rocker which feels like a bit of a hark back to the sound conjured up on Lost Highway. The driving acoustic guitars are always in the mix but there is also a bit more weight from the rest of the band - with Torres' drums cutting through the mix, whilst the bass is also extremely prominent overall. Clean acoustic guitar melodies occasionally join in to add some melodic variety - but generally they add slashing heavier chords in the background, particularly during another pretty strong chorus which makes use of some wordless vocal hooks. The song is pretty energetic, then, and I really like how the band allowed this song just to be a bit more of a driving piece without overcomplicating it with synths and soundscapes as has sometimes been the case on recent albums. It could have really benefitted from a guitar solo, though, and I think if X had really cut loose here it would have been one of the album's best cuts. I Wrote You a Song slows things down again, with Bon Jovi singing alone against Bryan's piano and some acoustic guitars early on - but it never feels as sparse and slow-burning as Kiss the Bride - and it is clear that the song is going to grow, which happens following the first chorus thanks to McDonald's bass snaking in and a simple drum groove. It never really builds in a big way, but it feels less heartfelt and more full-bodied than the aforementioned ballad - with Bon Jovi singing in a 'louder' way and the stronger presence of the rhythm section. Slide guitars are used again, though, and there is a brief slide solo part-way through which, again, could have been longer. It is not one of my favourite cuts here but it certainly does not feel as dull as some of the band's other such songs - which is generally a theme here.

Living in Paradise is a bit more of an up-tempo rocker and, strangely, it was co-written by Ed Sheeran. The Bon Jovi and Sheeran combination seems like a bit of an odd one, but the song sounds pretty similar to the recent Bon Jovi core sound - even if the chorus has a bit more an urgency to it, which is welcome. Generally the track is a bit of a slow-burner, as is typical, and it builds in a big way towards the chorus - which is easily the best part of the song. Apart from the chorus, though, which does have a pretty decent hook, it is just a song which fails to stick in the brain. Everything is about the chorus, but the verses feels superfluous overall - and the song is one of the weakest cuts here in my opinion. This is a shame as the decent chorus feels wasted - but it shows that a hooky chorus is not always enough to make a song a strong one. My First Guitar is better and it is a pretty varied song overall which takes a similar cinematic approach to We Made It Look Easy - and again the approach works for me. It starts out with some hypnotic acoustic melodies, which Bon Jovi sings over, and the song is another that builds towards the chorus - but it does it in a more memorable manner this time. The song is just much more varied overall, too. Bryan dominates during a later bridge section thanks to his delicate piano playing, whilst there is a bit more of a lead guitar presence here thanks to some mournful leads during the cinematic chorus and a short solo part way through. The chorus feels really big, too, thanks to the overall production and the layering of instruments throughout. It feels like an epic moment on the album despite it not being especially heavy - and a couple of tougher pre-chorus sections add some pulse between the more cinematic moments. There is also a much longer guitar solo at the end, which is nice to see finally, before the song comes to a close with an acoustic rendition of part of the chorus. The track is another overall highlight for me and the variety in the arrangement is welcome. Sadly, though, the album then comes to a close with Hollow Man - the dullest cut here. I enjoy quite a lot of this album, but Hollow Man is one of those songs which sums up a lot of the band's recent output - it just feels slow for its own sake and it is another of Bon Jovi's attempt to write a post-Nebraska heartfelt Springsteen-esque cut and falling flat whilst doing so. Springsteen's such songs always sound genuinely depressing and on the edge - whereas Bon Jovi's efforts are just dull and this sort of songwriting is just not his forte. 2020 had a number of songs like this which is why it is likely my least favourite Bon Jovi album and it is a shame that Forever had to end with something so bland an clunky. Overall, though, there is a lot to like about the album. It is certainly a big step up from 2020 and it feels similar to This House Is Not for Sale in overall quality - with a few genuine standout cuts. It is never going to rival the band's classic output but there is actually some life here - and it has been one of the year's pleasant surprises so far given how low my expectations for it were.

The album was released on 7th June 2024 via Island Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Legendary.