''Parampara, pratishtha aur anushaasan ...''
Courtesy Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein, we all know what Amitabh Bachchan does not like. He does not like the name Raj and expels students having the name (God save me!) even without knowing who they are. He doesn't like a music teacher prancing about teaching his students, ''Sa Re Ga Ma Papapapapapyaar karo!'' And, he does not like changes ... parampara, after all. Bachchan is surely going to hate this one ...
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In their latest offering, Jon Bon Jovi and his troop tread on a path on which very few have trodden, before. As many as 12 of their anthems have been completely recycled.
Environmentalists may claim otherwise, but I have always been against recycling, especially when it comes to music. Remixes have constantly irked me (though I don't mind the scantily-clad, posterior-clutching females in the videos!). Even cover versions in English music have largely disappointed me (except Words and Knockin' On Heaven's Door).
Yet, this was Maggi Hot & Sweet Sauce ... it was different! The creators themselves were playing around with their music - not any Tom, Dick or Harry (Anand). And I believed that when the creators are Bon Jovi, nothing can go wrong ... or can it?
Bon Jovi may never have been my favourite band, but passion oozed out of every single composition of theirs, whether it was a ballad or an upbeat number. An interview printed in the inlay of This Left Feels Right reveals that this album was conceptualised, composed, recorded and mixed, all within a meagre 23 days! Sad but true, but the haste shows ...
Wanted Dead Or Alive begins with promise, with an obvious Led Zeppelin hangover, but meanders in the middle. Seen as an individual track, it's decent stuff, but nothing compared to the original.
Livin' On A Prayer has Jon Bon Jovi teaming up with the producer's wife, Olivia d'Abo for a duet. Unfortunately, Jon's voice lacks the depth and passion we have grown to associate him with.
Bad Medicine is not bad. Jon's vocals sound fine and the guitaring is good. But then, terms like 'not bad', 'fine', good' ... we expect more from Bon Jovi, don't we?
Let sanity be restored. This album may have been superficial until now, but it's time for some serious music now.
It's my wife ... er ... It's My Life might not be the favourite song of diehard BJ-junkies as they usually prefer the vintage songs, but, it has always been one of my favourite tracks for it has caffeine-like properties - energizes you instantly. So, I would have laughed had I known that its cover version is going to be slow than Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas.
But ... the risk pays off! And how! It might be slow, but this song is pure mirth - slow, beautiful and lingering. Easily the best song of the album - and the best song of 2K+3, along with Bring Me To Life.
Lay your Hands On Me has Jon bon Jovi in full form when it comes to the vocals, but the music is a let down.
You Give Love A Bad Name has an interesting beginning, laden with raw tuning, and the course this version takes is a total contrast of the original. You can almost feel a heavy Dire Straits influence here, with the swing tempo and similar kind of guitaring. But then, Richie Sambora is no Knopfler, owing to which this number is no classic.
Bed Of Roses is one of the better numbers. The vocals are first rate and the guitaring has been combined with the symphony rather effectively.
Everyday, whose original was one of the few Bon Jovi numbers rejected by the masses, is one of the better cover versions. Much lighter than the original, the lyrics are brought out more effectively in this version.
Born To Be My Baby was never one of my favourites and the cover version is no great shakes either. Jon's vocals are fine, but the music disappoints.
Keep The Faith is starkly different from the original, and therein lies its greatest strength, for you almost do not remember the original version while listening to this one (inspite of the original being an anthem of sorts). It may not be better, but it's right up there.
I'll Be There For You has some good guitaring, but Jon Bon Jovi almost sounds disinterested while singing this one. A major disappointment, especially when compared to the original.
Always has always been one of my favourite songs (corny joke), and the cover version does not disappoint. The music is interestingly arranged and Jon sings this passionate ballad with gusto, but then ... originals are originals, aren't they?
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An interesting aspect is that although very few songs are outstanding, the lyrics hold their own even in the radically different versions.
Nowadays, it has become fashionable to go gaga over things that are termed 'different'. However, what's different is not necessarily great, and this album is a mixed bag. Purists will hate the album, while the average Bon Jovi fan will like most of the songs. I fall somewhere between the two categories and for me, apart from It's My Life and Keep The Faith, nothing was out of the ordinary. The influences from Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits and Oasis are apparent in a few songs. However, apart from the two songs mentioned above and a few other songs, anthems are insulted ...
Bon? Non, ce n'est pas tres bien!
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Commenting is bon for health!
