Review Summary: Bon Jovi have some great points to this album, but try too hard in many places
"The Circle", hard rock band
Bon Jovi's 5th album in a decade and 11th overall effort, has the band sounding eager to return to the modern rock sound that made "Crush" so successful back in 2000. They also attempt to sound in-touch with the many issues of 2009, not least the economic recession that hit many in the United States. In some places, this is pulled off well, whereas in others, they seem to have difficulty wearing off the weary, laid back sound of 2007's "Lost Highway", a sound which worked well for that particular album but needed to be shed for this effort.
The main thing that causes this album to not stand out and shine in the Bon Jovi catalogue is really a poor choice in singles and songs focused on when the band headed off on the tour in support of the album. A pity, as a few of the songs in the album sound eager to reach the attention of radio and become overnight hits. Jon Bon Jovi, albeit a more-than-capable songwriter, seems to focus much of his attention now on the laid-back, and to some, boring numbers, such as "When We Were Beautiful." Fans may appreciate this song, but it's not one to pick up any radio attention. It's too long and takes too long to spread it's wings.
There are a few songs on this album that shine amongst many of the other amazing hits Bon Jovi has produced over the 25 years they have dominated the music world, such as "We Weren't Born To Follow", "Superman Tonight" and "Loves The Only Rule", the latter of which incorporates some interesting yet addictive keyboard parts. Superman Tonight focuses on a loud, proud and strong rock chorus that reaches into your speakers from a more mellow verse, a pleasant dynamic change in a generation of loud-for-the-sake-of-loud productions from many bands.
However, the album isn't all in Bon Jovi's favour. There are parts that sound like the band is trying too hard to relate to people that they can relate to, as if fearful that they may lose touch with fans loyal to the band. Songs like "Bullet", "Live Before You Die" and "BrokenPromiseLand" sound like they are trying too hard to be in touch with the world around them, when they don't need to try to achieve this goal. The fans who love Bon Jovi don't expect amazingly deep, overly meaningful pieces to be satisfied.
It's great to see that Bon Jovi show eagerness to stay in touch with the world, something a lot of bands forget to do. But they put more effort than was needed in places. "Learn To Love" sounds overly-eager to be a great finale, to the point where it loses its shimmer and becomes a track to be skipped, with the "Halle-Halle" chorus becoming too plain annoying to be catchy. "Happy Now", the track before, would have finished the album on a much finer, rock n roll finish, and Bon Jovi really need to let go of the mellow approach and go back to great rockers and great love ballads - its what they did, and still do, best.
This is an album for the fans - fans of Bon Jovi will appreciate all of the songs, and find their own meanings and love in the pieces. Bon Jovi have their great moments on this record, with quite a few catchy, join-in choruses ("We Weren't Born To Follow", "Work For The Working Man"). Maybe this makes the album all the better, as it shows imperfection in places just as much as perfection. I look forward to hearing the next Bon Jovi album, as they're showing they are back on the right track, but they needed this album to head back that way - and a few of the songs from The Circle still have a place of worth in the amazingly big Bon Jovi catalogue. But to make this album successful, they needed to pick the right songs to promote, and remember sometimes its ok to look back for ideas as well as forward.
BEST TRACKS: "We Weren't Born To Follow", "Superman Tonight", "Work For the Working Man", "Loves the Only Rule"
