Bounce

The album has, however, a distinct and deliberately contemporary feel--power chords instead of endless Sambora guitar noodling. The opener, "Undivided", hammers this point home, and "The Distance" and first single "Everyday" tell you that Bon Jovi can compete with the upstarts. The polar opposites of these are old-style tracks--the Jovi/Sambora cowboy partnership of "Right Side of Wrong" and, yes, the token ballads--none of which compare to "Bed of Roses" or "Always". If the band could produce an album as contemporary, slick and just plain good as Jon Bon Jovi's second solo offering, Destination Anywhere, then their future would be assured. More mature, sophisticated and modern than Crush, it will galvanise their slowly declining position for a while longer. It's a disappointment, of course, but a pleasantly surprising one. --Ben Johncock