IF you were allowed only one helping of blue-collar American rock at Hampden this summer, would it be June 18 or July 3 that's circled in your diary?
Because although Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi cross over at New Jersey roots level, there's a credibility gulf between their outputs that's heightened by their most recent releases.
What About Now is the title of Bon Jovi's 12th studio album, but the singer doesn't appear to have adequate answers for his own question. The title track claims to stand up for "the restless... the lonely... the desperate... the hungry..." but all Bon Jovi can offer is a string of the most wretched clichés pinched from The Boss's wastepaper basket. "You wanna start a fire? It only takes a spark," he begins, and goes downhill from there.
Wrecking Ball was far from Springsteen's best, but at least it approached the state-of-the-nation address with an authentic ear to the ground. Here Bon Jovi pays lip service to the issues then makes them meaningless by wrapping them up with the most insipid corporate rock ribbons available. Mainstream rock doesn't deserve to be this shallow.
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