Jon Bon Jovi once sang the line “You can’t catch a fish if you ain’t got the hook”.

This solemn lyric from New Jersey (1988) does a good job of describing the band’s eleventh full-length album, The Circle.

After the unexpected commercial success of the country-influenced Lost Highway (2007), Bon Jovi made the surprising decision to abandon the Nashville path and return to their hard rock roots for the follow-up, and that’s likely a decision which they already regret.

You see, while fans will undoubtedly be pleased to see them pick up their guitars again, the simple fact of the matter is that The Circle doesn’t contain the big hooks and choruses which we’ve come to expect from New Jersey’s finest, so while the intention was good, it’s an LP which ultimately disappoints.

That’s not to say it’s terrible, of course.

In fact, there are several moments in The Circle’s 53-minute runtime where the band spring to life and remind us why they’ve been such a successful group who are about to enter their fourth decade with largely the same line-up (minus bass player Alec John Such, who departed in 1994).

Standout track Thorn In My Side is a perfect example of post-2000 Bon Jovi, delivering frustrated lyrics about the struggles of everyday life which have been sprinkled with precisely the right amount of pissed off to persuade you to get up off the floor, dust yourself down, and give it one more shot.

Meanwhile, the Springsteen-like Work For The Working Man is as close as they ever get to the classic Bon Jovi template which they used so often throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Oddly enough, the lyrics to this track were said to be hanging in The White House during Barack Obama’s eight year presidential run.

Lead single We Weren’t Born To Follow helped the band score another US Billboard Top 10 hit, but it’s success was marred by accusations from the band’s fanbase that they had ripped off one of their earlier hits.

(Wait, Bon Jovi ripped off… Bon Jovi?)

We’ll never know if this was deliberate or pure coincidence, but one quick listen to Born To Be My Baby makes it impossible to unhear the similarities, relegating what is an otherwise serviceable-yet-unremarkable re-tread of It’s My Life to the bargain bucket.

Unfortunately, producer John Shanks’ (above) hold over the band grew tighter on this LP, and it shows.

Because while his artistic touch undoubtedly helped to elevate Bon Jovi’s material on the fabulous Have A Nice Day (2005), what as once a sheen has now become a thick polish, resulting in rockers which don’t sound edgy enough and ballads which are too formulaic and gooey (yes, even for Bon Jovi) to hit the mark.

Besides the undeniable duo of Thorn In My Side and Work For The Working Man, other highlights of The Circle are restricted to the rare occasions the music is able to unshackle itself and breathe; e.g. the stylish verse arrangements of Happy Now, and the storytelling vocals of Fast Cars and When We Were Beautiful, all of which could’ve been vastly superior had they received a little less “studio engineering”.

Where Bon Jovi go from here is anyone’s guess.

The Circle tries to take the band back to making the type of music they make best, but ultimately fails in equal measure due to an unnecessarily clean production and material which simply isn’t good enough.

Having seen them re-establish themselves at the top of the rock food chain some four years ago, and then conquer the country charts with a side quest, it’s unfortunate to watch them lose valuable momentum with an LP which should have been an easier slam dunk than either of those projects.

Yet here we are.

In summary:

The eleventh album from New Jersey’s finest manages to excite and disappoint in equal measure, as Bon Jovi make a welcome return to the rock genre minus their trademark hooks and choruses.

The Circle receives 5/11.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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