Bon Jovi: This Left Feels Right (2003) Review

Coming into 2003, Bon Jovi found themselves at a defining point in their career.

Dare we say; a crossroads.

For having somehow found a way to stay together for twenty years, whilst navigating the roughest seas the rock industry has ever endured, they had successfully earned their place amongst rock music’s elite tier of gazillion-selling artists.

And when looking for a way to celebrate this milestone, they decided to make This Left Feels Right.

Where Do We Go Now?

This Left Feels Right is essentially a Greatest Hits collection with a unique twist.

Because while all of the familiar favourites you’d expect are indeed here (You Give Love A Bad Name, Always, etc), the New Jersey veterans have decided to acoustically re-work all of the compositions from the ground up.

Why?

Because when you’re Bon Jovi, you do this kind of thing.

“I don’t recall any other bands ever doing this.

They may have done something radical with one or two songs, but not like this.

In the beginning we just wanted to make an acoustic record for our fans, but Pat (Leondard, producer) was the one who really developed the idea.

As a songwriter I felt flattered, because when we stripped things down the material still holds up.

He was always like, “Should we take a left here?”, or “Okay, we know this one, but could I interest you in a suddent left turn?” and Jon said “You know what, how far left could we take it without driving off a cliff?!”, so we continued pushing it and that’s where the album title came from.”

– Richie Sambora

Clinging On To The Faith

No, you’re not going crazy.

From the subdued synths of Livin’ On A Prayer (?!), to the haunting piano balled It’s My Life (?!?!), this record takes everything you thought you knew about Bon Jovi and flips it on it’s head.

But, as interesting a concept as it may seem, the execution is quite poor.

The vast majority of these re-worked classics are sombre affairs, which only succeeds in draining the life out of the source material by erasing the very thing which attracted most listeners to them in the first place – their infectious energy for big hooks and even bigger hair choruses.

Aside from an interesting new version of Wanted Dead Or Alive (the only use of an electric guitar on the whole album) and a stunning take on You Give Love A Bad Name, which is reborn as an acoustic barroom shuffle that’s way more effective than it has any right to be, the rest of the album doesn’t really work.

No Days Off

By this point in their career, Bon Jovi are well-known for their astoshing work ethic.

However, it hasn’t always been a positive trait.

They have inadvertently worked themselves to the point of exhaustion at the cost of their material twice before – first in taking no rest between their 1984 debut and follow-up 7800 Fahrenheit, and again when they burned the candle at both ends through landmark LP Slippery When Wet and New Jersey.

And now, having just finished the world tour for eighth album Bounce, they find themselves succumbing to their inability to take a fucking break once again.

The end result, just like the two times before, is a lacklustre record which feels tired and out of ideas.

The More Things Change…

Interestingly, a new song called Last Man Standing was originally intended for this record.

It’s a song which showed us exactly where Jon Bon Jovi’s head was at circa 2003, thanks to a full-scale rant which takes aim at the declining state of the music industry and the emergence of piracy on a global scale thanks to the likes of Napster and The Pirate Bay.

The short-tempered ballad was eventually left on the cutting room floor, which meant that zero new tracks would be unveiled on this LP.

However, that good news for Last Man Standing is that it would eventually be re-worked into a far superior, cowboy-themed (what else?), uptempo rock song which deservedly grabbed a spot on their next studio album.

Bon Jovi: This Left Feels Right

If any band were in a position to fuck around like this, it’s Bon Jovi.

But while their bravery must be applauded, the material is somewhat tired.

Had they decided to just release an expanded Greatest Hits collection at this point in their career (because ten years had passed since Crossroads and it could’ve included several hits from These Days, Crush, and Bounce) it would’ve probably been more gratefully received.

Because, despite the initial curiosity, the coolest thing about This Left Feels Right is the cover image.

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