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http://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/bbdf14111fa4adfbd70ab93e31a692a252374d45.jpg Have A Nice Day

Bon Jovi

Have A Nice Day

Universal Distribution
Rolling Stone: star rating
Community: star rating
5 3 0
October 7, 2009

The girls who grooved to Slippery When Wet back in 1986 have gotten married and bought SUVs, but Bon Jovi have kept their arena anthems simple and sweaty — so much so that hating the New Jersey quartet seems silly at this point. Have a Nice Day, their ninth studio album, is as reliable as it is contained: Acoustic ballads such as "Bells of Freedom" are vaguely icky, but powerhouse anthems like "I Want to Be Loved" pack almost as much singalong potential as "Livin' on a Prayer" did back in the day. The band even works up some roots rock on "Who Says You Can't Go Home," On the lighter-waver "Welcome to Wherever You Are," Jon Bon Jovi philosophizes like Forrest Gump in leather pants: "Maybe we're all different/But we're still the same." Well put, lad.

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