Bon Jovi - Lost Highway

I suppose calling a disc Lost Highway gives people an old-time, Americana/traditional feel, and goodness knows a lot of other classic rock artists (okay, maybe I'm stretching a LITTLE calling Bon Jovi "classic," but I am a child of the 80's) are making their paths now in new areas, including Americana. But while this is a well-crafted disc, with some good playing and great singing, some sharp lyrics and catchy tunes, it's still basically a good rock album. I suppose it's true that the dictionary definition of both "Country" and "country music" have mutated - to the point where the former means less "rural districts, as opposed to cities or towns" and more "any considerable territory demarcated by topographical conditions." And the latter? Well, "a generally simple and straightforward style of music native to the southern .S., derived from folk music, cowboy songs, spirituals, and blues, and played chiefly on stringed instruments, as guitar, banjo, and fiddle, of electronically amplified" just doesn't really fit anymore with what's played under the banner of "country music," so why not Bon Jovi? Well, even iTunes calls it "rock," so I'm left with no little confusion as to how this is going to fit on this part of the About website. I'm sure someone over at the rock side is going to review it, and that will probably be a more detailed and knowledgeable review, because to be honest, I haven't really listened to Bon Jovi since the days of Young Gun. But I did like him in Ally McBeal.

On a musical note, I truly enjoy the tunes "Any Other Day," "Seat Next To You" (which does actually sound a little more country than the rest of the disc), and the duet with LeAnn Rimes, "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore," which does have a pretty nice little Americana feel to it, as does "One Step Closer," a very pleasant tune with some nice mandolin picking. When it all comes down to it, this 80's "hair band" has certainly made its way well along the years since they were "Wanted Dead Or Alive." They sound good - heck, they sound great. And I love lyrics like "So I drive, watching white lines passing by, with my plastic dashboard Jesus waiting there to greet us," as well as guest pickers like Greg Leisz, Dan Dugmore, and Kurt Johnson contributing steel guitar and mandolin (still not country!). It's kind of cool to find out that the original band members of Bon Jovi are still playing together - and maybe I haven't listened to their new music in a long time, it doesn't stop me from having enjoyed this disc, well enough that I'm sure it'll stay loaded on my iPod for a while. I think I have just reached the breaking point when it comes to calling music "country" when it's so clearly not. I've certainly stretched the definition before, but this takes things to a whole new place. In any case, if you like good rock & roll, and/or are a Bon Jovi fan, it's a good disc, and well worth checking out.