To many, these New Jersey lads have always been something of a joke, but I freely confess to having a soft spot for them. In their eighties creative heyday they were better looking than Kiss (with or without the make-up), not nearly as naff as Poison and certainly not as integral as Aerosmith. With some dodgy albums over the past decade or so where does their latest single take them?
As promised by the band before the recording of their latest opus, this initial title track single is a much heavier effort then recent attempts. Jon gives it his all with some strong vocal work and Richie Sambora's riff is glossy but necessarily hefty. As expected by a band that loves the attention, it is typically commercial and anthemic but enjoyable never the less.
They play and sell to millions of fans; Jon could wiggle his arse and get the girls screaming while the riff to Living On A Prayer is cranked out. Yet they can try endlessly and never make anything truly great; so as predicted, Have A Nice Day clearly shows nothing magnificent except a few minutes of easy entertainment. That said, it has some potential as a live classic.
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