Don’t Let Go, Never Give Up

When I first heard Hurt’s Wonderful Life, I thought it was a song that the radio station had dug up from the late 80s and were bombarding us with because it was featured in some sort of movie or TV show. Then after some research, it turned out that it was only the band’s second single and was only released to the stations in August, and was met by much success in Europe mostly and I am not surprised.

This past year, I’ve only heard one other band that was successful at integrating synths in their music, and that was Hot Chip on their album One Life Stand but the newcomers Hurts will give the other band a run for their money in the next few years if they continue to do what they did with this song.

Basically, the song is about a man who is about to jump off a bridge until he meets Suzie who re-instigates hope in the man’s heart and falls in love with him along the way. The chorus is basically the very simple but also highly important message that Suzie tells the man:

Don’t let go

Never Give up

It’s such a wonderful life

Scorpions’ Final Foray Into The World of Rock

In an industry where success is a fleeting notion, a career spanning over forty years is a marvelous and incredulous feat, something that Germany’s own hard-rock band Scorpions can show off with much pride. Through the highs, lows, and changing times, the band has always managed to produce wisely crafted songs that are instantly classified as theme songs for generations. The group, who are best known for anthems such as “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Wind of Change,” and “Still Loving You,” return to the scene after a three year absence to deliver their final effort before retirement.

Cover of Sting in the Tail

Entitled “Sting in the Tail,” the 17^th studio album is an obvious return to what the band has come to be known for over the span of their careers and clearly honors the legacy and fan-base that Scorpions have established.

The album begins with the reflective and appropriately titled “Raised on Rock.” From the opening note, the lead guitarist hits every rock note known in history, to give off the 80s feel that fans of the genre are all too familiar with. The opening lyric “I was born in a hurricane” seemingly alludes to the band’s signature song “Rock You like a Hurricane.” With the addition of the talk-box and consecutive drum beats, the song becomes instantly catchy and starts off the farewell party with a bang.

The title track, though not as attractive as its predecessor, is given credit for the hard-rock musical arrangement that almost all rock bands of today seem to lack. The guitar solo is the best of the whole album. Thematically, the song is about a budding rock star on the road, chasing after his dream.

“Slave Me,” yet another rock song, deals with lust and the overall effect is established due to lead singer Klaus Meine’s distinct vocal and heavy accent. “Let’s Rock,” follows a similar effect.

The first power ballad is track number four, “The Good Die Young,” featuring Finnish singer Tarja Turunen on background vocals. Beginning as a slow ballad, the music slowly ascends to become a powerful rock melody that catches on immediately. The lyrics are reminiscent of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” as they deal with making the most out of life.

“No Limit” is perhaps the best hard-hitting song, musically, lyrically, and vocally. On this track, listeners are given the sense of accomplishing anything while the music is bound to make anyone get up and play air-guitar.

Bon Jovi Come Full “Circle”

Needing no introduction of any sort, Bon Jovi, the band that introduced the talk box into modern music dictionaries and produced songs such as “Living on a Prayer” which have become the theme to many people’s lives, have a new album out entitled “The Circle.”

Album Cover

Their eleventh studio album marks their return back to their hard-rock roots, after their previous effort “Lost Highway” was heavily influenced by country sounds. To many, it does not completely sound like Bon Jovi of yesteryear, yet after a careful listen to all the tracks, it is evident that the spark and love for music that propelled the band to stardom in the first place has remained intact, even after 25 years of being on the scene. On this album, the boys from Jersey truly come to a full-circle.

The powerful first single “We Weren’t Born to Follow” kicks off the album with an inspiring message and a heavy musical arrangement. The infusion of successive drum beats, guitar arrangements, and Jon Bonjovi’s signature vocals propel the song forward and the listener may surprisingly find himself singing along from the first time.

“When We Were Beautiful” follows, and while the listener may think the band are slowing things down a bit too early on the album, the song is a far cry from being a sappy ballad. It is a song that chronicles what the group has been through in their music careers and what they have learned from that journey. The thought-provoking lyrics are sung to one the best guitar riffs of the entire album, courtesy of Ritchie Sambora.

The rock-anthem of “The Circle” comes in the form of “Work for the Working Man” which is an attestment to the working class, a recurring theme for Bon Jovi. The chant-along style and the easy lyrics are bound to get instant attention.