I’m not sure if The Circle is a better or worse title than We Weren’t Born to Follow. The main thing about it is that unlike Bon Jovi’s other two one-word album titles, it doesn’t have much in the way of associations. Both Crush and Bounce were active words with a host of associations to go with them, making them evocative album titles titles. (The masters of the one-word album title have to be Def Leppard with their “ia” fixation though.)
I guess a “return to the beginning” interpretation might not be incorrect, given the type of album promised. Right now the acoustic versions of Work for the Working Man available on Youtube still sound like they have a more Nashville vibe to me, and Jon said after Lost Highway that they were done with that. So hopefully they’ll ditch the country sound when they turn it into a rock song. I just hope that the version of Work for the Working Man that I’ve heard was deliberately structured to blend with the acoustic version of Livin’ on a Prayer after it, and the real song doesn’t sound so similar to Prayer.
We Weren’t Born to Follow, which we now know will be a song, has a bit more promise as a solid rocker. A little bit of egotistical swagger in the song lyrics works well if the band can pull it off. I think Jon and Richie have it in them to swagger their way through this one as a rock number. We’ll see.
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I think The Circle (though I have seen both “Circle” and “The Circle”) has quite a bit of implied meaning. Besides the band perhaps looking back as they celebrate their 25th year, there is the fact that society is a recycling, never-ending entity – and given Jon’s involvement in the campaign for volunteerism, I would think this concept is part of the meaning.
As for Work for the Working Man – given it was in an acoustic setting for an event, its not surprising that it didn’t sound “so rock.” But, it certainly has the potential to be ramped up with the guitars plugged in and Tico pounding away (very Undivided-esque.)
The first single is out already – perhaps a bit too radio friendly for me – but its a big hook chorus, sing-a-long track.
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