It makes my blood boil every time I watch a documentary about music in the 80s and somebody tells me that, as soon as Nirvana released “Nevermind” in 1991, everything changed.
Yes, it was an influential record. Yes, record companies reacted to it. But all it did, surely, was kill off the bad albums. The fact that Bon Jovi have just played three nights at Wembley Stadium would suggest that hard rock hasn’t exactly gone out of fashion. If they’ve ever been bigger, I must have missed it.
Anyway, nobody ever told John Diva.
Diva says he went back to his roots for “Your Favorite Drug”, and he means that quite literally. The album was recorded in southern Germany, where his family comes from, and he stayed with relatives during the sessions. There’s something rather lovely about that, although once “The Devil’s Got My Back” starts, you suspect the musical roots involved are every bit as important.
It’s 80s-flavoured rock ’n’ roll, building into its chorus with the sort of confidence that comes from knowing exactly what you want to do. There’s no hesitation here. These boys know where the good stuff is, and they’re heading straight for it.
The thing with John Diva & The Rockets Of Love, though, is the glee. You can hear it all over “Bigger Than America”. This is arena-sized rock ’n’ roll, and the only thing bigger than America itself might be this chorus. It’s ridiculous, of course, but gloriously so. Making a chorus merely big would clearly have been letting the side down.
“No Mercy For The Teenage Heart” is the sort of thing early Bon Jovi would have loved, with sensational solos from guitarists Snake Rocket and C.J. Stevens. The guitars are allowed to enjoy themselves, and the whole thing has the exuberance this music needs.
“Lamborghina” is simple love, with a car as the metaphor. Going from “zero to crazy” seems entirely reasonable in these surroundings, and Diva sounds like he’s loving every second. There’s a touch of Van Halen about “Favorite Drug”, while “S.M.I.L.E.” starts with a solo and then bursts with fun. Starting with a solo is an excellent idea, frankly. More bands should try it.
One of the things I’ve always liked about John Diva & The Rockets Of Love is the admirable lack of ballads. “Love Is Cold” could have been one in another world, but thankfully this is their world, and they keep the momentum going. There’s no sense that they feel obliged to stop the fun because some imaginary rulebook says a record needs a slow one.
“Girls In Overdrive” is something of a feminist anthem, which you might not necessarily have expected, but by the time “Spectacular” arrives, what really hits home is how much they love this music. How much they love playing it. That enthusiasm gets into every corner of the record.
Then “Soundtrack Of My Life” offers “welcome to the 80s” in its chorus. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure John Diva ever left.
As for my favourite drug, I can’t claim much authority on anything narcotic beyond a Rennie. What I can tell you is that, as Bon Jovi might have put it in 1992, when it comes to John Diva & The Rockets Of Love, you can blame it on the love of rock ’n’ roll.
Rating: 8.5/10
