Following in the footsteps of "Room Service" and after the anthology, arrives Bryan Adams' eleventh album, eleven songs aptly titled eleven. A number likely important, certainly significant for the Canadian artist, but almost nothing like the old hits, proving that time passes for everyone. Perhaps Adams seeks different sounds here, adding something pop and electronic to the usual rock of Keith Scott's guitars, as had already been done for the previous originals, but this time delving more into contemporary music's demands, dangerously steering toward pop.

The songs are more or less all the same, all based on the same lyrics, same rhythms, and sounds; they're catchy but none are really hits, maybe something for the radio, but certainly not in our lovely country. We salvage for the record the only single "I Thought I'd Seen Everything", which might remotely remind us of something we've already heard, while the rest all hark back to mostly syrupy tunes, making it overall a bland album, suitable for listening in the car or on relaxing days. If this was the artist's goal, which is easy to assume given the latest productions, then he's succeeded entirely, but it’s doubtful that old fans can digest another album similar to "On a Day Like Today", both quickly find themselves at the bottom of the list of his best, but maybe new fans might enjoy it, and, why not, it could attract new people to discover the artist. The musicians are there, the album is well-made overall, even the album's packaging is meticulously done, the cover simple yet fitting, but was it necessary?

Perhaps it's better to resign ourselves to hearing the old songs performed, masterfully, only live. But Bryan cannot be blamed for this, as he will never cease to amaze with the old rock on stage.

Tracklist

01   Tonight We Have Stars (04:06)

02   I Thought I'd Seen Everything (05:06)

03   I Ain't Losin' the Fight (03:56)

04   Oxygen (03:35)

05   We Found What We Were Looking For (03:37)

06   Broken Wings (03:36)

07   Somethin' to Believe In (04:00)

08   Mysterious Ways (04:28)

09   She's Got a Way (04:41)

10   Flowers Grown Wild (03:53)

11   Walk on By (02:54)

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