Live 2? Surely there must be a Live 1. It appears this 10″ picture disc is a sequel to a 1984 Bon Jovi EP called Live. This picture disc, a limited edition of unknown quantity, collects four previously released classic live performances from the New Jersey tour. They are remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.
Though all the live tracks were available long ago on other rarities, the nice thing about this disc is that it actually tells you when and where they were recorded — information missing from some other releases. This record is split into two sides — the U.S. side and the International side.
“I’ll Be There For You” (Lakeland, FL, 1989) and the next track were released on the 1993 double reissue of Keep the Faith, featuring a bonus CD also called Bon Jovi Live. “I’ll Be There For You” was track four on that disc; here it is the lead. A little slow, but Jon and Richie’s harmonies are the magic. Sambora’s expressive playing is also outstanding.
Second, it is an electrifying live version of “Lay Your Hands On Me” (Giants Stadium, NJ, 1989). Tico Torres really grabbed this song by the nuts with his opening drum salvo. Songs like this really opened up Bon Jovi’s sound to include more roots. The crowd noise is mixed low because you can tell it’s an endless mush of high-pitched screams!
Flipping to the International side, we are taken to Wembley in 1988. Jon needs a doctor! It’s “Bad Medicine”, of course. “Doctor Bryan! I think I got it bad this time! What do you mean a shot can’t cure it? It’s like the luggage? Oh well!” Never one of Jon’s finest songs, “Bad Medicine” is the upbeat party track of New Jersey, sometimes a necessary evil. Over the years, you’ve just heard it enough times, and there are lots of live versions of “Bad Medicine” on uncountable releases. This one was originally on the 1988 “Living In Sin” EP. Comparatively speaking, it’s superior to the other live versions out there.
Finally, “Runaway” from Paris in 1988 was first made available as the B-side to “Lay Your Hands On Me”. This energetic version is one of the best takes you will hear. There’s a bare rawness to it, but the vocals are crisp and tight. Everything clicks.
Although Live 2 only captures a tiny slice of the live Bon Jovi experience, it collects four key tracks. Three of the four are really excellent examples of classic Bon Jovi live. Not a bad buy if you don’t have them already.
It’s impossible to acquire a “complete” Bon Jovi collection; trust me on this. Even Jon Bon Jovi doesn’t have a complete Bon Jovi collection. Up to a certain point in time, it’s fun to collect as many B-sides and bonus tracks you can get your hands on.
The second single from “best of” album Cross Road (1994) was “Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night”, and it was a pretty clear indication of where the band would go on their next album These Days. But — surprise bonus — this single doesn’t have the studio version (that you already own) from Cross Road. It has an uncredited live version instead! Added bonus — Alec John Such on bass. He had yet to be replaced (on stage, anyway) by Hugh McDonald. This is probably the only live version of the hit with Such on bass.
Make no mistake, “Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night” is a great song. There’s a Bon Jovi niche for acoustic rock songs with down-on-your-luck/inspirational lyrics. “My life’s a bargain basement, all the good shit’s gone.” This is Jon’s bread and butter. He wouldn’t know a bargain basement if he was shopping for old Bon Jovi singles in one, but he does this kind of rock really well. This is one of the last of his must-haves of the genre.
Another rare one, “Good Guys Don’t Always Wear White”, is a studio track with the well-worn cowboy motif. It’s from the movie The Cowboy Way featuring Jon’s old Young Guns buddy Keifer Sutherland. Unexpectedly, this one is an intricate hard-driving rocker, with a Sambora riff that he could take pride in. Tico Torres is absolutely on fire on the kit. That guy can lay down a groove while throwing in challenging patterns just for fun. Why can’t Bon Jovi rock like this anymore? This track feels more honest than the hard luck songs.
Two more live songs finish the CD. These two are from Montreal in ’94: “With A Little Help From My Friends” (Joe Cocker style) and “Always”. The reason Bon Jovi can get away with “A Little Help From My Friends” is Richie Sambora, who always brings the soul and the integrity. That’s not to say that Jon sucks. Check out the note he holds at 3:57. The man had lungs back in 1994! The demographics of the audience are obvious: “Always” is almost drowned out by a sea of high-pitched screams! It’s one of their last ballads that really deserves that kind of cheering though.
A great single is one that you can list to independently of the album, and doesn’t sound like a bunch of miscellaneous bonus tracks. This single is like that. There’s no wasted space, no filler, and no tracks you can get on the albums. The live stuff is high grade and the studio track is extremely valuable for its hard rocking nature. This is more like an EP than a single, but it’s all semantics. Let’s just call it:
4.5/5 stars
You say you don’t like my kind, A bitter picture in your mind. No, it don’t matter what I say, I hear you bitchin’ when I walk away. I’ll never be what you want me to be, You tell me I’m wrong but I disagree, I ain’t go no apology. Just because I don’t look like you, talk like you, think like you, Judge and jury, a hangman’s noose, I see them in your eyes.
BON JOVI – “Wanted: Dead or Alive” (1987 Mercury extended play cassette)
Some rarities are easiest to find on tape.
That’s definitely still the case for “Wanted: Dead or Alive”, the 1987 acoustic version originally released only on an extended play cassette in most of the world. This version, discussed below, is a Holy Grail collectable. What about CD or vinyl? There was a rare Japanese version with a slightly different tracklist, but for 30 years, all I had was this cherished cassette.
The tape has four tracks. The original studio version (titled “Long Version” here to avoid confusion with the 4:10 single edit) leads side A. “Wanted” is Bon Jovi’s first truly brilliant song. An extended cowboy metaphor about the road, it’s timeless. It always has been. Richie Sambora’s 12 string guitar made all the young guitar kids want to play one. His backing vocals were the real highlight. Funny thing about Bon Jovi: the backing vocalist was better than the lead singer! Smoking guitar solo too, where every note counts. You can hear Richie pushing those strings and wrenching that solo from the instrument. It’s a perfect song, with every component serving a purpose and coming together. The old west as seen from New Jersey.
The acoustic version of “Wanted” is the real delight here. It’s just Jon and Sambora together with two acoustic guitars. Jon explains the details in the liner notes, but only the cassette has this information: one more good reason to hunt down the tape. Read below:
“On March 18, 1987 or somewhere there bouts, Richie and I flew into New York to mix some live tracks for a radio special. After a couple hours of record making, donut eating, and MTV watching we got bored, picked up two acoustics and started to jam. The results are here on tape, the way we wrote it, just like it was in the basement on that cold January night in Jersey.”
If that doesn’t set the scene, nothing will. Richie sings more of the lyrics, and belts out a killer acoustic solo too. It was this recording that demonstrated to me the talents of Mr. Sambo. What it lacks in glossy finish, it makes up for in spades with vibe.
On side B, the live version of “Wanted” is another rarity. It’s an extended 8:13 full band version, with a long instrumental prologue. According to the liner notes (again, only on the cassette), it was recorded at Cobo Hall in Detroit on March 11, exactly a week before the studio jam was recorded. It’s likely this is one of the live songs that Jon and Richie were in New York mixing on the 18th. (Production is credited to both.) You may have lots of versions of “Wanted” already, but owning an extended take from early ’87 is better.
The tape ends on “I’d Die For You”, a song that was good enough to be a single in its own right. However, it wasn’t. It’s just an album track from Slippery When Wet, but it’s safe to say it’s a bit of an unsung classic. The Japanese CD version, on the other hand, comes with the non-album rarity “Edge of a Broken Heart”, one of their best tunes ever. After “Edge”, there is an exclusive unlisted interview with all five band members. Inside, Japan also got a “Bon Jovi Dictionary (R to Z)”. Presumably the other volumes of the dictionary can be found in other Japanese CDs.
Though this cassette has an overabundance of “Wanted”, you simply need to get that acoustic version. You want the one that’s 5:31 long, recorded in March ’87. In fact, you need that one. And even though CD is the superior format, the tape has the liner notes and other details you won’t find on CD.
5/5 stars
Thanks toMitch Lafonfor helping me locate a CD copy of these tracks!
I’ve been teasing this one for a few weeks. It’s rare to get interviews with anyone from the original lineup of Bon Jovi other than Jon and Richie. It’s even rarer to get a full band interview.
Michael Williams hosted all five members on MuchMusic’s Start Me Up program, before the release of Keep the Faith in 1992.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:
Jon Bon Jovi,
Richie Sambora,
David Bryan,
Tico Torres,
and Alec John Such.
All hail the mightyAaron of the KMA. He is a very generous man. He is known to send parcels to friends all over the world, and he always keeps an eye out for things that people look for. He’s incredible that way, and he deserves a tremendous amount of recognition for all he does for the Community.
BON JOVI – Red Hot and 2 Parts Live (1985 red vinyl Polygram EP)
Preamble: Although I forgot about this, back in the fall Aaron did his regular Toronto shopping excursion. He found a Bon Jovi 12″ single that I’d never seen before. But I was tapped out, cash wise. I had done my own Toronto trip to pick up an an absolutely massive toy for my collection. Apparently he texted me about the Bon Jovi, and I asked him to leave it there because I couldn’t afford it. Naturally he bought it anyway and secretly stashed it away.
Aaron sent me a big box of goodies for Christmas (and reviews of those will come too!) but the Bon Jovi was the centerpiece. I didn’t actually open this box of goodies until Easter. Due to illness and circumstance, our family finally just got around to celebrating Christmas. I saved his box until then.
This three song EP, on brilliant clear red vinyl, has two live tracks and one remix. “Hardest Part is the Night” (from7800° Fahrenheit) was mixed by David Theoner though the differences are minor. Interestingly, it was also issued as its own single with “Always Run to You” on the B-side.
The other two tracks were recorded live in Japan in 1985. “Tokyo Road” was later released on the remastered 7800° Fahrenheit as a bonus track, but that CD doesn’t look nearly as pretty as this vinyl. It’s a little odd hearing Jon introduce it by saying, “Welcome back to ‘Tokyo Road’…” when in fact they were the visitors in Tokyo, but whatever! Jon’s the professional frontman, not me. “In and Out of Love” is the real treat, featuring an extended guitar solo, and a different version from the one on 7800° Fahrenheit. The track is still over 10 minutes long with all that (smoking) noodlin’, but Sambora fans who miss him will want to have this.
Fans of early Bon Jovi — hunt down this EP. Get it or live your life without this awesome live Bon Jovi that you won’t get otherwise.
BON JOVI – “Please Come Home for Christmas”(1994 Mercury single)
Christmas of ’94 was a good one for Bon Jovi. Their first greatest hits record Cross Road was a smash, returning Bon Jovi to the charts. It spawned two hit singles: “Always” and later on, “Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night”. With all that going on, it is understandable if you missed another Bon Jovi single that was just under the radar.
“Please Come Home for Christmas” is billed as a Bon Jovi single, but in actuality it’s a Jon Bon Jovi solo track. It was first released exclusively to the album A Very Special Christmas 2 (1992), billed to Jon Bon Jovi and not performed with the band. By ’94, “solo” and “band” Bon Jovi were becoming blurred. Jon’s solo track “Blaze of Glory” was on Cross Road even though it’s from Jon’s first solo album. Nowhere on the “Please Come Home for Christmas” single is it indicated that this is a Bon Jovi solo recording, further blurring the lines.
None of that really matters; Bon Jovi is Jon’s band and this single gathers together his first three Christmas recordings in one place. It’s actually a great value.
The old Charles Brown seasonal classic has been covered over and over, notably by the Eagles. Jon’s version isn’t bad either. You either like Bon Jovi or you don’t. If you like Bon Jovi then this will probably be right up your alley.
Next up, one of the B-sides from Keep the Faith and an original song too: “I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas”. This has the vibe of Keep the Faith, with full production by Bob Rock. Why can’t everybody be kind to each other every day like they are on Christmas? It ain’t easy to write an original Christmas song, and Jon did an excellent job on this one. I’ve always preferred it to “Please Come Home for Christmas”.
Finally, from the first Very Special Christmas album (1987), it’s a live take of “Back Door Santa” (Clarence Carter). That means it’s from the Slippery When Wet tour. Vintage Bon Jovi with cheesy keyboards right out “Social Disease”. It’s not good but it’s here! Meaning, Bon Jovi fans don’t have to look for A Very Special Christmas to complete their collections.
Two for three decent songs isn’t bad. All are non-album tracks, so that’ll make this single worth it to you.
BON JOVI – New Jersey (2014 Universal Super Deluxe edition, part 2)
Of all the Bon Jovi albums, New Jersey certainly deserved the Super Deluxe treatment. New Jersey‘s promotional cycle included two VHS releases, both present on this DVD: The old Wayne Isham tour documentary Access All Area, and New Jersey: The Videos. Isham was responsible for virtually every cool larger-than-life video Bon Jovi made. In 1988, trendy grainy black and white footage was all the rage, and so Access All Areas, where we will begin, has an over-abundance of it.
In a piece of incidental pre-show rehearsal footage, Richie Sambora sings “Purple Rain”, proving who the talent in the band always was. It is nice though to see everybody in the band hanging out, having a good time, and seeming like genuine friends. As for the audience, it’s amusing to see the giant hair from the perspective of today.
The sound of “Bang” by Russian metal band Gorky Park indicates we’re off to the Soviet Union. Bon Jovi were pioneering in being one of the only hard rock bands to play behind the Iron Curtain (they were officially sanctioned by the government), and this part of the show is certainly the most interesting. Bon Jovi even have a ten-man blues jam with the Russian band, building bridges at the end of the Cold War. The blues is universal. This visit leads to the massive Moscow Music Peace Festival, which I had on tape from MTV, and wore completely out. (Not shown: the backstage moment when Tommy Lee rips the shirt off Bon Jovi manager Doc McGhee’s back, for allegedly upstaging Motley Crue by using fireworks in Bon Jovi’s show, against prior agreement. It’s a long he-said she-said story involving McGhee who was managing both Motley and Bon Jovi at the time. Motley felt McGhee had prioritized Bon Jovi, and fired him immediately after.)
The boys have a blast in the warmth of Rio de Janeiro, quite a contrast with snowy Moscow. In Tokyo they are chased by a swarm of screaming girls. Through it all, even though they’ve been on the road forever and can’t wait to get home, they maintain themselves with a lot of joking around. Fortunately Isham captured this endearing footage. The live rehearsal stuff is also excellent, up close and in the faces of the band.
In a very cool moment backstage at Wembley, Bon Jovi, Cinderella and the Scorpions work on covers together for a big jam. “Travelling Band”…holy shit, is that Elton John on piano? Sure looks like it. Rick Allen, Brian May, Lita Ford! “I am the happiest kid on Earth!” shouts an excited David Bryan. Another gig features Bon Jovi with the late comedian Sam Kinison on “Wild Thing”. At Tower Records, they are threatened with arrest by the riot squad if they perform, so naturally Jon and Richie break out the acoustics and do “Ride Cowboy Ride”. In swoop the fuzz, who had nothing to worry about. Alec John Such’s birthday is celebrated in West Berlin, where they visit the wall. (In a shivery moment, Jon is eyeballed by an East German soldier on the other side.) Their cover of “The Boys Are Back in Town” is performed, and Jon takes a chip out of the wall.
Jimmy Page is present at a three hour charity gig at Hammersmith, and they jam on “Train Kept a Rolling”. (Best moment: when Jon sings a Steven Tyler “wha-ga-ga-ga” in it near the end, just like Tyler did in Aerosmith’s version.) It’s clear that even then Jon was the boss — he alone makes the setlist, and says if something goes wrong he’ll call the shots. He comments he has “never been so nervous.” Bad Company’s “Shooting Star” is a duet with Richie Sambora, who had been playing it long before Bon Jovi formed. It’s a stunning version and it’s hard to imagine Bon Jovi ever doing anything this big again, both in terms of success and quality.
Australia! “Bon Jovi: We go everywhere, but we live nowhere!” says Sambora. “Love For Sale” is played at HMV for swarms of long-hairs both male and female (but mostly female). Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party” is another incredible cover selection, and you have to give Jon credit for that. The final show is a big multi-gig stand in Guadalajara, Mexico that almost never happened due to “politics” (money) and a riot! The first gig is postponed to the next day forcing Bon Jovi to play a double-header starting at 11 am! “We should go on stage in riot gear,” jokes (?) Jon. (They don’t.)
Access All Areas was a good rock doc for the time. It feels whitewashed and scrubbed clean of blemishes, but that was music in general in the late 80’s. The real pleasure is getting to see the other band members hanging out. Alec John Such seems a funny, talented guy with a great voice. David Bryan is clearly a lot more gifted than he gets to show off in the band.
The music videos (only mixed in stereo, unfortunately) are all you remember them to be: more mixtures of black & white, and colour footage, golly! Both versions of “Bad Medicine” are included. (More Sam Kinison!) There are funny interludes with the band in between the songs, joking around back stage. (Special guest: Skip Rope Skid Row’s Dave “Snake” Sabo.) “Me, if I wasn’t a musician, I’d be a drummer!” says Jon. Of the music videos, “I’ll Be There For You” and “Lay Your Hands On Me” are the coolest, just no-nonsense stage performance clips. “Blood on Blood”, which I’d never seen before, is a live version.
The DVD portion of this box set is a nice supplement, but you won’t be in a hurry to sit down and watch again. The black & white/colour back and forth is very tiring. Fortunately Bon Jovi seem(ed) like a nice bunch of guys from the neighborhood that have loads of talent, and fun to watch in any setting.
BON JOVI – New Jersey (2014 Universal Super Deluxe edition, part 1)
BACKLOG! I received this box set over 10 months ago. We at LeBrain HQ are so busy with so much rock and roll that it has taken that long to finally give this entire box set a proper examination. Fortunately, we (the “royal” we) have already reviewed New Jersey itself, in March of 2014 before this box set was released. There is no need to repeat what was said in that review. It is still an accomplished album worthy of its 4.5/5 star rating. New Jersey was and easily remains a very high water mark. For this review we will look at all the bonus tracks and the entire DVD in detail. All three parts combined will probably give you the most complete look at the New Jersey Super Deluxe edition out there.
There are loads of bonus tracks to discuss, some of which were available before. Bon Jovi must have known this release was always in the cards. Look at the track list for their box set, 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong. Not one of these demos is on that massive five disc box set. Many of these tracks had been leaked a long time ago on bootleg CDs such as Keep the Faith/New Jersey Outtakes, but never issued by the band. It’s natural to be cynical and say, “Well they must have been saving them for another box set like this one.”
“The Boys Are Back in Town” is an A-OK Thin Lizzy cover. When Lizzy wrote this song, Phil Lynott almost had the blueprint for the future of Bon Jovi plotted out. Bon Jovi, a back who love singing songs about the boys being back in town, were the perfect band to cover it and make it their own song. Cynics may laugh, but Richie Sambora and Tico Torres are quality players able to inject class into the cover. Keyboardist David Bryan uses the “organ” setting on his keys to offer appropriate backing for the boys. It’s hard to have a winner with a Lizzy cover and not sound like a bunch of jackasses. This one was recorded by Bruce Fairbairn for the 1989 anti-drug compilation Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell.
“Love is War” was good enough to be a single in its own right, but it was only the B-side to “Living in Sin”. Perhaps the reason it was chosen for B-side status was that the verses and chorus don’t quite jibe. The song has great, dark verses and a big old Slippery-like chorus. It doesn’t quite sound like a New Jersey song, but it’s hard to track down today.
A very rare bonus track is an acoustic version of “Born to Be My Baby”, only available on a Japanese “Living in Sin” CD single. Fans love when Jon and Richie just sit down together with a couple acoustics and do a live-in-the-studio rendition of a hit. It’s an uber-rarity that LeBrain HQ did not even know existed before this box set was issued. As usual, Richie’s soulful singing reaches deep into your guts. His classical-influenced guitar solo is a masterpiece.
Famously, Bon Jovi once considered the awful title Sons of Beaches for their 1988 album. Disc two is called the Sons of Beaches Demos and there are plenty more great tracks here that are familiar to bootleg collectors. The opening demo version of “Homebound Train” is even bluesier and greasier than the great album take. Anyone who doubts the instrumental ferocity of Bon Jovi can check this out and see what the original lineup was capable of.
“Judgement Day” opens with traditional “nah-nah-nah” Bon Jovi vocals, giving it a sound-alike quality to other more familiar Bon Jovi songs. It is good enough that it could have been on an album (or single B-side). Then “Full Moon High” (also known as “River of Love” on bootlegs) is familiar. I recognize the music from somewhere else: it became the Keep the Faith B-side “Save a Prayer”! The riff is intact, and what “Full Moon High” amounts to is an alternate 80’s version of it. It is just as great as “Save a Prayer”, and it is difficult to pick a preferred version. “Full Moon High” is an achievement, and Richie’s guitar playing is nutso. “Growing Up the Hard Way” is back to the “nah-nah-nah’s”, and it sounds as if this is an early version of “Love is War”, but with a very different chorus.
With a slinky, dusky song behind him, Jon urges someone “Let’s Make it Baby”. This tune would have been good enough for Keep the Faith, but did not surface until a double disc version of These Days was issued in the mid-90’s. This is a noticeably different mix from that release — more raw. Then “Love Hurts” goes into upbeat territory with a decent set of melodies to sing along to. It is a bit similar to “Love is War” once again, but that’s why these songs were never officially released before. I’ve had this song in my collection for 20 years, but not with this level of audio quality. Likewise “Backdoor to Heaven”, a ballad that fans have loved for a long time (just not officially). Again, this song was probably deemed too similar to others such as “I’ll Be There For You”. Same with “Now and Forever”, another ballad of high quality, but also similarity.
A harder-edged “Wild is the Wind” demo is otherwise very similar to the album arrangement, with some different bits on keyboards and acoustic guitars. Singling out Tico Torres as drummer extraordinaire, I love his hard hitting style. Same with the excellent “Stick To Your Guns”; it’s more or less already complete at the demo stage. The rawness is a beautiful thing…you can hear Richie talking at one point.
The one track of all of these which LeBrain HQ was most excited about is “House of Fire”, a song that Jon donated to Alice Cooper for his Trash LP. Brother Deke over at Arena Rock told us, “Don’t worry Bon Jovi do it great!” Cooper’s version was “unremarkable” [LeBrain Trash review], but Bon Jovi did it right. If Alice didn’t release his own single for it, I wonder if Jon would have? One word: infectious.
Fans in the know have always loved “Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore”, another ballad that might be deemed too similar. Another issue is that the chorus really reaches for the high notes, and Jon misses most of them on this demo. Somebody probably realized it would be a difficult song to bring to the concert stage. The bootleg version of this is more complete, with backing vocals filling it out. This demo, perhaps earlier than the one that was bootlegged ages ago, lacks all backing vocals and sounds like it may be live in rehearsal. “Keep going,” says Jon to someone, indicating this is likely the case.
“Diamond Ring” became such a fan favourite after the band played it live that this New Jersey demo was tried out again for Keep the Faith, and finally made an album in 1995 for These Days. Each arrangement of the ballad was different from the last. This one is the earliest, featuring bluesy electric guitars and organ. Its final incarnation was much quieter.
Very conspicuous by its absence: “Rosie”. This was written by Richie and Jon about someone they knew growing up (as many of their songs are). Desmond Child and Diane Warren helped them finish it, and it was recorded by Sambora for his first solo album Stranger in This Town. Since that album featured Tico Torres and David Bryan on drums and keys, you can almost consider that a Bon Jovi song. But why is it not here, with the demo sessions that it belongs with? It’s cynical but not unlikely to think it’s due to Jon and Richie’s feud. Shame. There are other Sons of Beaches demos missing that are out there on bootlegs, such as “Love is War” so don’t fool yourself, this is not a complete set of ’em.
Come back tomorrow and we’ll look at the final disc in this set, the DVD.
Part two of a Bon Jovi two parter! For the last instalment, 1984’s Bon Jovi, click here.
BON JOVI – 7800° Fahrenheit (1985 Polygram, 2012 special edition)
Sophomore slump? Bon Jovi’s first record didn’t set the world alight, but their second, 7800° Fahrenheit sounded like they’d run out of material. It had a darker overall vibe, but managed to go gold in the US. To this day, 7800° Fahrenheit remains an inconsistent listen with a few great songs and a number of pure filler.
Although I was backtracking through their catalogue after Slippery When Wet, I was decidedly disappointed with 7800° Fahrenheit. Based on the excellently fun single and video “In and Out of Love”, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect more. That song was a blast, quality-wise sounding like a Slippery also-ran. It’s the only tune that periodically shows up on Bon Jovi hits albums. This remastered edition also has a smoking live version of the tune (from Tokyo), featuring an extended jam and guitar solo by Richie Sambora, before Tico Torres gets the spotlight for a drum solo! It’s a 12 minute track total, not the kind of thing you expect in a bonus track.
“Tokyo Road”, another hard rocker, is also worthy of praise. Japan was about the only place Bon Jovi were big. I could do without the boring “Sakura” intro though. Wow, does that thing get old fast. Otherwise, “Tokyo Road” is superfine. Jon seems to find these songs embarrassing today. They were certainly not very sophisticated lyrically, but neither is “When you breathe, I wanna be the air for you.”
Also on the better side are “The Price of Love” and “The Hardest Part is the Night”. Every good Bon Jovi has to contain a few heartbroken rockers. These two do the job while retaining an edge of toughness. Having Richie Sambora unfettered on axe sure does help. I’ll also admit a fondness for the single/video “Only Lonely”. Bon Jovi captured that tone of desperation. This rock ballad also appears as a live bonus track, much tougher and stronger than the studio version. It sounds like possibly a rehearsal tape.
“Only Lonely” had a pretty high budget music video for a band of Bon Jovi’s stature. It’s cheesy as hell and absolutely hilarious to watch today. So serious! It almost appears like a trailer in some kind of Bon Jovi movie. I guess Jon was interested in acting even back then.
7800° Fahrenheit was also plagued with its fair share of filler, leading to believe that Bon Jovi really only had half the material needed for a good second album. Among the filler: “Silent Night”, one of the sappiest of the sappy ballads from early Bon Jovi. It does work in clinical studies* as a sleep aid, if you need that sort of thing.
The last three albums tracks in a row were all pretty dozy and unremarkable, rendering the second side a limp finish. “Always Run to You”, “To the Fire”, and “Secret Dreams” as as forgettable as they are substandard. This second side has always made 7800° Fahrenheit a hard album to want to finish listening to in its entirety. The only interesting bit of trivia about these songs is that drummer Tico Torres only had one co-writing credit in Bon Jovi history, and it’s on “Secret Dreams”.
I don’t need to tell you that whatever slump Bon Jovi were in, they certainly overcame it by the next album. With a little help of course: names such as Desmond Child, Bruce Fairbairn, and Bob Rock. 7800° Fahrenheit is a forgettable blip in their trajectory.
BON JOVI – Bon Jovi(1984 Polygram, 2012 special edition)
With Bon Jovi sucking quite a lot of ass lately, there has never been a better time to go back and check out some old Bon Jovi. Join us in taking a look at the band’s very first LP, Bon Jovi from 1984. It didn’t do much in terms of sales. The music videos are kind of funny to look at today. But there is an honesty and innocence to early Bon Jovi, that is completely gone from the band now. Then, they were five hungry guys trying to make it together. Today they’re three guys — one boss and two employees. Today we will look at the 2012 reissue, with four live bonus tracks. This is notable since Bon Jovi rarely if ever played these songs after they hit it big.
Jon Bongiovi had been working at Power Station recording studios, having got a job there thanks to his cousin Tony Bongiovi. Several demos from that era have been released on compilations such as Jon Bon Jovi – The Power Station Years. The studio time evolved into a band with a record deal. They soon set down to record nine songs for their debut album to be called Tough Talk, however the label convinced them a self titled debut was the way to go.
The first track and single was actually an older song: “Runaway”. JBJ had a local hit with it, which he recorded with the “All Star Review”, five local studio guys. Among them was bassist Huey McDonald, who later went on to play bass with Bon Jovi themselves. It’s an instantly catchy rock song leaning heavily on keyboards. Even from this early track you can tell that young Jon Bon Jovi had a hell of a talent for writing catchy hooks. The immaculate backing vocals are obviously not those of Richie Sambora. Just wait until Jon goes for the high notes at the end though!
It was 1984, the peak of the “post-apocalyptic wasteland” setting for music videos.
Moving on to “Roulette”, we now get a song that is a little harder-edged. Richie has a chunky guitar riff that gives the song some weight. Jon pours it all on, and it’s clear even on this first album that Sambora was a serious talent. His style has evolved considerably over the years, but at this stage he was already capable of writing great songs with memorable guitar solos.
“She Don’t Know Me” was also a single, but this one has not aged so well. Sounding like a New Jersey version of the lighter side of Journey, “She Don’t Know Me” is a lil’ too sappy for most adults. It’s not terrible but “She Don’t Know Me” is just too heavy on the syrup. It is at least upbeat, with a Sambora solo right out of the Neal Schon book of tricks!
“Shot Through the Heart” is a forgotten song, since its title was used as in the chorus of “You Give Love a Bad Name”. This is a hard rock heartbreak, the kind of thing Jon does so well. The balance comes from Sambora. Without him, there’s no edge. He brings a very special guitar quality to the table, not to mention songwriting.
The first Bon Jovi album’s biggest weakness is an over-reliance on sad sounding love songs. “Love Lies” is another one, a dusky piano based ballad. David Bryan (known here as David Rashbaum) co-wrote it with Jon, and like all the other tunes it does have quality to it. It’s just too much heartbreak for one side of vinyl.
“Breakout”, also written by Rashbaum, is a hard enough rocker to open side two. Jon has found some backbone, telling his ex that he’s “better off on my own”. That’s better, Jon! Let’s stay strong buddy, and crank out a rocker. “Burning for Love” continues the hot streak. Now we’re cooking with gas. Richie really nails it on the axe. Then is a song called “Come Back”. You might expect by the title that Jon has lost his balls again. Thankfully, his pal Richie is there to keep him standing. “Come Back” is a bit of a broken-hearted rocker, but Sambora’s pick scrapes keep it rock and roll.
One last rocker was all you needed to call it an album back then. Of all the songs on Bon Jovi, “Get Ready” sounds the most like what Bon Jovi would become famous for: good time rock music! Guitar, piano, bass and drums: that’s all you need for a rock and roll party. This really sounds like Bon Jovi.
That’s a pretty solid debut album right there, for a band in Bon Jovi’s league. I have no idea why they (he) won’t play so many of these songs anymore. They’re better than most of the stuff he’s been putting out lately. And we still have the four bonus tracks to discuss.
The four live songs come from various shows, 1984-1988. Each is heavier than its studio counterpart. “Runaway” benefits from the full band treatment, as opposed to the studio cats. Having Richie there singing it with Jon makes all the difference. (This is not the same version as the B-side from “Lay Your Hands On Me”.) “Roulette” is a solid inclusion. “Breakout” keeps it rolling, but you gotta love that “Get Ready” was also included, ending the album as it always has.
3.5/5 stars
2010 Special Edition bonus tracks
1. “Runaway (Live Le Zenith, November 20, 1988)”
2. “Roulette (Live BBC Friday Rock Show)”
3. “Breakout (Live Super Rock ’84)”
4. “Get Ready (Live Japan Tour 1985)”
BON JOVI – Live 2 (2014 Mercury limited edition 10″ picture disc)
mikeladano.com 