Bon Jovi | ||
| Allmusic Biography : After ushering in the era of pop-metal with their 1986 blockbuster Slippery When Wet and its hit singles "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Wanted Dead or Alive," and "Living on a Prayer," Bon Jovi wound up transcending the big-haired 80s, withstanding changes in style and sound to become one of the biggest American rock bands of their time -- selling over 120 million albums worldwide and sustaining their popularity well into the new millennium. As the times changed, so did the bands sound. They slowly peeled away the arena rock guitars of the 80s, occasionally scoring on the adult contemporary charts and sometimes singing country music without ever rejecting hard rock, a move that illustrated how they never abandoned their roots and became second only to Bruce Springsteen in defining the sound and spirit of New Jersey rock & roll. Bon Jovi took their name from lead singer Jon Bon Jovi (born Jon Bongiovi), who spent his adolescence playing in local Jersey bands with David Bryan (born David Rashbaum). Jons cousin Tony Bongiovi owned the celebrated New York recording studio the Power Station and Jon spent many hours there, working as a janitor and recording demos after hours, sometimes supported by members of the E Street Band or Aldo Nova. One of those demos, "Runaway," became a hit on local New Jersey radio and led to the formation of Bon Jovi the band, as Jon and Bryan were supported by guitarist Dave Sabo, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres. "Runaway" spurred a major-label bidding war, leading to a contract with Polygram/Mercury in 1983. Before the group entered the studio, though, Bon Jovi replaced Sabo with Richie Sambora, a working guitarist with a long résumé, including a stint as a member of Message. Bon Jovi released their eponymous debut album in 1984, generating a Top 40 hit with the original version of "Runaway." The following year, 7800° Fahrenheit was released and went gold, all serving as a prelude to the bands 1986 breakthrough, Slippery When Wet. Paul Stanley had given Jon and Richie the phone number of professional songwriter Desmond Child, and together they wrote two of the albums biggest hits in Richies parents basement. The trio composed 30 songs in total and auditioned them for local New Jersey and New York teenagers, basing the albums running order on their opinions. Supported by several appealing, straightforward videos that received heavy rotation on MTV, the record took off on the strength of “You Give Love a Bad Name,” followed quickly by "Livin on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive." Those three Top Ten Hits helped propel Slippery When Wet to sales of nine million in the U.S. alone, establishing Bon Jovi as superstars in their home country. Their fame was not limited to the U.S., though, as the album also turned into a significant hit in Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Bon Jovi built upon Slippery When Wets formula with 1988s New Jersey, which shot to number one upon its release. New Jersey was only slightly less successful than its predecessor, selling five million copies and generating two number one singles, "Bad Medicine" and "Ill Be There for You," as well as the Top Ten hits "Born to Be My Baby," "Lay Your Hands on Me," and "Living in Sin." Following the completion of an 18-month international tour, the band went on hiatus. During the time off, Jon Bon Jovi wrote the soundtrack for Young Guns II, which was released in 1990 as the Blaze of Glory album. The record produced two hit singles -- the number one title track and the number 12 "Miracle" -- and earned several Grammy and Oscar nominations. The following year, Bon Jovi reunited to record their fifth album, Keep the Faith, which was released in the fall of 1992. While the album didnt match the blockbuster status of its predecessors, it did produce a hit with "Bed of Roses," an adult contemporary-styled ballad that helped sustain the bands popularity. A greatest-hits album called Cross Road appeared in 1994 and yielded another Top Ten ballad, "Always." Around the same time, bassist Alec John Such left the band; Hugh McDonald, who appeared on Bon Jovi recordings stretching back as far as "Runaway," became his unofficial replacement and featured prominently on the bands next album. Released in the fall of 1995, These Days turned into another U.S. Top Ten, as well as a popular European hit. After appearing in the 1996 film Moonlight and Valentino, Jon Bon Jovi released his first official solo album, Destination Anywhere, in the summer of 1997. During the tail end of the 90s, the members of Bon Jovi engaged in different projects -- Sambora released a sophomore solo set called Undiscovered Soul in 1998 -- before easing back into work in 1999 via a song for EDtv, then beginning work on a full-length record. The resulting album, Crush, appeared in 2000 and constituted something of a comeback in America thanks to the smash single "Its My Life," a cross-platform hit single with long legs. "Thank You for Loving Me" also turned into a hit, helping Crush go double platinum in the U.S. and selling eight million copies worldwide. Bon Jovi quickly followed Crush with their eighth studio effort, Bounce, which appeared in fall 2002, and supported the record with another international tour. In 2003, the band re-recorded many of its most well-known songs for the acoustic-based release This Left Feels Right, which also saw an accompanying DVD in 2004. The ambitious outtakes and rarities box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong arrived in November of that year, followed by the all-new Have a Nice Day -- the first of several albums produced by John Shanks. That albums success was aided in part by the single "Who Says You Cant Go Home," featuring guest vocals from Sugarlands Jennifer Nettles, which eventually won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals -- as well as topping the charts in Japan, Australia, Europe, and Canada. The band spent the following year in the studio, putting the finishing touches on a collection of pop-infused heartland country anthems. The resulting Lost Highway, which featured duets with LeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich, arrived in the summer of 2007 and grabbed the band a healthy new country music fan base in the process. Lost Highways cross-genre formula proved to be quite potent, securing the band its third number one album in the U.S. Bon Jovi returned to rock shortly thereafter, though, with the release in 2009 of a somber, searching album titled The Circle. One year later, Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection offered plenty of hits along with two new tracks, "No Apologies" and "What Do You Got?" In the first years of the 2010s, the members of Bon Jovi pursued solo projects, the most notable being Samboras 2012 solo album Aftermath of the Lowdown. In November 2012, two months after Samboras album, the band issued Inside Out, a live album for video, recorded at Londons O2 Arena, New Jerseys MetLife Stadium, and New Yorks Madison Square Garden. In March of 2013, Bon Jovi returned with What About Now, their first studio album in four years. In similar thematic and musical company to The Circle, it reached number one on the Billboard Top 200, along with topping the charts in Australia and Canada and reaching two in the U.K.; despite its high debut, What About Now was their first album to not reach gold certification in the U.S. Soon after the release of What About Now, there was evident turmoil in the Bon Jovi camp. Sambora left the supporting tour in 2013, citing "personal reasons" -- he was replaced by guitarist Phil X (Phil Xenidis) -- and then Tico Torres had to undergo gallbladder surgery. Torres returned to the fold but Sambora did not. In November 2014, the guitarist and band announced they had parted ways; Phil X became his unofficial permanent replacement. Next up for Bon Jovi came 2015s Burning Bridges, a record that was dubbed as a "fan album," meaning it was a collection of odds and ends intended as a stopgap as the group completed its first full-fledged post-Sambora album. That record, entitled This House Is Not for Sale, appeared on Island on November 4, 2016 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 22 Title: Bon Jovi Released: 1984-01 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Runaway (03:51) 2 Roulette (04:40) 3 She Don’t Know Me (04:02) 4 Shot Through the Heart (04:24) 5 Love Lies (04:08) 6 Breakout (05:22) 7 Burning for Love (03:53) 8 Come Back (03:57) 9 Get Ready (04:08) |
| Bon Jovi : Allmusic album Review : From the opening track, "Runaway," which rode to glory on E Street Band-mate Roy Bittans distinctive keyboard riff, to the sweaty arena rock of "Get Ready," which closed the album, Bon Jovis debut is an often-overlooked minor gem from the early days of hair metal. The songs may be simple and the writing prone to all clichés of the form, but the album boasts a pretty consistent hard rock attack, passionate playing, and a keen sense of melody. The prominence that keyboardist David Bryan (credited as David Rashbaum in the liner notes) gets on this record is an indicator, perhaps, that Bon Jovi had more than a passing interest in the pop market, which was then dominated by new wave and synth pop. Mixing Journey-like 70s rock ("She Dont Know Me") with shout-along stadium anthems ("Love Lies"), the self-titled Bon Jovi lay the foundation for the bands career, which reached its apex several years later with that very same combination of pop melody and arena-sized amibiton. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 22 Title: 7800° Fahrenheit Released: 1985 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:13:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In & Out of Love (04:26) 2 The Price of Love (04:14) 3 Only Lonely (04:59) 4 King of the Mountain (03:54) 5 Silent Night (05:04) 6 Tokyo Road (05:41) 7 The Hardest Part Is the Night (04:22) 8 Always Run to You (04:59) 9 To the Fire (04:25) 10 Secret Dreams (04:52) 11 In and Out of Love (live) (12:17) 12 Only Lonely (live) (06:37) 13 Tokyo Road (live) (07:09) |
| 7800° Fahrenheit : Allmusic album Review : Bon Jovis sophomore release found the New Jersey group continuing with its engaging mix of hard rock dynamics and blatant pop-metal overtones, and primed the pump for the coming popular explosion of Slippery When Wet. Ever since the keyboard call to arms of the breakthrough "Runaway," Bon Jovi had understood that real success lay in a billowing smoke, soft-focus derivation of true metal, where Journey-style synthesizers and soft rock chorus vocals were the name of the game. To that end, 7800° Fahrenheit tempered its black-leather rock & roll with a rudimentary form of the sound that would make Bon Jovi superstars. They puffed out their chests for the groupie-groping, Mötley Crüe-style catcalls of "In and Out of Love" and made sure "King of the Mountain" rumbled with boys-night-out bravado. But they seemed much more comfortable with the twittering ballad "Silent Night" or "Price of Love," where arena-ready riffing met smoke machine keys and vocal trills. There was even "Tokyo Road," a valiant attempt at the epic scope of Springsteen that featured a Japanese-language intro and full-on character development. It was in these moments -- when the tenets of metal tried on the hairstyles of pop -- that 7800° Fahrenheit burned its brightest; the professional songwriting and increased cash flow of Slippery When Wet just made the existing mercury burst. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 22 Title: Double Up Released: 1985 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:25:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Runaway (03:51) 2 Roulette (04:40) 3 She Don’t Know Me (04:02) 4 Shot Through the Heart (04:24) 5 Love Lies (04:08) 6 Breakout (05:22) 7 Burning for Love (03:53) 8 Come Back (03:57) 9 Get Ready (04:08) 1 In & Out of Love (04:26) 2 The Price of Love (04:14) 3 Only Lonely (04:59) 4 King of the Mountain (03:54) 5 Silent Night (05:04) 6 Tokyo Road (05:41) 7 The Hardest Part Is the Night (04:22) 8 Always Run to You (04:59) 9 (I Dont Wanna Fall) To the Fire (04:26) 10 Secret Dreams (04:52) |
 | Album: 4 of 22 Title: Slippery When Wet Released: 1986-08-25 Tracks: 13 Duration: 59:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let It Rock (05:24) 2 You Give Love a Bad Name (03:43) 3 Livin’ on a Prayer (04:10) 4 Social Disease (04:18) 5 Wanted Dead or Alive (05:08) 6 Raise Your Hands (04:17) 7 Without Love (03:40) 8 I’d Die for You (04:31) 9 Never Say Goodbye (04:49) 10 Wild in the Streets (03:54) 11 You Give Love a Bad Name (04:10) 12 Livin’ on a Prayer (05:33) 13 Wanted Dead or Alive (live) (05:22) |
| Slippery When Wet : Allmusic album Review : Slippery When Wet wasnt just a breakthrough album for Bon Jovi; it was a breakthrough for hair metal in general, marking the point where the genre officially entered the mainstream. Released in 1986, it presented a streamlined combination of pop, hard rock, and metal that appealed to everyone -- especially girls, whom traditional heavy metal often ignored. Slippery When Wet was more indebted to pop than metal, though, and the band made no attempt to hide its commercial ambition, even hiring an outside songwriter to co-write two of the albums biggest singles. The trick paid off as Slippery When Wet became the best-selling album of 1987, beating out contenders like Appetite for Destruction, The Joshua Tree, and Michael Jacksons Bad. Part of the albums success could be attributed to Desmond Child, a behind-the-scenes songwriter who went on to write hits for Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, and Ricky Martin. With Childs help, Bon Jovi penned a pair of songs that would eventually define their career -- “Living on a Prayer” and “You Give Love a Bad Name” -- two teenage anthems that mixed Springsteens blue-collar narratives with straightforward, guitar-driven hooks. The bands characters may have been down on their luck -- they worked dead-end jobs, pined for dangerous women, and occasionally rode steel horses -- but Bon Jovi never presented a problem that couldn’t be cured by a good chorus, every one of which seemed to celebrate a glass-half-full mentality. Elsewhere, the group turned to nostalgia, using songs like “Never Say Goodbye” and “Wild in the Streets” to re-create (or fabricate) an untamed, sex-filled youth that undoubtedly appealed to the band’s teen audience. Bon Jovi wasnt nearly as hard-edged as Mötley Crüe or technically proficient as Van Halen, but the guys smartly played to their strengths, shunning the extremes for an accessible, middle-of-the-road approach that wound up appealing to more fans than most of their peers. “It’s alright if you have a good time,” Jon Bon Jovi sang on Slippery When Wet’s first track, “Let It Rock,” and those words essentially served as a mantra for the entire hair metal genre, whose carefree, party-heavy attitude became the soundtrack for the rest of the ‘80s. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 22 Title: New Jersey Released: 1988-09-19 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:01:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lay Your Hands on Me (05:58) 2 Bad Medicine (05:16) 3 Born to Be My Baby (04:40) 4 Living in Sin (04:39) 5 Blood on Blood (06:16) 6 Homebound Train (05:10) 7 Wild Is the Wind (05:08) 8 Ride Cowboy Ride (01:24) 9 Stick to Your Guns (04:45) 10 I’ll Be There for You (05:46) 11 99 in the Shade (04:29) 12 Love for Sale (03:57) 13 You Give Love a Bad Name (03:53) |
| New Jersey : Allmusic album Review : Bon Jovi had perfected a formula for hard pop/rock by the time of New Jersey, concentrating on singalong choruses sung over and over again, frequently by a rough, extensively overdubbed chorus, producing an effect not unlike what these songs sounded like in the arenas and stadiums where they were most often heard. The lyrics had that typical pop twist -- although they nominally expressed romantic commitment, sentiments such as "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "Ill Be There for You" worked equally well as a means for the band and its audience to reaffirm their affection for each other. The only thing that marred the perfection of this communion was Jon Bon Jovis continuing obsession with a certain predecessor from his home state; at times, he seemed to be trying to re-create Born to Run using cheaper materials. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 22 Title: Hard & Hot Released: 1991 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:03:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Shot Through the Heart (04:24) 2 Runaway (03:51) 3 She Don’t Know Me (04:02) 4 Breakout (05:22) 5 In & Out of Love (04:26) 6 King of the Mountain (03:54) 7 Tokyo Road (05:41) 8 Always Run to You (04:59) 9 To the Fire (04:25) 10 You Give Love a Bad Name (03:46) 11 Livin’ on a Prayer (04:10) 12 Wanted Dead or Alive (05:08) 13 I’d Die for You (04:31) 14 Never Say Goodbye (04:49) |
 | Album: 7 of 22 Title: Keep the Faith Released: 1992-11-03 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:11:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Believe (05:48) 2 Keep the Faith (05:44) 3 I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (04:43) 4 In These Arms (05:19) 5 Bed of Roses (06:34) 6 If I Was Your Mother (04:27) 7 Dry County (09:51) 8 Woman in Love (03:48) 9 Fear (03:06) 10 I Want You (05:36) 11 Blame It on the Love of Rock & Roll (04:24) 12 Little Bit of Soul (05:44) 13 Save a Prayer (05:57) |
| Keep the Faith : Allmusic album Review : Keep the Faith reintroduced Bon Jovi after almost four years of side projects and hiatuses. The musical climate had shifted considerably in that time, a fact that wasnt lost on the band. Faith blatantly brought to the surface the Bruce Springsteen influence that was always lurking in Bon Jovis sound, and used it to frame Faiths more serious interpretation of the bands pop-metal groove. "I Believe" and "Ill Sleep When Im Dead" both amped up the blue-collar, gospel revivalist feel of Springsteens "Tunnel of Love," dropping in triumphant power chord changes to ensure arena readiness. But Bon Jovi also took a page from Springsteens Big Book of Epic Songwriting, padding Faiths center with ambitious balladry and a nearly ten-minute story-song, "Dry County," that wouldnt be out of place on a 70s rock album. Elsewhere, the hit single "Bed of Roses" wisely aimed for the verdant adult contemporary pastures pointed to by Bryan Adams with 1991s "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," instead of gripping stupidly to the Aqua-Netted mane of glam rock power balladry. Some of the albums straightforward hard rock songs faltered, since they didnt sizzle like the bands vintage material and fell flat next to more inspired material like "In These Arms." But while miles of open highway separated the songwriting of Jon Bon Jovi and his mates from that of Springsteen, Keep the Faith deserves plenty of points for ambition, and it did succeed in updating the bands sound -- even if the replacement parts were bought used. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 22 Title: Cross Road: The Best of Bon Jovi Released: 1994-10-04 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:12:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Livin’ on a Prayer (04:10) 2 Keep the Faith (05:44) 3 Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night (04:39) 4 Always (05:53) 5 Wanted Dead or Alive (05:08) 6 Lay Your Hands on Me (05:58) 7 You Give Love a Bad Name (03:43) 8 Bed of Roses (06:34) 9 Blaze of Glory (05:40) 10 In These Arms (05:19) 11 Bad Medicine (05:16) 12 I’ll Be There for You (05:46) 13 In & Out of Love (04:26) 14 Runaway (03:51) |
| Cross Road: The Best of Bon Jovi : Allmusic album Review : While Bon Jovi managed to stick a couple of killer album tracks onto all of their records, their main strength had always been writing singles. Released in 1994, Cross Road collects all of their biggest hits, adding a couple of new songs (including the international smash "Always," which helped the album go platinum in multiple countries) and Jon Bon Jovis solo hit, "Blaze of Glory," for good measure. Even the bands detractors may not be able to resist the constant flow of big guitars, bigger hooks, and sweet melodies that pour out on Cross Road. After all, this is what state-of-the-art mainstream hard rock was all about in the late 80s. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 22 Title: These Days Released: 1995-06-02 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:08:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hey God (06:10) 2 Something for the Pain (04:47) 3 This Ain’t a Love Song (05:06) 4 These Days (06:27) 5 Lie to Me (05:34) 6 Damned (04:33) 7 My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms (05:41) 8 (It’s Hard) Letting You Go (05:51) 9 Hearts Breaking Even (05:06) 10 Something to Believe In (05:25) 11 If That’s What It Takes (05:17) 12 Diamond Ring (03:46) 13 Bitter Wine (04:34) |
| These Days : Allmusic album Review : With These Days, Bon Jovi firmly established themselves as an adult contemporary act. They still have their fair share of rockers, but they seem half-hearted and incomplete. Instead, the band sounds the most comfortable with love ballads and working class anthems, from hits "This Aint a Love Song" and "Lie to Me," to the acoustic "Diamond Ring." In fact, as the years go by, Bon Jovi gets musically stronger. Not only are their best songs stronger now, their playing is more accomplished. Keeping these improvements in mind, its no surprise that the group was one of the few pop-metal bands to sustain a career in the mid-90s. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 22 Title: Crush Released: 2000-06-12 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:41:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It’s My Life (03:44) 2 Say It Isn’t So (03:33) 3 Thank You for Loving Me (05:08) 4 Two Story Town (05:10) 5 Next 100 Years (06:19) 6 Just Older (04:28) 7 Mystery Train (05:14) 8 Save the World (05:31) 9 Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars (04:31) 10 She’s a Mystery (05:18) 11 I Got the Girl (04:36) 12 One Wild Night (04:18) 13 I Could Make a Living Out of Lovin’ You (04:40) 14 Neurotica (04:32) 1 Runaway (05:42) 2 Mystery Train (05:32) 3 Rockin’ in the Free World (05:45) 4 Just Older (05:17) 5 It’s My Life (03:51) 6 Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night (08:31) |
| Crush : Allmusic album Review : Even if it was classified as pop-metal, Bon Jovi never really was much of a metal band, relying on big, catchy melodies and not guitar riffs to make their songs memorable. Thats why, in 2000, theyre able to make an album like Crush, which strays far enough into pop/rock to actually stand a chance of getting airplay (which it did, with the hit lead single "Its My Life"). The guitar crunch on the uptempo numbers keeps Bon Jovi from becoming a full-fledged pop/rock band, but in addition to the typical hard rockers, there are nods to heartland rock, Bryan Adams-style adult contemporary balladry ("Thank You for Loving Me"), the Beatles (the surprisingly effective "Say It Isnt So"), and even British glam à la T. Rex or David Bowie ("Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars"). Occasionally, it sounds like the band is attempting to cover as many bases as possible for multi-format appeal, but for the most part, the variety -- coupled with the consistently polished songcraft -- makes for a surprisingly listenable album. The production is a little more electronic-tinged, but not obtrusively high-tech, so the band doesnt come off as desperate to sound contemporary. Aside from a couple of missteps (the soppy, aforementioned "Thank You for Loving Me" and the mawkish posturing of "Save the World"), Crush is a solidly crafted mainstream rock record thats much better than most might expect. Even if Crush is more measured than Bon Jovis early work, "Just Older" sums up the bands acceptance of their status nicely: "The skin Im in is all right with me/Its not old, just older." | ||
 | Album: 11 of 22 Title: Tokyo Road Released: 2001-03-28 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One Wild Night 2001 (03:45) 2 Bad Medicine (05:16) 3 Livin’ on a Prayer (04:10) 4 You Give Love a Bad Name (03:43) 5 Keep the Faith (05:44) 6 It’s My Life (03:44) 7 Blood on Blood (06:16) 8 Something for the Pain (04:47) 9 Born to Be My Baby (04:40) 10 Tokyo Road (05:41) 11 Hey God (06:10) 12 Just Older (04:28) 13 I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (04:43) 14 Runaway (03:51) 15 Wild in the Streets (03:54) 16 Next 100 Years (06:19) |
 | Album: 12 of 22 Title: Bounce Released: 2002-09-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Undivided (03:53) 2 Everyday (02:59) 3 The Distance (04:48) 4 Joey (04:54) 5 Misunderstood (03:30) 6 All About Lovin’ You (03:46) 7 Hook Me Up (03:54) 8 Right Side of Wrong (05:50) 9 Love Me Back to Life (04:09) 10 You Had Me From Hello (03:49) 11 Bounce (03:12) 12 Open All Night (04:19) |
| Bounce : Allmusic album Review : Given that Bon Jovi successfully pulled off a comeback in 2000 with Crush, a shiny pop album pitched directly at the mainstream, its kind of a surprise that they returned two years later with a record as turgid as Bounce. Instead of continuing the colorful blueprint of Crush, they fearlessly backpedal, turning out dull, heavy, serious rock -- the kind of music that sounds "serious" even when its about trivial things. Of course, much of the record is given over to "serious" topics, as if the band felt that the events of 2001 necessitated a grave response for Bounce, regardless of what they were singing. Such sobriety would not have been a problem if the band had solid material, but theyre not only lacking songs, theyve inexplicably altered their musical approach. In particular, guitarist Richie Sambora sounds as if hes aping James Hetfields lumbering downstrokes throughout the album, giving the record an oppressively heavy sound that never lets the music breathe. This casts a pall over the record, but this stumble is not the sole reason Bounce is such a misstep for the band. After all, this is a record where Bon Jovi seems to have consciously decided to avoid everything that gives their music character, melody, and muscle, a move that would have been odd at any point during their career, but is particularly puzzling after they delivered an album that found them growing old gracefully. Its as if they want to undo everything Crush did for them. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 22 Title: Target Exclusive Released: 2003 Tracks: 8 Duration: 31:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Breathe (Bounce demo) (03:41) 2 Lucky (Bounce demo) (03:48) 3 No Regrets (Bounce demo) (04:00) 4 Standing (Bounce demo) (03:51) 5 We Can Dance (Bounce demo) (04:45) 6 Misunderstood (live) (03:21) 7 Everyday (acoustic) (02:46) 8 Just Older (live) (04:57) |
 | Album: 14 of 22 Title: This Left Feels Right Released: 2003-11-03 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:00:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wanted Dead or Alive (03:43) 2 Livin’ on a Prayer (03:41) 3 Bad Medicine (04:27) 4 It’s My Life (03:42) 5 Lay Your Hands on Me (04:27) 6 You Give Love a Bad Name (03:29) 7 Bed of Roses (05:38) 8 Everyday (03:45) 9 Born to Be My Baby (05:27) 10 Keep the Faith (04:12) 11 I’ll Be There for You (04:21) 12 Always (04:19) 13 The Distance (live) (05:55) 14 All About Lovin’ You (acoustic) (03:26) |
| This Left Feels Right : Allmusic album Review : God knows why Bon Jovi felt the need to recut its best songs in an adult alternative style with Patrick Leonard as the producer. In the thorough liner notes -- presented as an interview between Jon Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora -- by the suddenly ubiquitous David Wild, Jon claims that the roots of the album derive from a Japanese show he recorded where the intent was to release live, acoustic versions of the bands standards. Alas, the recordings werent up to snuff, so the band reentered the studio and cut versions that have more overdubs than the original releases. To its credit, the band sounds committed to this rather bizarre project, an endeavor so unconnected to reality that actress Olivia dAbo -- best known for either her role on The Wonder Years or her lead in the brilliant 90s indie film Kicking and Screaming, depending on your viewpoint -- provides counterpoint vocals to "Living on a Prayer," while "Bad Medicine" boasts breathy, echoed vocals that suggest it was conceived as a reflective affair, not as a dumb hard rock song. This holds true throughout the album, and while the arrangements are relatively interesting, theyre rarely improvements on the originals and rarely rise above the level of novelties. And while longtime fans may find it worthwhile on that level, it doesnt offer proof that the bands songs are resilient enough to withstand new arrangements, nor does it shed new light on Bon Jovi or prove that the group is maturing gracefully. And all of that is really too bad, because the songs have stood the test of time, sounding better in their original incarnations than they did upon release, plus the group was moving in the right direction with its last album, adjusting to the sound and feel of middle-aged maturity seemingly effortlessly. This, however, sounds simultaneously safe and hazy; its the sound of a band thats earned the right to indulge itself and has followed that inclination here. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 22 Title: 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong Released: 2004-11-16 Tracks: 60 Duration: 4:30:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Why Aren’t You Dead? (03:31) 2 The Radio Saved My Life Tonight (05:08) 3 Taking It Back (04:17) 4 Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night (demo) (05:18) 5 Miss Fourth of July (05:40) 6 Open All Night (05:47) 7 These Arms Are Open All Night (05:20) 8 I Get a Rush (02:57) 9 Someday Just Might Be Tonight (04:13) 10 Thief of Hearts (04:17) 11 Last Man Standing (04:37) 12 I Just Want to Be Your Man (03:28) 1 Garageland (03:26) 2 Starting All Over Again (03:44) 3 Maybe Someday (04:43) 4 Last Chance Train (04:31) 5 The Fire Inside (04:50) 6 Every Beat of My Heart (04:49) 7 Rich Man Living in a Poor Man’s House (04:22) 8 The One That Got Away (04:48) 9 You Can Sleep While I Dream (04:53) 10 Outlaws of Love (03:20) 11 Good Guys Don’t Always Wear White (04:30) 12 We Rule the Night (04:09) 1 Edge of a Broken Heart (04:35) 2 Sympathy (05:23) 3 Only in My Dreams (05:07) 4 Shut Up and Kiss Me (02:47) 5 Crazy Love (04:25) 6 Lonely at the Top (03:51) 7 Ordinary People (04:07) 8 Flesh and Bone (05:01) 9 Satellite (04:56) 10 If I Cant Have Your Love (04:15) 11 Real Life (03:48) 12 Memphis Lives in Me (03:03) 13 Too Much of a Good Thing (04:23) 1 Love Ain’t Nothing but a Four Letter Word (04:14) 2 Love Ain’t Nothing but a Four Letter Word (demo) (04:08) 3 River Runs Dry (03:57) 4 Always (demo) (05:46) 5 Kidnap an Angel (05:56) 6 Breathe (03:41) 7 Out of Bounds (03:46) 8 Letter to a Friend (04:19) 9 Temptation (04:23) 10 Gotta Have a Reason (04:59) 11 All I Wanna Do Is You (03:03) 12 Billy (04:32) 13 Nobodys Hero (08:36) 1 With a Little Help From My Friends (live, St. Denis Theatre, Montreal) (06:16) 2 Love Is War (demo) (04:15) 3 Borderline (04:10) 4 Hush (Crush demo) (03:47) 5 I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas (04:27) 6 Save a Prayer (05:57) 7 Fields of Fire (demo) (04:10) 8 Another Reason to Believe (Bounce demo) (03:29) 9 Let’s Make It Baby (session demo 1988) (06:20) 10 The End (These Days demo) (03:38) |
 | Album: 16 of 22 Title: Have a Nice Day Released: 2005-09-14 Tracks: 13 Duration: 53:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Have a Nice Day (03:48) 2 I Want to Be Loved (03:49) 3 Welcome to Wherever You Are (03:47) 4 Who Says You Can’t Go Home? (04:40) 5 Last Man Standing (04:37) 6 Bells of Freedom (04:55) 7 Wildflower (04:13) 8 Last Cigarette (03:38) 9 I Am (03:53) 10 Complicated (03:37) 11 Novocaine (04:49) 12 Story of My Life (04:09) 13 Who Says You Can’t Go Home (03:50) |
| Have a Nice Day : Allmusic album Review : Have a Nice Day, Bon Jovis ninth studio album of original material, picks up where 2002s Bounce left off, showcasing a harder, heavier band than either 2000s Crush or Jon Bon Jovis 1997 solo effort, Destination Anywhere. Not only that, but this 2005 album finds Jon Bon Jovi picking up on the serious undercurrent of Bounce, writing a series of angry, somber neo-protest songs that form the heart of this record. While hes not exactly explicitly political here, theres little question that hes dissatisfied with the world today, whether its about life in small town America or the sorry state of pop music; he even goes so far to write a variation on Bob Dylans classic "Chimes of Freedom" with "Bells of Freedom." Since hes stretching out lyrically, the band finds a comfort zone in sticking in the tried-and-true arena rock thats been their signature sound for 20 years now. While they sound appropriately grand and powerful -- this is one of the few groups that sounds right at home in large venues -- at times they pump up their choruses a little bit too much, so they sound strident, not anthemic. That heavy-handedness, coupled with a loud but colorless production from Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, and John Shanks, with Desmond Child acting as executive producer for the whole thing, gives Have a Nice Day a sound thats a bit too monochromatic for the bands ambitions, or for its own good: at times, getting through the record can be a little bit of a chore, since theres not much fun to be had here. Nevertheless, its hard not to admire Jon Bon Jovis attempt to stretch himself, particularly when he balances his earnestness with tunes as gentle as "Wildflower." | ||
 | Album: 17 of 22 Title: Lost Highway Released: 2007-06-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lost Highway (04:14) 2 Summertime (03:18) 3 (You Want to) Make a Memory (04:37) 4 Whole Lot of Leavin’ (04:17) 5 We Got It Going On (04:13) 6 Any Other Day (04:03) 7 Seat Next to You (04:23) 8 Everybody’s Broken (04:13) 9 Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore (04:44) 10 The Last Night (03:33) 11 One Step Closer (03:37) 12 I Love This Town (04:38) |
| Lost Highway : Allmusic album Review : Serious country fans know that "Lost Highway" is a Leon Payne-written Hank Williams classic, but even though Bon Jovis 2007 album shamelessly trades on iconographic country imagery in a bid for a genre-skipping crossover hit, its designed for those country fans who dont much care about Hanks legend (never mind knowing anything about Leon Payne). Lost Highway has little to do with any country prior to Garth Brooks, a move that makes sense since Garth was the gateway drug to country music for old Bon Jovi fans in the 90s. In that regard, it makes perfect sense for Bon Jovi to refashion themselves as a modern country act, because their heartland anthems are as thoroughly middle American as any country artist, and in 2007 country was at the core of mainstream pop music; in other words, the bands fans already have made the crossover, so they wouldnt see this crossover move as crass, just as catching up. But when it comes right down to it, Bon Jovis self-styled country album has little to do with contemporary country in 2007, either. Despite duets with LeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich, despite the occasional fiddle or steel guitar, Lost Highway recalls nothing so much as a latter-day Bon Jovi record in how it balances fist-pumping arena anthems with heavy doses of sentiment. Not long after the buried fiddles on "Lost Highway" fade from memory and enough time passes to excuse the bad Toby Keith knockoff "Summertime," its virtually impossible to distinguish this album anything after 1992s Keep the Faith. Which isnt necessarily bad, mind you -- Bon Jovi has a flair for commercial craft, knowing how to hit the sweet spot between the mundane and melodic, and there are times on Lost Highway where the group does so again. Ironically enough, what hurts is when they really try to fit into the conventions of country -- usually on the rockers, as on the aforementioned "Summertime" and the even-worse Big & Rich duet "We Got It Going On," which manages to cram in every sports-bar cliché into an unpalatable mess, a talent that also emphasizes Jon Bon Jovis unfortunate tendency to rely on hackneyed imagery -- but when theyre just being the smooth, efficient pop crooners they are, Lost Highway is as good as, and no different than, any Bon Jovi album since Keep the Faith. Which may not make it as adventurous as it appears, but it should still be satisfying all the same to those loyal fans. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 22 Title: The Circle Released: 2009-11-02 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 We Weren’t Born to Follow (04:04) 2 When We Were Beautiful (05:18) 3 Work for the Working Man (04:04) 4 Superman Tonight (05:12) 5 Bullet (03:50) 6 Thorn in My Side (04:07) 7 Live Before You Die (04:17) 8 Brokenpromiseland (04:57) 9 Love’s the Only Rule (04:38) 10 Fast Cars (03:16) 11 Happy Now (04:21) 12 Learn to Love (04:39) |
| The Circle : Allmusic album Review : One thing buried amidst all Bon Jovis detours of the new millennium -- there wasnt just 2007s contemporary country Lost Highway, there was the acoustic reworking of hits This Left Feels Right in 2003 -- is that the group has been sober-minded throughout the decade, reacting to 9/11 on 2002s Bounce, exploring the morass of Ws America on 2005s Have a Nice Day, and now creating a soundtrack for the Great Recession on 2009s The Circle. Subtlety has never been a concern for Bon Jovi, so the group makes it plain that they will be the ones to "Work for the Working Man," while they wonder "whos gonna bail out all our shattered dreams" on "Brokenpromiseland." Explicit references to the broken state of blue collar America pile up throughout The Circle, but instead of setting these wannabe working man anthems to the kind of Springsteen-esque rock thats their trademark, Bon Jovi, with the assistance of producer John Shanks, have decided to make their own version of a U2 album, apparently because no other sound sounds as serious as U2. Everything on The Circle exists in a big wide open space conjured by echoed, delayed guitars, shimmering keyboards, and spacious rhythms, an atmosphere thats just as likely to recast the "Living on a Prayer" bassline as something as sadly ominous as it is to ease into chanted, African-inspired vocal hooks ("When We Were Beautiful"), both signifiers of the bands pensive pretension. A knack for oversized choruses remains hardwired in Bon Jovi, but in this gloomy context, they act as reminders that they once sounded like they were a working band for working men instead of rich men fretting about a world theyve long left behind. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 22 Title: Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection Released: 2010-10-29 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:14:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Livin’ on a Prayer (04:10) 2 You Give Love a Bad Name (03:43) 3 It’s My Life (03:44) 4 Have a Nice Day (03:48) 5 Wanted Dead or Alive (05:08) 6 Bad Medicine (05:16) 7 We Weren’t Born to Follow (04:04) 8 I’ll Be There for You (05:46) 9 Born to Be My Baby (04:40) 10 Bed of Roses (06:34) 11 Who Says You Can’t Go Home? (04:40) 12 Lay Your Hands on Me (edit) (03:49) 13 Always (05:53) 14 In These Arms (05:19) 15 What Do You Got? (03:47) 16 No Apologies (03:44) |
| Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection : Allmusic album Review : It’s been a long 16 years since Bon Jovi was last compiled, when Cross Road arrived for the holiday season of 1994, two years after Keep the Faith capped off a near-decade long run of dominance for the Jersey rockers. As it turned out, it was the first act of Bon Jovi’s career. A subdued second act followed in the ‘90s, with Jon Bon Jovi flirting with a solo career once again before returning to the fold late in the decade, with the band setting out for a decade of professionalism, sometimes cresting into the charts -- usually with the assist of a canny country crossover -- sometimes not. Greatest Hits condenses the highlights of this journey in a mere 16 songs, just two longer than Cross Road -- its simultaneously released cousin, Ultimate Greatest Hits, adds a disc with 12 additional songs -- and two of those are new tunes that are unlikely to show up on any subsequent best of. What’s left is indeed the cream of the crop, albeit presented almost randomly, opening with the twin hits “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “You Give Love a Bad Name” before winding through “It’s My Life,” “Have a Nice Day,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Bad Medicine,” and “Runaway,” finding time for extracurricular detours like Jons solo “Blaze of Glory” and his duet with Jennifer Nettles, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.” There are hits missing, but you’d need to consult a chart book to figure out what they were, and if their absence matters, pick up the Ultimate Greatest Hits instead, which has another ten hits, mostly from the ‘90s on (“Keep the Faith,” “Lost Highway,” “Bed of Roses,” “These Days”), plus two additional new songs that will likely not make any subsequent best-of. But what these two collections prove is that less is indeed more: there’s nothing left unsaid on that first disc, no hit that would be missed; it tells everything. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 22 Title: What About Now Released: 2013-03-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Because We Can (04:00) 2 I’m With You (03:44) 3 What About Now (03:44) 4 Pictures of You (03:58) 5 Amen (04:12) 6 That’s What the Water Made Me (04:25) 7 What’s Left of Me (04:35) 8 Army of One (04:34) 9 Thick as Thieves (04:57) 10 Beautiful World (03:48) 11 Room at the End of the World (05:02) 12 The Fighter (04:37) |
| What About Now : Allmusic album Review : One of the great unheralded midlife crises of rock & roll belongs to Jon Bon Jovi, who decided sometime around the turn of the millennium that he wasnt being taken seriously, so it was time to make music that mattered. He wound up taking detours after 2002s Bounce, the album that inaugurated this phase -- and, it has to be said, that 2007 country detour Lost Highway was both his best and biggest record of the decade -- but as he crept closer to 50, the music of Bon Jovi got increasingly somber. What About Now, following a long four years after 2009s The Circle, continues down this sober path, as the group splices elements of U2, contemporary country, Coldplay, finger-plucked folk, and, yes, Bruce Springsteen into a monochromatic dirge. Aesthetically, this is a veritable reiteration of The Circle, where Bon Jovi spent much of their time playing big songs about big topics. As Jon Bon Jovi ponders the state of the union in 2013 (he raises the question "What About Now," then proceeds to answer it throughout the album), he repeats images -- faith intermingles with the military, although rarely in a way that suggests his politics lean to the right; rather, theyre just underscoring the troubles within the American heartland -- as he cites but never explores the big issues of a changing world. He laments the passing of CBGB, but the sound is all dusky Auto-Tuned arena rock, powerful in its attack but colorless in its texture. Also, there arent so many big hooks on What About Now -- just the raise-your-fist anthem of "Because We Can," with most of the sweetest melodies coming from the softer, quieter moments, such as the acoustic "The Fighter," which may (or may not) contain elliptical references to Simon & Garfunkels "The Boxer." What ties all these songs together is Bon Jovis adamant refusal to rely on anything that comes easily to the band. For that, you have to turn to the nice adult contemporary pop of "Into the Echo," a bonus track on deluxe editions of the album. On the proper What About Now, the group is striving to sound big and important yet winds up sounding small. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 22 Title: Burning Bridges Released: 2015-08-21 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A Teardrop to the Sea (05:08) 2 We Don’t Run (03:17) 3 Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning (03:23) 4 We All Fall Down (04:06) 5 Blind Love (04:48) 6 Who Would You Die For (03:55) 7 Fingerprints (05:58) 8 Life Is Beautiful (03:23) 9 I’m Your Man (03:45) 10 Burning Bridges (02:44) 11 Take Back the Night (03:42) |
| Burning Bridges : Allmusic album Review : Labeled not as a new record but a "fan album," 2015s Burning Bridges contains, in Jon Bon Jovis words, "songs that werent finished, that were finished, a couple of new ones." Usually, this kind of hodgepodge is called a contractual obligation or a stopgap, but "fan album" not only sounds kinder, it also identifies precisely the audience that would be interested in this brief, power ballad-heavy collection. In a way, Burning Bridges clears the deck for a new incarnation of Bon Jovi, the first where guitarist Richie Sambora is no longer part of the equation. Sambora gets a co-credit on "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning," a song dating back to The Circle thats easily one of the liveliest things here, rivaled by "Im Your Man," which punches like it was left over from New Jersey. Elsewhere, things are pretty turgid, as Bon Jovi tries in vain to splice Coldplay with Springsteen in an attempt to scale previously unheard heights in arena rock. The sound is there but not the songs. Apart from "Fingerprints," which benefits from a hint of 12-strings from "Wanted Dead or Alive," these seven songs have no flair and virtually no melody, a pretty clear indication that Bon Jovi completed Burning Bridges out of a sense of obligation, not inspiration, but just in case you missed the point he lays it all out in the closing title song. Here, Jon Bon Jovi doesnt mince words about his label, singing "After 30 years of loyalty, they let you dig the grave/Now maybe you can learn to sing or even strum along/Well Ill give you half the publishing, youre why I wrote this song," then delivering the coup de grace with the chorus: "Heres a last song you can sell/Lets call it Burning Bridges, its a singalong as well...hope my money and my masters buy a front-row seat in hell." Not since Graham Parker snarled about "Mercury Poisoning" has a rocker not bothered with parting niceties to his benefactors, and the venom invigorates Jon Bon Jovi, allowing him to write a nagging melody that immediately hooks under the skin and revealing just what a slog the rest of this fare-thee-well actually is. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 22 Title: This House Is Not for Sale Released: 2016-11-04 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:14:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 This House Is Not for Sale (03:36) 2 Living With the Ghost (04:44) 3 Knockout (03:30) 4 Labor of Love (05:03) 5 Born Again Tomorrow (03:33) 6 Roller Coaster (03:40) 7 New Year’s Day (04:27) 8 The Devil’s in the Temple (03:19) 9 Scars on This Guitar (05:05) 10 God Bless This Mess (03:22) 11 Reunion (04:14) 12 Come On Up to Our House (04:35) 13 Real Love (04:33) 14 All Hail the King (04:54) 15 We Don’t Run (03:17) 16 I Will Drive You Home (04:39) 17 Goodnight New York (03:51) 18 Touch of Grey (04:06) |
| This House Is Not for Sale : Allmusic album Review : "I aint livin with the ghost/No future living in the past," sings Jon Bon Jovi on "Living with the Ghost," the second song on This House Is Not for Sale, the first new Bon Jovi album without guitarist Richie Sambora. From those words, its clear that Jon Bon Jovi isnt shedding many tears for his departed collaborator, and This House Is Not for Sale proves this to be true. While there are certainly moments of sweetness here -- he pens love songs to his woman ("Labor of Love") and guitar ("Scars on This Guitar") -- theyre somewhat overwhelmed by the aggressive arena rock that dominates the album. Musically, this is a throwback -- not to the 80s but to 2005s Have a Nice Day, which is the first album Bon Jovi recorded with producer John Shanks. Often, This House Is Not for Sale -- which is the sixth album Shanks has recorded with Bon Jovi -- recalls the exuberant singalongs from Have a Nice Day ("God Bless This Mess" is a kissing cousin to "Who Says You Cant Go Home"), but where that 2005 album felt joyful, this 2016 album is driven in part by spite. Thirty years into his career and Jon Bon Jovi still acts like the underdog ("Every day I wake up with my back against the wall/Anytime you get up, someone wants to see you fall"), and he still sings like he has scores to settle. Presumably, some of these outstanding debts may be with Sambora, who did not leave on good terms, but Jon Bon Jovi is determined that "This isnt how the story ends, my friends, its just a fork along the road," which goes a long way toward explaining how muscular This House Is Not for Sale is. Bon Jovi and Shanks may not have done much to freshen up the bands sound -- they dont take any mid-2010s musical trends into consideration -- but that simmering defiance does mean this is the bands liveliest album in years. | ||