Livin' on a Prayer
Keep the faith
Someday I'll be Saturday night - Previously unreleased
Always - Previously unreleased
Wanted dead or alive
Lay your hands on me
You give love a bad name
Bed of roses
Blaze of Glory
In these arms
Bad medicine
I'll be there for you
In n' out of love
Runaway
Never say goodbye
ONE WILD NIGHT - 2001
It's my life - Nov 27, 2000 Toronto (Canada)
Livin' on a prayer - Aug 30, 2000 Zurich (Switzerland)
You give love a bad name - Aug 30, 2000 Zurich (Switzerland)
Keep the faith - Sep 20, 2000 NYC (USA)
Someday I'll be Saturday night - Nov 10, 1995 Melbourne (Australia)
Rockin' in the free world - Dec 1, 1995 Johannesburg (South Africa) - Neil Young cover
Something to believe in - May 19, 1996 Yokohama (Japan)
Wanted dead or alive - Sep 20, NYC (USA)
Runaway - Apr 28, 1985 Tokyo (Japan)
In n' out of love - Apr 28, 1985 Tokyo (Japan)
I don't like mondays (Feat. Bob Geldof) - Jun 25, 1995 London (England)
Just older - Nov 27, 2000 Toronto (Canada)
Something for the pain - Nov 10, 1995 Melbourne (Australia)
Bad medicine - Aug 30, 2000 Zurich (Switzerland)
One wild night 2001 - Nov 27, 2000 Toronto (Canada)
THIS LEFT FEELS RIGHT - 2003
Personally I really like what they did here (well, maybe it DID take a little bit of getting used to...). Even though there's nothing better than the original version (and absolutely nothing better than the original demo with just voices and guitars and no arrangements), it's nice to see that the songs are versatile enough and that they can be given a different twist to see if they have resisted the test of time and if their essence can shine under a new light. I think they achieved just that, show us a new perspective on their music and that no matter what you do to a song, if it's really good it will come through just the same.
I specially appreciate the new version of YGLABN, it made me rediscover the song, since it's such a huge classic I couldn't get past that anymore, like a phrase repeated once and again with the same intonation, once it's said in a different way, the meaning seems to change even when the words are the same. I didn't like the BTBMB version, the original is far more powerful and not as depressing as this one, same with Everyday and It's my life. It's OK to try a different tone, but not the exact opposite of the original one. And Wanted of course can resist anything you through at it, and this version is interesting to say the list.
All in all this record puts me in a playful, fun and carefree mood.
Wanted dead or Alive
Livin' on a Prayer (Feat. Olivia D'Abo)
Bad Medicine
It's my life
Lay your hands on me
You give love a bad name
Bed of roses
Everyday
Born to be my baby
Keep the faith
I'll be there for you
Always
1.000.000 BON JOVI FANS CAN'T BE WRONG BOXSET - 2004
This may just be their best release EVER. It's the greatest gift they could have given us fans. Many of my favourite songs come from this Boxset and it's just so fool of treasures! There is a variety of songs, and even the ones you could say don't measure up to the standard of the rest of the record (Sympathy, Billy) are actually really good too. I enjoy tremendously the more stripped versions and demos (The Fire inside for example) which only proves that they are such excellent musicians and songwriters no addtional embellishment of the songs is needed. I was also glad they included songs performed by the other members of the band (they should do that more often in the studio albums). Anyway, no matter how good and how many new songs we added to our playlists, it leaves one wondering what else do they have left under their sleeves? It just makes me want more.
CD 1
Why aren't you dead - It's like the sister-song of I'll sleep when I'm dead and it's just as hilarious
The radio saved my life tonight - One of the best songs they ever wrote
Taking it back - Does anybody else feel a Tokyo Road deja vú here?
Someday I'll be saturday night demo - you can never go wrong with this masterpiece
Miss Fourth of July - Jon spilling his guts out, amazing
Open all night - before I knew it this one became quickly one of my favourite BJ songs ever (OK, the list is huge, but anyway), it specially suits this exact moment in my life so I've been listening to it a lot. Love the high notes, the melody and the bluesy twist before the last chorus.
These arms are open all night - what's with "open all night", "these arms" and "these open arms" and "these arms are open all night", it's amazing how many songs you can build on thos words.
I get a rush - awesome
Someday just might be tonight - Another one that's been on my playlist more often than others. Deceivingly simple but very profound in meaning
Thief of hearts - yup, the title is a little cliché and silly but the naughtyness comes with the lyrics, I can see Jon smirking all the way through this song. The beat keeps it from being stalker-scary and turns it into something a little more amusing.
Last man standing - I prefer the HAND version
I just want to be your man - Love it, the guitars, the arrangements, the voice, the rythm, the melody, the lyrics. It's very different from other songs and feels like a breath of fresh air.
CD 2
Garageland - One of the best songs they've written
Starting all over again - Wow, those high notes
Maybe someday - not bad but not my type
Last chance train - it's impossible not to know where this one came from and that just makes me love them even more
The Fire Inside - Just perfect. In Jon's own words: "A good song holds up with an acoustic guitar". Amen.
Every beat of my heart - again, too sweet for me
Rich man living in a poor man's house - sweet
The one that got away - Good Lord, I love this song
You can sleep while I dream - I was playing guitar and singing for my friends once and one asked me why I liked to play Bon Jovi so much, my answer was: "Because they write songs that say what I want to say". And this is one of them.
Outlaws of love - Tommy and Gina again? Anyway, regardless of the lyrics and the story I love the music and the chorus.
Good guys don't always wear white - spectacular
CD 3
Edge of a broken heart - when a song is left out of a record and becomes a classic nonetheless, then you're in front of a friggin' awesome song
Sympathy - almost a "by default" rock song, but wait until the ends: you will laugh your a** off (I do!)
Only in my dreams - Awwww, Tico's voice is soooo sexy
Shut up and kiss me - A Proud Mary tribute but enjoyable anyway, nice to know how they experiment while in the creation process, that they try all the roads possible and explore, not just have a determined product in mind.
Crazy Love - Fun
Lonely at the top - It hurts to listen to this song but the sound is so crystal clear and it's so full of emotion and so honest that it's worth the tears
Ordinary People - meh...too half-beat and simple but with more work it could become something cool.
Flesh and Bone - pure rock and amazing vocals. Reminds me a little of some parts of Love for sale.
Satellite - a Hook me up embryo? The concept is the same but the result is different and not bad at all.
If I can't have your love - One of the best love songs. EVER.
Real life - Simple but powerful, the metaphor is fantastic and well achieved and goes perfectly with the movie. Who am I kidding? In those leather pants he can sing Mary had a little lamb and I'd still wouldn't pay attention to what he's singing. This must be my favourite Jon look ever. Just perfect: short hair, black leather pants and black long sleeved tight top. Perfect.
Memphis lives in me - A classic. It makes my heart swoon everytime I listen to it. An amazing piece of music. It will become a Broadway classic, no doubt about it.
Too much of a good thing - another classic rock n' roll song
CD 4
Love ain't nothing but a four letter word
Love ain't nothing but a four letter word demo - I don't love it, but it's a great song and many a woman can relate to it. The fact that who wrote these are men makes it even more worthy of appreciation.
River runs dry - awesome ballad. Love the spanish guitar taste to it.
Always demo - man, those vocal chords must have really needed some pampering after that. I prefer the Crossroad version but there are some things in this version I would have kept.
Kidnap an angel - Reminds me a lot of August 7, 4:15 in some ways. I try to avoid these extremely sad songs cause they get me down, but this one is very pretty.
Breathe - Love it! I like the message, the music and the guitars. It's very fresh and positive.
Out of bounds - Pure rock. Headbanger. Just fantastic.
Letter to a friend - the title promises more than the song actually delivers, for my friends I stick to Nobody's hero
Temptation - this one goes to the naughty songs bag, but doesn't really leave an impression at least on me. The thing I enjoy most about it is the little background sounds and maybe the husky voice but not much.
Gotta have a reason - This song blows my mind. I love it just as it is. It's perfect. This could have easily been a classic of WDOA proportions.
All I wanna do is you - it's saultry but the poppy rythm makes it cute
Billy - idem Sypathy
Nobody's hero - this is Bon Jovi's Bridge over troubled water. A classic to sing for my friends.
Maybe we can have one more for the 30th anniversary? Pretty pleassseee?
In this blog you can find a very thorough and accurate review of this album.
GREATEST HITS THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION - 2010
Yeah, I also thought: another one?! But after I heard their reasons I was OK with it, maybe it's not ALL about the die-hard fans but also about the new and the potential ones. Since they are taking a long hiatus now and since their last GH was in 1994 it seems appropriate to have a new one that includes their LATEST HITS he he. Of course they included something for us too so we would actually buy the CD and I was not disappointed (maybe a little bit with WDYG but it ended up growing on me after I realized it was a nice song to play with the guitar).
DISC 1
Livin' on a prayer
You give love a bad name
It's my life
Have a nice day - maybe it was huge somewhere else, not here
Wanted dead or alive
Bad medicine
We weren't born to follow - isn't it too soon?
I'll be there for you
Born to be my baby
Bed of roses
Who says you can't go home
Lay your hands on me
Always
In these arms
What do you got? - Can barely stand the video
No apologies - I was taken aback at first, it felt like it could end up in a David Guetta remix tape but after I got past that and ignored the arrangements I dug the lyrics and the message and the fact that it's a great song for a huge arena show, I can almost see myself jumpin' and shouting to this song.
No apologies - I was taken aback at first, it felt like it could end up in a David Guetta remix tape but after I got past that and ignored the arrangements I dug the lyrics and the message and the fact that it's a great song for a huge arena show, I can almost see myself jumpin' and shouting to this song.
DISC 2
Runaway - This should have been in DISC 1 and in the 1 CD version of the Album. It's a MUST, it's the song they built their career upon and it's still rockin' and holding up really good.
Someday I'll be saturday night
Lost Highway - ?
I'll sleep when I'm dead - I love this song, but...GH?
In n' Out of love
Keep the faith
When we were beautiful - ?
Blaze of glory
This ain't a love song
These days
(You want to) Make a memory
Blood on Blood
This is love, this is life - Love it, woo woo woo!!
The more things change - fun but I don't need them to remind me they're old
This is our house - t' was available for download on BSWJBJ. It's become a sports anthem and it fits that purpose. I'm not crazy about it.
SONGS I HAVE FOUND SCATTERED AROUND
America the Beautiful - A version they did for fundraising after 9-11
Fighter for love - from the NJ Tour, it's a 27 second promising piece that was apparently never developed
Heart of America - A song they wrote for the Farm Aid event back in the 80's, the only version I've found is the one they performed during that event, I doubt it was ever actually recorded.
Heartbreak eyes - 1983
I don't want to live forever - I really like this song, I don't think many teenagers nowadays see the world this way anymore, it's very innocent and mature at the same time. It represents the teenage angst very accurately.
Cadillac man - Cadillac man Soundtrack. Wonderful song. It makes me wanna see the movie.