Customer Reviews

Bon Jovi

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bon Jovi open their account with this debut of servicable if naive sounding rock `n' roll delivered with plenty of youthful vigour and a slight whiff of overplanning. The album consists of the softer end of hard rock in terms of G rated pleasures and the lack of many double entendre or outright sleaze that would be such a hallmark of so much of the hair metal genre.

As such the band actually serve a useful purpose, there is little naughtiness in any of their product and thus their squeeky clean image makes them and this album sort of socially acceptable. Highlights from this album would be lead song Runaway and Break Out and even this early on the Bon Jovi use of massive chorus and hook melodies is much in evidence. While much of this album can't really stand up to their later work on Slippery When Wet this album is a useful calling card of a debut, sure it's easy to snigger at the naivety of it all but the whiff of corporate desperation aside, this album is light hearted fun. It's meant to be successful and there is a certain honesty in it's aspirations as opposed to so many bands who claim to not care about commercial success but quite obviously do.

Musically this is hard AOR from 1984 and therefore not necessary for your life but much as it's fair to point out it's rather twee moments and it's paucity of really great tunes it's also fair to point out that the song structures will give the listener insight into the early Bon Jovi psyche and whatever their budget was, the band got the most out of it with a production that does sound dated now but for the time was better than plenty of other debut albums. The band deserve credit here for going after the sound they wanted and for their level of professionalism even at this early stage, a sense of mission permeating the teenage car stereo rock tunes.

I've only given it a three but that shouldn't dissuade Bon Jovi fans from picking this up cheap and enjoying trawling through it for some personal gems. And afficianados of 80's hard rock and metal should also buy it for it's historical value (heck it's cheap enough).

it was better than anyone expected it to be because it was bon jovi's first album and they were all very young. the first two albums are different from the others,which doesn't make them worse. i personally love this album. runaway is obviously an awsome song but i also like shot through the heart(which i personally like more than "you give love a bad name" which everyone mistakes).

"Runaway," of course, started it all. The Bon Jovi legacy that has made it over three decades, despite how all of the 80's haters have tried to scar this band with a scarlet letter of its own. Resilience has kept the band out of the grave, which is much more than the once brutal grunge army can say for their beloved Cobain. Despite the fact that there is a large legion of those who use a wave of their hand to dismiss 80's rock as pretensious, Bon Jovi is indeed one of the rare examples of products as commercially in-your-face as the Big Mac who made it to that point by offering us something as creatively/artistically crafted as a gourmet entree at a prestigious New York City dining establishment.

I was 4 when this album came out, and didn't start rocking with them till "New Jersey" came out. I can't say for sure if I would have thought Bon Jovi the greatest thing ever to exist, if I was a teenager at the time. Fortunately, I'll never have to answer that. Indeed, Jovi's first 2 albums, while LOVED by a stubborn (in a good way) minority, aren't like the rest. They're less diverse, not as unique, offer less musically, and just about every song is about women and/or some sort of heart-break; which, as I noted on my Farenheit review, is just PERFECT musical therapy for certain times in everyone's life. Otherwise, though, this album isn't very multi-purpose for you the listener. Still, this first album, while not as meaningful as "Slippery..." or "Keep the Faith," somehow finds a bit of timelessness simply by being the "classic breakthrough that started it all."

Asides from the songs being generally perfect for rocking out every now and then, the debut's longevity hasn't really been owed to the music itself (I'm not referring to "Runaway", which was recorded with a different set of musicians before the final group was in place). JBJ himself said he didn't know what he should write, for example if the record company wanted 10 more "Runaways"... which is understandable for a band just getting into the biz and wanting to learn the ropes, but also hinting at one of Jon's attitudes that he still unfortunately sort of holds, that being, always think about what commercially will sell... Take those words carefully, I am not suggesting the band has ever "sold out", and indeed, this mentality has helped them get as big as they did, I am just saying that when it comes down to it, their first release doesn't have too much artistic integrity (though it made up for it with ambition), and thus it pales in comparison to most of their other recordings. Even a "bad" Jovi record, which this is NOT, can never be any less than good, however, so I'm throwing three stars its way just because even in their early 20's, there's an embryonic emotional spirit that is possessed in these 5 souls, necessary for eventually helping lots and lots of people through music. A talent given by God, and given to few.

The songs themselves - the music is much better than the lyrics, previously referred to as being largely "heartbreak lyrics." As far as 80's metal (though not heavy like Iron Maiden), it is nothing short of awe inspiring to hear David (who would have gone off to Juliard if not for the band) tinkering with ways to put keyboard effects and enhancements to music the way only prog-rockers had previously done. As a pianist myself, every note David has ever played has heavily influenced my take on how to craft music. As for Richie, this is wayyy before he gets self-conscious and starts underplaying, so you get some kickass soloing going on, again, especially for a person as young as he was at the time. The only general thing for some of you to look out for is this album has the 80's SOUND, if there ever was such a thing... so if you are one of those people who can't tolerate dated sounds, you might have some problems. For the rest of us, you'll notice I haven't really mentioned song titles - that's because this album really is very similar, it's almost not quite worthy enough of featuring certain songs over others. ALMOST. Here's my favorites (asides from "Runaway"): "She Don't Know Me" (though written by someone else), "Shot Through the Heart" (NOT the mass hit "You Give Love A Bad Name" that far too many people make the mistake about), "Get Ready" (The ONLY song in a major key on the whole record!!!!!). Particular songs aren't worth arguing over, I've saved THAT for my "Keep the Faith" review!!!

This album is what it is, and not much needs to be said other than it's nothing special but it rocks, especially when you're pissed off about a relationship situation. I still think everyone should own this, as everyone should own all Bon Jovi albums!!! Just make this and "7800 degrees..." the end of your collection, so you aren't hit with "Roulette" being your first impression. This album plays a very important role in the history of the band, and it just doesn't feel right without it.

It wasn't the best cd he has out but it wasn't his worst because he dosn't have any bad cd's. And I think his Cross Roads cd ROCKS!!! I would really like to see him in Edmonton,Alberta, Canada, my friends and I would all go to his concert.