I know nothing about Bon Jovi save the big super hits that catapulted him and his group to megastardom. Is there anything more to the once high-haired glam pop rock than just faux country anthem rock?
Let's find out.
Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi - 1984 (Buy it)
It's a little bit Bruce, a little bit Bay City Rollers/Hudson Brothers and a whole lot of Rick Springfield.
Pushed to make an album after the success of the contest winning single, Runaway, this is the first album of what would be Bon Jovi.
Taken as a single, Runaway is a really great Rick Springfield song. And I don't mean Working Class Dog Rick. I'm talking Wait for Night Rick. It's glammy, sparkly, edgy with the blades all dulled out to be inoffensive. All the way through are the shadows of Rick.
Of course, I'm not really surprised. One of the session men on part of this record is Tim Pierce of the big soaring power pop guitars on Rick's Love Somebody.
Where does Bon Jovi succeed Rick, then? I think it's the hair. Rick had the look but he was about to be passed by for glam metal. Rick had skinny ties and suits. Jon has Final Net.
Jon is posing as a Jersey boy hair metal god while really doing nothing more interesting or groundbreaking than power pop. The drums are a little more Arena ready but that's about it. Tico "double kick" Torres knows what the hell he's doing and even professor Roy Bittan shows up for a little side work for the kid from his homestate.
But it's mainly:
Hair, spandex and...hair.
That's not to say there isn't some good stuff here, it's just that guys like Rick were doing it better with better songs before this little kid whose cousin owned The Power Station.
I'm usually pretty lenient with first offerings and I won't break ranks here.
It isn't great. It's not bad. It doesn't really portend a career spanning a quarter century, though.
Confession: I tried to listen to this a few days ago and fell asleep around the 7th or 8th song in. When I woke up I thought, 'Yikes, this is a LONG track'. It was the 4th song on the next album. Needless to say, not all that much variety going on here. The reason I bring this up is that I am listening to it again and found myself forgetting that it was on. During the same freaking song, Burning for Love. It's gonna be a long week.
Grade B-
A Side: Runaway
Blindside: Get Ready & Come Back
Downside: Breakout & Burning for Love
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