Happy 50th to Jon - a little respect for Bon Jovi

I know I'm a day late, Jon Bon Jovi turned 50 yesterday! man, we are getting old. So here's a bit of a backhanded tribute. lol

                      

 Now I am no expert on Bon Jovi and cannot claim to big a big fan. There are some of his albums I could not name you one song but I was surprised how many of their songs I do like. Thinking about it, while I would never call them "innovative" or "original", I would rather see Bon Jovi in concert than, say, Pearl Jam or Green day. 

"Have a Nice Day" is the album I liked best by them. 

My friend Greg once won a contest and took a couple of us to see them in concert and meet them before the show. I kinda of wish I had saved my signed ticket to sell on Ebay!


I know "Bon Jovi" is a household name, but pre-1986 they were no more famous than their contemporaries like Dokken, Ratt, Honeymoon Suite.


Long before the days where you could record an album on your laptop, John Bongiovi had an advantage. His cousin Tony ran the noted NYC studio "The Power Station" (yup that's where that group got their name...). He got John a job there being a gofer, sweeping up etc. John was able to record demos a night. "Runaway" features great session men like Roy Bittan, Tim Pierce and Frankie La Rocka. It got local airplay and John Bongiovi became "Jon Bon Jovi" and got a deal....


                                                   "Runaway"

                   The music was pleasant 80's AOR (album oriented rock)  in the same vein as the April Wine's, Billy Squier's, Foreigner's of the world.

I know Jon now tries to act like his influences are all Bruce and Southside Johnny types, but this is revisionism. He was all hair spray an spandex for a looong time.

                 

         I barely remember their 2nd album coming out . I was working at a record store at the time and remember thinking the single "In and Out of Love" was lame crap that dirtbags that reeked of cigarettes made out to. 
I'd be surprised if our store even sold 10 copies but Billboard says it went Gold!

  Long before Poison was cranking out power ballads Bon Jovi was doing it...

                                                       "Silent Night"

             
   Here's one were the band tries to "act" They must cringe. But musically, it wasn't bad 80's AOR

                                                              "Only Lonely"

             
 So what changed in 1986 to shoot them to stardom? 
Well Jon Bon Jovi really liked the album "The Big Prize" by Canadian AOR band Honeymoon Suite. The album didn't do much here (if you like 80's AOR, it is very good, probably better that "Slippery"). 
It was produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had worked with Loverboy,  Prism, and Blue Oyster Cult as well. So Bon Jovi enlisted Fairbairn and engineer Bob Rock (who went on to big success with Motley Crue, Metallica, and the Cult) The record company also brought in an outside writer, a "song doctor" if you will, Desmond Child. Child helped them craft "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin on a Prayer" into the big hits... and the rest is history. 
This album probably saved their career.  

Again, Jon is a revisionist. Their image was as  often stupid and immature as bands like Motley Crue.

Original cover for the album:

                                                      
 
The album is a fun representation of 80's hair metal/rock. 
You put on "You give love a bad name" in a bar a everyone from the sheet-metal worker, to the housewife, to the yuppie are signing along.


      maybe Jon really was kinda the Hair Metal Springsteen. This one had the good "everyman" feel to it..

                                                "Without Love"

  
                 
                                                    a spandex "Glory Days"? kinda

                                                       "Wild in the Streets"

  

 I wasn't a fan of songs that came next like "Bad Medicine" , but I thought Jon turned a corner when he went solo for "Young Guns Soundtrack". He asked Danny Kortchmar to produce. Danny worked with James Taylor Jackson Browne and Don Henley. 
He was no hard rock producer. Jon also brought in  Jeff Beck, Aldo Nova, and long before he was on "American Idol" calling everyone "dawg", Randy Jackson, to play on the album

                                                                 "Miracle"

                 


                                                 "Bang a Drum"
 

 

The band reconvened in 1993.

 Jon got the "haircut heard 'round the world"

Still a bit corny and overwrought, they were still a success

  "In These Arms"

   

        A funny thing happened, they got better the longer they lasted! I think the chorus to "It's my Life" is great. Might be their best song.

                                           "It's my Life"

     
  they even channeled  Bowie, Mott, T-Rex for
                      
                             "Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen"

        


 I think "Have a Nice Day "  is their best album. I give them credit for changing their sound to adapt to the times.  You can definitely hear the influence touring with a newer band like SR-71 had on them.
They teamed up with John Shanks who was and is one of the hottest producers in music. Smart move. Shanks is great at getting good tones.

                                        

 They branched out further into "new country" territory with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.

                                        "Who Says You Can't go home"
 

   

     
                                         

                            "Last Man Standing"

                     
        this one really has that punky power pop sound. I think it's a good one

                                                            "Last Cigarette"

                                           
             
      more good power pop. I think this is my favorite by them

                                                          "Novocaine"

                  

 more in that vein


                                           "Story of My Life"

                        

I haven't heard too much of their stuff since then. The went more in the "new country" direction with "Lost Highway" A lot of it all sounds the same? Not bad, but nothing that brings me back...but they aren't offensive. 

The only cringe moments when they try to come off as hip or sincere." Bon Jovi" is a business man, an image , a brand.
 That is not a criticism. They are supposed to be "light" fun rock n roll. 
Missteps are when they and cover songs like "Rockin in the Free World", "I Don't like Mondays", Little Steven's "I am Patriot", and the ubiquitous "Hallelujah" (although Leonard Cohen said he really likes their version!) 
Sincerity doesn't fit ya guys. Leave it to Bruce, Jackson Browne, Neil Young and the like.


I was surprised that Bon Jovi is not in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame yet. I think their is something to be said for longevity, reinventing yourself and selling a hell of a lot of records! 
I do think bands that came before them like Bad Company, Foreigner, Journey, Styx, etc. should get a shot at getting in first...

I recently heard the Director of the Rock Roll Hall of Fame say the number one factor weighed when electing someone to the RRHOF is "influence". Bon Jovi is more of a "product of their influences" rather than being an influence. Time will tell....


Til then don't be ashamed to turn it up sing along with Bon Jovi ......

10 great musical guest appearances by Fleetwood Mac members.

There was a time when Fleetwood Mac was the biggest band in the world;. 1977-78.
 They were in demand. They took some time to help out various friends with their albums and it usually resulted in a hit.

   












 



 One of Lindsey Buckingham's favorite groups growing up was the folk group the Kingston Trio.
Lindsey became friends with the late John Stewart from the band and helped produce and arrange his comeback album "Bombs Away Dreams Babies".
 Stewart had a Top Ten hit with "Gold". Stevie and Lindsey helped out greatly on it.
 Stevie's harmonies really helped sell the song
                                                                          "Gold" 

                                   :
   

Stevie and Lindsey also helped make "Midnight Wind" a minor hit for John.
Stevie really sings her butt off! FMac would go more in this musical direction on their next album "Tusk" Reminds me of the song "Sisters of the Moon" from "Tusk"

                                                             "Midnight Wind"

                                        
             


 I've never a been a big Kenny Loggins fan. Just never really "Rock" enough for me... Even though the lyric is dumb, Stevie adds a sweet charm and sensuality to this one .
 Like all the best women, Stevie always had  that subtle sensuality rather than blatant "sexpot" vibe to her.

                                                     "Whenever I Call You Friend"

                                                

     

  Walter Egan is another that benefited from his friendship with the Fleetwood Mac crew
His "Magnet and Steel" that featured Stevie and Lindsey was a big hit!

                                            "Magnet and Steel"

 




  Bob Welch was in Fleetwood Mac before Stevie and Lindsey. This song is a remake of a song he did with Fleetwood Mac. The remake became a Top 40 hit and features Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood . Lindsey and Christine also produced the song. Too bad the video is terrible!
                                                    

                                                         "Sentimental Lady"

                            
              




 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers helped Stevie Nicks to solo stardom by giving her and recording "Stop Draggin My Heart Around" with her. This one went on Tom's "Hard Promises" album that same year.

                                                           "Insider"

             



Though they did not appear on the album version, Stevie and Mick Fleetwood turned up at the California Jam 2 in 1978  to help Bob Welch out. Plus Stevie looks really cute here. lol

                                                         "Ebony Eyes" 

                  




 Here's a good one from Todd Sharp. Who is Todd Sharp? Funny you should ask.
His 1986 MCA album was called "Who Am I?". He started off playing in Hall & Oates band at a young age. He went on to play on Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie's solo albums (he co-wrote a lot of Christine's album)
 I always thought he would have been the perfect choice to be one of Lindsey's replacements in 1987 when he left the band.
 Todd is a good writer,singer and guitarist. He was already friends with the band , but for some reason FM went with Rick Vito instead; a good guitarist but not much of a writer or singer.
Todd went on to play in Rod Stewart's band for a while and then moved on to playing with Delbert McClinton. He is definitely one of my "unsung heroes" of rock n roll. Plus his name is Todd! ha

Here is a duet with Christine McVie from his album

                                                     "We Were Lonely"

Billy Burnette was another friend of Fleetwood Mac who played on Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie's solo albums. He was asked to join Fleetwood Mac in 1987 when Lindsey Buckingham left. He stayed with them until 1995.Billy went on to play with John Fogerty.

 Here Christine McVie returns the favor on his 1985 solo album, singing " "We Ain't Over" with him.
                                            
                                              "We Ain't Over"

                          


 Here Lindsey helps John Stewart out live in 1981. Even wearing a shirt like the Kingston Trio used to wear! John tells a good story of how he became aware of Lindsey and introduces him by saying "I love him like a brother.."

                                           "The Spinnin of the World"

                           

                                        
                             

10 great Beatles covers

                           Adrian Belew started covering this almost as soon as it was out.
                                                              "Free as a Bird"

                               

            love this version of Robert Palmer covering "Not a Second Time"

                    
                    Aimee Mann and her husband Michael Penn's great cover of "Two of Us"

              
                   I really liked the Hooters version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
                             the mandolins sound amazing

                    

     the late Jeff Healey did a great version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" .
 Incredibly, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne sing backing vocals.

              
 Cheap Trick really does a good job covering Beatle songs.
They have live album out of them performing Sgt Pepper's in its entirety.
                                                         " Day Tripper" 

 I always thought this one was one of the best moments of the whole Live Aid concert.
  Perfect...
                                            Elvis Costello "All You Need is Love"

           
 I was surprised that Hall & Oates pulled this one out for their Unplugged special
Very Good.
                                                  "Don't Let Me Down"

      
        Jeff Beck never ceases to amaze me. He is one of the best. I love him more than Hendrix.
                          awesome take on  "A Day in the Life"

                         

                  Always liked this crazy one from Adrian Belew "I'm Down"

                  

Brian Jones would have been (70!) today. In His honor 20 good Brian-era Stones tunes

The late Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones would have been 70 today! But as Keith used to say Brian was never going to be an old guy.

 

Brian actually founded the band. He was the leader at first. He named the band.

                  

             

The first couple Stones albums are actually nothing special and certainly did not hint at the greatness that would soon come. They mostly covered other people’s songs. Their first hits were a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On” and a version of the Beatles “I Wanna Be Your Man’. They definitely did not hit stride until they started wrting their own songs. “The Last Time” was a great start to the self-penned hits.
 
Brian is one of those figures in rock history whose contributions are either underrated or overrated .
 By all accounts he was a good rhythm guitar player and a very good slide guitar player as well as a good blues harmonica player..

His shining moments on guitar seem to be on “Little Red Rooster” and one of his last contributions on “No Expectations”. The problem is back in the 60’s there really weren’t many albums with the musicians credits listed  saying who played what. 

Is that Brian on  the iconic main lick on “the Last Time”? Is he trading great riffs and notes with Keith on “19^th Nervous Breakdown”?  Is the wonderful acoustic picking on “Sitting on a Fence” all Keith? 
Is that Brian playing the cool little guitar figure on the “but it’s all right now” part of “Jumpin Jack Flash”? I’m a huge Stones fan and I’ve never seen a clear answer and Keith never seems to clear up any of the confusion only describing  his musical relationship with Brian as the beginning of the “ancient art of weaving”; the idea of both guitar players  trading off playing lead and rhythm fairly seamlessly. 
So it is hard to judge how good of a guitar player Brian was.  Besides the afore mentioned “Little Red Rooster” are there really any songs where you can sight a great Brian Jones guitar solo? He ceratainly wasn't a Page, Clapton or Beck.

Let’s address that Brian apparently did not write songs. This obviously put him at a disadvantage when Mick & Keith started to write together and took over the band. The only writing credit Brian Jones ever got on Rolling Stones albums was on any song credited to the pseudonym  “Nanker-Phelge” for group compositions; usually pedestrian blues-oriented instrumental songs they used to use as album filler. 
Now some have insinuated that Brian did help Keith write “Ruby Tuesday” but I guess only Brian and Keith know and Keith always says he wrote it. 
There have even been some conspiracy theorists that claim Brian wrote the legendary riff to “Satisfaction” rather than Keith  recording the riff on his tape recorder before he feel asleep! Again, a certain segment of people trying to give Brian too much credit  I think.

Where the praise is often heaped upon Brian is for  his versatility on other instruments. Adding sitar to Stones songs like “Paint it Black”, “Mother’s Little Helper” and “Street Fighting Man”;

         

                                                & woodwinds to Ruby Tuesday”.

                  
 
                 mellotron on songs like “We Love You” and “2000 Light years From Home.

                                 

 

He can be seen at the piano on TV appearances like Ed Sullivan, but I’m not sure how much piano he really played on the albums. The Stones often used session legend Nicky Hopkins on piano as well as their longtime cohort Ian Stewart .
 
Overall does this make the guy a legend or even as crucial as the other members? 
There is a story that by the “Beggars Banquet” sessions Brian was pretty incapacitated by drugs and asked Mick “What can I play?”.. , 
“I dunno what can you play ?”  answered Mick.

Why has so much credit been heaped on Jones other than he founded the band? It may sound funny, but he was one of the coolest looking rock stars that ever lived. 

 

              

He was a 60's fashion icon a bit of a "dandy", and was known for his mane of blond hair. He was probably the most popular member with the girls until Mick eventually took over. 

  

I think people are more enamored of his image than of his actual contributions, sorry to say.  Guys wanted to look like him and girls wanted to be with him. 

                   

Unfortunately, he had a fragile ego and apparently vacillated between being a mean person and being the wounded victim-type. He dove deeper into drugs and in 1969 was asked to leave the band. 
Some say he was trying to get his act together and form a new band just before he tragically and mysteriously drowned in his pool in July of 1969. 

                                                         Brian near the end of his life

                                 

                                                  

In his honor, here are 20 great Brian-era Stones songs
                                     
    

“Paint it Black”- I believe in his book, Bill Wyman says he was playing these chords on the organ while Charlie drummed claiming he started the genesis of the music for the song. Of course the song is only credited to Jagger/Richards. Brian’s sitar is a key component of the song and is one of his finest moments.

                   

 

“Lady Jane”- an Elizabethian sounding piece with harpsichord and Brian on the dulcimer.

 A very “English” track from the guys.

                     

         

“Ruby Tuesday”- Keith claims he wrote the song by himself. Brian adds the flute like flourishes that do add to the song nicely.

                          

 

“Mother’s Little Helper”- an ode to the trials and tribulations of motherhood and being a housewife. All cured by valium…

                                       

 

“Connection” – a song mostly written by Keith (and played on his solo tours) describing the difficulties of getting thru customs in the 60’s. He thinks it was hard then?

               

 

“She Smiled Sweetly”- I must admit this one didn’t hit me until seeing “The Royal Tenenbaums.” Sometimes a song being effectively used in a movie can really give it life.

                    

         

 

“Play With Fire”- great minor-key moody piece. 

                                       

 

“Sittin on a Fence”- lesser known but a favorite of mine. Great lyrics examining how people can rush into adulthood, marriage , mortages, etc without giving it too much thought because it’s seems like what you are supposed to do.

             

 

“Something Happened to Me yesterday”- an attempt at a Dylan-esque type track. Keith helping Mick out on vocals.  The band didn’t seem quite sure which direction to go on “Between the Buttons”.

        

 

“19^th Nervous Breakdown”-stress! Some nice guitar riffs, not sure who played what.

               

 "Under my Thumb" - Brian on the marimbas 

                              

 

“Get Off of My Cloud”- Of their best early singles. Saw them do this live in 2006 and the whole place was shouting the “hey!” parts.

            

 

“Dandelion” – a great psychedelic pop track. Not sure if that is Brian on some of the odd sounds on here.

              

“She’s a Rainbow”- Psychedeilia was never really the Stones forte but this is probably the Stones best “psychedelic” track. 

                                   

 

“We Love You”- written to their fans after Mick and Keith were cleared of drug charges where they were threatened with going to prison. Supposedly John and Paul join in on backing vocals. Brian on the mellotron keyboard.

                                    

 

“2000 Light Years From Home”- a definite attempt at something along the line of what the Doors and some of the San Francisco bands were doing. Used to kind of creep me out when I was kid. Brian on the mellotron keyboard.

                                                   

“Jumpin Jack Flash”- an incredible comeback single from the band and one of their most loved songs. Great riff and that may be Brian on the little fills on the “It’s all right now” part. Another creepy vid. Freaked me out as a kid.

            

            

“Street Fighting Man”- Brian adds some subtle sitar to his one. Keith overloads his acoustic to sound like electrics..

             

            

   

“No Expectations”- That is supposedly Brian on slide guitar, considered by most to be his last shining musical moment.

                            

 

             “Sympathy for the Devil” – You can see them trying to work it out here 

                                

                            

                                    But the finished product is really Mick and Keith’s baby..

     

bonus:      

“You Can’t Always get What you Want” Rock n Roll Circus. I think is Brian last public appearance with the band and he didn’t make the album version the songs. He seems to be just strumming along here.

    

   

                

The weakest tracks on Classic albums (Part 2)

I am continuing my series on the weakest tracks on iconic, classic albums. Even the greatest albums can have a weak track or two and when compared to the great material on the album, they can stick out like a sore thumb.
These are the tracks you press the > button on your cd player or IPod.



    I'm gonna start off with a track from Bruce. "Born to Run" was the album that finally broke Springsteen and probably saved his career. It has iconic tracks like the title track, "Jungleland", "Backstreets" "Thunder Road", "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out".If you go to a Springsteen concert, chances are you are going to hear these. While album cuts like "Night"  "She's the One" , and "Backstreets" make the cut as good quality tracks.

That leaves Just the oddly jazzy (?) "Meeting Across the River".
I can kind of picture maybe Tom Waits singing it? There's not much of a melody.
 The chord progression makes it sound like something someone would sing on Broadway and the featured instrument is not even Clarence's sax??!!!! it's a trumpet!!

Surprisingly , Bruce has played this live in recent years. I know he did the entire "Born to Run" album live a couple of tours ago so I guess he had to.

I suggest skip it!                >


                                                           "Meeting Across the River"

                                                           





Well, here is the one that might be the "Mother" (sorry couldn't resist) of all bad tracks on a great album! I can't believe I didn't include it in my first post!.  

The Police "Mother"!. Andy Summers dissonant contribution to "Synchronicity".
Musically it seems to be influenced by his recent collaborator King Crimson's Robert Fripp and vocally a bit by some of the Adrian Belew's vocals on  King Crimson's "Discipline" album,... but that's being kind....

  This is the best Andy could do? He had written one of my favorite Police songs, "Omegaman", on the previous album.  The record company even wanted that song to be a single, but Sting wouldn't have it , even though he sang the lead vocal!                                             

Apparently Sting had now started to refuse to sing Andy's songs and Andy is not much of a singer, so maybe Andy just said " F*%k it. I'll give them a piece of crap and dare them to put it on the album."
Well Sting claimed he loved it! So on the album it went!
Not only is this song considered the worse song on the album, it is considered one of the worse songs ever done by a major rock band! 


                                               

                                                 
 
 Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy about the Stewart Copeland penned "Miss Gradenko"; and Sting himself turned in the weak "Walking in Your Footsteps". But "Mother" takes the cake.

 It is baffling that the song Summers and Sting co-wrote, "Murder by Numbers", a good little track, was only on the cassette of "Synchronicity". They could have easily swapped it with the hated Mother"



                                                                    The Police - "Mother"

                              



                       With the next entry I'm going to go with the Stones.
 I'm sure I could pick thru "Exile on Main Street" and find a couple of unnecessary tracks but I will leave it alone for now and tackle "Tattoo You", a huge album for the Stones in 1981.
 It contained hits like "Start Me Up" and "Waiting on a Friend". Great pub-rock style tracks like "Hang Fire" and "Neighbors". More bluesy numbers like "Black Limousine" and "Slave".  "Little T&A" is one of Keith Richards' greatest songs!
 It is amazing that most of the tracks were leftovers from previous albums that just needed some lyrics and vocals added. It turned out really good!

but then you get to side 2 (if you ever got there at all)..Suddenly there is a run of ballads that seem to all be more "Mick" songs. For "Worried About You" Mick breaks out his "Emotional Rescue" falsetto for the verses and you know its not gonna be a great one. This was a leftover from the 1975 sessions and Wayne Perkins (who?) plays the lead guitar on it! But they did make a video for it and they actually played it live a couple of tours ago..

Side 2 also has "No Use in Crying" which isn't a bad ballad and sounds like a leftover from "Emotional Rescue".; The experimental, eastern-flavored "Heaven", which only features Mick, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and producer Chris Kimsey on it is worth a listen.It's more of the kind of track Mick would do on his later solo albums.
Side 2 ends with"Waiting on a Friend" which is actually a great song and features amazing sax playing from jazzman Sonny Rollins!

That leaves just track 2 on side two "Tops" an old leftover song of about an ambitious girl trying to make it (as an actress we assume). The track is so old that Mick Taylor who had left the band 7 years earlier plays lead guitar! He had to sue to get paid for this track!
The track kind of sounds like a weak 70's Philly soul ballad, think O'Jays or the Spinners.
 I'm going with "Tops" as the dud. It's not "the tops"....


                                                           "Tops"

                            



Peter Gabriel is probably one of the least likely pop stars ever. He never intended to be one. In 1986 he released the single "Sledgehammer" and the album "So" and away he went.
Pretty crazy that a guy who used to dress in crazy costumes in a prog-rock band (Genesis) would have the biggest hit of 1986!

                                               

This was an album even girls would buy! Especially after Cameron Crowe used Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" in the "boombox" famous scene in the movie "Say Anything".  Personally, I never need to hear the "hits" on this album  ever again. They aren't bad just incredibly overplayed.
And, sorry, but if you ever tried that whole boombox schtick on a girl , like John Cusack did in the movie, you're a dope...
I'm not against trying to show someone how you feel with music but this was a little too corny...

                          

The album featured some good tracks like "Here that Voice Again", "Red Rain", the duet with Kate Bush "Don't Give Up" and more. It's when you get to the end that things get weak.

The experimental track ""This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" he does with Laurie Anderson doesn't really go anywhere but I'd had to say the weakest track is "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)", which sounds like the soundtrack to getting a lobotomy...

                                                    "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)"

                                                     



For the final entry on this edition, I am going to look at John Cougar Mellencamp's "Uh-Huh" album, was of the better rock albums released in the 80's. I know we are tired of hearing songs like "Pink Houses", "Crumblin Down (always thought it sounded like a cool 70's Paul Rodgers type song for some reason" and "Authority Song" (heavily influenced by the song "I Fought the Law") but they were great down-to-earth rock tunes at a time when Michael Jackson and the "Footloose" soundtrack ruled the airwaves.
"Warmer Place to Sleep" had the bite of a Rolling Stones song. "Play Guitar", had  a "Gloria"-like hook and was a fun look at how playing guitar would get you the chicks. "Serious Business" was tongue in cheek look at the hard partying life of either a rock star or a biker, with an early-70's Stones feel.
"Golden Gates" was actually a beaut that closes the album, a hint of things to come on his future albums.  "Lovin Mother For Ya" was a throwaway that was AC/DC meets "Land of a Thousand Dances".

          

 That leaves just "Jackie O" written with  folkie John Prine; known for his dark humor.
 For some reason they decided to just use something that sounds like a cheap Casio keyboard to be the musical accompaniment!? Believe or not Mellencamp actually closed his 1984 live shows with this track!!!

                       It's the one to skip on here >
                                                                  "Jackie O"