The Year That Was 2009 pt 1

I've been neglecting the blog lately and want to get back into posting so to start up again I'm going to subscribe to the "Out with the old and in with the new" routine. My first two posts of 2010 will be to review the year that was 2009. The first post is music and the second is everything else.

2009 was a year of big hype and modest pay offs in music. It was the year the King of Pop died, ironically sparking a career re-evaluation as audiences were able to separate the music from the person. It was the year of Glambert and Susan Boyle keeping reality tv's foot in the door of pop music. It was the year of free live concerts streaming on the internet. It was the year people went gaga for Gaga and told Kanye he's heartless. Maybe he was upset that it was the year of Taylor Swift, the lanky Country teen dominated everyone and everything else in her path.

For me personally it was the year I completed my Top 100 Favorite albums posts. It only took what, two years? I'm big on lists though, as my wife says I have lists of my lists. And true to my self, here's more lists-

To start things off, here's my Top 5 favorite albums of 2009:

5. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under The Covers Vol. 2 / Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot (tie)

When old timers pool their talents, sometimes they can come up with something a little fresher than if they worked on their own. Fan that I am of Matthew Sweet and of his first pairing with the lead Bangle (2006's Vol 1.) I anxiously looked forward to this set of 70's covers. And fan that I am of Saint Sammy, how could I resist a combo with guitar god Joe Satriani, ex VH Mike Anthony and funky drummer Chad Smith? In both cases, the teams came up with solid discs touched with earnest excitement and heavenly bright spots. Sweet and Hoffs were a little more mechanical this time out than on their first combo yet still found magic in well worn power pop(Raspberries, Todd Rundgren) and classic rock (Rod Stewart, Yes) scripture. Meanwhile AOR geeks rejoiced, basking in the glory of hard hitting guitar driven grooves ("Soap On A Rope"), high flying rockers ("My Kinda Girl") and power balladry ("Learning To Fall") that's Hagar's stock in trade.

4. U2 - No Line On The Horizon

The Irish quartet returned to save the world again with their most subdued effort since...The Unforgettable Fire (1984)? I was turned off by the weak techno pop lead single "Get On Your Boots" which turned out to be the hardest rocking thing on the album. That's not to say No Line is a bad album, it's actually pretty good. The dream reteaming of producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois ensures the dreamy atmospherics envelope everything in its path, creating a disc that is as grey and cloudy as its album cover. Though "Moment Of Surrender" is a nice ballad, I found myself really digging the clunky rocker "Stand Up Comedy" in addition to the classic U2 flag waver "Magnificent" and the catchy "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight". But U2's quiet ways were too mysterious with their mass audience leading to weak sales. Wonder if they'll bring back the thunder next time out?

3. Pearl Jam - Backspacer

When I first picked up this disc I was somewhat disappointed that it seemed a little weak lyrically and that they had removed the anthem rock element they just reclaimed on '06's self titled album. A little after that I was notified I would be losing my job and this album took on special meaning to me. The enervated vibe, open ended lyrics and classic Vedder clenched teeth me-against-the-world delivery provided the motivating soundtrack to a month of hell. I've already gone on about this album in other posts so I'll end it by saying my feelings about this disc has increased greatly since my initial review of it.

2. Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King

For most of the past decade, Matthews seemed to be on the run from his own band - creatively that is. DMB brought in producers to try to swerve the sound away from the intricate jam band tendencies they built their name on. But the passing of saxophonist Leroi Moore seemed to change all that and as a result we got the loosest, grooviest DMB disc in ages. The slam bang breezy rock of "Why I Am" was a highlight on an album packed with the natural, tight and instrumentally impressive music that made DMB famous. Other highlights included the gently loping "You and Me", the Cameo "Word Up" send up "Shake Me Like A Monkey" and the Lillywhite Sessions reminiscent "Lying In The Hands Of God". Of studio albums, this was the best of the year. But I'm not done yet...

1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Live Anthology

I debated over whether or not to include this, seeing how its an anthology of performances spanning back to the 70's and not a disc of new material. It's just I'm so blown away by this set (if I had done a separate post to review it Dixie would have given ten barks) that I feel compelled to include it. This is an outstanding set, five discs in all, of live performances taken from all phases of Petty's career with the Heartbreakers. Big hits, deep cuts, covers and what not are sewn together to form the facsimile of a live concert. Each song features a strong emotional performance and stack together to form something greater than the sum of its parts. This is one of the best box sets I've heard, it captures a spirit of the different facets of a brilliant artist better than most other box sets and does it with live cuts. I was lucky to get this set as a gift and even though I haven't watched the DVDs that came with it yet I will say that if you have the money to spend on this, it's well worth the price.

And now, my Top 10 songs of 2009:

10. The Lonely Island "I'm On A Boat" and Bruce Springsteen "The Wrestler" (tie)

Is having a tie a way of cheating so I can include an extra song or album in a countdown? Yup, and that won't stop me either. Comedy rappers The Lonely Island floated in "I'm On A Boat" early in the year and I turned a deaf ear to it until it was featured on a mash up with the movie Ponyo. I haven't gotten the song out of my head since then, with my flippy floppys while you're at Kinkos straight makin' copies! On the other end, The Boss provided a song for a movie soundtrack finding him in grumbly acoustic serious guy mode. He captures the soul of a beautiful loser perfectly. Technically this song is from 2008 but since I didn't listen to it until I bought this years Working On A Dream album I'm including it here.

9. Green Day "21 Guns"

All in all, I found Green Day's heavily hyped follow up to their modern classic American Idiot to be a fair but bloated affair. Except for a handful of cuts, one of them being "21 Guns" with its steady march beat and defiant chorus. Never did figure out what the song is actually about, after watching the overblown video for it I went off the song for a little while. I went back to it later, when you get to brass taxes I just like the beat and melody here.

8. Foreigner "Can't Slow Down"

A full review is to follow of the new Foreigner disc I got for Christmas. There's a lot of slow numbers on the new one, but the opening cut is a hard charging rocker that shares its title with the album. The current lead singer gets his Lou Gramm on (Grammophone?) to great affect as the guitars hammer onward to a charged anthemic chorus. A slice of AOR awesomeness on a stick.

7. U2 "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"

Easily the catchiest tune on the recent U2 effort, you know a song is listener friendly when you hear it playing over the sound system of Home Depot while you shop for bricks. In one of those lazy susan musical influence deals, "Crazy" bears some resemblance to the sound Coldplay has employed to amazing success, the sound that borrows a lot from Radiohead and U2. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Either way, this is a pleasant pop rock feel good song.

6. Franz Ferdinand "No You Girls"

New new wavers Franz Ferdinand went from future stars to yesterdays news in a heartbeat between their first and second albums. On their third disc a desperate move (infusing their angular guitars with techno dance sound effects / beats) paid off with strong results peaking with "No You Girls". Balanced on a groove that is almost disco, the Scottish quartet bring the alternative rock cool on and back it up with a killer hook. The chorus has me flashing back to Greg Kihn's "Jeopardy". Normally I hate when a song is referred to as "hip". Franz Ferdinand justifies use of that word.

5. Dream Theater "The Best Of Times" (pts 1 and 2)

My favorite song off the musically spectacular but lyrically insipid DT disc Black Clouds and Silver Linings. The heartfelt intent of the words to "The Best Of Times" (not to be confused with the Styx song) about a man thanking his dying Dad is enough to overcome the maudlin sentimentality of the piece. Best of all, the proggy metalheads weave a tight fabric of instrumental virtuosity that pays off with a stunning John Petrucci guitar solo at the end. It's epic in all the right ways that make Dream Theater great.

4. Mandy Moore "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week"

Unlikely 70's inflected pop from a former teen queen Britney Spears type singer, Mandy Moore hauled in a hand clap beat and cheap keyboards to finesse a tune that would have sounded right on an AM radio channel in 1973. And I'm a sucker for songs that use the days of the week in the chorus (see "Seven Days" under Sting for details). Amid the heavy clutter of machines and calculated marketing moves that make up modern pop music, Mandy Moore sounded like a breath of fresh air in '09. And yes, this is the same girl who once sang "Candy" and starred in those teen romance movies.

3. Bon Jovi "We Weren't Born To Follow"

OK, you're Jon Bon Jovi and you think: you know what a new Bon Jovi album needs? "Born To Be My Baby" with different lyrics! Yes, that's precisely what was needed Jon Bon Jovi. That sir, is why you earn the big bucks. Musical cop out that it is, I freakin love this song. Maybe it was the timing, I certainly could use encouraging music from a familiar artist. "We Weren't Born To Follow" (just noticed this title even has "Born" in it!) hit home and meant a lot to me. And thank you Richie Sambora for redoing that guitar solo.

2. Lady Antebellum "Need You Now"

Well look at that, I picked a Country song for number two. My cousin gave me the debut album which I thought was decent pop rock done Country style so when their new song for their second album popped up I gave it a shot. Well, I was floored by how good the new song is. A straightforward pop rock duet rendered nicely with able vocalists. Sure, this is about as Country as say Restless Hearts "When She Cries" (meaning its not) but that's fine with me, I don't listen to hardcore Country. This is like Starship's "Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now" for the new millennium. Which I guess isn't that new anymore since we're up to 2010.

1. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs "Go All The Way"

Duets are us it seems, Sweet and Hoffs Marvel Team Up hit a home run with their cover of The Raspberries / Eric Carmen classic "Go All The Way". The revved up guitar riff and intertwining voices make for audio ecstasy thanks to an inspired performance by the dynamic duo. It may also help that my copy of the original song sounds like crap even though it's from a Time Life collection. Anyway, this cover encapsulated everything that makes the pairing of these two great. (The only place I could find the song online is their myspace page, you have to click on the song to play)

2009, so glad its gone. Next is the year in movies, tv and whatever else I can think of media related. Vampires you say? That is so last year and I hear they suck.

Bon Jovi - Man Or Machine?

Open for business - Bon Jovi's stock rises with The Circle. Who's in your five?

Rating:

Jon Bon Jovi's latest creation, The Circle, is a deluxe package of a CD and a documentary DVD that brings us up to date with the Jersey legend. A much ballyhooed return to Rock (following the band's Country music excursion Lost Highway) finds Bon Jovi firmly back in the middle of the road pop rock pocket. It is consistently good, successfully taking bits from music's past (both his own and others) to take listeners on a pleasantly energized yet safe ride. Sort of like one of those virtual reality roller coasters where the vehicle moves up and down on hydraulics and a video screen makes it feel like you're really moving when in reality you're not. Is this a good or bad thing? For me, I like it though as with many long time fans it's another nail in the coffin of hope that they will return to their glitzy pop metal of old.

So now that I've criticized the album for what it's not, let's take a look at what it is. The "Born To Be My Baby" rewrite "We Weren't Born To Follow" is pretty good and while JBJ takes shots for cliched lyrics I have to admit to find this song inspiring. This song has been motivational to me, released at a time of personal upheaval the words "We weren't born to follow / c'mon get up off your knees / life is a bitter pill to swallow / you gotta hold on to what you believe" wrapped up in a familiar catchy melody worked wonders. Musically my mind screams "Rip off!" but in my soul it's one of his most meaningful songs for me. And it's that conflict that colors my view of the whole project.

Still an Arena rock band at heart, the rest of the album features rushing rockers (the Creed like "Bullet", or "Brokenpromiseland") and ballads (the Tim McGrawish "Live Like You Were Dying") as we've come to expect from the long running band. The choruses are designed to elicit 20,000 audience members to shout "Hey, hey, hey!" or "Yeah, yeah yeah!" in unison when performed live. Even the epic atmospheric ballad "When We Were Beautiful" has this type of chorus. A little bit of a Coldplay influence takes hold towards the end of the disc ("Fast Cars") with glowing keyboards. The highpoint of the album is in the first four songs with "We Weren't Born To Follow", "When We Were Beautiful", the "Living On A Prayer" styled "Work For The Workingman" and the U2 "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" rewrite "Superman Tonight".

Despite being derivative Bon Jovi is still a popular band as The Circle went to #1 on the album charts and being a fan I'm not complaining. Their ability to take familiar themes and adapt them to the modern market is Jon Bon Jovi's chief talent as The Circle places its weight behind the national mood of overcoming disillusionment. This talent is what gets the focus in an accompanying DVD When We Were Beautiful and answers once and for all my question: How does an 80's hair band whose last major hit song was 9 years ago stay at the top of the charts?

This glossy documentary shot in black and white includes interviews with all four members of the band as they wax on about what has brought them to this stage of their career. JBJ says repeatedly that they aren't supposed to be here, not supposed to be this successful at this point. And he's right, most of the groups that were their peers are playing county fairs or small clubs while Bon Jovi can play arenas like Madison Square Garden. The reason is Jon Bon Jovi's vision, making himself and his band as marketable as possible at any given moment. If the market suddenly shifted to a jazz revival, Bon Jovi's next album would add a horn section and rewrite Cannonball Adderley songs. His ambition is the main priority, the music's artistic value is determined by audience response over personal expression. The band is in this whole hog, all members in separate interviews refer to Bon Jovi as an "organization" rather than a band.

And it's real impressive to see the kingdom Jon Bon Jovi has created, essentially a self made CEO of a corporation that owns sports teams, does charitable works and provides a public service. That's also why the documentary is boring, it's really a corporate promotional video. Ironically, it's this format that may be the most honest representation of Bon Jovi artistically. I know I listen to Bon Jovi because epic rock anthems with fast guitars and banal lyrics hit me where I live, but maybe another reason for his success is ultimately he represents the current version of the American Dream. Capitalism that is as jaded as it is heartfelt, the captain of the football team that became a captain of industry. The rebel with a stock portfolio. OK I'm running out of cheesy metaphors now, I'm no Jon Bon Jovi I can't make you buy this stuff. But he can.

We may never really know Jon Bon Jovi in the artistic sense, he will always say and be how we want him to be. There may be bits of honest emotion mixed in here or there ("Wanted Dead Or Alive" for one) but I seriously doubt we'll get a Blood On The Tracks moment from the guy. I guess what's interesting to me is that I actually care about the artistic motives of Bon Jovi, maybe being a fan all these years I'm waiting for a Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in their music. Wow, this blog post is sure a long way to say what I just said in one sentence. Oh well, don't feel like deleting stuff now.

So here's to you Bon Jovi, a hook, an image and a 401k - the ultimate winner. Now go record a folk album!

The Melting Point Of Metal pt. 2

The second phase of Bon Jovi's career started inauspiciously as longtime bassist Alec John Such exited the group. While they had maintained a healthy chunk of their fanbase with Keep The Faith, the more the 90's wore on the more hair bands struggled. These bands struggled for legitmacy, trying to work in darkness and bitterness often by cannibalizing their lineups (like a Vince Neil-less Motley Crue, or a Jani Lane-less Warrant) alienating their dwindling fanbase to try appealing to an indifferent Generation X. It was in this atmosphere that Bon Jovi released the kickin' "Good Guys Don't Always Wear White" for The Cowboy Way soundtrack. As good as this stomping rocker was (I liked it a lot) it didn't really advance the career. But it was a good lead in to the next album.

These Days (1995)

Keep The Faith recapitulated the band as more of a rootsy Arena rock band (an oxymoron if there was one) with hints of Alternative rock to stay with the times. But the songwriting was a bit spotty, or at least not always memorable. These Days took it all to the next level. The songs were appropriately 90's downers with titles like "My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms" or "Lie To Me" yet the spirit and musicianship is so high that it is one of the band's strongest efforts. In terms of performance, originality, depth and creativity this is the best of the Bon Jovi albums. The addition of permanent sideman Hugh McDonald on bass instantly livens things up with muscular grooves and high end notes that didn't exist with Such. And Richie Sambora is absolutely on fire, freed from shredding he delivers crisp gritty guitarwork as on the opener "Hey God". Their roots rock approach truly gels coming up with heat on rockers like "Damned". Despite their best efforts, the marketplace shrugged their shoulders and the best Bon Jovi could do was score some minor hits with the soulful "This Ain't A Love Song" and the jaunty "Something For The Pain". What could anyone say, it was a recession and Bon Jovi had been lumped with the other hair bands as Reagan era relics. Needless to say the band seemed discouraged by this album's performance since they haven't gone near this sound since then. Too bad, it's my favorite Bon Jovi album once you get past the big two (Slippery When Wet and New Jersey).

Destination Anywhere (1997)

The second Jon Bon Jovi solo album didn't do much to change his commercial fortunes and since I've never heard this I can't say if it's good or bad. I did hear the single "Midnight In Chelsea" which was OK. Tonight a played a few tracks off this album, it has that generic late 90's pop sound to it with the shimmering effects and shuffling electronic beat. At this point JBJ was getting known for his acting, turning in good performances on tv and film including I think it was Ally McBeal. The break in the action also gave the band a chance to reboot itself for the new millenium.

Crush (2000)

Going in Bon Jovi as a band was at their lowest point of visability since 7800 Fahrenheit. A savvy team up with teen pop Producer Max Martin changed the game, as he gave a spiffy high tech sheen to the "Livin' On A Prayer" rewrite "It's My Life". One of the most pivitol songs in Bon Jovi's history, "It's My Life" was a monster smash and caused the public to reassess the group as living legends.

The album in turn was also successful, a mixed blessing to me because once I got past "It's My Life" I had to fish for other things to like about the project. There was "Just Older" a sturdy pop rocker with some of that rootsy flair and great lyrics about aging gracefully. "Next 100 Years" ripped hard like a cross between "Freebird" and The Beatles. "Thank You For Loving Me" effectively updated the power ballad while "One Wild Night" had some of the freewheeling party anthem 'tude of Slippery era Bon Jovi.

Yet there was so much crap on this record that even today I had a hard time sitting through it. They try hard to open up their sound to adopt the modern pop sounds of the day. Crush started a trend in Bon Jovi's songwriting where it seemed like he wrote along to whatever was on the radio as "Two Story Town" knocked off Melissa Etheridge's "Angels Will Fall" and "I Got The Girl" mimicked the theme song to tv's Friends. A deliberate pop approach and a sprinkling of extra Beatles touches shoots through the whole piece. Then a heaping helping of soft focus dewey ballads to finish the job. It's their most toothless album, particularly when you hit junk like the silly slow song "Save The World". One of my least favorite Bon Jovi albums, though a big plus for their career. After "It's My Life" Bon Jovi would never be counted out by the media again.

Bounce (2002)

To date, this was the last full Bon Jovi album I've gotten (though I heard other ones after). Written as the band's response to 9/11 as seen through glitzy Hollywood eyes, they showed focus in both songwriting and performance here. Too bad they couldn't come up with anything as magic as "It's My Life" yet at the same time this album was consistent in providing modest enjoyment. The title track is a stunner of Arena Rock awesomeness, easily my favorite Bon Jovi song of the 21st Century. A driving groove and big gestures a plenty go a long way with me. They seemed determined to rock this time out and came up with good stuff like "Hook Me Up" or "Undivided" that effectively updated their classic sound to present.

That's not to say there isn't holes. JBJ continued to copy too much from the radio, channeling Elton John's "Levon" into "Joey" or xeroxing The Calling's "Wherever You Will Go" to his "Misunderstood". And the ballads seemed a little slighter this time out which is saying a lot considering the lack of quality control Bon Jovi started showing on these things in the mid 90's. "All About Lovin' You" is the best of the bunch, just that phrase "I'm all about..." reminds me more of loving a plate of cheesy nachos or something other than a girl. I'm all about lovin' cheesy nachos!

And the Hollywood connection seemed to get flaunted a bit, the closing track "Open All Night" was inspired by JBJ's character on Ally McBeal. "You Had Me At Hello" misfires in it's attempt to appropriate a Tom Cruise movie catch phrase. And Bounce had the same title as a Ben Affleck / Gwyneth Paltrow film. And as any major dude will tell you, Ben Affleck = bye bye legitimacy. In the end Bounce is a decent rock record with some good moments that seems even better if you don't look to hard at it and just enjoy the ride.

Have A Nice Day (2005)

Now it gets tough to give a full review of these albums that follow because I heard them but didn't get them. The lead single title cut was OK, it was similar but a touch better than Bounce's first release "Everyday". While most of the album rocks hard, it is with a definite ear towards modern pop rock eschewing most of their classic sonics. Meaning it's hard to distinguish this album from something by, say, 3 Doors Down. Maybe it was for the best that the best tune was a Country rockin' duet with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles called "Who Says You Can't Go Home". Simultaneously putting the band on the Country charts, giving promotion to habitat for humanity and giving Home Depots across the nation something juicy for in store play pushed the group back to the forefront of pop again.

Lost Highway (2007)

Remember the lesson: Jon Bon Jovi is a marketing genius. From the moment he changed his last name from...what was it...Biongiovi? to Bon Jovi, he's had his finger on the pulse of middle America. And after seeing probably a lot of CMT Crossroads, Bon Jovi decided it was time to go modern Country. I played this online a few times while it was streaming for free and mostly got little out of it. The first song to be released, "You Want To Make A Memory" struck me as similar to one of those slow Alison Krauss ballads except with a less capable singer (cause Alison Krauss kicks ass!). Second single "Lost Highway" seemed like a lighter take on "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with less juice. And a duet with Leann Rimes on "Til We Ain't Strangers Anymore" tries to be sexy but is ultimately heatless. I have no idea how this fared commercially because I really lost interest and the album seemed overshadowed by Richie Sambora's antics anyway. Sambora was all over the tabloids allegedly drunk off his ass and banging ex-starlets left and right. Was it all true? Probably some of it, in any case watching a potential Sambora flame out was more interesting than anything I heard from Lost Highway. I can't say it was bad, I just felt indifferent.

This brings us full, uh, circle with the pending release of Bon Jovi's new album The Circle. Will JBJ let it rock? Let it roll? The single "We Weren't Born To Follow" has my hopes up. If you would like to hear it with a ton of extra echo, click below!

The Melting Point Of Metal pt. 1

I saw the video for Bon Jovi's new song "We Weren't Born To Follow" and I've got to say it's got me the most pumped up for a Bon Jovi album in a long time. I don't think since "It's My Life" that I've looked forward to a new Bon Jovi disc more. Because it's the best rock song I've heard from JBJ in a while, even if it does ape "Born To Be My Baby" just a little bit..but no more than "It's My Life" aped "Livin' On A Prayer".

Bon Jovi has definitely come up with some great CDs, so today I'm going to focus on when I was Jersey's second greatest band. It all starts in 1984 (no surprise there, huh?)...

Bon Jovi (1984)

When I first starting buying music I leaned heavily towards Arena Rock in my music listening. Throughout my life since being a teenager when people casually identify my music listening they usually say Styx even though I play other bands more often. Styx is great and I guess it just pegs what I listen to perfectly. But as they say that's neither here nor there.

There was this video that kept coming on tv that had everything I loved: catchy rock anthem chorus, blazing guitar, those keyboards that sound like a sci fi spaceship and a great video that featured post apocalyptic garb, Firestarter references and a dancing girl at the end. That was the band's first hit "Runaway" (though the band didn't play on this track instead it was a gaggle of musicians including Rainbow's Chuck Burgi and E Street's Ray Bittan). So I ran out and bought that tape, playing it to death during Summer vacation. Nice memories of going around Lake Tahoe making my family listen to the tough attitude of "Roulette" blare over the car speakers making my aunt complain "WHAT IS THIS?" . Blasting the hard rock chant "Breakout" while bouncing a tennis ball off the wall practicing my baseball catching skills. Relating to Jon Bon Jovi's balladic lament that "She Don't Know Me". And rockin out to what would become a recurring phrase in his songwriting, "Shot Through The Heart" (he was a little more philosophical at that point saying it's all part of this thing that we call love). They came across as a cool bunch of rockin' dudes with Tico "Hit Man" Torres on drums, Alec John Such on bass, David Rosenbaum (Bryan) on keyboards, Richie Sambora on guitar and of course, Jon Bon Jovi on the mic.

7800 Fahrenheit (1985)

The beginning of the famous Bon Jovi sound. Jon Bon Jovi is really good at a lot of things- he has a likeable and identifiable voice, he writes songs that people can relate to, the ladies like to look at him and his Superman tattoo - but there is one thing he is really really great at: marketing. Like many superstars of the 80's their success went hand in hand with their ability to read the marketplace and fit into it. In this case, Bon Jovi did some math - Arena Rock bands need pop hits to sell singles, Heavy Metal bands don't need hits and sell albums because they develop a following. He would get a bigger profit selling albums instead of singles plus no pressure for pop hits (though that would come anyway) so Bon Jovi went Metal. Or in this case Pop Metal. Gone were the regular guy jeans and vests, in were spandex and shredded clothes. Hence the title 7800 Fahrenheit which JBJ said was "The melting point of metal". I said to this to someone one time and was asked "Which metal?". I still have no clue.

At the same time JBJ had a high profile relationship with actress Diane Lane that made them the "it" couple for a time. When that relationship ended, it was rumored to inspire songs on this album plus "You Give Love A Bad Name". Damn dude, that's some hurt when it lasts more than one album.

This was one of those records that for the first six songs were flawless and then got boring really quick after. Those six songs were constantly on my turntable. The first single "Only Lonely" with its using the same word to begin and end a sentence gimmick was melodic rock awesomeness. Ditto the weepy synth ballad "Silent Night" with JBJ mourning the end of a relationship (seeing that "sad that it's over" pattern here). "The Price Of Love" was high charged pop rock while the ass kickin stopmper 'King Of The Mountain" was a favorite of mine. And who could forget the epic "Tokyo Road" with it's detailed lyrics that I think involved hookers or something. Belatedly I got into "Hardest Part Is The Night" after I lent the record to a friend who thought the song was awesome. Anyway, "In And Out Of Love" was the first song to really capture what Bon Jovi was going for -feel good arena sized anthems with a touch of Metal crunch smoothed out with synthesizers driven home with a big steady beat. The party hearty video positioned the group as happenin' guys and set up their approach for the next record.

Slippery When Wet (1986)

I've written this story a bunch of times on this blog, still it never gets old for me so here's the short version. 1986 + Me = big Bon Jovi fan. I bought this record as soon as I saw it and played 3 months nonstop 'cause it was the greatest thing I ever heard until I was sick of it. I got a lot of crap from my friends who thought they sucked. In December '86 "You Give Love A Bad Name" goes to #1 and the record I was sick of gets played everywhere all the time including by all those friends who a month before told me they sucked. I was never as big a fan after that as I got really burned out on hearing these songs. Demon dogs!

Now that my personal bitch fest is over, this is an undisputed masterpiece of Hair Metal. I knew of Producer Bruce Fairbairn through his splendid work with Loverboy and Honeymoon Suite, Fairbairn did not disappoint in here. His drive and focus results in tightly structured energetic tunes with bass lines that actually move instead of thudding along. Songwriter Desmond Child was also brought in and gave the band huge ass choruses that let them swing for the fences. Plus, in a making of the record documentary Child surprised me by saying he put a Latin feel in some of the songs including the beat to "Livin' On A Prayer". Armed with powerful songs and a Producer who could surpass their original vision, Bon Jovi could not fail.

And so they became the big thing. "You Give Love A Bad Name" meshed a vampy groove with a high flying chorus mixed to sound like 20,000 voices were singing at the same time. Matched with another feel good party hard video emphasizing JBJ's looks won the band a mass audience. The follow up single "Livin' On A Prayer" with its talk box beat and steady escalating melody became a rock classic. A surprise pick for the third single "Wanted Dead Or Alive" created an instant mythology for the Jersey boys as a weary group of road warriors doing it all for the fans (as well as leading to JBJ to proclaim in Circus magazine that "Wanted" was better than Led Zep's "Stairway To Heaven". "Raise Your Hands" showed up in an early scene of the Star Wars parody Spaceballs. The sentimental power ballad "Never Say Goodbye" won a ton of airplay with that classic verse "remember when we lost the keys and you lost more than that in my backseat baby." "Wild In The Streets" left no secret as to how much influence Springsteen had on JBJ.

As perfect an album as this was, there was even more goodness to be found as Sacramento radio grabbed onto "Edge Of A Broken Heart" from the Disorderlies soundtrack. A killer cut and one of my favorite Bon Jovi songs, I bought the record for this song even if it did mean owning that ambomination that was the Fat Boys rap remake of "Wipeout". Despite my personal bitterness of not being able to get away from Slippery When Wet, I was happy to see this worthy band make it to the top. And about six months later I started to play the record again and still found it great.

New Jersey (1988)

Ever the smart business man, Jon Bon Jovi went the sequel route with the follow up to his breakthru album. New Jersey is Slippery When Wet supersized. Lead single "Bad Medicine" took "Bad Name's" 'tude to the next level with a bigger arrangement and rapidfire verses. Wait a minute, wait a minute, hold on...I'm not done! "Born To Be My Baby" effectively revived the desperate romance of "Prayer". And if you liked the cowboy metaphors of "Wanted Dead Or Alive", this time you got "Ride Cowboy Ride" and "Stick To Your Guns". Not to mention the slightly Countryish bracing power ballad "I'll Be There For You". More hits were racked up taking the racy "Never Say Goodbye" further on "Living In Sin" complete with a steamy video and a little gospel fire thrown in on "Lay Your Hands On Me". Even album tracks like the youthful "99 In The Shade" and the excellent "Wild Is The Wind" killed. New Jersey proved they were no fluke. Many Sacramento days and night were spent cruising and hanging out to these tunes while shopping at Tower Records (which I'm told is now a thrift store). The only caveat I had was that photo in the inner tape/CD cover - it looks like Jon Bon Jovi is caught taking a leak under a dock. What's up with that? And didn't Sambora date Cher around this time? Again, what's up with that?

Blaze Of Glory (1990)

After all that success, it was only natural that Jon Bon Jovi take a solo turn. He did it in an odd way, at least odd to me. Emphasizing his previously occasional earthy Country and Western vibe he had developed starting with "Wanted Dead Or Alive", JBJ created a set of original songs for the soundtrack to the Brat Pack Western Young Guns II. He even made a cameo in the film (very brief, though in later years he would be respected for his acting in larger roles). Led by the outstanding single "Blaze Of Glory" that I first heard while watching the end of this movie (I said "Really that's Bon Jovi" aloud while my friends looked at me in shock that I didn't know this already) JBJ nabbed a #1 single all by his lonesome. As good a song as this is, I could not get into this album as a whole. Maybe I'll re-evaluate it some day, but as a result of my initial reaction I can't tell you a thing about this disc other than I didn't like it. Meanwhile, Richie Sambora turned out to have a surprisingly strong following with his solo album Stranger In Town. As Emilio Estevez said, "I'll make ya famous."

Keep The Faith (1992)

A year before this CD, Grunge hit and Alternative Nation took over MTV and all of rock music. In one fell swoop, all the Warrants, Cinderellas, Slaughters and Firehouses got kicked to the curb for being too shallow and predictable - out of touch with a Country that had sunk into recession and a wave of slacker youth who wanted to "keep it real". Could Jon Bon Jovi lead his team through this massive change in music culture? Hell yeah he could.

Keep The Faith found Bon Jovi adapting their formula to fit the alternative rock 90's with mixed success musically but still effectively commercially. A new emphasis was placed on promoting themselves as a traditionalist rock band, mixing in covers like The Animals "We've Gotta Get Outta This Place" alongside their slighly darker new material live. The title track with its loose groove, spoken word verse and heavily featured piano figure leading to that classic Bon Jovi chorus put the group right in with times on their terms - It wasn't pure feel good drama like before, it was more weary but hopeful like classic Springsteen (who at that time wasn't writing like classic Springsteen which left the door wide open for this style). What really drove the album home was the piano based power ballad that followed, arguably Bon Jovi's best known song of this format - "Bed Of Roses".

"Bed Of Roses" with its twisted pain and near martyrdom in the face of love has become the power ballad I've heard most on the radio and people's karaoke from Bon Jovi. Even a few months ago at my parents house, I walked outside into a neighborhood throbbing with Hip Hop beats and Spanish horns from various homes to suddenly hear a really loud karaoke take on this song. It is without a shout of a doubt a great song.

In terms of memories, my wife often associates this album with our dating because I played it a lot at the time. "In These Arms" was the song I was really digging at that time and perfectly explains how I feel about her.

The rest of the album I don't remember a whole lot about, I seem to recall a lot of slow songs on the second side. I did like the kicky "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" though.

Crossroads (1994)

In a rare moment, a greatest hits disc perfectly encapsulated a band's career in addition to being the predictable cash in it always is. With Crossroads Bon Jovi summed up this period by including all their Top 40 hits plus some new stuff. Included was the unnecessarily acoustic moody take on "Livin On A Prayer" plus a forgettable "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night". But the third new cut was an ace power ballad "Always". Written for the film Romeo Is Bleeding but pulled by JBJ after he saw the film (is what I understood at the time, it is a bloody film) it is my personal favorite of his sweeping power ballad statements. After all this success bassist Alec John Such quit the band, leaving the official lineup a quartet from this point forward which I'll continue with a part 2.

Mr Mike's AOR Project 1989

In 1989 Arena Rock saw equality towards the sexes as the number of female rockers rose. It was like the 25th century had arrived.

Here we are, the dream we all dream of. It's 1989, the last year of my car CD set of 80's Arena Rock. In 1989, the tide shifted towards female rockers as Lita Ford, Vixen and others took hairspray and spandex back from the boys for a moment. '89 was also the start of the last wave of Arena Rock that would last until Kurt Cobain would wipe them all off the face of the earth in '92. But that is the future, it's now 1989.

Disc 1:

Danger Danger - Naughty Naughty

The the band band with with a a love love of of repetition repetition enjoys their moment in the sun.

Joe Cocker - When The Night Comes

Bryan Adams was a killer ghost writer, coming up with gems for Loverboy, 38 Special and Mr. Cocker in addition to his own sizable catalog. I got into this song when it was heavily advertised in commercials for the Tom Sellick flick An Innocent Man. I'm innocent I tell you! Can't you hear the Joe Cocker song in the background? If that doesn't say innocent, I don't know what does.

Vixen - Edge Of A Broken Heart

Speaking of songwriting, the all girl rock band that clearly took inspiration from the Wilson sisters turn out a Richard Marx jam.

Great White - Once Bitten Twice Shy

Before they became synonymous with tragedy, Great White was a second tier hard rock unit that rode a Mott the Hoople tune to #1.

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - Brother Of Mine

4/5ths of Classic Yes unite for some of that ten minute razzle dazzle excess they were famous for.

Signal - Does It Feel Like Love

To my surprise, this group finally became available thru ITunes so I now have this album after all these years. Brilliant power ballad cheese.

Blue Murder - Jelly Roll

Guitarist John Sykes came up with a lot of those magic sub-Zep riffs that Whitesnake's David Coverdale howled into hits before a failed coup attempt led to his dismissal. With "Jelly Roll", Sykes made some nice backwoods Metal.

Winger - Seventeen

Kip Winger took a second away from crafting his perfect hair and stubble beard to write this pop metal classic. Guitarist Reb Beach shreds all over the place and Winger goes for the perfect bass player spin move.

Bulletboys - Smooth Up In Ya

You can't have an Arena Rock set and not include the Bulletboys. You just can't.

Tesla - Love Song

Sac Town's favorite sons made it to the big time thanks to this power ballad. I know it's just me, when I hear the acoustic opening some of it sounds like the Buck Rogers theme to me. Love is gonna find a way Wilma Deering!

Lee Aaron - Whatcha Do To My Body?

Canada's Metal Queen has important questions and demands answers.

Joan Jett - I Hate Myself For Loving You

Jett's second #1, who would have known this would become better known than "I Love Rock and Roll"? This is now her signature tune.

Richard Marx - Satisfied

Marx wrote the Vixen track while still riding high on his own success, the lead single from his Repeat Offender album was pop rock brilliance.

Guns N Roses - Patience

Axl Rose chills out for a pleasant acoustic ballad. Maybe a song that best describes GNR fans who have to wait decades between albums.

Bad English - When I See You Smile

A Reeses peanut butter cup of a supergroup, ex-members of Journey and The Babys team up for one of Diane Warren's best known power ballads.

Disc 2:

Doobie Brothers - The Doctor

The Bay Area boogie band lays off the McDonalds and returns to their "China Grove" roots. Still my favorite Doobie Bros song.

Alice Cooper - Poison

70's shock rocker Alice Cooper couldn't get arrested most of the decade until he toned down and glammed up a little.

TNT - 10,000 Lovers (In One)

10,000 lovers? Better get tested wanna be Wilt Chamberlain.

Joe Satriani - Big Bad Moon

The Satch man shreds a plenty on Coldplay's next hit. Really looking forward to Chickenfoot, hope it lives up to the hype.

Shooting Star - Touch Me Tonight

Long running AOR group makes it to the end of the decade with their biggest smash hit (I think it made it to like #76 on the pop charts).

Warrant - Heaven

This group felt like a paint by numbers sort of rock band to me, case in point - generic power ballad. And yes, I play this one loud because that's what I like!

Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood

The Crue close out their peak period with one of their best riffs, no one could deny the power of it.

Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly

Where ex-Runaways band mate Joan Jett went for leather and attitude, Ford was about curves and sex appeal. Years later Weezer would borrow the verse melody from "Deadly" for their hit "Hash Pipe".

The Cult - Fire Woman

All of those believers were validated when The Cult finally crossed over to a broad audience thanks to this blazin' hit.

Skid Row - 18 And Life

I'm not a fan of Skid Row yet it seemed wrong to deny their place in history...

Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

...or as Billy Joel would say "Flash in the Pan / Sebastian Bach / on the Rolling Stone cover / AIDS shirt / punch out fans / Slave to the Grind / We Didn't Start The Fire..."

XYZ - Inside Out

Don Dokken had protege's, yes, I'm not kidding. XYZ, not to be confused with the failed Yes and Led Zep combo, were actually pretty good and got on the radio with this chugging anthem.

Bon Jovi - I'll Be There For You

After resisting releasing "Never Say Goodbye" as a single from Slippery When Wet, Jon Bon Jovi gave in to the power ballad loving audience demands with awesome results.

Aerosmith - Love In An Elevator

The Beantown boys cemented their comeback with one of their best jams, a swinging ode to being stuck between floors.

Queen - I Want It All

A few years before his demise, Freddie Mercury and the band still had that talent for triumphant rock anthems.

Strangeways - After The Hurt Is Gone

Smooth AOR as it was meant to be done.

Trevor Rabin - Something To Hold On To

80's Yes fans left in the lurch by Jon Anderson jumping ship to ABWH were given something to hold on to with Trevor Rabin's solo album Can't Look Away.

And that was the '80's. I haven't decided if I'll continue up to '92 or back track thru the 70's yet so that's all for this project for now. Seacrest out.

Mr Mike's AOR Project 1988

It was a concert I had wished I had gone to.

It's fitting after covering a whole lotta Zep that 1988 is the next year in my AOR Project because that was the year everyone wanted to be Zep. In the wake of Whitesnake's success a slew of bands took to the Zeppelin sound and interest renewed in the original members. On top of that Hair Metal went into overdrive. The Monsters of Rock tour was somewhere around this time led by the Hagar driven Van Halen. Everything was great in '88!

Disc 1:

Fate - Love On The Rox

When bands split up, it usually doesn't seem clean. So when Mercyful Fate divided and one half became Fate, well that was just pure genius.

Robert Plant - Heaven Knows

I debated with myself to include this or "Tall Cool One". Tough call to make, I went with the slower tempo number.

Cheap Trick - The Flame

Not just a great power ballad, one that seems to get a pass from people critical of this genre. Great acoustic guitar sound on this track.
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Kingdom Come - Get It On

In one of the best marketing moves of the day, the band sent this record to radio stations without a mention of who it was. Rumors spread that this was Led Zeppelin's new song (because it sounded very "Kashmir") and it got all over the airwaves.

Bonham - Wait For You

If anyone who was not a former member of Led Zep had a right to tackle that sound, it was Jason Bonham. The prodigal son gets his Physical Graffiti on with this ripping cut.

Toto - Pamela

Not to be outdone, Toto also sounded like Led Zep...no, not really, Toto came off as very Toto with a jazzy retread of "Rosanna".

3 - Talkin' 'Bout

To this day I'm shocked they didn't force Robert Berry to legally change his name to something like Like so they could remain ELP. Emerson, Like and Palmer has a nice ring to it.

Mr. Big - Addicted To That Rush

A few years before they invented the campfire clap power ballad, the mini supergroup made up from former members of Eric Martin Band, David Lee Roth and Racer X fired up the fret work to a crazy fast beat.

Hurricane - I'm On To You

Current Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen spent the 80's rocking like a, um Hurricane.

Shy - Break Down The Walls

I'm not even gonna front yo, I've got to admit I learned about this group through Melodicrock and had not heard of this group at the time. Not bad stuff.

Aerosmith - Angels

Power ballads are all about the cheese baby, and it's hard to top the fondue fountain that is "Angel".

Saraya - Love Has Taken It's Toll

One of my favorite lost bands, this song has so many memories of drunken games at the pool halls for me. It sucks this album is out of print, Sandi Saraya rocks!

Alice Cooper - Poison

In 1988 none could resist the power of Desmond Child and he revived the 70's Icon with this comeback jam.

Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me

The Lep seemed all washed up when the 5th single dropped a year after the album release. One of the first mainstream meldings of rap and metal after "Walk This Way", it became a legend of 80's rock.

Pat Benatar - All Fired Up

A few years before her unfortunate foray into Blues, Benatar came up with one more Arena Rock winner before heading off to the oldies circuit.

Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O Mine

The reason everyone knows this band was because of this uncharacteristically sweet midtempo rocker. A great song, though if I have to hear the story of how Slash came up with the opening riff again I'll go into convulsions.

Disc 2:

Glass Tiger - I'm Still Searching

The Tiger made a play for a lasting career but was caught looking on a fastball. How's that for mixed metaphors!

Poison - Every Rose Has It's Thorn

I'd put down Bret Michaels but the man has a dream life: He slaps on his weave and plays generic music to screaming fans and has VH1 act as his personal pimp every few months. Lame or not, Michaels did come up with one of the best known poems in the late 20th century. Every rose has its thorn, just like every day has its dawn, just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song.

Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine

An awesome, awesome hair band arena rock jam with a big ass chorus and rapidfire verses.

Van Halen - When It's Love

Things looked a little wussy in Van Halen land for a second with this lenghty ballad. "Unchained" this is not.

Queensryche - I Don't Believe In Love

Part of the classic Operation: Mindcrime album, the Seattle based unit brought the heat on this dramatic rocker.

Britny Fox - Girlschool

C'mon, it's Britny Fox! What else can I say?

Eddie Money - Walk On Water

Eddie was on the money with this amazing slice of AOR written by Sammy Hagar's ex-keyboardist Jesse Harms. I remember getting out of the hospital and buying the tape. And finding out this was the only good song on the whole freakin' tape.

Jimmy Page - Wasting My Time

Unable to get Robert Plant to stick around (sounds familiar), Page cut a fine solo album called Outrider that featured this hard rockin' cut.

Scorpions - Rhythm Of Love

I find it weird how sometimes a certain song title will become popular. Case in point, "Rhythm of Love" was released by Yes in '87 and the Scorps in '88 and the two songs have nothing to do with each other at all.

Europe - Superstitious

Hey, it turned out guitarist John Norum was the most important member of this group after all. When Norum left this was the last hit the group could generate.

Def Leppard - Love Bites

One of the most interesting power ballads in terms of lyrics ("Love Bites / Love Bleeds / It's what I need"). Probably goes over well with that Twilight crowd. Say it. Vampire. Ooh...

Kix - Don't Close Your Eyes

You know it's 1988 when it's another song, another power ballad.

White Lion - Wait

Maybe the best name in Hair Metal, Mike Tramp, led his group through the jungle with this winning melody.

Paul Dean - Sword and Stone

Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean cut a Paul Stanley song for his solo album with strong results.

AC / DC - Heatseeker

It's Ac/Dc. You either get it or you don't.

Bad Company - No Smoke Without A Fire

The radio station in Sacramento loved this song, I heard it a couple times a day for months. This chorus is forever jammed in my brain.

Sheriff - When I'm With You

In a strange turn of events, a failed band from 1983 got their song played on the radio by a DJ who liked this song in 1988 - years after the band had split up. Later the singer and guitarist would team up with former members of Heart to make Alias.
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And that was 1988. Just one more year to go!

Midnight Madness - Easter Bunny Edition

Today is Easter, so Happy Easter everyone! While this day has religious meaning for many, for me it is the day of the Easter Bunny. As I like to call my wife Bunny, this is her day! Love you Bunny!!

Don't Mess With The Lohan - A rough week for Lindsey Lohan, Stevie Nicks publicly denounced Lohan's repeated attempts to get the rights to Nicks' life story. Presumably to portray the famed singer on film. Because if it's one thing Nicks can't relate to, it's a young person indulging in sex and drugs to the point of self destruction.

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Worst. Movie Title. Ever. - There's a movie being heavily advertised right now called Fighting. Wow, how many months did they agonize over that movie title? One thing if for sure, you can't say the advertising is misleading for this film.

We Pay - It had to happen sooner or later, ITunes went to a tiered pricing system with some songs now costing $1.29 per track. Will ITunes jump the shark boosting prices in the middle of a recession?

American Idol update - Adam Lambert kicked out the jams again with a stunning rendition of Tears For Fears "Mad World" while my fave Alison Iraheta gave a strong version of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". While Scott MacIntyre may have had the burning heart, his sloppy take on Survivor's "The Search Is Over" left him down for the count.

Zombies! - Actor Woody Harrelson's recent attack on a member of the paprazzi he explained was due to his mistaking the photographer for a zombie after recently wrapping a film where he fought the undead. I'll have to remember that excuse if I ever attack someone. "I'm sorry officer, I hit that man because I thought the dead had come back to life and wanted to eat my brains. It won't happen again."

The Big Muddy? - Bruce Springsteen is accused of cheating again, this time by an ex-husband in a divorce case. Both Springsteen and the ex-wife deny the accusation.

Real, Real, Real - Of the multitude of Real Housewives of... Tv series it looks like New York is the one that is catching on the most. We've watched the show and enjoy the fun of seeing rich people whose egos are bigger than their substantial bank accounts. And now with a Countess losing her Count and rumors of A Rod dating a cast member there could be even more drama coming up.

Terminated? - The Sarah Connor Chronicles saw its rating dwindle this season and had to switch from Monday to Friday nights, partially because of a boring second season. Then, in the final two episodes they upped their game by killing off people and finally, finally bringing in some excitement. But is it too little too late? With a cliffhanger season ender, if the show gets cancelled we'll never know what happens...other than what comes up in Terminator: Salvation of course.

Wanted Dead or Alive - The band Bon Jovi is suing an all girl tribute band for naming themselves Blonde Jovi over the name. Really? Good thing I didn't title this blog "Blog Jovi".

Double Trouble - The Arc Angels have returned, Charlie Sexton, Doyle Bramhall II and Chris Layton have come back. Cool! To wrap things up, here's some Arc Angels for ya.

Arc Angels

Mr Mike AOR Project 1987

I had this poster up on my wall back in the day, right next to James Bond.

1987, the year that will live in infamy. It lives in infamy because it was the year that Arena Rock's most infamous incarnation took hold of the mainstream. Hair Bands! Spandex, hairspray, makeup, party hearty anthems to work up a sweat and mushy ballads to make mascara run, went for middle America's jugular and took first blood. So flick your bic and hold it high because we're rocking like Amadeus into 1987 (and yes, "Rock Me Amadeus" was 1986).

Disc 1:

Sammy Hagar - Give to Live

The Red Rocker was feeling very "peace on earth and goodwill to men" on his contractually obligated solo album a year after joining Van Halen.

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

Remember back when Tawny Kitaen wasn't all jacked up? Doing cartwheels on fancy cars seemed so simple then. She gave David Coverdale a reason to twirl his mic stand.

Guns N Roses - Welcome to the Jungle

One of the definitive rock anthems of the decade, Axl Rose's screeching over Slash's rampaging riff is 80's rock magic. It's still often used as a story telling device when a show or movie wants to introduce urban blight. As for me, I thought of this song often when I worked at a Marine animal theme park a year later.

Survivor - Is This Love

The last Top 10 hit for the AOR legends was this spiffy pop rocker with a Steve Perry style vocal hook. Love the cascading keyboards on this one.

Yes - Rhythm of Love

Guitarist Trevor Rabin thought it would be funny to make a Yes song about sex. And in that context, it is pretty funny.

Genesis - Tonight Tonight Tonight

What started as an eight minute prog album track turned into a 30 second beer commercial phenomenon which led to a three minute pop hit. They don't call Progressive Rock "Math Rock" for nothing!

Bonfire - Sleeping All Alone

Cutout bin classics Bonfire generate some heat.

Europe - Carrie

Swedish meatballs Europe wipe away the tears with sheer power balladry.

Bob Seger - Shakedown

What was supposed to be Glenn Frey turned into Bob Seger's monster hit to the Beverly Hills Cop 2 soundtrack. Shakedown...take down...you're busted!

Heart - Alone

One of the best remembered of all the power ballads, Heart's dramatic take on I Ten's song raised the bar on glossy theatrics. That's why it gets sung every year on American Idol.

Patty Smyth - Downtown Train

Before an, er, trainload of people got the idea to cover this Tom Waits song the ex Scandal singer had her take on it.

Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive

Ok, there's such a thing as too much ego and Jon Bon Jovi's comparisons of this song to "Stairway to Heaven" back in the day is a clear example. It's a great song, who doesn't want to be a cowboy on a steel horse or see a million faces and rock them all ?

Motley Crue - Girls Girls Girls

Some magazine had a caption for this song I can't beat. It said something like "L.A. Rockers ode to the titty bars they love." That's downright poetic.

Bryan Adams - Heat of the Night

A guaranteed hit song as the first single of a new album following Reckless, Adams hits a heavy groove that he would never touch again in the years of movie soundtrack love songs that would come later.

Aerosmith - (Dude) Looks Like A Lady

And with one fell swoop, Aerosmith replaced the Dallas Cowboys as "America's Team" with a fired up declaration to transgender issues.

Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died in Your Arms

A big year for (parenthesis), I was watching VH1's one hit wonders of the 80's and everyone came to the conclusion that this song is about sexual climax. Huh huh, I said "came". I still think that guitar lick was pilfered from "Der Kommisar".

Andy Taylor - Take it Easy

Barney, Opie and the gang get together for one last song on the porch before Otis stumbles in and eats Aunt Bea's Apple Pie. Ex-Duran Duran guitarist took his shot at Arena Rock glory and came up with this decent nugget for Mitch Gaylord's American Anthem movie.

Disc 2:

Dokken - Dream Warriors

One, two Dokken's after you. Guitarist George Lynch tries to outshred Freddy Kruger and wins.

The Outfield - Since You've Been Gone

I saw the band perform this live before the second album dropped, I was so sure this was going to be a big hit. Little did I know the public had enough Outfield from the first record.

Tesla - Little Suzi

It was practically Sacramento, CA's theme song in the late 80's as the local boys made good. Last year during MTV's celebration of their channels launch I found out this was originally a new wave song by a different band. Had no idea!

Cinderella - Nobody's Fool

You know, that girl's tilted clock hat fad never really took off. Cinderella started with flash and glam before bloozing things up a few years later.

Night Ranger - The Secret of My Success

Nothing says Flashback like a theme song to a Michael J Fox movie co-written and produced by David Foster. Throw in the synth horns and this is like Chicago on steroids.

Bon Jovi - Livin On A Prayer

Jon Bon Jovi delivers his masterpiece, a brilliant mix of talk box effects and escalating chorus vocals. I watched this interview with Desmond Child one time, he said he gave this song a Latin flair. Another one of those things I would have never guessed.

Georgia Satellites - Keep Your Hands To Yourself

The Satellites gave Southern Rock a good name and for a second seemed to have a strong future.

Ace Frehley - Into The Night

Space Ace took his leave of KISS to record some decent songs including this sly rocker. Last night the video came on VH1 Classics, it's powerful stuff.

Great White - Rock Me

Maybe one of the best song titles in Arena Rock, this long cut stealthily sneaks up on you and then shifts into overdrive. So sad what happened at that club years later.

Boston - We're Ready

A sort of forgotten hit even though it made the Top 10, it is almost never included in Boston's greatest hits comps. I have no idea why, it's wicked awesome.

Jet Boy - Feel The Shake

A great 80's rock band name if there ever was one, Jet Boy hit the afterburners on this anthemic tune.

REO Speedwagon - That Ain't Love

It threw everyone for a loop, Kevin Cronin grew a mustache! He looked all old and goofy with that thing on, made it hard to take him seriously. Ironically, with a bitter song like "That Ain't Love" Cronin was asking to be taken seriously. He looked like a snake oil salesman.

Pink Floyd - Learning To Fly

This was all over the radio back then, it was the first Pink Floyd song to be listenable since The Wall in 1980. Tongue tied and twisted just an Earth bound misfit, I.

Foreigner - Say You Will

No more head games, Foreigner made one of their patented midtempo pop rock jams the first single. A game of wordplay reigns supreme, say you will, say you won't, say you do, say you don't...damn, they've got a lot to say.

Rick Springfield - Rock of Life

It was rough not being able to squeeze more Genius into these CDs, but fortunately '87 was a weak year for AOR. Springfield takes a Sting like quality in the verses before slamming into the shifting chorus.

Fleetwood Mac - Big Love

I was so convinced it was Stevie Nicks making those little gasps countering Lindsey Buckingham's. Turned out both gasp noises were Buckingham, he just sped up his voice on the second set.

Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

You may think being in love with a Mannequin is wrong, but who are you to judge? You can't put limits on love! The heart wants what it wants.

Looks like we're heading towards the end, just two more years to go in this magnificent decade. Don't hate '88, it's almost here.

Mr. Mike AOR Project 1986

For a second, Samantha Fox was all over the Arena Rock sound thanks to her impressive talent. No, no, just kidding. It really was all about her looks.

Okay, we're up to 1986. Arena Rock's general popularity was fading. The sound of melodic rock had been co-opted to the point that it didn't carry as much power. Mainstream pop / rock rose at this time as artists who previously shied away from hard guitars and bracing choruses came up with a softer, more accessible version for the mass public. With dwindling interest in real Arena Rock, many of the bands fell back on Adult Contemporary to stay alive. Emphasizing power ballads as their single releases to make an impact on radio.


At the same time, MTV who had embraced Heavy Metal in '84 moved away from it in '85 following parental backlash. By '86 the softer version of Arena Rock was MTV's main rock sound. It looked like Arena Rock was going to go out to pasture until a guy named Jon found the magic formula of outside songwriters, marketable looks and hairspray to take Arena Rock to the next level: Hair Bands!


Disc 1:


Mr. Mister - Kyrie


My wife has been learning Japanese and there is a word in that language that sounds like "Kyrie" that means clean or pretty. I got to watch Mr. Mister perform this song at Grad Night in DisneyLand back in '86, you haven't lived until you've seen that.


Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love


The first time I heard this, I was at a party when someone played the 45. An awesome song, I was blown away by how good Sammy Hagar sounded with VH. I ran out and bought the 45 the next day.


Giuffria - I Must Be Dreaming


At the time it seemed like a big mistake for Giuffria to not lead off with a big ballad for a single like their first album. Considering how this record stiffed in the marketplace, maybe I was right. It's still a great song though.


Daryl Hall - Dreamtime


Weird that a team up with Eurythmics' Dave Stewart would generate a pop rocker like this one. With no wild Oates to sow, Hall cranked up the guitars and psychedelia for his biggest solo hit.


Starship - Sara


It's not Stevie Wonder on the harmonica, it's a synthesizer pretending to be him that leads off this #1 hit. A pleasant wistful pop ballad given a big boost by Risky Business' Rebecca De Mornay starring in the video. A video that says Sara was a slutty drunk, but I still luv u baby!


Stryper - Honestly


Christian Rock presents its ultimate power ballad to the man upstairs, the yellow and black attack get their biggest chart hit as a reward.


Boston - Amanda


The shocker of '86, I was a huge fan of the first two Boston records and assumed the group would never record again (the previous album had been released in 1978). I played this sucker to death when I bought it.


Haywire - Standin' in Line


This band I found out about just this year, apparently they never made it out of Canada. Good clean Arena Rock, they don't make 'em like this anymore.


Eddie Money - Take Me Home Tonight


The Money Man figured out he needed a comeback...again...so he tightened up his sound and brought in Ronnie Spector for a cameo. Wasn't this tune used in a burger commercial? It's a hunger....A HUNGEERRR!!!


Don Johnson - Heartbeat


You know, if Sonny Crockett sang to his perps instead of shot them he might have killed more criminals.


Stan Bush - You've Got The Touch


Not a big hit at the time, this jam has come to represent the cheesy excess of the Arena Rock sound. Next time you want some motivation, play this song loudly.


Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone


Let's be honest, the only thing dangerous about Kenny Loggins is how much nose hair gets on his finely manicured 'stache. Still couldn't stop the man from howling about riding into the Danger Zone with thunderous drum fills. Tom Cruise wouldn't have it any other way.


Mike and the Mechanics - All I Need Is A Miracle


Mike Rutherford's busmans holiday was shaping up to be a rival to his day job with a second Top 10 hit. This glossy rockers with a positive 'tude would make into the soundtrack of many a movie afterwards.


Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love


After the success of the Power Station, Palmer did some math. Having hits with three other guys means less money than having hits by yourself. So he dumped the Duranites and did the Power Station sound all by himself. And came up with a classic 80's smash backed by zombie beauty queens.


John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)


The title song to my favorite Brat Pack movie. Oogata Boogata Boogata Ah Ha Ha!


Ozzy Osbourne - A Shot In The Dark


I used to think of this as Ozzy's sell out to the mainstream, but now the Prince of Darkness has a freakin' variety show.


Kansas - All I Wanted


No more violins, the wayward sons carried on to the AC charts with this shiny ballad.


Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name


The saviors of Arena Rock! Bon Jovi took the cheesy elements of the core sound and multiplied them by 100. Within a few months of this hit, all bands had teased hair and feel good anthems to pump your fist to. The Hair Metal era began it's run on the Pop audience.


Disc 2:


Emerson Lake and Powell - Touch and Go


What would have happened if Cozy Powell wasn't brought in to replace Carl Palmer? If they hired Mick Fleetwood they would have been ELF. If they got Russ Kunkel it would be ELK. Any other letter combination would have sucked even harder. It had to be Powell. Had to be.


ZZ Top - Sleeping Bag


This song kicks so much as that my head would explode if I even thought I knew what it was talking about. So you have a sleeping bag, so what?


The Outfield - Your Love


The British trio found a way to combine the sharpness of The Police with the anthemic ways of Arena Rock. Their style managed to transcend categories, scoring with Pop fans, Rock fans and College Rock. I saw them perform in the summer of '86, they performed a twelve minute sing a long version of "Your Love" that was excruciating to listen to. Put me off the song for a year.


Triumph - Somebody's Out There


Like letting air out of a tire, the Canadian power trio dropped the Metal and streamlined their sound for radio play. And yet they still came up with gems like this one.


GTR - When The Heart Rules The Mind


Proggers Steve Howe and Steve Hackett joined forces for one album and one hit song. "When The Heart..." is all about these two out noodling each other on the fret board to a Journey beat, making it one of the greatest songs ever!


Van Halen - Dreams


Maybe the signature song of the Van Hagar era, fighter pilots everywhere draw inspiration from the charged attitude and Blue Angels video.


Pat Benatar - We Belong


Tired of being pigeonholed as a Hard Rocker, Patty B mellows out with a clapping rhythm and heroic vocals.


Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)


Whenever I think of this band, I think of what would have happened if the "Gl" part of their name had come off before the record release. But that's just me. Oh yeah, Bryan Adams cameos on this...big year for cameos!


John Farnham - You're The Voice


This was a worldwide smash hit everywhere but here. Leaving LRB, John Farnham becomes an Australian Demi God with this "We Are The World" type of jam. Play this with "We Belong" and "You've Got The Touch" and you will find you can climb mountains and swim across seas.


Genesis - Invisible Touch


The Phil version of Genesis kicks into Pop overdrive starting with this song, electronic drums and swirly synths in tow. I often thought of this as a sort of horror movie song. Think about it, she has an invisible touch that can reach inside of your heart to tear it apart. Like a hollow point bullet or something.


Honeymoon Suite - Feel It Again


Much of my blog has been dedicated to the greatness of this song, so I won't elaborate much more. Other than to say it rules!


Moody Blues - Your Wildest Dreams


Talk about left field hits, nobody, and I mean nobody, was expecting 'ol "Nights in White Satin" to have a #1 Pop hit. Patrick Moraz says you're welcome.


Steve Miller Band - I Want To Make The World Turn Around


The Miller Man takes his Miller Band to pay tribute to Pink Floyd on this very Floydian song.


Journey - Be Good To Yourself


Some people remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard about a history changing event. When I first heard this song, I was with my Dad and brother in the car to go skiing in Nevada. After getting to the hotel, I sat with my tape recorder and waited patiently for this song to come back on the radio so I could record it. Journey was back!


Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue


Gramm's solo career started off with an emphasis on what he felt was a more Garage rock sound. I used to force my voice to sound all gravelly so I could imitate this song and sing along in the car.


Europe - The Final Countdown


Is there anything more excessive than a Pop Metal band imitating ELP? For a second it looked like Cozy Powell joined the wrong band. An evergreen of rock cheese, this song has seen a resurgence recently that is well deserved.


David Lee Roth - Yankee Rose


Like Robert Palmer, DLR did some math and figured out renting Eddie Van Halen was better than working with him. So Roth roped in up and comers Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan to go up against the Hagar fronted VH.



Samantha Fox - Touch Me (I Want Your Body)


Before there were Spice Girls there was just one girl, UK's famed page three beauty Samantha Fox. The Fox and her rough British accent brought a trashy tartiness to a silly slice of danceable pop rock.


Next up is 1987, Arena Rock launches into the next phase.