Despite All My Rage...1995 Was A Kick Ass Year for Music

So, the last blog post was about re-working my favourite albums of 1994.  I had so much fun writing that one, I decided to re-visit 1995.  This time, I'm not bound by any list I created 31 years ago, so this is going to be a list of the albums from that year that have grown with me.  And there were a lot of amazing albums that came out 31 years ago.

First off, maybe you know this but Oasis' "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" is my favourite album of all time, thus it is my favourite album of 1995.  So it gets the elevated pass.  It's like the CEO on the top of the org chart and, therefore, I'm not going to put it on this list.  Sweet, already breaking non-existent rules I've set for myself.  So, this is the best of the rest so they say, and maybe I'll expand the list to 15 just for shits and giggles.  But I really need a list of 30.  Hmm, okay, we will do this, but only because I've neglected the blog for so long and it's supposed to be a writing outlet.

1995 was the year I graduated from high school and started university.  A "transition" year if you will.  And all these albums helped with that transition.  And they still help today.  As an aside, the first album I bought at university was Lenny Kravitz's "Circus" and it did not make the list of 30...crazy but I recently found the cassette for $3, listened to it for the first time in 30 years, and gotta say it's an uneven album.  Lenny really leaned into irony on "Rock and Roll Is Dead", but did he need to make that track so dour and serious?  

Also, I think Candlebox's "Lucy" was the second or third CD I bought at university.  Their debut is super solid, one of my fave debut albums of all time.  Lead single "Simple Lessons" was also pretty awesome, despite the lack of a guitar solo.  So I was excited for "Lucy".  And unfortunately it did not meet my expectations.  So, it also did not make the list. 

Also x 2, lots of people like The Presidents Of The United States Of America (the band).  I am not one of these people.  The first time I heard the song "Lump" I was like no.  When I heard "Peaches" I was like hell no.  So, this one did not make the list either.  Anyway.

Remember my de-facto #1 is  "WTSMG" by Oasis (it is the CEO of my musical hierarchy) so this is why it is not on the list.  There is a whole blog post devoted to this album, it might be the second blog post I ever wrote, if you are so inclined.

Let's get on with the list!

30. "You'd Prefer An Astronaut" - Hum.  I like all the albums this band has released and I hate to be the person that calls out the hit single, but goddamn "Stars" nails the quiet/loud dynamic so well and still kicks so much ass.  

29. "Balance" - Van Halen.  This was the first VH album I ever bought and while some people dislike this one, I gotta say, it has a lot of killer tracks.  "Not Enough" is such an amazing power ballad, and you should listen to me as I'm a power ballad aficionado. 

28.  "A Boy Named Goo" - Goo Goo Dolls.  Again, lots of people like to pick on the GGD, but they have a lot of solid tracks, many from this album.  "Name" was the big track here.  In the 90's, every rock / alt rock band (unless your name is Rage Against The Machine or Tool) needed a ballad, preferably with acoustic guitars to appeal to like everyone.  Hey, every band likely wants one of their songs to be played in a grocery store.  That said, "Naked" is still my favourite track on this album and I feel it does not get enough love (it does not even appear on the GGD's Greatest Hits album, come on, GGD!).

27. "To Bring You My Love" - PJ Harvey.  How good is the song "Down By The Water"?  So good.  Yes, I'm calling out the hit single again.  This was my first taste of PJ Harvey and is still a great listen.

26. "The Woman In Me" - Shania Twain.  I fully credit my sisters for getting me into this one, and, come on, "No One Needs To Know" is on the "Twister" soundtrack and everyone loves that movie.  I think it was years later I realized that Shania's songs sounded like countrified Def Leppard, and that made me enjoy her music more.

25. "100% Fun" - Matthew Sweet.  Such great power pop.  I have been re-visiting this album a lot lately and the closing tune "Smog Moon" is a gem.  It is a ballad, yet nary an acoustic guitar can be found, which is likely why it wasn't huge and doesn't get played in the grocery store.  Still, get it on your playlists stat!

24. "Medusa" - Annie Lennox.  I love Annie Lennox.  Yes, this is a covers album, but Annie makes the tunes her own.  Also, "No More I Love You's" is such a super weird single but it works in all the best ways possible.  Ah, the 90's.

23. "One Hot Minute" - Red Hot Chili Peppers.  This was the first RHCP album I ever bought.  Have I ever told you I lived in the wilderness era and neglected music between the years 1989 and 1991?  I missed a lot of seminal albums, including "Blood Sugar Sex Magic".  This is their only album with Dave Navarro.  I like this, but to be honest, my fandom of RHCP has fallen off in recent years, so it's harder to connect with their material.  Still, this album has "My Friends", so that RHCP could also jump on that 90's ballad train. 

22. "Mirror Ball" - Neil Young.  Pearl Jam joins as Uncle Neil's backing band and the results are ramshackle and rocking.  I just picked up the vinyl reissue and I forgot how good this record is.

21. "Post" - Bjork.  "Hyper Ballad" is my favourite Bjork song of all time and the rest of this record also delivers.  "Enjoy" is such a jam.

20. "Grand Prix" - Teenage Fanclub.  This band was not on my radar in 1995.  But "About You" is the best song The Hollies never wrote.  Super solid jangle pop (my family still does not believe this is an actual genre of music).

19. "Alice In Chains" - Alice In Chains.  I like this album, but sometimes I find it difficult to listen to, which is why it is not higher on the list, even though the cover shot is quite memorable.

18. "The Great Escape" - Blur.  This is the second or third album I bought at university.  As mentioned in the previous blog post, hearing "The Universal" broke my hatred of Blur.  That said, this album is somewhat uneven, IMHO, but the highs soar above the clouds.

17. "Insomniac" - Green Day.  Is "Walking Contradiction" one of their most underrated singles?  I think it is.  I feel they made a conscious decision to be less commercial on this one, but it's a solid album which I spin more than "Dookie" but less than "Warning".  

16. "Collective Soul" - Collective Soul.  Did he really put Collective Soul ahead of the heavy hitters above?  Yes, he did.  This album is still so super solid.  And the band played homecoming at Guelph for our first year and I'll always respect them for that.  Also, Canada's Rusty opened and their album "Fluke" is an honorable mention for best of 1995.  This album doubles down on the acoustic ballads with two that were released as singles, including one that incorporates strings.  This is also CS' best selling album.  I rest my case.

Like Bon Jovi sang, we're halfway there.  If you aren't bored yet, I invite you to read on!

15. "On" - Echobelly.  I spin this album once a month.  "King Of The Kerb" is what dreams are made of, and if I still could make mixtapes, I'd put "Go Away" on all of them.

14. "Stanley Road" - Paul Weller.  Paul Weller was also not on my radar in 1995, besides being part of Oasis' "Champagne Supernova" in some capacity and duetting with Noel Gallagher on "Talk Tonight" on some "White Room" performance from a free cassette I got from Q Magazine in 1995 (RIP Q Magazine).  But Paul Weller has been on my radar since 2008; he is now one of my favourite artists, and this album has aged like fine wine.

13. "Soup" - Blind Melon.  Such an unfairly maligned band...in no universe should they be "one hit wonders".  One, their debut is solid.  Two, "Walk" is so, so good and, three, "Galaxie" legit was on every mixtape I made in the 90's.  

12. "Foo Fighters" - Foo Fighters.  The start of a 30+ year career I don't think anyone saw coming.  I just saw FF in Toronto this summer and I forgot how many good songs they have.  This debut is so assured, even though it is a glorified demo.  "For All The Cows" rules.

11. "...And Out Come The Wolves" - Rancid.  Old people reading this: did you ever have a blank tape at the ready so you could stealth tape a song you liked off the radio?  "Ruby Soho" was that song for me in December 1995.  This album still kicks so much ass.

It's time to break into the Top 10!

10. "A Northern Soul" - The Verve.  Title track rules, as does "This Is Music" and "A New Decade".  And they sneak in an acoustic ballad ("On Your Own"), plus a symphonic acoustic ballad ("History") between extended jams.  Note, both these ballads were released as singles.

9. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" - Smashing Pumpkins (or is it The Smashing Pumpkins?).  This was a very fertile period in SP's career.  "The Aeroplane Flies High" boxset of b-sides is killer.  However, as with any 28 track double album, there is filler here, but like "The Great Escape" the highs SOAR.  Example:  "Bodies"?  Underrated and amazing.

8. "Jagged Little Pill" - Alanis Morissette.  Crashed towards the earth like the meteor in "Armageddon" and still gives a visceral thrill listening today, even if the examples of irony are questionable.  Wait, is that ironic?

7. "Above" - Mad Season.  Of the two AIC-related records released in 1995, this one has grown with me more.  Bluesy, dark, uplifting, a real showcase for Mike McCready's guitar and Layne Staley's lyrics.

6. "A Different Class" - Pulp.  If someone asked me to define Britpop by one song, I'd pick "Common People".  This is lightning in a bottle stuff.  And Jarvis Cocker is one of the coolest people on the planet.  While I'm glad I was 19 when this album came out, I finally saw Pulp last year live and I'm happy to report that hearing "Common People" live at age 49 with 16,000 others singing along still hits in the same way.

Before we hit the top 5, we will pause for some honorable mentions:

• Aforementioned "Fluke" by Rusty.  Just reissued on vinyl so I can re-visit it regularly!
• "Up" - Great Big Sea.  Great Canadian band that I had the pleasure of seeing multiple times in university.  This is true "feel good" music.
• "Return Of The Rentals" - The Rentals.  Matt Sharp from Weezer's side project that created some super catchy jams like "Friends Of P" (just put it on a playlist the other day)
• "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" - Bruce Springsteen.  I wasn't yet in my Springsteen immersion phase, that took another 5 years.  I respect this album even if I can't fully get into it.

Also, I don't love the entire albums but there are a few that produced amazing songs / singles:

• "Misery" & "Just Like Anyone" - Soul Asylum (from "Let Your Dim Light Shine").  "Frustrated Incorporated" from the former, genius wordplay and the latter had an awesome video featuring Claire Danes sprouting wings.
• "Fire In The Head", "The Bazaar", "Sister Awake" - The Tea Party (from "The Edges Of Twilight").  Great live band and IMHO a great singles band.  Can't really get into their albums except maybe "Transmission".  Still, these three tunes are very good.
• "Side Of The Road" - Blue Rodeo (from "Nowhere To Here").  One of my favourite Blue Rodeo songs, but following up "5 Days In July" would always be tough. 

Alright, on with the top 5!

5. "Infernal Love" - Therapy?  This is a dark masterpiece.  I have listened to this album consistently for 31 years and my least favourite songs are actually the singles, "Loose" and "Diane" (lead single "Stories" does rule and I would love to name my still not finished novel "Happy People Have No Stories".  Alas, I'm writing the blog instead of the book).  The rest...it's so weird in a great way, and a departure from "Troublegum" in almost every sense.  Except the dark lyrics.  "Me vs. You" is my dark horse favourite on this one - menacing and like "Stars" totally nails the quiet/loud dynamic. 

4. "Elastica" - Elastica.  So much fun.  I think it's 16 tracks in like 38 minutes.  This is a killer debut that they never properly followed-up on.  I mean, "The Menace" was not good.  But this album = pure gold.  Lightning in the bottle once again.  Did they rip off other artists?  As an Oasis fan, I don't really care if they did, as they painted everything with their own brush.

3. "Garbage" - Garbage.  Speaking of amazing debuts...Garbage has been one of my favourite bands for 30+ years because of this album.  Many years ago, there was an Instagram tag going around in the vinyl community where you had to post your 10 most influential albums without explanation.  This was one of mine, mostly because it introduced me to different genres of music...for an almost exclusive, guitar-music loving person like me, it was a real eye-opener.

2. "The Bends" - Radiohead.  Simply one of the best guitar rock albums ever made (after #3 on my list, is this ironic?).

1. "These Days" - Bon Jovi.  I have written two lengthy posts on Bon Jovi, explaining my "complicated" relationship with them.  Maybe I need to do a third now that I'm back in blogging mode.  In 1995, Bon Jovi were my favourite band and while Oasis has surpassed them and "WTSMG" did surpass this album in 1995, "These Days" is my favourite Bon Jovi record, in my top 10 of all-time, and is a musical path I wish they would have ventured down for the rest of their career.  While some of the songs still ooze with cheese, many are introspective, with great lyrics and amazing Richie Sambora guitar solos.  The CD singles from this era focus on spectacular live versions from the Bon Jovi catalogue.  1995-96 are their peak live years.  At any rate, this album is still great, and the title track is one of my all time favourite songs. 

So that is 1995.  Looking back, this may be one of my favourite music years.  This top 30 is stacked and I didn't even include albums by No Doubt, Hayden, Moby, The Cardigans, Supergrass or The Chemical Brothers.  Wow.  Also, you may note the lack of hip hop on this list.  In 1995, I was all about rock music, but you will see some different genres in future lists, I promise.

Can I do some random rambling about other awesome music stuff that came out in 1995?  It's my blog so of course I can.  One, I gotta talk about Def Leppard's first greatest hits album, "Vault 1980-1995" because the "new" song on the comp, "When Love And Hate Collide" is one of the best "new" songs on any greatest hits album, and also re-established their relevance in the mid-90's, which they threw away when they released "Slang" in 1996 (no shade from me, I really like this album).  "WLAHC" is a ballad, of course AND has some strings.  People, this is not a coincidence. 

The best "new" songs on greatest hits albums (as curated by Ted):

• "Mary Jane's Last Dance" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• "Always" & "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" - Bon Jovi
• "Not The Girl You Think You Are" - Crowded House
• "Again" - Lenny Kravitz  
• "Changes" - 2Pac
• "Electrical Storm" & "The Sweetest Thing" - U2
• "Murder Incorporated" - Bruce Springsteen

Also, the best soundtrack of 1995 is "Empire Records".  Just so many great songs by so many great bands.  Also, the movie is great.

The blog has been revitalized and I feel there will be a 1996 retrospective coming soon.

Until next time...

Best of 2016

Again, I'm the worst at maintaining this thing. But I wanted to get in my annual list of what I dug this year. You may or may not agree, but if you don't Blogger is free so you can also have your say! I definitely lean to the rock side of things, I always have and as I get older, it gets further ingrained. Here we go.

16. Bon Jovi - "This House Is Not For Sale"

What can I say, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Or at least re-package the same tricks with a few new band members and a renewed sense of song craft/lyric writing. I wrote about this in my last post so won't dwell on it too much, but I really enjoy this record and they rush-released a live album of their London promotional appearance couple of months after it was released which encouraged me to buy tickets to their Toronto show in April. Side note, I saw Bon Jovi with my dad the first time when I was 10 in 1986 and my daughter, who will be 10 in March, is coming with me in April. The circle is complete!

Key Tracks: This House Is Not For Sale, Living With The Ghost, God Bless This Mess, Reunion


15. Iggy Pop - "Post Pop Depression"

The album title is pretty awesome and the record itself is also pretty impressive. Produced by Josh Homme, who also leads the band, it has Iggy's signature snarl, but also the density that Homme's bands dabble in. Even more impressive is the live album, again from London, that was released a few months ago, where this album, as well as the hits, get very good treatment from Iggy, Josh and company.

Key Tracks: Break Into Your Heart, American Valhalla, Sunday


14. Billy Talent - "Afraid Of Heights"

I saw Billy Talent live for the first time in the summer when they opened for Guns 'N Roses in Toronto and they were very impressive. I have generally been a fan of the hits and it so happened that this album dropped right after that show, so I picked it up. I want to say that this is a more "mature" effort from the band, but I'd rather say that it's a muscular effort, filled with great musicianship and some solid lyrics and melodies.

Key Tracks: Afraid Of Heights, Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats, Rabbit Down The Hole


13. Against Me! - "Shape Shift With Me"

The follow-up to my fave album of 2014 doesn't disappoint. At first, I wasn't feeling this one too much, but after repeated spins, the songs definitely are there. The messages are more straight forward compared with those on "Transgender Dysphoria Blues", but the songs are no less affecting.

Key Tracks: Crash, 333, Haunting, Haunted, Haunts


12. Kings Of Leon - "WALLS"

Again, I wrote about this one in my last post, so won't dwell too much, but I like how the Kings got their groove back on this one. I'm also glad I'll be going to see them live for the first time in January!

Key Tracks: Reverend, Waste A Moment, Around The World, Walls


11. Catfish & The Bottlemen - "The Ride"

I remember I read that the album from the Australian band DMAs was "totally like" Oasis. I have that album, and it is good, but to me, it doesn't sound like Oasis. Catfish's "The Ride" sounds like Oasis. Maybe it's because they share the same producer as the last two Oasis albums in Dave Sardy, or maybe it's because the band respects Oasis, but there are a couple tunes on this one that you could definitely (not maybe) equate with the brothers Gallagher. And there is definitely nothing wrong with that from where I am sitting.

Key Tracks: 7, Twice, Soundcheck, Oxygen


10. The Tragically Hip - "Man Machine Poem"

This is likely the band's last album and I respect them for staying true to themselves. Their last few albums did nothing for me truthfully, but this album, produced by members of Broken Social Scene, has a groove to it that the band hasn't had in years, if not, ever. Plus Gord Downie's lyrics/poetry fit the music perfectly. If this is a swansong, then they have gone out on top, dancing to the beat of their own drum.

Key Tracks: What Blue, Ocean Next, Machine, Tired As Fuck


9. Garbage - "Strange Little Birds"

There is always room for Garbage on my list. I love Shirley Manson and I love this band. While I was definitely into their comeback album "Not Your Kind of People", this album, like the Hip's, marches to the beat of its' own drum. It lacks the commercial sheen of their past work, and I feel the band is better for it. The songs are given a chance to breathe and they unfold like short stories, mostly dealing with darkness and gloom, but, hey, I'm okay with that. Here's to their next record, hope they continue down this path.

Key Tracks: Even If Our Love Is Doomed, Blackout, Night Drive Loneliness


8. Hiss Golden Messenger - "Heart Like A Levee"

I was told to purchase this album from Stephen, an owner of Dead Dog Records in Toronto. I've known him for 8.5 years as he used to run the Sunrise Records at Yonge and Bloor, where I work. I trust him implicitly, so when he says I will like an artist/record, I tend to listen. I'm glad I did, because this album is hitting a Ryan Adams / solo Dan Auerbach / mellow "Brothers"-era Black Keys sweet spot for me. Thanks again Stephen!

Key Tracks: Heart Like A Levee, Biloxi, Tell Her I'm Just Dancing


7. Radiohead - "A Moon Shaped Pool"

I immensely dislike "The King Of Limbs". I have tried to listen to that album many times and I just can't get through it. I heard Burn The Witch before "Moon Shaped Pool" dropped and thought "meh". So I downloaded the album when it came out, sat through Burn The Witch and got to Daydreaming. Then Decks Dark and Ful Stop and Identikit. And I thought, okay, this band isn't dead to me. When they want to rock, they definitely can and when they want to write a great melody, they definitely can. While this is my fifth fave Radiohead album overall, it is a welcome return to form.

Key Tracks: Daydreaming, Identikit, Decks Dark


6. Brian Fallon - "Painkillers"

I am a huge Brian Fallon fan, whether it be Gaslight, The Horrible Crowes or solo. This is his first official solo album and it delivers. He and Butch Walker make a great team. The songs are singer-songwriter but very catchy and as always, the lyrics deliver. Hoping that Gaslight eventually returns, but if not, more records like this will do.

Key Tracks: Painkillers, A Wonderful Life, Smoke


5. PUP - "The Dream Is Over"

The lead singer of PUP was told he'd never sing again before he made this album, thus the title of this record. Well, he proved everyone wrong and I'm certainly happy about that. In my life, I enjoy what I term "bratty" records. Loud, somewhat abrasive, but bursting with life. And this record ticks all these boxes. I keep thinking about what I would do if someone told me my dream was over. I'd like to think I'd write something like this, middle finger defiantly in the air.

Key Tracks: DVP, Doubts, The Coast 


4. Hamilton Leithauser + Rotsam - "I Had A Dream You Were Mine"

Total dream team here. I like The Walkmen and I love Vampire Weekend. When you put two of the principals together you get this dream pop gem that combines rock, folk, doo wop, pop, chamber pop, etc. Such a refreshing album for me this year and I've only had a couple of months with it. But it hits you right on impact.

Key Tracks: A 1000 Times, Sick As A Dog, Rough Going (I Won't Let Up), In A Black Out


3. Weezer - "Weezer (The White Album)"

Weezer is on a damn roll and I couldn't be happier. Their comeback record, "Everything Will Be Alright In The End", came in 2nd in my 2014 list and they are top 3 this year. This is just an infectious LP, everything that is right about Weezer, they are hitting on again. A definite summer album that you can play all year round. I'm really looking forward to their next step.

Key Tracks: Do You Wanna Get High?, Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori, California Kids, Endless Bummer


2. David Bowie - "Blackstar"

Seriously, am I wrong not putting this as number 1? It is a great album, but my number 1 is also great. I mean, what can you say about this album? It is challenging but rewarding. David Bowie wrote an album that described his death, released it and then passed away. He made his death an art project and I respect him even more for this.

Key Tracks: Lazarus, I Can't Give Everything Away, Sue (Or in a Season Of Crime), Blackstar


1. Jimmy Eat World - "Integrity Blues"

This is the album that I've been waiting for Jimmy Eat World to release since "Futures". Dense, muscular, heavy, mellow, all of this at the same time. And, I love the Bowie record, but this is home for me. I relate to these lyrics and to this band and that makes this my most essential record in this rather fucked-up year.

Key Tracks: Get Right, Pass The Baby, Pretty Grids, Sure and Certain


Other Music Stuff that Ruled this Year:

Oasis vinyl re-issues: Yes! Allowed me to complete my collection. All sound mega, but my faves are "The Masterplan" and "Be Here Now".

Oasis "Supersonic" doc: Yeah, I love Oasis. This doc is killer. It's on DVD/Blu ray now, so do yourself a favour and grab it (could make for a great stocking stuffer).

Bruce Springsteen's River Tour: Caught this in Detroit and jeez, this man is a revelation. Played "The River" in its entirety (about 2 hours) and then played almost two hours worth of hits and didn't leave the stage. The man is 67 I believe.

I Am The Resurrection

Soooo, I seem to be the worst really in maintaining the blog. But here it goes, back with another post and will hopefully end 2016 strong as I have a few more stories in me.

Back to this post though. I've noticed a trend this year, one that makes me feel good about music. The trend is...bands you sort of gave up on stepping up to the plate and really driving it out of the park. Like anyone really, musicians aren't perfect. You may love some of their work completely but then there is the inevitable fade as they want to try new things that may or may not jive with you or your changing tastes / life stages. There are a few bands that I used to be completely obsessed with where I am now having a hard time getting into their new stuff or 'direction' (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Keys and Incubus being three off the top of my head). The 5 bands I am going to write about today also fell into this bucket, that is, until they released their latest albums.

Green Day "Revolution Radio"

I became a fan of Green Day, like many, with the release of "Dookie". I was in high school and this record had everything I liked at that time - catchy tunes, swearing, rebellion. Potentially, nothing has changed since then! "Insomniac" followed and I also enjoyed this record. "Nimrod" I bought right before New Year's Eve 1998 (I believe) and I remember listening to Hitchin' A Ride and Good Riddance driving back from a friend's after a New Year's Eve bash, completely hungover. Great times. "Warning" for me is an underrated record. More acoustic, potentially less commercial, though I'm not sure why, given all the songs are pretty catchy. Minority was the first single and it grabbed me right out of the gate. Upon purchasing the album, Macy's Day Parade became a fave. It still is to this day. There is more maturity on this record and maybe that is why it didn't appeal to the masses; Green Day and I were growing up together.

Of course, "American Idiot" was the game changer, a rock opera, where they channeled the rebellion of "Dookie" and the maturity of "Warning" and just went for it. Huge record, lots of Grammys. This tour was the first and only time I've seen the band live and they certainly put on a show. I just recently pulled this album out and listened to the whole thing for the first time in God knows how long and it still is a great album, even if you still hear the big hits in heavy rotation. I mean, Jesus Of Suburbia, what a song.

"21st Century Breakdown" didn't do much for me at all. A few good songs, but the 5 year gap between it and "American Idiot" and the feeling that the band was trying a bit too hard to re-capture "AI" glory didn't add up for me. "Uno", "Dos", "Tre", a triple album blitzkrieg was overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. I have listened to all three of these albums. Likely culling the best material into one album might have been a better plan, though the songs Carpe Diem, Oh Love and Dirty Rotten Bastards are pretty good. These came out in 2012, I believe and then Green Day sort of disappeared. Billie Joe was going through issues and they took a much needed break.

That was until this year. "Revolution Radio" was announced and Bang Bang was the first single. To be honest, this song is not my fave, so I wasn't really sure what direction the new album was going to go in. I downloaded it on Google Play the day it came out and listened. Then I re-started and listened again. To me, the band sounded revitalized, definitely rocking. Catchy tunes still intact. Attitude still intact. Some maturity and no "concept" to try to understand. Just 12 good songs, ones that I want to re-visit and that my kids like as well! Highlights here are Forever Now, Youngblood, Bouncing Off The Walls and Say Goodbye. Green Day back in early 1990's / 2000's form and I couldn't be happier.

blink-182 "California"

I'm going to start off by saying that "Take Off Your Pants & Jacket" is one of my favourite albums ever, period. blink carved out a very nice career writing catchy, pop punk anthems, sung by two front men with very distinctive voices. I know I liked Dammit in university, but I became a true blink fan in the summer of 1999 when I heard What's My Age Again? The protagonist was 23, as was I at the time, so it just spoke to me. I promptly picked up "Enema Of The State" and have continued to support the band since. blink sort of pulled a Green Day in going for maturity on their self-titled release in 2003, which I was on board with, but then they announced a hiatus, with Mark and Tom heading out separately and we were given +44 (decent) and Angels & Airwaves (not my thing at all).

So when they announced they were getting back together and putting out "Neighborhoods", I was pretty excited. And ... that record is just kind of okay. It has some decent songs but sounds like two separate bands, little cohesiveness. I actually thought their "Dogs Eating Dogs" EP was more cohesive. But then Tom DeLonge quit and there you go, that's it. Except it wasn't. Enter Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio, a band I have to admit I have heard zero songs from. And they toured together and then made a record, "California". And it's actually good. Really better than it has any right to be. The songs are punchy and have life to them, even if they lack some maturity. My faves are Sober, Bored to Death and Los Angeles. It sounds like blink again, so hopefully they are back for the long run.

Jimmy Eat World "Integrity Blues"

I'm also going to start off this section by saying that "Futures" is one of my favourite albums ever, period. It is in my Top 10 and some days it might be in my Top 5. I remember when "Chase This Light" came out in 2007...it never really had a chance with me. Now, I have grown to enjoy that record quite a bit but after "Futures", the sheen and the pop sensibilities of it didn't really compute. I wanted punchy, moody, really "Futures" Part II. Then "Invented" came out and I was a bit meh on that one. The less said about "Damage" the better. Before and including "Futures", I regarded Jimmy Eat World as a strong 'album' band. "Clarity" and "Bleed American" are stellar.

Big Casino from "CTL" was a strong effort, one of my favourite songs by the band and a huge first single. Same with My Best Theory from "Invented", again, good song. Ditto I Will Steal You Back from "Damage". But overall, these last two albums had some clunkers on them. So when the band dropped Get Right this year after taking a self-imposed year hiatus, I listened intently. Again a strong single. Then they dropped Sure & Certain, You With Me and You Are Free, all before the "Integrity Blues" album came out. All of these songs are strong, so I started to get a bit excited. I downloaded the album at midnight on October 21st and listened to about half of it that night. It sounded good. I listened to the whole thing on my drive to work the next day and was pretty much blown away.

"Integrity Blues" reminds me a lot of "Futures". It's dense, somewhat mid-tempo, but the break and perhaps the "Futures" anniversary tour helped the band I think. Everyone sounds rejuvenated and the lyrics are deep; Jim Adkins has written a great set of songs here. The sequence of Pretty Grids / Pass The Baby / Get Right is just perfect. You would never know the band was on it's 9th record, they sound so fresh and the production is perfect. The title track is symphonic goodness, bleeding right into the epic closer Pol Roger. This is definitely one of the best records of the year in my books and I'm hoping that this is nice building block for the band to move forward with.

Kings Of Leon "WALLS"

I would like to say that I don't feel Kings Of Leon have released a bad album, but I haven't felt overly excited for a new record from them until "WALLS". "If Only By The Night" was of course their commercial breakthrough, though I prefer "Because Of The Times" as it was released right around the time my daughter was born, so great memories. Also, the songs on that album are banging. On Call, Charmer, Arizona, My Party, Fans, so may great tunes. But you can't argue with the songs on "IOBTN" either. Everyone knows the hits; the album cuts are solid also - Closer, Crawl, Notion. Solid.

"Come Around Sundown" isn't awful, it's just not fully exciting. The mood is a bit downtrodden for most and while it contains moments, it is sort of in neutral the whole way. I thought "Mechanical Bull" was a step-up but i re-visited it a few weeks ago as I started thinking about this blog and found it to be a little underwhelming overall. I heard Waste A Moment from "WALLS" on the radio and felt that excitement; it is a 3-minute charge of guitars, a catchy chorus, everything I enjoy really. Then they dropped Reverend and Around The World and I was completely on board. Terrible album artwork aside, the 10 tracks that make-up this record are tight, catchy and focused. The band is working with a new producer, Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire) and I think it has rejuvenated them. All in KOL are players and the production really isolates each member so you can hear what each are bringing to each song.

I'm going to see KOL for the first time in January, glad that they have their back catalog, but also excited to hear the new ones in the mix.

Bon Jovi "This House Is Not For Sale"

For those of you who have read my previous posts, you know that my second Bon Jovi post was less than positive. Since 2000, I felt the band have been going down the easy road, clamoring for pop hits vs. creating songs with any personality or substance. I felt Richie Sambora leaving the band was a death stroke that they wouldn't recover from. I'm happy to say that listening to "THINFS", that I was wrong, completely wrong.

I think the first single, the title track, dropped in early August and I quickly downloaded it. I listened intently and immediately, the lyrics worked for me. I got the sense that JBJ was writing from a personal place vs. the usual "get up off your knees" / every man places that I felt plagued the last few albums. Phil X's guitar playing is simple and tasteful. The riff is solid and it inspired me to learn the chords for this one on guitar. And I actually can play most of it, and it actually sounds decent. They then dropped Knockout (at first, meh, I've grown to enjoy it), Labor Of Love (solid ballad) and Born Again Tomorrow. All 4 songs sounded good, much better than anything off of "What About Now", which I feel is the bottom of the barrel for Bon Jovi albums.

While we are on this topic, the "fan album", "Burning Bridges" (contractual obligation), they released in 2015 was actually not half bad. Some of the songs seemed to actually have personal meaning to JBJ, which elevates things for me with this band. In particular, try Teardrop To The Sea, Fingerprints and We Don't Run.

Anyway, the full "THINFS" album was due to come out October 21st, but then got moved back to November 4th for some unknown reason. But, as luck would have it, I went to a store (I will protect their identity) in Toronto on the 21st and saw the vinyl sitting on the shelf so it was a no brainer purchase. When I got home, I gave it a spin and am happy to say that this is Bon Jovi's best album since "These Days" (1995), bar none. It is obvious listening to the whole album that JBJ is writing from a place close to him, there are definitely a few songs about the Sambora defection (i.e. Living With The Ghost, Devil In The Kitchen), and it suits him and the band. Phil X is good, and I feel on the next record, he will bring a lot more to the table (when he is allowed to). JBJ said the band had "nothing to prove" with this album, but they did to me. They had to prove that they actually still cared about the music vs. the world tours, etc. I'm very happy the band pulled this off and made it about the music again, I didn't feel they had it in them.

The one criticism I have is that the production on some songs is very muddy; many instruments competing with each other with little space. The band should give a thought to maybe bringing in someone new on the next one, John Shanks is a little tired. Perhaps Markus Dravs would be a good choice! But, hey, at least Bon Jovi has new songs now that I would gladly hear live, mingling with the old war horses. My daughter is also a fan and is asking when the band is coming in concert...so I guess we will be riding that steel horse once again.

Until next time...

The Bon Jovi Saga Vol. 2 - When Sky High Anticipation Results in Gut Wrenching Disappointment

Case Study #2: Every Bon Jovi Album After "These Days"*
* with the exception of 2

So picking up where I left off about a month ago (you should read the Bon Jovi Saga Vol. 1 first, I am not technically inclined to know how to link the post in this post but it's on the site), when I put on "Crush" at 1am the night I got it, It's My Life was the first track, so this was a good start. Then it got a little weird and maybe I should have read the writing on the wall with Real Life.

"Crush" (2000)

"Crush" has some good songs but also some truly bad ones. The good songs are quite good, It's My Life, Just Older, Next 100 Years, Two Story Town. The bad ones are wretched, in particular Thank You For Loving Me. I know people like this song and some play it at their weddings but to me it's awful, just awful. I used to love Save The World, solid power ballads are my bread and butter, but I tried listening to this a little while ago and it is just mega cheesy and the guitar solo is weak. Mystery Train is okay but not fantastic. I Got The Girl is kinda terrible. One Wild Night is like It's My Life 2.0 but misses more than it hits. Nonetheless, I still ended up re-buying the Australian Tour Edition of this album for the bonus 5 song live disc. Which is pretty good. And I saw them at the ACC on this tour and it was solid. Never Say Goodbye was played acoustic in the encore, which was amazing.

It's My Life then is a double-edged sword. Yes, it brought new listeners (generations) to the band. But it also cemented into the band that they needed to be a commercial force to be relevant. They needed to sell out large arenas and while half of "Crush" is introspective (in as much as Bon Jovi can be), half it is shooting for the rafters. Unfortunately, for me, each album after "Crush" started leaning 90% towards a rafter shooting / pop-rock safe zone vs. "These Days" and "Destination Anywhere" introspection. And maybe this is where the band wanted to be, selling out arenas with as much mainstream appeal as possible. '80's music survivors, still going strong in the 2000's. Who can blame them?

"One Wild Night Live" (2001)

As mentioned earlier, I really felt Bon Jovi was a formidable live act, so I was pumped when I heard they were releasing their first official live album. Unfortunately, what we got was a live compilation spanning 1985-2001, not a full live show. While there are highlights (namely the "These Days" and "KTF" songs), it is not a cohesive representation of a live Bon Jovi experience, nor is it even a double album. Definitely a missed opportunity.

"Bounce" (2002)

Everyday was the lead single ... for those of you counting this song can be considered It's My Life 3.0. It's serviceable but not classic, but it pumped me up for the album. "Bounce" is the band's response to 9/11 (not as obvious or heavy-handed as you would think) and some songs are good on this one, Undivided, All About Lovin' You, Misunderstood, The Distance, Bounce. But Joey and Right Side Of Wrong are terrible. I know the press kit when this album was released said these 2 tunes were the return to the band's "singer-songwriter" roots but seriously, Joey is one of the worst Bon Jovi songs ever and maybe even one of the worst songs ever. I did see them on this tour twice, the first concert was great but the 2nd was the first time I saw Bon Jovi phone it in. Plus, I was unsure why no "These Days" songs were finding their way into the set. The silver lining was that the Goo Goo Dolls were great as openers x 2. Iris, Slide, Name, etc. are great late era power ballads.

"This Left Feels Right" (2003)

Remaking your rafter shooting hits as mellow campfire songs. But not unplugged. I wrote an amazon review on this one, which I think captures my feelings well, so please feel free:

http://tinyurl.com/lwh764v

But I still did find the import collector's edition of this album with a bonus live DVD of acoustic performances and that made things sort of better. Though, that said, I haven't played this album since 2003.

As an aside, I got married in 2003 and there were are a few great Bon Jovi moments. The first was when the wedding party all slow danced to Always and everyone sang the song at the top of their lungs on the dance floor. The second was when the DJ ended the night with a Bon Jovi medley of Livin' On A Prayer/It's My Life/Bad Medicine. Everyone was going nuts. Bon Jovi are the people's band forsure and this is my struggle.

When they started out, they were the people's band, diamond selling albums, huge tours, etc. The '90's put them as survivors but mid-tier survivors. The 2000's put them back on the top-tier map and they are still on the map really. They are like the new Stones, minus the critical acclaim, but in 2010 I saw them back-to-back at the 50,000 capacity Rogers Center and it was full both nights. So, yeah, they are still kind of a big deal, but at the expense of creating new songs that I actually want to listen to repeatedly in 2015. More on this later...aside over and moving on.

"100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong" (Box Set, 2004)*

This is actually a cool concept and one of the two exceptions on this list. A 4-CD, 1 DVD compilation of previously unreleased or rare material from the Bon Jovi vaults. I have no issues with this release, I thought it was a nice treat for fans, contained some good songs and it made me excited for the upcoming studio release.

"Have A Nice Day" (2005)

Have A Nice Day is a solid lead single, albeit It's My Life 4.0. It is stronger than Everyday and it made me excited that this record would be good. The press kit leading up to every post-2000 Bon Jovi album touts the forthcoming record as "return to roots", a "loud rock record", etc. No doubt "HAND" has good songs, I Want To Be Loved, Story Of My Life, Last Man Standing, but the country duet of Who Says You Can't Go Home and the rock version of the song itself are, well, I'm not having it. Plus, the rest of the album is mostly filler. Bells Of Freedom, this is a song title and it is as bad as that title. I did see them maybe 3 or 4 times on this tour though. Still a good live act in my mind at this point, but again, the sets were really light on "KTF" and "TD" songs, i.e. 2 songs maybe of the former included and zero of the latter. And really the only "Crush" songs played were IML and Just Older, maybe Captain Crash (but I've blocked this out because that song is definitely not one of my faves). Only Bounce and possibly Everyday were aired from "Bounce". So it was the same greatest hits being trotted out along with some songs from the new album, half of which weren't good. JBJ has said he doesn't want to be "nostalgia act" but when your new releases do not produce many classic or even good songs, what else can you play at shows? Additionally, I'm not sure Bon Jovi's fan base want to hear anything outside of the classics. They aren't looking for deep cuts and that's probably my issue for being a "die hard".

I should mention also that by this point I didn't have a fully negative opinion of the band. I was still going to the concerts, I was still buying the albums, I was still talking to others about the band. I made myself best of compilations after every new album. They released new music every year from 2000 to 2005, which was quite prolific. But each release started getting less play than the one before from me. Thoughts about Bon Jovi's setlists and how "samey" they were started creeping into my head. Other bands were coming more into focus for me. I was really starting to get into Springsteen and the White Stripes and Oasis was just about to release "Don't Believe The Truth" and begin a career resurgence.

It comes down to the music. I never re-visit any of the albums that I've spoken about so far in this post. I do re-visit "These Days", "Slippery", "Keep The Faith" and "New Jersey" fairly often.

"Lost Highway" (2007)*

The other exception on the list, but I was very skeptical at first. A Nashville-inspired Bon Jovi record. After the nightmare that was Who Says You Can't Go Home, I wasn't exactly banging down the door wanting to get this. Everyone was going country in 2007. Hell, people still are. Hootie is still famous because he went country and it fits him well. But "Lost Highway" was an understated, somewhat introspective record with guitar solos. They let Richie off his leash again. I'm not sure if he was having personal issues at this point but his playing on this record is inspiring. Whole Lot Of Leaving, (You Want To) Make A Memory, Lost Highway, Til We Ain't Strangers Anymore, these are all great songs. Though I'll dock this album a point for including my least favourite Bon Jovi song ever, the career nadir We Got It Goin' On. They have played this song live at EVERY show since 2007. Who likes this song??? No one, except Big & Rich, who likely get royalties every time it is played.

I saw them I think 4 times on this tour. The set lists contained a few surprises, Richie Sambora singing These Days, JBJ pulling out Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah but, of course, they also contained the faithful war horses. But the exception here was that the "Lost Highway" songs were pleasant to hear live. People were reacting positively to these songs also. The band seemed to be having fun and there were no auto pilot shows here, except for maybe the one I saw in Sarnia, ON at the Bayfest festival, but I'll give that one to them as there were massive bugs flying all around the stage.

By the time 2007 rolled around, I had means to get albums as they were leaked online before they came out officially so I was already listening to "LH" about a month before it went on sale. As an aside, the Internet is a double edged sword for me when it comes to music. I do like the ability to hear something before it comes out ("try before you buy") but it clearly takes away the excitement and anticipation that I used to feel on new release day, where maybe you only heard the single and had to wait to hear the rest of the record.

"Lost Highway" is the only post-2000 Bon Jovi release that I re-visit every now and then.

"The Circle" (2009)

The lead single We Weren't Born To Follow is pretty terrible. So bad in fact that they had to re-record the initial version to include an actual guitar solo when JBJ calls out "guitar" in the middle of the song. But yet the band feels the need to keep playing this song in concert to this day and include it in the pantheon of their greatest hits. Anyway, there are some good songs on this one, Brokenpromiseland, Thorn In My Pride, When We Were Beautiful, but the bad truly outweighs the good. And the documentary that accompanies this release is something else. JBJ really comes off as arrogant and self-serving. He's a business-MAN, the CEO. The band are his employees. We get it, you're awesome. Now, please back it up with better tunes.

As mentioned earlier, I did see the band twice on this tour at the Rogers Center and the concerts were good. They played Damned and Something For The Pain (maybe Diamond Ring too now that I think about it) from "These Days", so that was a bonus. I was pretty close to the stage the 2nd night (see below).

                                 (Photo courtesy of my friend Jara)

These are the last two Bon Jovi concerts I've attended and potentially, the last ones I will ever attend (but not likely really). Kid Rock opened and he was actually pretty good. I've always enjoyed the "Devil Without A Cause" hits + Picture. He also has a great command of pyrotechnics.

"The Greatest Hits" (2010)

This could have been an amazing and proper career-spanning compilation that highlighted good songs from all eras. A double album release like the Rolling Stones' "40 Licks".

But hold the phone, they had both a single and double disc edition. The single disc edition was essentially "Crossroad", with It's My Life, We Weren't Born To Follow, Have A Nice Day and the country version of Who Says (it won a Grammy, so duh!) tacked on. All the "KTF", "These Days" and "Lost Highway" songs were relegated to the 2nd disc, which was only available if you bought the Ultimate Collection, which of course, I did. I'm a completist, even in the "down years" of a band's career. Living In Sin, Never Say Goodbye, Just Older and none of "7800 Degrees Fahrenheit" or "Bounce" made the cut, even on an "Ultimate Collection".

The 4 new songs were not great. The More Things Change was kind of like winking at the band's career fortunes and is okay, but I don't think I've played it since 2010. Again, a missed opportunity to preserve and showcase the best parts of the band's legacy and maybe introduce people to songs they don't know.

"What About Now" (2013)

This is easily my least favourite Bon Jovi album. The only song I remotely enjoy is I'm With You, and maybe What's Left Of Me, because it sort of sounds like Someday I'll Be Saturday Night. The rest is just awful. My 7 year old daughter really liked the first single Because We Can so I gave her the CD when I purchased it (again, completist) and it stayed in her room CD player for about a year until I found it cleaning up about 6 months ago. That is how much I missed listening to this one. I'm not even going to put an audio / video clip of any of their songs off this one on here.

I think Bon Jovi hit Toronto 5 times on tour for this record. I went to none of these shows, marking the first time I've missed a tour since 1993. I just didn't have a lot of interest in going to see the same old songs and new songs I was not into at all. To top it off, Richie Sambora left the tour and is now subsequently out of the band. Richie's been battling some demons over the past few years and I'm not going to comment as everyone has their issues to sort out. But I just can't fathom how after 30 years with a band (a successful one at that) it's over without a real reason given. There is a lot of speculation over the internet, but we will likely never know the real reason for this break-up.

While the "What About Now" tour racked up big box office receipts, it obviously couldn't have been very fun for the band given all the issues that went on behind the scenes. The clips I saw showed a tired band that in a lot of cases was going through the motions. I've seen Springsteen I think 8 times now and that man is a revelation. He made the Rogers Center feel intimate. Plus, I've never seen him play the same set twice, even on the same tour. I realize that Bruce's songs are maybe "deeper" than Bon Jovi's but he isn't afraid to pull out the rarities or change things up based on the crowd, regardless of what's on the setlist. I also realize that I love Oasis and they play the same set for an entire tour, night in and night out and this doesn't bug me. I think it's because the expectations have been set. Or maybe that the songs they choose to play are better.

Maybe I hold Bon Jovi on too high a pedestal and they are bound to not to be able to live up to it...but the issue there is that they did pretty much live up to it from 1986 to 2000. Maybe, aside from "These Days", "New Jersey", "Slippery" and most of "KTF", Bon Jovi have never been a strong "album" band. But it just seemed like they were trying harder on pre-2000 efforts. I think once you like and invest in a band, it's hard to be objective towards anything they've done. If it's good, it's the "best thing ever" and if it's bad, it's the "worst thing ever". The in-between songs just don't cut it.

I'm sure Richie Sambora will eventually re-join Bon Jovi for the inevitable reunion tour at some point. And you know, I likely will go to at least one of these shows. I have no issues with his replacement Phil X, who is Canadian and a good guitar player, but to me that's not Bon Jovi. Maybe I just really need a long break from the band and when that reunion hits in 5 or so years, I'll be ready to ride that steel horse again. I kinda hope so.

Until next time...

On A Steel Horse I Ride, The Bon Jovi Saga Vol. 1

Yes, this is Part 1 of the long-awaited Bon Jovi post/ramblings. I remember when Bon Jovi was like Oasis for me. My favourite band, no one could talk shit about them and they could do no wrong. The year was 1986 and I was 10 years old. When I first heard the opening salvo of "Shot through the heart and you're to blame" from You Give Love A Bad Name, I was hooked. This was an anthem. This was my jam. And then Livin' On A Prayer came out. This was also my jam. The video featured Jon Bon Jovi (hereby referred to as JBJ) and other band members hanging from cables while rocking an arena. The structure was the same as the video for You Give Love A Bad Name, and thinking about it now, they likely filmed the videos at the same time to save money. Bon Jovi was not a household name prior to 1986, though they had released 2 albums by then. Livin' On A Prayer was even better than YGLABN, the chorus soared, everyone liked and related to Tommy & Gina's tale of hard luck. They had each other and that was a lot for love.

But then the video for Wanted Dead Or Alive came out. As JBJ frequently says in concert prior to playing this tune "Please rise for the singing of our national anthem". This song is epic. The first verses are acoustic and mellow and then it erupts with a classic Richie Sambora guitar solo. And I ride! He plays the double neck acoustic guitar and then straps on the electric guitar for the rest of the song! Amazing. The video is like a mini-movie of life on the road as Bon Jovi was in the midst of hitting it big. By this point, I likely had the vinyl of "Slippery When Wet" and I remember my dad taking me to the Exhibition Stadium in Toronto during the summer of 1986 or 87 to see Bon Jovi. It was the loudest concert ever. We were at the train station and we could still hear Wanted Dead Or Alive perfectly. I'm not sure if I have fond memories of this concert but I know I got a killer 3/4 length Bon Jovi shirt that I wore frequently. I think I liked the whole album but in my early days I was all about singles and American Top 40.

"New Jersey" followed in 1988 and I believe I got the cassette of this one as I was onto cassettes by then. Bad Medicine I liked but I started drifting away from music around this time, focusing instead on sports (namely the Toronto Blue Jays, Maple Leafs and Miami Dolphins) because I was going to be a sports commentator when I grew up. The only time I listened to music really between 1988 and 1991, my taste was what you would call "questionable". Paula Abdul, MC Hammer, Wilson Phillips, yikes. Also Roxette but I'm not putting a yikes beside that. Their greatest hits are solid.

In a past blog post, I mentioned that "Wayne's World" and Bohemian Rhapsody got me back into music and "Classic Queen" was my first CD. This was late 1991 or early 1992. I then read or heard Bon Jovi was coming out with a new album after taking 4 years off (during the hiatus JBJ made "Blaze Of Glory" and Richie Sambora made "Stranger In This Town"). The album and first single was titled "Keep The Faith" and it was certainly different from "Slippery" or "New Jersey" fare, but I was pretty into this song. Great lyric, chorus and guitar solo. I picked up the CD and found that the first 5 songs were pretty amazing. I Believe, Keep The Faith, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, In These Arms and Bed Of Roses. Nice front load of potential hit singles. But the song that was the dark horse in this collection was Dry County, a close to 10 minute epic about JBJ's journey on his motorcycle across America during the band's hiatus. It contains a completely unbelievable 2-3 minute Richie Sambora guitar solo and the lyrics are good, almost movie-like. I also enjoyed the last three songs - I Want You (a more contemporary power ballad), Blame It On The Love Of Rock n' Roll and A Little Bit Of Soul. I remember Bon Jovi had an MTV (or MuchMusic) special called Keep The Faith An Evening With Bon Jovi that I taped and watched frequently. Say what you want about Bon Jovi and their cheesiness, etc, but they were a top-notch live act, especially around this time. They had something to prove after being gone for 4 years and watching music seemingly change overnight. Around this time, I made Bon Jovi and supporting Bon Jovi my mission, my cause, if you will. My friends, I feel they sort of liked the music, but they didn't really have a choice. It was being played in my parent's Ford Villager 24/7 whether you liked it or not!

One of the best moments in Bon Jovi worship/collecting during this era was when we hit the HMV superstore in Toronto one weekend in 1993 (this was a big thing for us Burlingtonians) and I saw "Keep The Faith" in the new releases even though it came out in 1992. So I flipped the CD over and noticed there was a bonus track on the album proper (Save A Prayer) and a bonus live / acoustic CD with 8 tracks. For $17, this was a steal. And thus began my trend of re-buying Bon Jovi albums once I found their special or import editions months or years after the real albums came out. This practice continued until "Bounce", where I couldn't find a special import edition. I wore out the album proper from this edition, which kind of angers me because I still don't have a good version of Save A Prayer and this is a really good song. The bonus live disc is still money today - live renditions of In These Arms, Keep The Faith, Bad Medicine and an acoustic Bed Of Roses and Never Say Goodbye. This is my go to version of NSG. In fact, I heard the original on Sirius XM's 80's on 8 the other day and I didn't understand it fully because it had 80's drums and electric guitars.

I went back and picked up "Slippery", "New Jersey", "Blaze Of Glory" and "Stranger In This Town" on CD. Eventually I acknowledged they had albums before "Slippery" and picked up "Bon Jovi" and "7800 Degrees Fahrenheit" (still my least favourite of the pre-2000 era, but has some good songs on it). I also got their CD singles (the only one I'm still missing from the "KTF" era is In These Arms) because they contained live tracks which were awesome. In February 1993, a bunch of us went to see Bon Jovi at Maple Leaf Gardens, and the band filmed the video for In These Arms. I remember we were so pumped for this concert. I think we had to wait 2 or 3 months and we had daily countdowns. Seriously. Then we went to see them again in December 1993 in Hamilton, where they busted out Dry County. I still have all of my concert shirts from this era and I still proudly wear them from time to time.

I re-discovered "New Jersey" and specifically Living In Sin and Blood On Blood during Christmas of 1992. The latter song was about me and my friends, bar none. We adopted it as our anthem. I don't think any of us now are uptown lawyers, or medicine men or even singers in long haired rock and roll bands but listening to this song still takes me back to ball hockey, Sega Genesis, filming music videos, playing shark in my parents' pool. "New Jersey" is really close to "These Days" in being my favourite Bon Jovi album and it certainly deserved the deluxe anniversary treatment it got last summer. Solid reissue that I now realize should have been put on my best of 2014 list as the CD of unreleased demos is the best thing they've released since "These Days". Hindsight!

I used to bring my old school CD player / ghetto blaster into the bathroom and rock out while in the shower. I programmed the best "New Jersey" songs in this order: Blood On Blood, Wild Is The Wind, Stick To Your Guns, ending with Living In Sin. Long showers were the norm back then.

As you can gather, many of their songs from the "KTF" and earlier eras spoke to me as I was getting deeper into high school, dealing with new feelings, girls, etc. Bon Jovi was there for me, these five words they swore to me. They picked me up. I used to love guitar solos in songs because of Richie Sambora. I was disappointed when songs didn't have guitar solos and didn't understand why they wouldn't. I realize that a lot of music I listen to now doesn't have guitar solos but that was pretty much cost of entry for me to like a band between 92 and 95. I was still consuming other music at this time, but none of it really surpassed Bon Jovi in terms of being my favourite (until fall 1995, see blog post #1).

I was so ultra obsessed and overt with my obsession with Bon Jovi (I used to have a "Keep The Faith" baseball hat that I wore to school, without any shame. I have no idea where this went but I really wish I still had it), it came to the point that when people thought of Bon Jovi, they automatically thought of me and vice versa. I think that is still the case and I am okay with it being part of my identity. You know, husband, father, market researcher, writer, Bon Jovi fan. This is fine. It certainly wasn't in vogue (en vogue?) to be a guy who liked Bon Jovi in high school, but I think people just realized it wasn't a gimmick, I actually cared about the music so everyone just accepted it. There is a lesson in there kids and it's be true to yourself!

"Crossroad" the best of Bon Jovi came out in 1994 and contained the monster power ballad Always and the underrated gem Someday I'll Be Saturday Night. The less said about the other "new" song on the collection, Prayer '94, the better (they had a much better acoustic version of this song on the aforementioned Evening With Bon Jovi special). This was a nice stop gap release until "These Days" dropped in the summer of 1995. I remember hearing the first single This Ain't A Love Song in May of 95 and not being blown away, but like the rest of "These Days", it was a grower. "These Days" starts off with Hey God, which is probably Bon Jovi's bleakest tune. It sounds like it came from the grunge era but still holds up today. "These Days" is the last great album made by the band, IMHO, every song is good. No throwaways. It is in my top 10 albums of all time. As an aside, most of my favourite albums are, it's like that scene in the movie (and likely the book, which I've read twice, but it slips my mind) "High Fidelity" with John Cusack where he is arranging his albums autobiographically. A person's favourite music says something about you, but it may not be the most obvious thing.

The title track of "These Days" is probably in my top 20 of all time favourite songs. "These Days" was the first album I put on in my dorm when I got to Guelph in September 1995. I missed my floor's frosh week ceremony because we were seeing Bon Jovi at the Molson Amphitheater. Definitely in my top 5 best concerts of all time, close to a 3 hour show, many "These Days" tracks included, the band was on fire. It is here where the band reached the cross roads (pardon the pun). In North America, "KTF" and "TD" were moderately successful, certainly not as successful as their earlier albums from the 80's but they were an 80's band surviving and in my opinion, thriving making the music they wanted to make.

But then they took another hiatus. JBJ made some movies (the best being "The Leading Man" and "No Looking Back"), a great solo album in "Destination Anywhere" (not successful commercially in North America but it is really quite good), Richie made another solo album, "Undiscovered Soul" (definitely worth checking out) and married Heather Locklear. Tico started a line of kids clothing and such called Rock Star Baby. The only Bon Jovi band music to come out between 1995-1999 was the song Real Life from the movie EdTV. This song was somewhat disappointing in that it contained no Richie Sambora guitar solo. Although it was underwhelming, I still spent what little money I had at that time buying the soundtrack and playing the shit out the song, almost willing myself to like it.

For me, new Bon Jovi albums were akin to a new Star Wars movie being released. They were events. So when I heard they were coming out with a new album called "Crush" in the summer of 2000, I was all in. Then the first single It's My Life dropped and I loved it instantly. Total throwback to Livin' On A Prayer, they even slid Tommy & Gina and the wah-wah guitar pedal back in to connect the dots. This was a better effort than Real Life forsure. I was pumped for the album to be released and it happened to come out the same Tuesday as the Hip's Music @ Work, so HMV was opening at midnight. I was there, despite having to work the next day. Whatever, I was young then. I bought "Crush" and I'm sure I bought some additional albums (not the Hip though, I was against them then for some reason. Likely because I hated the song New Orleans Is Sinking), got home at 1am and put it on.

And on that note, we'll move onto Part II of the saga...stay tuned...