Pretty Good Compilation of Some of the Greatest songs of all time
Has most of the heavy hitters that you could want on a BJ greatest hits album
In '94, Bon Jovi came up with their greatest hits compilation, putting together a great mix of songs. THe big classics are there, along with a couple new ones that are just as good. Here we go...
1. Livin' on a Prayer - No matter what anyone says, this is Bon Jovi's greatest song. And it's not great because of the Tommy-Gina thing. It's great because nobody can ever resist singing along with the ultimate crowd pleaser, "WHOOOOOA!! LIVIN' ON A PRAYER!!" (11/10)
2. Keep the Faith - A great rocker that has a different sound from the metal rockers of the 80's. This is Bon Jovi at its 90's best, but I don't know if it matches up with the all-time greats. (9/10)
3. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night - I absolutely love this song that was made for this CD. It isn't your average Bon Jovi song, but it is extremely catchy and shockingly brilliant. (10/10)
4. Always - I'm not the biggest fan of sappy love ballads, but this song is the best. It's a perfect commercial song that moved many records of Crossroad. A gorgeous chorus absolutely outshines anything else in the song. Some might say it's corny, but who cares? Great stuff. (10/10)
5. Wanted Dead or Alive - The band's signature song. It's uniquely Bon Jovi and it makes everybody want to be a cowboy. Certainly one of their greatest masterpieces. (10/10)
6. Lay Your Hands on Me - The opener to New Jersey is simple, but it makes everyone happy with a great chorus that everybody wants to sing along to. Absolute energy. (9.5/10)
7. You Give Love a Bad Name - Could be Bon Jovi's greatest song. Again, not a whole lot of depth, but the band has to play to its strengths - infectious rockers and larger-than-life ballads. This one fits the first category and does it better than any song with the exception of Prayer. "Shot through the heart and you're to blame!" Can't beat that sucker. (11/10)
8. Bed of Roses - Probably lyrically the best song Bon Jovi ever made. For a band that supposedly made nothing but ear candy, the lines on this song are nothing short of genius poetry. Combined with an extremely beautiful and moving melody, this is a keeper that most people missed out on since it wasn't a huge commercial hit. (10/10)
9. Blaze of Glory - This #1 hit that Jon did as a solo project for a movie has the same sort of sound as Wanted Dead or Alive, but doesn't have the same kind of power. Definitely a good song, but not as powerful as the other Bon Jovi classics. (9/10)
10. Prayer '94 - The slow, stripped-down rendition of Livin' on a Prayer which allows it to emphasize the Tommy-Gina storyline. It think that it's very moving and powerful, but certainly not as good as the rocking version. Jon and Richie get to show off their voices on this excellent track. Even though the original is better, you can't go wrong with that perfect chorus and melody. (10/10)
11. Bad Medicine - Not my favorite, but it has a good infectious chorus and plenty of crowd-pleasing, humorous moments. It's the poor-man's version of You Give Love a Bad Name. (8/10)
12. I'll Be There for You - One of the best ballads that Bon Jovi ever did. You simply can't write a better love song than this. No wonder it hit #1. (10/10)
13. In and Out of Love - Not much to say other than that it really isn't a great song. However, it's probably the only one that is memorable from 7800 Fahrenheit. (6/10)
14. Runaway - A great song that Bon Jovi diehards all love. This is from their first album, Bon Jovi, and you can see the raw power and energy that the band had in its early days. Jon's voice wasn't at its peak yet, but the song has an irresistible keyboard hook at the beginning that just sets off this great rocker. Even today, the band still plays it because it's just that good. (10/10)
Other than In and Out of Love, this compilation is very solid. Of course, they could have put some more songs in, especially Born to Be My Baby and Wild is the Wind. Still, a fantastic album that all Bon Jovi fans should have.
Rating: 10/10
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