Blaze Of Glory - a review - by Seb!!!

Just found this and think it deserved a post. Some things never change.

SANTA FE? A 6/10. SEB WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!!

By the way Guano City was used in a scene in the movie which is why it's in there, although I'm sure you know that now since it's been 12 years since this review.

"Blaze Of Glory" Review 15 July 2001
Blaze Of Glory


A review by Sebastiaan / P.vdheiden@hetnet.nl


Now I have finally bought all the Bon Jovi records I’ll start with reviewing all the CD’s. The first review I will do is Blaze of Glory, Jon’s solo record. Just like all the other people who are reviewing the records I will also rate all the songs.

When I did put this record in the CD-player, I was a bit disappointed for the fist time when I had listened to the whole record. But when I listened to it for more times I began to appreciate Jon’s fist solo record. Though I still think that it’s not as good as I expected. I think it sounds a bit like a collection of B-sides from the album “New Jersey” . But it’s also a soundtrack from the movie “Young Guns II”, and that’s probably the reason why it sounds so much like country and western. But I still think it sounds like a collection of B-sides.

1.Billy Get Your Guns.
A good rock song. When I bought the cd maxi single “Janie, Take Your Love To Town”, there was a live version of this song. I think this version is better than the original.
Because the original sounds a bit to much like a studio recording. And why didn’t Jon give Elton John a piano solo, now it’s not that special that he’s playing on that song. Even every guy could have played his part. (7/10)

2. Miracle.
This song is not good. It sounds so boring, the whole time the same sounds, nothing special. The song has got atmosphere, but not the kind of atmosphere I’m looking for.
(4/10)

3. Blaze Of Glory.
Now this is a real good Jon Bon Jovi song. It sounds just like the group Bon Jovi, But than just a bit different, with that special sort guitar , and a chorus, that’s easy to sing with. Jeff Beck did the guitar solo, so I don’t understand why he’s not in the video. This one is a real
good song for a cowboy movie (10/10)

4. Blood Money.
When you’ve seen the movie, you’ll understand this song much better. It tells the story about Pet Gerrit, a sheriff who takes money to kill his friend, otherwise he will be the one who will be killed, the lyrics are great, the music not. The end is also too fast faded away(6/10)

5. Santa Fe.
This is a bit the same story as Pat Gerrit in Blood Money but with violins in the music. It’s just that the song is not interesting, it’s missing something, I don’t know what.(6/10)

6. Justice In The Barrel
What a great intro ! And when the guitars start to play you’d think that this is the highlight from the whole album. But it’s not that kind of rock song you’d expect. This song deserves the kind of guitar solo like “Dry County”. If it would have had that kind of solo I would have given it a 10/10. But this song has got a good atmosphere. (7/10)

7. Never Say Die
I would have liked more of this songs on the album. This is a good, fast rock song. A good guitar solo between every couplet, this songs reminds you of the good times of Billy The Kid. (10/10)

8. You Really Got Me Now.
This song sounds like they’ve recorded it in the saloon. This sounds like a B-side to me or a bonus track. It would’ve been nice to put this song in the movie, for example when Billy is entering the saloon and Jon’s Playing a concert. But this song is just a filler, I think. (4/10)

9. Bang A Drum
This song is a bit like a gospel song, Jon’s entering a church and talking to the preacher and than he starts to pray for the whole country and western scene. I don’t think this song belongs at this record at all, more a B-side for “Miracle”. (6/10)

10.Dying Ain’t Much Of A Living
This is a good ending for this record, it’s a bit of a sad story. This song is good for the part when one of Billy’s best friends got shot down. This song has got a good atmosphere and good lyrics but this is also a song that’s missing something. 8/10

11.Guano City.
What’s this? This has got nothing to do with this record, I didn’t follow the news when this record was released so maybe Jon said something about it. But to me this songs means nothing to me. Though I like the end, It is like there’s something coming up, maybe a hidden track, but no, this track is really the end of this album. (1/10)

Rating: 5,9

Somewhat amusing.

Seb, your English has improved over the last 12 years.

I recently re-read a review of a Glasgow gig I wrote on here from 2001. I sound like a loser.

I don't always agree with him, but I enjoy reading Seb's stuff. He is the Simon Cowell of Bon Jovi. He can be a bit harsh, but he's entertaining and right a lot of the time.

My biggest disagreement here is Miracle. And I know 4/10 is because it didn't have the atmosphere he was looking for, and I can't argue with opinion, but this song has only grown on me the last 20 years. It is still right under Blaze and Santa Fe, but it close... damn close.

Santa Fe's strength is it's passion. It sells the overly dramatic lyric. Jon nails it... it is why it doesn't work live. You can't just hum that lyric, you have to belt it. An Jon does... well. IMO, possible his best studio vocal to date.

Where Santa Fe shines in passion, Miracle makes up for in lyrics.

Well my eyes have seen the horror of the coming of the flood
I've driven deep the thorny crown into the soul of someone's son
Still I'll look you in the eye 'cause I've believed in things I've thought
And I'll die without regret for the wars I have fought

That is one of his finest lyrics.

And I can't say anything about Blaze that hasn't already been said... great lyrics, passion, and a unique and extraordinary production. The rest of the album falls in from the 5-7 range... which makes it a pretty damn good album, especially by today's standards.

**** me, that's good. I don't like Miracle either - just too middle of the road for me. But that one verse...are you kiddin' me. Where did these lyrics come from?? And where did they go?! Uff...

I agree with Seb being a Simon Cowell on steroids when it comes to Bon Jovi. He is entertaining.

Can't fathom the ratings for Miracle, Santa Fe and Never Say Die. The first two are amazing songs and the last is fairly run of the mill.

@DevilsSon, I always suspected that Jon has had ghost writers on a lot of songs and wouldn't be surprised if that explains that incredible verse.

I never wanted to believe that - but given the recent crap he's been spitting out, who knows. Might be true. Also, Blaze was clearly co-written by Aldo Nova, nevertheless he gets no credit. So just more evidence....

Sante Fe is a 10/10 song as is Dyn Aint Much Of A Livin

But he also wrote DC (on his own) and BOR which has a few very nice lines as well. He has just lost his hunger and creativity. When people start being driven by extrinsic factors they lose their creativity.

"(on his own)" ... and you know that because?

As DevilsSon says, you don't know he wrote those songs on his own.

I don't want to believe it but I can't reconcile the same man writing the Miracle lyrics and also writing some of the cringey stuff he wrote around that time. Maybe he did but when you see the stories around All About Loving You, Ugly, Blaze of Glory, I do start to wonder if the whispers of Jon using ghost writers or claiming songwriting credits purely to get royalties are true.

As for Dry County, Jon wrote a four minute song. At the suggestion of the band it turned into a 10 minute epic with a great solo. I find it hard to believe that Richie wasn't as involved in creating that song as much as Jon was in writing Ugly for example.