Bang A Drum

Written by: JBJ
Status: Album track (also released as B-side to Miracle)

It's naturally strange to think that a Bon Jovi song, even a solo one, might be gospel influenced, but here's a song that carries out that miracle: Bang A Drum is clearly a slightly gospel orientated song. There are lyrics somewhat related to believing and religion and a woman choir that could convincingly sing real gospel songs. Jon's lyrics are not really great or too original but it's not a bad idea to try something a little bit different in the middle of all cowboy songs. Bang A Drum is middling. Good enough for a small experiment, but not a great song.

Rating: ***


Dyin' Ain't Much Of A Livin'

Written by: JBJ
Status: Album track (also released as B-side to Miracle)

Another notable guest appearance: Elton John. He played piano on another song too, but this one here has him more in a starring role. Not only does Elton play piano and sing backing vocals, but this song actually sounds more like an Elton John song than a Bon Jovi song. It's good to have the man visiting here then, and apparently Jon was a fan of Elton's stuff when he was growing up and was happy to have him on the record. Jon's lyrics are about the uncomfortable state of mind of an outlaw; nothing new is brought to the familiar Wild West scenery, but I like the lyrics anyway. Dyin' Ain't Much Of A Livin' is a solid performance and a very good song, the best on the latter half of the album.

Rating: ***


Guano City

Written by: Alan Silvestri

The last track on the album proves again that this is more of a soundtrack for a movie than a JBJ solo album; the last track has nothing to do with Jon at all, it's an instrumental piece of score from the film, composed, conducted and produced by Alan Silvestri. Guano City is ok, I guess, but who am I to review an orchestral composition from a movie... (Alan Silvestri, by the way, is good, but not the best film composer there is.) But anyway, as this isn't really a song and has nothing to do with Jon the Bon, it is not rated.



THE BEST SONG: Blaze Of Glory is without a doubt the best song, it's a classic, terrific cowboy song that the band took and treated as if it was their own song. The second one I have to mention is my personal favourite Blood Money, a short but great acoustic song that I have always loved.

OVERALL: Blaze Of Glory is more of a soundtrack for a movie rather than Jon Bon Jovi's first solo album, and that does affect a little how the album should be reviewed. This album probably shouldn't be compared to neither the band's albums nor other solo efforts from the Bon Jovi camp, but comparing it to other movie soundtracks would in the end be just senseless... Although, I will say that as a movie soundtrack this is pretty exceptional; from my experience it's very rare that any rock band or its frontman would do an entire album worth of songs just for a movie soundtrack. The movie Jon got his hands on - a lame B class western - isn't great but it was very suitable for him, his style and talents, and I guess Scorsese was never going to ask Jon to write songs for Goodfellas...

What comes to his (at this time) constantly developing lyrical skills, Blaze Of Glory is a good piece of work from Jon. On preceding Bon Jovi albums Jon wrote one song unaided for New Jersey and Slippery When Wet and a few for 7800 Fahrenheit. Now he wrote ten songs, and quite well, too. The lyrics on the album are for the most part pretty good and there's no doubt that here are the best lyrics he's written up to this point. The title track, Blood Money and Miracle alone outplay everything he wrote before. The romantic Wild West scenery Jon creates may be clichéd sometimes, but it's enjoyable nevertheless. You can hardly call him a great songwriter, but he's getting better and learning all the time.

One thing that sticks out on this album is the lack of other Bon Jovi band members. It really shows that they aren't present. Many of the songs would have been a lot better if the others were playing; there's no way Kenny Aronoff, Aldo Nova and Danny Kortchmar - not even Jeff Beck - could replace Jon's real band mates. The songs would be more powerful, more "fuller" and complete as band songs - besides, several of the songs here sound much like Bon Jovi songs anyway, they could have easily been done for a band album. Jon's special guest stars are on the other hand impressive: everyone who has a recording contract would gladly have Jeff Beck, Elton John and Little Richard playing on their album.

Blaze Of Glory is a good solo album or a soundtrack, whichever way one likes to think of it. It's full of entertaining cowboy songs, it gave us the classic title track and several really good songs, as well as presents Jon developing as a songwriter. The project was fruitful for Jon personally too, as Young Guns II inspired him to start taking acting lessons and he later began a modest career as an actor. But it's not really a great album outside the movie soundtrack category; it pales in comparison to the band albums around it and Richie's solo effort Stranger In This Town that came out the following year.


OVERALL SCORE: 12 OUT OF 20