I’ve got a lot to thank Bon Jovi for. Back in the day (that’s 1988, kiddies), they were my earliest introduction to the wonderful world of Hair Metal. It’s been quite a ride, and the ‘Jovi sound has mellowed in the intervening years.

So, if you’re a fan of classic Bon Jovi, let’s take a look down memory lane at 10 of their best-known songs:

10: Runaway

Those purists who bought their eponymous debut album will know that Runaway isn’t strictly a Bon Jovi song – it was recorded by Jon Bon as a solo single and became a local hit. Apparently the album version was re-recorded by the official Bon Jovi lineup when the album was recorded, but the single featured session musicians including Dave “Snake” Sabo (later of Skid Row) and Hugh McDonald (who later replaced Alec John Such on bass).

9: It’s My Life

Another return to form for Bon Jovi after what appeared to be a few years lost in the musical wilderness. It’s My Life was a return to a more classic arena rock sound for the band and even drafted in an appearance from Livin’ On A Prayer’s Tommy and Gina in the lyrics.

Those echoes of classic Bon Jovi struck a chord with fans of the bands earlier work who felt abandoned by their sound in those later years.

8: Dry County

An epic tune from the Keep The Faith album, Dry County clocked in at almost 10 minutes long. It was an ambitious song for the band to attempt, having been known for punchy shorter hit records.

Written by Jon, it paints a picture of a journey through desolate countryside and talks about economic and religious issues along the way. It features several extended instrumental sections which all add to the magnitude of the song. Included here for showing a completely different side to Jon Bon Jovi’s writing talent while still managing to rock!

7: Wild Is The Wind

It might seem like an obscure selection, but it is a tribute to the ‘B’ side of Bon Jovi’s New Jersey album, which showcased some excellent material and proved that the band didn’t deal in filler material.

While the song has a relatively simple structure (it is a Bon Jovi song, after all), there’s power and passion in the instrumentation and vocals, and some pounding drums laid down by Tico. In fairness, any of the last 6 tracks from New Jersey could have made this list.

6: Let It Rock

Built for the stadiums, this album opener featured a drawn out, gothic sounding organ intro which segued into Ritchie Sambora’s distorted guitar and a classic ‘Jovi chorus. I was completely surprised to learn that this song wasn’t released as a single. It’s up there with Livin’ On A Prayer and Wanted Dead Or Alive on the Slippery When Wet album.

5: Blood On Blood

Although Blood On Blood was never released as a single, a performance video for the song was on the New Jersey: The Videos compilation. I feel the song has much in common with Bryan Adams’ Summer Of ‘69.

It’s a fond look back at Jon’s youthful hijinx with his friends and about the bonds that they forged in those early days. The live video is especially powerful – it was shot in black and white and parts of the band and audience are highlighted in a blood red colour. There’s a point in the song where Jon and Ritchie sing together “We’re brothers”. I know it’s cheesy, but it always runs a tingle down my spine…

4: Keep The Faith

There was a point in the early 90’s when it looked like Bon Jovi was finished. The band had gone into extended hiatus after the New Jersey tour and rumors abounded that the members were barely on speaking terms. Grunge hit the scene and vaporized the thriving hard rock/hair metal market. We held our collective breath and wondered if there would be a market left for Bon Jovi when they finally returned.

We needn’t have worried, because Keep The Faith managed to show a progression in the band’s style without totally alienating their audience (hello, Def Leppard?) and without selling out to grunge. That instantly recognizable bassline and Jon’s impassioned vocals showed the world there was still life in Bon Jovi.

3: Livin’ On A Prayer

While some would argue that this is the quintessential Bon Jovi song, it gets marked down here for overexposure. Still, Livin’ On A Prayer carries the blue-collar ethic that pervaded Slippery When Wet and originally carried the group to superstardom.

The bass intro, Sambora’s talk box effect on the guitar riff and the soaring synth that raises the verses into a magnificent modern day hymn to struggle and ambition and love. The guitar solo is one of the most memorable of the era, as is the video with Jon in a harness flying over the audience, playing out his Superman fantasy.

2: Wanted Dead Or Alive

This classic acoustic rocker by Jon and Ritchie Sambora marked the genesis of Jon’s ‘cowboy period’ which would later peak when he wrote the Young Guns II soundtrack.

Wanted Dead Or Alive was the third single to be released from the Slippery… album and reached #7 on the Billboard chart.

In the main, the song features a strummed verse and chorus overlaid with a descending twelve-string motif. Throughout the second verse, Ritchie builds up to a blazing solo filled with squealing harmonics. Toward the end, Jon’s lyric equates their hectic touring schedule with a nomadic existence with the line “I’ve been everywhere, still I’m standing tall, I’ve seen a million faces, and I’ve rocked them all”.

1: Lay Your Hands On Me

Lay Your Hands was to New Jersey what Let It Rock was to Slippery When Wet. An excellent atmospheric introduction bursts into what was one of Bon Jovi’s heaviest songs of the time.

For me, Lay Your Hands was one of the defining moments of late 80’s arena rock. The promo video featured a live show and an even longer intro than the album version. At the end of the intro, Jon erupts into the middle of the stage. Sambora’s there in cowboy hat and twin neck guitar, Jon’s strutting down an overhead walkway and pyrotechnics are firing off everywhere. The whole thing rocks from start to finish.

Slave To The Grind was the second single off Skid Row’s second album of the same name.

Why am I telling you this? Well, given the absence of decent music recently, I’ve delved into my old albums and have been listening to the Slave To The Grind album non-stop. I thought we might slip a few 80’s/90’s rock tunes into the blog to see how y’all readers like it.

At about the point this song and album were released, Skid Row had had a massive falling out with Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora over an exceptionally harsh publishing deal where Skid Row signed their royalties away to the Bon Jovi moguls. In return, they did get a lot of exposure, to the point where they got a couple of spots on Bon Jovi’s New Jersey: The Videos release.

While their first album was an excellent hair metal album, Slave To The Grind had a lot more anger and energy to it. Personally, I think it spilled out in a big way on this track. It and Monkey Business are outstanding songs, and I remember screaming myself hoarse trying to sing along to these tunes!

It’s easy to forget how popular Skid Row were back in the day – this album went straight to #1 in America upon release. They followed it up touring the world with some of the biggest names in metal at the time.

For me, Slave To The Grind (the song) is probably the high point of Skid Row’s career, and it shows an extremely focused band playing with a lot of passion and intensity. Enjoy, and please share your memories of the era below…

Unbelievably, Poison are still together 21 years after their first album – Look What The Cat Dragged In – was released. Earlier this summer, Poison released their 9th album – Poison’d – featuring their favourite covers from their career. Being a fan of their earlier work, I decided to put together this history of the band told using their albums as milestones.

Prologue – Paris

Poison were originally named Paris when they began life in 1984. Apparently they changed the name to Poison after relocating to LA in 1985. The first guitarist for the band was a guy by the name of Matt Smith, who was replaced by C.C. DeVille.

Perhaps the best-known fact about the band before they started their recording career was that Slash (yes, from Gun’s N Roses) auditioned for Poison at the same time as DeVille. Presumably it was because he already had his own top hat…

Look What The Cat Dragged In (1986)

The scrappy debut album from the boys was low on production values but high on energy. Poison were drawing good crowds on Sunset Strip and their glam look – backcombed hair, big pouts and neon-bright clothes was attracting attention.

Although Michaels later described the album as a glorified demo, it helped the band gain profile in time for what would be a much refined second album. In general, Look What The Cat Dragged In has a lot in common with the early sleaze-rock of Motley Crue.

Open Up And Say…Ahh! (1988)

In 1988, Poison returned with a far more slick arena rock sound, and a slightly less effeminate image, falling slightly more in line with the Bon Jovi look.

Open Up.. spawned Poison’s greatest commercial successes to date, including the anthemic Every Rose Has Its Thorn and the Loggins and Messina cover Your Mama Don’t Dance. The album went on to sell over 8 millions copies.

There was much controversy surrounding the original album cover (pictured here) and the label bowed to pressure to censor the long-tongued demon on the cover. Disappointingly, the new cover focused on the model’s eyes and obscured that phenomenal tongue!

Flesh & Blood (1990)

In the years between Open Up And Say Ahh! and Flesh & Blood, Poison had built a strong reputation as a live act. Apparently in response to criticism of their party-rock sound, Flesh & Blood was a far more mature record, with more serious themes creeping into the songs.

As the band cemented their position as one of the key players in hard rock and hair metal, the grunge explosion was about to hit hard, and internal bickering within Poison was about to reach breaking point.

Swallow This Live (1991)

By the time the double live album Swallow This hit the shelves, C.C. DeVille was out of the band. His various drug and booze addictions had culminated in him screwing up a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards and having a backstage scrap with Bret Michaels.

Swallow This was notably light on new material, but included four new studio tracks which were recorded before DeVille got booted.

Native Tongue (1993)

With DeVille gone, the band quickly hired guitarist Ritchie Kotzen to fill his shoes. This had the effect of transforming the Poison sound toward a more meaty, blues rock sound.

Despite the sophistication of the songwriting and playing on this album (especially the soulful Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)), Native Tongue will mostly be remembered for Kotzen’s sleeping with Rikki Rockett’s fiance. Shame, because there are more than a few cracking moments on that album.

Notice how the album cover is the first to deviate the Poison logo away from the usual acid green.

Crack A Smile…And More! (2000)

Crack A Smile found Poison looking for another guitarist to fill the acrimonious departure of Ritchie Kotzen. They drafted in yet another guitar wizard – Blues Saraceno – who was again given creative freedom within the band.

At the time, Bret Michaels smashed himself (and his Ferrari) up badly in a road accident. During his recovery Capitol Records pushed out a greatest hits package as a stop gap. Crack A Smile was an album ultimately 6 years in the making. By the time it hit the shelves, Michaels and DeVille had patched up their differences and DeVille was back in the band at the expense of Saraceno.

Power To The People (2000)

The 7th album by Poison is yet another live/studio hybrid (their third if you count Swallow This Live and Crack A Smile). It was released only two months after Crack A Smile to celebrate the successful reuniting of the original lineup and the subsequent tour.

Probably the most notable feature of this album is that DeVille gets his first lead vocal on a Poison recording – I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine

Hollyweird (2002)

Finally! After a slew of half-assed albums and lead guitarists coming and going, the original Poison release a full new studio album. Hollyweird is either a regression in musical style or a triumphant return their roots.

Hollyweird sees the band riding the crest of renewed interest in the 80’s rock/metal movement, and the sound is vaguely reminiscent of that era, although production quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Poison’d (2007)

The latest offering from Poison is a collection of their favourite cover versions from throughout their career. I’ve read good reviews of the album, but most people were disappointed at the lack of original material.

For what it’s worth, in a back catalog spanning almost 25 years and nine albums (not counting greatest hits compilations), three of those albums have been hybrids of live and original material and one is a compilation of cover versions, many of which were released as B-Sides. As I come to the end of this round-up, I’m slightly disappointed at that fact.

Nevertheless, we can only hope that Poison release another good record before the wave of nostalgia passes or the band implodes/retires. They still have a fantastic back catalog of songs that actually stand up quite well given their age. I’d love to catch Poison live if they ever make it to the UK…

While I don’t think the band ever came clean as to what Unskinny Bop actually meant, the raunchy riffs, suggestive lyrics and animated neon dancing babes provide more than a few hints ;)

Of all the tracks on Flesh & Blood, Unskinny Bop is the closest in style to their earlier material. With that thumping bassline and killer riffs from CC DeVille, it’s one of my favourite Poison tunes ever. Apparently it’s their second best selling single next to Every Rose.

Wanna see the video? It’s one of the best fake performance videos ever – the band looking full of energy and Bret particularly looking very self-assured (I think this was around the time of his relationship with Pamela Anderson – who can blame him?). Here’s Unskinny Bop – watch out for the amazing guitar squeal before the riff kicks in: