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Rating: John Bon Jovi, at various points in his career, decided to release 14 tracks from the era when he was known as John Bongiovi, spelled with a "g" and not with a "j". Futhermore, it was all one word. Why the delayed re-release of these works? I truly believe that John, already known and appreciated as a solo artist and honored by performances with Springsteen, wanted to protect his band, Bon Jovi, and give them space and airtime before indulging in sorting out his past.
The tracks in this entertaining collection were all recorded between 1980 and 1983. I have an American edition from 1994 that contains 14 songs, but there are other versions that go up to 20 and include the first top single of his career, "Runaway", which opened Bon Jovi's first official album. I will discuss the 14 tracks I have available by starting with a consideration: this Bongiovi compendium is certainly superior to the first two Bon Jovi albums, which, in my opinion, respectively deserve a 3.5 and a 1 (which I gave in my review a few years ago). Another consideration: for Jon's solo career, this work is a happy release, inferior to the Golden Globe "Blaze Of Glory" but, it took little, far superior to the weak pop of "Destination Anywhere", an album decidedly made for MTV and frankly crappy, but which definitively marked the turning point of "These Days", the beginning of the end.
In short, forget the Bon Jovi sound of today and, as a reference, take the New Jersey band from the eponymous to New Jersey. We are in that world. "The Power Station Years" takes its name from the recording studio of Jon's cousin, a reference point for the artist who at the time proposed a completely radio-friendly pop rock and sometimes explosive. Pop rock in the early 80s meant good music, perhaps excessively catchy but not trivial. It is an album influenced by the rock influences of the time, where the hard component is kept in check by keyboards/piano with a decidedly positive polarity and catchy choruses of viral and virile happiness. Apart from the a priori 1s, do not forget that here Jon is the one with the bushy chest and hair tousled to heron's-nest levels. He is the one who, after two limping releases, put a band devoid of ideas in line and brought out "Slippery When Wet" and "New Jersey", which, let’s face it, are two masterpieces of 80s rock.
The opener is immediately a track that rocks. "Who Said It Would Last Forever" presents us with John in magnificent form, the usual big voice boy grown on chips, who leads a band whose technical skills do not emerge, but who perform the few excellently fitting notes of this overture with orchestral perfection. The guitar riff is as simple as one can imagine but is enthralling and Jon rides it like a sponge soaked in optimism. A perfect track that would fit into Slippery or New Jersey eyes closed. "Open Your Heart" is an easy listening piece and typical “Good morning New York, it’s 8 AM…”, in which the pop music of the time enters the melodies with a sax also calm, but well-played.
What I feel is a pearl is the third, unattainable song titled "Stringin’ A Lime", a solo man's ballad, nothing romantic, genetically classy AOR. "Don’t Leave Tonight" isn’t my favorite, but, belonging to those years, in my opinion, it shows Jon's coherence: it’s a pop rocker for 30 years. "More Than We Bargained For" is the typical piece of Bongiovian epicness, which aims for the heart in a crescendo, has a bridge suspended in the clouds, and a celestial start with the chorus. "For You" is fast and nice but nothing noteworthy. "Hollywood Dreams", as the title suggests, is an excellent piece for me. It shifts the album’s geography from the east to the west coast. It’s a widely used AOR dipped for a tip in the atmospheres of Los Angeles, again with a lovely sax for the solo.
"All Talk No Actions", I assure you, only slightly harder in the guitars, could have been a piece from Poison's first album. The chorus is pure glam. The tradition of American rock comes out in the almost country and accordion-flavored "Don’t Keep Me Wondering". "Head Over Hills" is a good filler, that can be accused of the usual shameless positivity. "No One Does Like You" starts to make you think that there are too many tracks as the level is the same as the previous song or "For You" and you can’t listen to it more than once. "What You Want" brings back to a good decisive AOR level. "Don’t You Believe Him" is a very fun and typical rock n' roll for the dance floor. The version of the album I have ends with "Talkin’ In Your Sleep", which along with the first and third track represents the top of this collection. There are the first traces of the future "Wanted Dead Or Alive" and "Blaze Of Glory", and the first major guitar solo of the entire composition.
The production, by Tony Bongiovi, is superb for that era. The cauldron of sound boils without smudging with lots of body for bass, guitar, and drums. Keyboards enter without ever disturbing and John's voice delivers an outstanding performance in this AOR-pop rock mixture that helps showcase his singing qualities. Certainly, we could have done without three and maybe even four tracks. I am familiar with the six missing on this CD, and proportionally, the 20 tracks in total present the same qualities and flaws that I do not feel like censoring. The fact remains that John Bongiovi, the one with the “g”, was certainly a credible artist.
Tracklist and Lyrics
04 Don't Leave Me Tonight (04:54)
If I had to I would lie for you,
And baby I would cry, I'd cry for you.
If I have to, I'll get down on my knees for you.
Tommy's home and waiting up for you,
And it you leave, he'll make you black and blue.
Please don't go, not this time,
Oh no don't leave me tonight.
Don't leave me tonight, don't leave me tonight,
Don't leave me tonight, oh no no.
If you only knew what you put me through,
And how many night I've waited up for you.
Thinkin' about you baby every night,
Now you're here and you've gotta go home.
We can hide out and rendezvous,
Just me and just you.
So please baby please, don't put up a fight,
Oh no don't leave me tonight.
Don't leave me tonight, don't leave me tonight,
Don't leave me tonight, oh no no.
Don't leave me tonight (oh baby not tonight)
Don't leave me tonight (I can't take it this time)
Don't leave me tonight (Oh no no no)
He don't love you half as much as I do,
Promise you'll stay the night, and love me too.
Yeah yeah yeah.
I can't stand another night alone,
Or talkin' to you on the phone.
So tell 'em that we're runnin' away,
Tell 'em anything you want.
Please stay now, don't say you'll go.
Don't leave me tonight,
Everything's gonna be alright.
I need you girl, I need you to stay,
Don't turn your back and walk away.
Don't leave me tonight, don't leave me tonight,
Don't leave me tonight, oh no no.
Don't leave me tonight (everything will be alright)
Don't leave me tonight (I can tell you I love you)
Don't leave me tonight (I'm goin' outa my mind I
can't stand the nights alone).
Don't leave me tonight (So baby don't say you're goin')
Don't leave me tonight (Oh baby stay around)
Don't leave me tonight (I can't take it, can't take it,
can't take it, can't
take it without you, so baby please hang on).
05 More Than We Bargained For (03:50)
I've always wanted what I couldn't have
I hope and dream that maybe someday
That I'd find out what love was all about
I sure grew up tonight the hard way
Now the candy store's closed, the movie's sold out
High Plains Drifter isn't what it's all about
And now were parting ways, I won't say a word
Let our broken hearts cry in their graves
Where they'll never be heard
It's more than we bargained for
Our love is the price weve paid
And just like a fading dream....
It's slippin' away
Last night I saw you out with my best friend
When I'm with you I see him in your eyes
I want to hold you but I don't understand
There's something there that's so hard to disguise
Now tears run down your face, as you walk through the night
Those cold empty streets leave you wondering what's right
As you walk away with your broken heart
Don't you try to deny that true love had torn you apart
More than we bargained for
Our love is the price weve paid
And just like a fading dream....
It's slippin' away
It's more than we bargained for
It's more than we bargained for
More than we bargained for
Our love is the price weve paid
And just like a fading dream....
It's slippin' away
More than we bargained for
Our love is the price weve paid
And just like a fading dream....
It's slippin' away
10 Head Over Heels (03:32)
I've been hell raised on leather
High heel, studded, black, cool boots
Had anything any man could have wanted
All I ever wanted was you
And baby I've done whatever I wanted
I stole the lights and I've had command
Of the world, a wrath of angels
They're bought and sold on a shake of a hand
And I, I'm head over heels for you
And I'm here to say that it's true
I'm head over heels for you
I know you've seen all those romantic movies
How the hero comes to take you away
But then you wake up and you're all alone now
But that's all gonna change today
Remember being all alone
Remember crying on a rainy day
It don't have to be that bad now
It don't have to be that way
And I know what it's like baby to fall in love
Because I've fallen in love with you
It's true, yeah it's true
And I'm head over heels for you
And I'm here to say that it's true
I'm head over heels for you, yeah
And I know what it's like baby to fall in love
Because I've fallen in love with you
It's true, yeah it's true
And I'm head over heels for you
And I'm here to say that it's true
I'm head over heels for you
And I'm head over heels for you
And I'm here to say that it's true
I'm head over heels
I'm head over heels
I'm head over heels for you
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