Search - Bon Jovi :: Keep the Faith

Stranded on a Desert Island Recently?

D. Rausch | United States | 11/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You'd be much better off if this was the disc you chose. (6 million stars, but I seem not to have been able to find that voting option).Let's get right to the heart of the matter, shall we? On "Keep the Faith," one of the best albums ever recorded (if not the best), "Dry County" is one of the best songs ever (if not THE best). It is an auditory testament to a) how good this band can be, b) the concept of perfection, and c) the purpose of music on Earth. A doctoral thesis could be written on the purpose and power of the near 10 minute epic in the haunting key of d minor that sits at the number 7 track position on this recording, and I am hard pressed to not start writing one here. But I need to get through the whole album in 1000 words...You've got Stairway, Freebird, Layla, Bohemian Rhapsody, and a simple answer as to why LESS than 2 million people of the entire American population are lucky enough to possess the knowledge that "Dry County" is pretty much the peak of musical epics: it was written by a) Bon Jovi, b) an "80's band", c) an "80's band" in the NINETIES, and d) never released as a domestic single, thus not generating the grape-vine mystique that safe, ridicule-immune "70's bands" wound up scooping up with all of their "legendary" anthems. For the last time: Bon Jovi, for all of their popularity, will always be under-respected, and there's nothing cheesy about any of this.If you read on, you may learn something before slamming this review for being narcissistic and preachy. "Keep the Faith" was an album released on November 3, 1992. Only Jovi and Aerosmith (with the tail end of the GNR train) were surviving into the era that was the beginning of the still-obvious crash of quality "commercial" music as we know it. The most important thing for any Jovi supporter to know is that this album, albeit without any real marketing effects of the "Dry County" epic, was a huge reason for the band to be able to still be calling their careers a success into their THIRD decade now. Smash hit single "Bed of Roses" pushed album sales hard (and appropriately, as this song itself is a 6 minute artistic and commercial triumph), as well as did lesser, more "supportive sellers" but equally great pieces of music, "In These Arms," "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," and the title track. To my immense shock, only 2 million copies have been moved. What's more, many regard Bon Jovi's career as largely dormant in the 90's! That, coupled with people saying this is ok but no "classic", has me yet again scratching my head at the general public. Who and what defines "classic?" anyway?But Jon, Richie, David, Tico, and Alec did make some noise with this masterpiece, keeping their reunited heads above the debris-filled undertoe called the 90's. Being big as ever outside of America, their touring (allowing the public to see a more rocking, jamming and driving side to them) fueled their stance at not being an 80's throwaway. And for all the people who hate Bon Jovi, they couldn't stop this band from achieving something VERY lucky and VERY deserved: for the next few years, Bon Jovi stuck to their guns and cohabitated with all the other bands that were essentially Bon Jovi's antithesis. Somehow, they survived the public execution of the rest of the "80's bands", and from those battle scars, they now have carte blanche to make music to the end, big sellers or not. So that, boys and girls, is how the catchy but thin "It's My Life" single and "Crush" album were able to still have a shot with record company promotion and make some people aware for the first time of a Jersey band known as Bon Jovi...20 years after the fact. Well, better late than never to have a 3rd comeback.The specifics:There is no filler on this album. NONE. There is creativity and emotion of the highest level. If you are one of those people who finds Bon Jovi to be just a bit too light for you, this is your album (Check out the metallic thomping on "If I Was Your Mother" and "Fear"). If you are a sucker for the ballads, this is your album (Aside from "Bed of Roses," "I Want You" is perhaps their best ballad ever, a template for the derived future hit "Always"). If you respect Richie but aren't big on Bon Jovi, this is your album ("Dry County" and "Keep the Faith" have the most ungodly solos you'll ever hear). If you prefer their bluesier moments, this is your album ("Little Bit O Soul").
THE DIVERSITY - I NEVER get bored of this album, over a decade after when it came out (I bought it on the release date). It's respectable for musicians to do different things - it's nothing short of divine if it all comes together and actually works.I know it sounds shallow to judge something the "greatest ever," and I do know there's a huge difference between one's FAVORITE and what one considers to be the BEST.... but I don't use those terms loosely. I can't believe how few people give this album the royal treatment it so earnestly deserves. And especially the critics! Never trust them anyway, but it's heartbreaking to read how ignorant some people are atleast in one area, that being the band that is Bon Jovi. Not so long ago, this album was huge. Now, between "Livin on a Prayer," "Always," and "It's My Life," all of the sudden it's one of their LESSER KNOWN(????). I'm just righting a subjective wrong - and with words, not bombs. Just goes to show you what's up with this crazy messed up world we live in, from the small scale to the grand. Keep the Faith."

Simply Put - Bon Jovi at their Best

L.A. Scene | Indian Trail, NC USA | 07/08/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When Bon Jovi hit it big in 1986, the music industry was ready for them. At this time, the sound of pop music was moving away from synthesizers and hard rock was becoming much more a part of the 80s landscape. Bon Jovi would parlay this into superstardom with the release of "Slippery When Wet". They would soon follow-up with "New Jersey" in 1989 which continued to ride the hard rock wave. By the time 1992 came along, Bon Jovi would face much more of a challenge for two reasons: 1) It is very hard for a group to have a follow-up to a successful follow-up (i.e. a follow-up to "New Jersey"); and 2) Alternative music was now beginning to take over as the pop music sound, so hard rock was beginning to decline from the pop music scene. With the release of "Keep the Faith", Bon Jovi not only meets the challenge, but would release what probably is their best album of their careers - while still maintainingsolid commercial music sales. What is nice about this effort by Bon Jovi is that they will remain true to their "Arena Rock" roots as well as explore some new directions showing that they can not only be creative, but keep up with the times. Finally, this album is the most complete effort by the band - with every member getting a chance to shine on the collection.Although the album is titled "Keep the Faith", the song "Keep the Faith" isn't the first song. Bon Jovi picked the song "I Believe" for the first song. This is a true "Arena Rock" song and the perfect song to open the collection with. Bon Jovi rocks hard in this song. The real star of this song is going to be drummer Tico Torres who is going to have some thundering percussions that will really steal this song. The "Arena Rock" roots continue with the title track "Keep the Faith". Sometimes Alec John Such is the forgotten member of Bon Jovi, but his bass work won't go unnoticed in this particular song. While Jon Bon Jovi's vocals are awesome in this song, it is Jon's spoken words about 2/3 of the way into the song ("Walking in the Footsteps...") that really make an impact.Things begin to take a different a different spin in "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead". This song almost sounds like mid 1990s Bryan Adams song (perhaps Adams was influenced by the band). This song doesn't have the "arena rock" feel of previous works by Bon Jovi and almost has a bluesy beat to it. This time its David Bryan's keyboards that are going to surface in this song. Another song that has a similar Adams-like feel to it will be "Blame It on The Love of Rock and Roll". Finally, a third song that will have a the blues feel is the final track "Little Bit of Soul". Both of these songs show that Bon Jovi is ready to branch out into new directions.Without a doubt, the best song on this album is "In These Arms". This may be the best song ever done by the band. In 1993, this song did get some radio airplay, but it seemed to disappear from the airwaves within a few years. This song has a lot of intensity and passion. Everyone in the band - Jon's vocals, Richie Sambora's guitar, David's keyboards, Alec's bass, and Tico's percussion all have their moments in the song. Jon probably is the real star of the song - showing as good a vocal range as he showed in any Bon Jovi song. You really feel that Jon wants the woman he refers to in this song - "In These (his) Arms". This song does have more of a pop feel that an Arena Rock feel, but whatever it is - everything just clicks perfectly here. The song "Bed or Roses" is more of an epic-like song. This song has a softer feel, but once again Jon's vocals come to the forefront on this song. You'll hear the passion in his voice as he sings. Track 7 is perhaps a track that really shows that Bon Jovi has matured and arrived on the scene. The track "Dry County" takes more of a historical perspective and this is an area I never saw Bon Jovi go in before. "Dry County" is a masterpiece discussing the plight of those who went into the great west in search of oil and prosperous farming back in the late 1800s. Here again is another new direction by the band and this works perfectly. The song may be almost 10 minutes long, but you won't get tired of it.Songs such as "Woman in Love" and "Fear" won't disappoint. They will remain true to the roots of the Bon Jovi sound. The song "I Want You" is a bit of a letdown - this almost has a start to a song that would follow this album called "Always" which is a very pop-ish Bon Jovi ballad. The collection has some nice liner notes. All of the lyrics and songwriting credits are included. There is a page included for credits and "thank yous". Perhaps the only let-down about the liner notes is that when the band members are listed, the corresponding instruments they play are not (a disadvantage for new Bon Jovi fans). Overall, this is Bon Jovi at their peak in their careers and this album comes highly recommended."

Bon Jovi's Answer To The 90's Grunge Bands

Bon Scott Jovi | NEW JERSEY | 07/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What I like best about this album is the maturity they showed. After playing with the best of the hair-metal bands in the 80's (ex. Poison, Winger, etc.), this was a great way to keep the Bon Jovi fans of the world happy. Great ballads and rockers, keep this album at the top of my best of the 90's list. The longer songs they put together on here also was a plus from the 3 minute grunge rock of this time. It takes me 3 minutes before I can even get into a song and this was epitimy of what mature music should sound like. Jon, Richie and the rest of the band are on the top of there game here and I don't think any of the cd's after this one really reach the beauty of this album as a whole. I highly recommend this album to Bon Jovi fans old and new. After all they are the best New Jersey band."