After the Circle and subsequent tour, I am guessing the band was taking a little break because it would be 3 more years before another album. In the meantime, why not another greatest hits package since the last one was ‘Cross Road’ which was about 15 years earlier. This time around it was simply called ‘Greatest Hits’. Well, that is unless you bought the 2 CD set which was called ‘Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection’. The package was released on October 29, 2010 and it di really well going Gold in the U.S. and selling millions in Europe going multi-times platinum in numerous countries.

One thing they did with this release is that depending where you lived, what version was available. All single disc versions had 2 new songs on them. All 2 CD versions had 4 new songs on them. The difference was the U.S. version on had 26 songs while the International version (Europe/Australia) had 30 tracks and Japan had 31. The U.S. didn’t get any songs from 7800º Fahrenheit, International got 1 and Japan were blessed with 2 (including “Tokyo Road” of course). I will say it does suck they ignore that album here and only give us one from the debut. And it does effect my score. There is nothing else to say about the release so let’s get to the music as there is a lot to get through so I hope you’ve had a nap and are well rested.

DISC 1:

The first disc kicks off with “Livin’ On A Prayer” from ‘Slippery When Wet’. It opens with a wicked bass line, finger cymbals and a talk-box. But that wasn’t all that was great about it, it is the story of Tommy & Gina in “Livin’ on a Prayer” that makes this such a great song. Jon has a way of making the songs human and easy to connect with. The everyday person with problems just like you so the songs feel personal.  The song is loosely based on Desmond and his girl-friend as she worked in a Diner, but he was a taxi driver and not working at the docks.  It was that Blue Collar feel to the song that made it resonate with so many people.  It was a time when Bon Jovi actually wrote songs that told a story that connected with people and not try to write just to make a hit. 

“You Give Love a Bad Name” is next and also from ‘Slippery’. It was originally written for Bonnie Tyler and called “If You Were a Woman (and I Was a Man)”, but the song did nothing so Desmond Child re-wrote it for Bon Jovi and the rest is history. The song went to #1 and the beginning of the rise to super stardom had begun. The song checks all the boxes, big chorus, epic guitar solo, killer bass line, pounding drum fills and pure intensity. The song will have you singing along instantly as the song feels familiar and exciting. You can’t get it out of your head.

“It’s My Life”, from ‘Crush’, jumps out at us and is a pure rock anthem with hooks for days, great guitar riffs and Richie on the Talk Box. Hell, they even name check Tommy and Gina from “Livin’ On A Prayer”. The song went to #33 on the Top 40 charts and no one expected Bon Jovi to explode back on the scene. Even MTV played their video over and over again. It introduced Bon Jovi to an entirely new generation and took and 80’s band and brought them in to the 21st Century all thanks to Luke Ebbin and Max Martin who co-wrote the track with Jon and Richie. The song was exciting and really made me run out and buy this album. Whatever they were going for, it worked.

Appropriately, up next is “Have a Nice Day” which is a carbon copy of “It’s My Life” as it is anthemic as well as delivering a positive message that says live your life the way you want to do it and when people try to bring you down, just tell them to “Have a Nice Day” and move on with your life. It is an exciting opening track, with an ear worm candy of a chorus that will keep you singing for days after you hear it.

“Wanted Dead or Alive” was inspired by old western movies and Jon thought the lifestyle of a band was similar to that of the outlaws in those movies.  Instead of horses, the band takes the tour bus (which is sort of a large steel horse) from town to town and raping and pillaging in each town…okay not really, but they were getting all the chicks and making tons of money performing, just not stealing it. That whole cowboy vibe is felt in the music using acoustic guitars as well as electric.  There was a western sound with a hard rock edge and when they do play this as full acoustic, it is drenched in that sitting around the campfire feel telling stories of the road (or old west).  Richie Sambora’s guitar playing on this song spectacular and his background vocals mixed with Jon’s vocals takes this song to the next level.  And Richie’s solo is one of the most memorable he has done and how well it fits in with vibe of the song is magical.  Musically, according to Jon Bon Jovi, the song is inspired by Bob Seger’s song “Turn the Page” and if you listen to the song you hear that the slow driving tempo and groove and seriousness of the song and you can see why it was so inspiring.

Up next is the first single off, ‘New Jersey’, which was ‘Bad Medicine’. The song was released on September 3, 1988 and went all the way to #1 and was the band’s third #1 single and I don’t think it was their last. The title and chorus for “Bad Medicine” came to Richie Sambora when the band was filming a commercial in Japan and Jon Bon Jovi said to hold on to that thought and they would do something with it and after many re-writes with the help of Desmond Child, “Bad Medicine” was complete. The song is based off a really bad relationship Richie was in and if you listen to the lyrics, you can see that must’ve been true. The song opens with a heavy keyboard riff, some drum beats and guitar riff and then turns in to a pure rock & roll anthem. The corny, cheesy ass lyrics fit right in to the 80’s glam scene but today are so bad it is almost laughable. The numerous doctor, medicine references throws every cliche in the book at you and then some. However, the song still kicks ass and is musically a fun, rocking track.

Then it is the opening track to ‘The Circle. “We Weren’t Born to Follow” is very typical of every anthemic song since 2000. An uplifting song that talks about the tough times people were facing in the current economic environment. It was a charge to arms to stand up for you believe. But like every opening track on the past batch of albums, it feels like a been there and done that kind of song. Yeah, it ain’t bad, but it ain’t anything new either.

“I’ll Be There For You” was the third single off ‘New Jersey’ and it went to #1 on the Billboard Top 100 Charts. This was the band’s fourth #1 song and if I’m not mistaken, it was their last but not from lack of great songs as they still put out some fantastic tracks even after this one. This particular song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with no outside help.  It is a pure 80’s power ballad. The song is about a guy that screwed it up with his girlfriend and is dying for one more chance. Musically, it starts off with a soft guitar picking and is really a slowed tempo. Jon comes in singing softly and tries to be emotive as he can. The song builds up and gets a little stronger as we go. Richie Sambora actually shares a little of the lead vocals with Jon. Richie’s backing vocals and lead in this case are always the best and he was so crucial to their sound which they are lacking now, but we won’t go there. The song is a classic power ballad including the powerful choruses and the killer guitar solo also by Richie. I don’t know if I’ve noticed how prominent Tico’s drums were on this one, very nice. With all that is going on in the song, it is no wonder this song went to #1.

“Born to be My Baby” was the second single from ‘New Jersey and did pretty dang great going all the way to #3 on the Billboard Top 100. It was another track written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and of course, Desmond Child. There is no denying his impact with the band. The theme on the song is very familiar to you as Bon Jovi have used it before on “Living on a Prayer”. It is about a couple that is struggling to make ends meet, but they still know they were made to be with each other and that God has a plan. A keyboard heavy track and a bunch of na-na-na’s in the opening. It is an upbeat rocker that was really written as an acoustic track but Bruce Fairbairn talked them in to making it more of a rocker. It did go to #3, but Jon thinks it would’ve gone to #1 as an acoustic song. He might not be wrong. It does have a great Richie Sambora solo as he did so many great ones during this time. Jon sings with so much emotion and you could really feel the lyrics as a result.

The title track to Jon’s solo album, “Blaze of Glory”, starts off starts slow with some very twangy slide guitars and then Jon comes in softly and then gets more intense as the song goes on. It is powerful both musically and lyrically as it is about going out fighting. Stand up and don’t let up until it is over. Jeff Beck’s solo is killer and one of the best on the album. Jon took “Wanted Dead Or Alive” and took it up a notch with this one. A truly special track which is why it went to #1 on the Billboard charts.

Next is the full band, rock version of “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”. This was the third single overall from ‘Have a Nice Day’ and second in the U.S. It is a song about Jon’s hometown in New Jersey and he feels no matter he big he gets, he can always go home. This is the country version that was a duet with Jennifer Nettles and it takes that country vibe and turns it up a notch. I think I like the version with her better as I really love her voice. She is one of the few country singers I like.

The opening track from ‘New Jersey’ was “Lay Your Hands On Me”. It was the fourth single which only went to #7 on the Billboard Charts and the band’s fourth Top 10 in a row for this album. The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and was inspired by a guitar riff by Richie rather than from a song title like they did a lot of the times. This is the radio edit of the song so the big grand opening with all the drum beats is missing. Jon comes in and sings softly, the “Lay your hands on me” line and then the song explodes in to a grand arena rock track that screams, Here we are ready to rock you all night. And that is what they would do. It almost has a gospel, church feel to the song (especially with the song title). So much so that Dolly Parton covered it for a Gospel album she did many years back.

Next is the big hit and “Always” from the prior greatest hits compilation, ‘Cross Road’. It was released as a single on September 12, 1994 and is one of their biggest selling songs of all time with over 3 million copies sold. It reached #4 in the U.S. and #1 in several countries worldwide. The song was gong to be used by Jon for the soundtrack to the movie ‘Romeo is Bleeding’, but after Jon say an advance screening of the movie, he decided against it because the movie was so bad. This coming from a band who put a song on ‘The Disorderlies’ soundtrack. Hypocrite much! “Always” is a very cheesy piano based ballad heavy on the orchestration, but Bon Jovi does these type of ballads so well. Jon really gets all emotive and really goes over-the-top with the vocals. It ain’t half bad and I can see why it did so well.

Then we get the only song from the 1983 debut album.  “Runaway” was actually recorded in 1982, but the real traction came when it was re-released as the opening single to their debut album where it hit #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. The song kicks off with such a killer keyboard riff and then these explosive drum hits with a guitar scratch down the strings and then it was off to the races. The song feels huge and that chorus is nothing short of inspiration. So catchy, so infectious…simply put it is perfection. It has this rebellious energy that was so exciting and that guitar solo by Tim Pierce was lethal…it just cut right through you. An utterly classic Bon Jovi song.

“What Do You Got?” is one of the new songs. It was written by Jon, Richie and Brett James. It is a song about love, but doesn’t have to be romance. Just love of family or whatever. Without love, you have nothing. It is a ballad and it isn’t too bad. A little cheesy and not quite up to par with their earlier ballads, but not bad either. Hell, they’ve done worse.

Next is the other new song on the first disc and that is “No Apologies”. This one was written by only Jon and Richie. How do I describe this one. It is a cross between “It’s My Life”, “Have A Nice Day” and “We Weren’t Born to Follow”. Yes, an anthemic, uplifting, feel good song. Been there, done that. Honestly though, it isn’t bad. Kinda fun, kinda catchy, but kinda cheesy too.

DISC 2:

Disc 2 kicks off with “In These Arms” from ‘Keep the Faith’. This song has such a strong bass groove and it really grabs you. The song is about love, a love that won’t die, but it isn’t a ballad as it rocks out too much. Jon really feels this song as he gives it his all with the vocals. The chorus will suck you in, grab hold and won’t let go as you will sing it long after the song is over. Another old Bon Jovi style track that is simple and perfect.

“Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night” is from ‘Cross Road’ and was released as a single in various countries on February 13, 1995, but not the U.S. It went to #7 in the U.K. and of course never charted in the U.S. The song, according to Wikipedia is about optimism in the face of adversity. The song’s first verse introduces the characters Jim who struggles to find employment and is forced to sleep in his car, and Billie-Jean who was abused by her foster father and has turned to prostitution at the age of sixteen (remarking that the street-life ain’t much better but at least I’m getting paid), mourning the loss of her childhood. It has a country flair to it with its acoustic feel and an accompanying organ. It is catchy for sure and a great tune as who doesn’t struggle through the week hoping for Saturday Night.

“Lost Highway” is about going down that road that no one knows exist and explore where it leads. There is definitely a country flair to the song which normally doesn’t make it a bad thing. It has its catchy and hooky moments and isn’t all that bad. What loses me the most is that it feels so uninspiring and like they are going through the motions. It doesn’t feel authentic. I don’t hate this song, but it isn’t one of my favorites on the ‘Lost Highway’ album…or here.

“Keep the Faith” opens with a killer bass line then Tico’s drum beat settles in driving the groove. The song is uplifting and almost happy without being cheesy. It drives forward like a marching army and I think actually outdoes the opening track for inspiration. The guitar solo on this one outdoes the opener as well and sees Richie slay with those fingers. The funky groove, the aggressive vocals from Jon gives us a solid rocker. Jon actually speaks a portion of the vocals which adds to the impact of the song. Two of the bands most powerful songs right out of the gate.

“When We Were Beautiful” is up next and comes from the album, ‘The Circle’. It starts off slow with some dramatic drum beats from Tico and gentle picking the song kept building and it started feeling epic in nature. The song never fully reached the heights it seemed to be building to, but it is still head & shoulders above anything else on this album. A well written, well thought out song that is the best thing I’ve heard from them in years. Richie’s solo on here was a standout as well. A piercing sound that went right for the heart. This wasn’t an out and out rocker, but wasn’t really a ballad either. Just a solidly great song.

Then we get the actual ballad of ballads with “Bed of Roses” from ‘Keep the Faith’ which was written by Jon when he was hungover in a hotel room. The slow, long drawn out guitar notes, the piano playing so softly and the vocals that are so damn emotive gives us one of the best ballads they have ever done. Even the solo by Richie feels the pain of loneliness in this song. Jon paints a beautiful picture with those lyrics as his writing keeps getting better. You would have thought that ballads were dead by 1993 when this was released as a single, but this one went all the way to #10 on the Top 40 charts.

“This Ain’t A Love Song” is a ballad from their album ‘These Days’. The song is a sad tale about a lost love that was never recovered. Heck, even the ballads on this album aren’t really uplifting. They are just as dark as everything else on the album. The title even tells you this isn’t a love song. This single had more success going to #14 in the U.S. and #6 in the U.K. It was released on May 23, 1995 and was the first single off the album.

The next ballad is the title track, “These Days”, and opens with a very haunting piano intro and then the full band comes in and it still sounds like Bon Jovi. But the song is morose and about all the crosses we all bare whether we are rich or poor. No one seems happy and we all struggle with something. I have to admit I really love the turn this album has made for the band. The song was released as a single on February 26, 1996 and went to #6 in the U.K., but nothing in the States.

From the album ‘Lost Highway’, “(You Want To) Make a Memory”, we finally see a Bon Jovi I can get behind as the rest of that album doesn’t do much for me. It is a dark, brooding ballad. There some string orchestrations to it, David’s piano parts are spectacular and musically, this is fantastic. The song slowly builds until you get a big payoff on the chorus. This one has heart and soul and sophistication. Plus it is what I love about Bon Jovi and when they get it right they put out a great song.

Up next from ‘New Jersey’ is one of my favorite Bon Jovi songs. “Blood On Blood” was never released as a single, but I probably listened to it more than any other song on the album.  The song was based on the movie “Stand By Me”.  Jon was so inspired by that movie, he got with Richie Sambora and Desmond Child and they crafted this gem. The story is about three childhood friends, though not related, they were like brothers to each other.  They cut their hands and then shook to signify they were blood brothers, lifelong friends and friends you could call at any time and they would be there to help. That theme resonated with me.  The opening layers of guitars, the pounding Tico drums just exploded out of the gates. A catchy rhythm section that quickly grabbed hold, but the star was Jon with that voice and those lyrics. He crafted a story that played out like a movie that you could picture in your had as he spat out the lyrics. The high paced energy was intoxicating and helped you get lost. The keyboards added layers and textures that fit perfectly with everything else. My friends, it don’t get better than this.

Now we are to the final two new songs. First is “This is Love This is Life”. And how do I describe this one. It is a cross between “It’s My Life”, “Have A Nice Day”, “We Weren’t Born to Follow” and one of their other new songs “No Apologies”. Wow. That line seems familiar, have I written that before? Hell, if they can re-write the same song, I can copy and paste my words. Bon Jovi are doing paint by number now with the songs. It is catchy enough for sure, but it is a rehash of a million songs they’ve done since 2000.

The final new song is the worst of the new songs. And that is saying a lot. “The More Things Change” is so bad. It starts out the an extremely cheesy gang vocal of “The more things change the more they stay the same”. And if that isn’t bad enough, Jon is actually talking about how the keep re-writing the same old song with a line like…”It’s the same damn song with a different melody”. I think that sums it up right there.

Have you had enough yet? I have so I am glad we are to the end. If you forget the fact that they basically ignored 7800º Fahrenheit and only one song from the debut, ignore the fact the 4 new songs aren’t really that good, then I guess this album is great. It does have all the hits. Can’t fault them for that as it is a greatest hits album. But man, it gripes to no end about the whole ignoring 7800º Fahrenheit and only one song from the debut. Wait, there isn’t even a song from ‘Bounce’. WTF!! that really pisses me off. If you get the international versions, you get a better set. The U.S. version sucks for the reasons I gave. But, I can’t fault it that much. It is still a solid set and for a beginner Bon Jovi fan, a great place to start…but don’t finish with this one. My Overall Score is a 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars. I told you I’d ding it.

NEXT UP: BON JOVI – ‘GREATEST HITS: THE ULTIMATE VIDEO COLLECTION’ (2010)

THE BON JOVI COLLECTION SERIES:

1. Bon Jovi – The Albums Box Set (2017)
2. Jon Bongiovi – The Power Station Sessions (1980-1983) (2001)
3. Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi (1984)
4. Bon Jovi – Shot Through the Heart: Live in Cleveland, OH March 17, 1984 FM Broadcast (Bootleg)
5. Bon Jovi – “Burning For Love” – 12″ Single – Japanese Edition (1984)
6. Bon Jovi – 7800° Fahrenheit (1985)
7. Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (1986)
8. Bon Jovi – “Borderline” – 12″ Single – Japanese Edition (1986)
9. Bon Jovi – New Jersey (1988)
10. Bon Jovi – New Jersey: Super Deluxe Edition – Disc 2/DVD (1988)
11. Bon Jovi – “I’ll Be There For You” – Cassette Single (1988)
12. Jon Bon Jovi – Blaze of Glory (1990)
13. Jon Bon Jovi – “Blaze of Glory” – Cassette Single (1990)
14. Richie Sambora – Stranger in this Town (1991)
15. Bon Jovi – Keep the Faith (1992)
16. Bon Jovi – “Keep the Faith” – CD Maxi Single (1992)
17. Bon Jovi – “I Believe” – 7″ Single (1992)
18. Bon Jovi – Cross Road (1994)
19. Bon Jovi – “Please Come Home for Christmas” – CD Single (1994)
20. Bon Jovi – These Days (1995)
21. Bon Jovi – Live From London – DVD (1995)
22. Jon Bon Jovi – Destination Anywhere (1997)
23. Richie Sambora – Undiscovered Soul (1998)
24. Bon Jovi – Crush (2000)
25. Bon Jovi – Live From Osaka E.P. (2000)
26. Bon Jovi – “Thank You For Loving Me” – CD Single (2000)
27. Bon Jovi – The Crush Tour – DVD (2000)
28. Bon Jovi – The Love Songs E.P. (Promo) (2001)
29. Bon Jovi – Tokyo Road: Best of Bon Jovi (2001)
30. Bon Jovi – One Wild Night Live: 1985-2001 (2001)
31. Bon Jovi – Bounce (2002)
32. Bon Jovi – Unauthorized: Rock ‘n Roll Legends – Bootleg DVD (2002)
33. Bon Jovi – Target E.P. (2003)
34. Bon Jovi – This Left Feels Right (2003)
35. Bon Jovi – Wild in the Streets: Unauthorized – Bootleg DVD (2003)
36. Bon Jovi – This Left Feels Right – DVD (2004)
37. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Part 1) – (2004)
38. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 1, Part 2) – (2004)
39. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 2, Part 3) – (2004)
40. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 3, Part 4) – (2004)
41. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 4, Part 5) – (2004)
42. Bon Jovi – 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong (Disc 5 & 6, Part 6) – (2004)
43. Bon Jovi – Have a Nice Day (2005)
44. Bon Jovi – Live from the Have a Nice Day Tour (Walmart Exclusive) (2006)
45. Bon Jovi – Lost Highway (2007)
46. Bon Jovi – Lost Highway: The Concert (2007)
47. Bon Jovi – The Circle (2009)
48. Bon Jovi – When We Were Beautiful Documentary DVD (2009)
49. Bon Jovi – Live at Madison Square Garden – DVD (2009)
50. Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection (2009)
51. Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Video Collection – DVD (2010)
52. Bon Jovi – Inside Out – DVD (2012)
53. Richie Sambora – Aftermath of the Lowdown (2012)
54. Bon Jovi – What About Now (2013)
55. Bon Jovi – Live E.P. (RSD – 2013)
56. Bon Jovi – Live 2 E.P. (RSD – 2014)
57. Bon Jovi – Burning Bridges (2015)
58. Bon Jovi – This House is Not For Sale (2016)
59. Bon Jovi – This House is Not For Sale – Live From the London Palladium (2016)
60. Bon Jovi – The Albums Box Set – The Extra LP (2017)
61. RSO – Radio Free America (2018)
62. Bon Jovi – 2020 (2020)
63. Bon Jovi – 40th Anniversary Box Set (TBA – I Hope it is out by the time we get here)

We’ve reviewed a bunch of pieces already over the years and won’t review again. They are as follows:

1. Bon Jovi – The Brotherhood Tour Book (1988-1990)
2. Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi Tour 2011 – Tourbook
3. Bon Jovi – The Rock History – Bootleg CD
4. Bon Jovi – “You Give Love A Bad Name” – 12″ Single
5. Bon Jovi – “You Give Love a Bad Name” – 7″ Single
6. Bon Jovi – Red Hot & 2 Parts Live E.P. – 12″ Single
7. Bon Jovi – “Wanted Dead or Alive” – 7″ Single
8. Bon Jovi – “Bad Medicine” – 7″ Single
9. Bon Jovi – “Born to Be My Baby” – 7″ Single
10. Bon Jovi – “I’ll Be There For You” – 7″ Single
11. Bon Jovi – “Lay Your Hands on Me” – 7″ Single
12. Bon Jovi – “Living in Sin” – 7″ Single