Jon Bon Jovi – ‘Blaze of Glory’ (1990) – Album Review (The Bon Jovi Collection Series)

After the extensive worldwide tour for Bon Jovi’s ‘New Jersey’ album, the band was spent. They were exhausted and I am sure they were sick of each other. Over 200 shows together would make anyone need a break. And Bon Jovi needed a break or it was going to be over. The band members stayed busy as we will see these next few reviews. Jon Bon Bovi kept busy by doing his first solo album and it wasn’t your typical solo album. After being approached by actor, Emilio Estevez, to use the Bon Jovi song “Wanted Dead or Alive” for the soundtrack to his new movie, the western ‘Young Guns II’, Jon declined the offer.

Instead of flat out declining though, Jon offered to write a new song for the movie and that one song turned in to a whole album of songs from and inspired by the movie. In fact, only 2 songs were actually in the movie, the song Jon promised to write “Blaze of Glory’ and then the song “Billy Get Your Guns” which both appeared during the end credits. The rest were only inspired by the movie. Jon was so in to the movie, he was actually in the movie where he appeared in the movie during the scene where Doc and Chavez were prisoners in the pit…Jon was one of the other prisoners.

As we know, Jon doesn’t do anything half-ass and the musician friends he brought in were top notch. There is Jeff Beck, Elton John and Little Richard to name the A-Team. But the B-Team are no slouch either with Kenny Aronoff on drums, Robbin Crosy from Ratt, American Idol’s Randy Jackson and one of my favorite artists Aldo Nova. Jon would turn around and help Aldo for his next album ‘Blood on the Bricks’ where Jon and Aldo co-wrote all the songs together. The songs were not about rock & roll and girls anymore. Jon really pushed his boundaries and wrote about more mature subject matters, this would aid his future writing as we would see on future Bon Jovi albums.

The album came out on August 7, 1990 (that date will come up again in Jon’s world). The album would spawn four singles and reach #3 on the Billboard charts. The album sold over 2 million copies reaching Double Platinum in the States. The album wasn’t that much of a departure from Bon Jovi. It has the same cowboy rock style like their songs “Wanted Dead or Alive”, “Stick To Your Guns” and “Wild is the Wind”. So no surprise it did well. Also, Jon was the first with a solo album during this little break, but is it the best? We will see won’t we. Let’s get to the music.

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Wig Wam – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

When I think of a country that rules in Glam Metal, my first thought goes to Norway!! Huh? WTF? Norway? Yes, you heard me correctly. Norway is home to the stellar Glam Metal band Wig Wam. The band members are Glam, Teeny, Flash and Sporty and no those aren’t the Spice Girls’ names. In reality, it is Age Sten Nilsen, Trond Holter, Bernt Jensen and Osytein Andersen. Yeah, the nicknames are easier to pronounce and remember.

The band’s first album came out back in 2004/2005 and showed the world that Glam metal was still alive and kicking. They represented Norway in the 2005 Eurovision contest and their song “In My Dreams” did really well. After that, they put out 4 albums and then they called it quit back in 2014. Then 5 years later, the band was back together. However, we didn’t finally get another album until 2021 and let me tell you, the boys are back!!!

I thought to myself, this is a band that needs to be heard so why not spread the love with an album ranking and since they only have 5 albums, it would be easy enough to do. So, grab a cold one and check out the Wig Wam Album Rankings from Worst to First!!

THE WORST – ‘WALL STREET’ (2012):

Continue reading “Wig Wam – The Albums Ranked Worst to First”

You Pick It! – Which Album to Review in February?

You, my reader, are going to pick an album for me to review each month.  It is really simple…first, I will give you 5 albums to choose from and second, you will tell me which one of those you would like to see reviewed on the site.  See…simple!

There are a few simple rules I have put in to place in my selections.  They are…

  • One has to be a new release (within the last month)
  • One has to be one I have never heard before (new releases don’t count for this one)
  • One has to be from a genre I don’t normally listen to at all or very often
  • And the last two are choices from my collection that I haven’t reviewed before

What are the 5 albums you ask?  Funny you should ask because I have those right here…

  New Release – Wig Wam – ‘Never Say Die’ – Their back!!

 Never Heard Before – The Velvet Underground – ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’

Not My Normal Genre – Chris Stapleton ‘ Starting Over’

  From My Collection – The Rolling Stones – ‘Tattoo You’

  From My Collection – ZZ Top – ‘Eliminator’

Let me know which one you would like to see and sometime in February, I will post a review of the album that gets the most votes. You have one week to decide and from there I will start listening to the album and do a review.

Thanks for participating!!