BON JOVI – Crush
Bon Jovi – Crush (2000, Island Records/Def Jam Music)
Track Listing:
1. “It’s My Life” … 3:44
2. “Say It Isn’t So” … 3:33
3. “Thank You for Loving Me” … 5:07
4. “Two Story Town” … 5:10
5. “Next 100 Years” … 6:19
6. “Just Older” … 4:28
7. “Mystery Train” … 5:16
8. “Save the World” … 5:31
9. “Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars” … 4:31
10. “She’s a Mystery” … 5:18
11. “I Got the Girl” … 4:35
12. “One Wild Night” … 4:18
Band:
Jon Bon Jovi – Lead Vocals
Richie Sambora – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tico Torres – Drums, Percussion
David Bryan – Keyboard, Piano, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Hugh McDonald – Bass, Backing Vocals
Produced by: Luke Ebbin, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora
5 years after the dark, somber, melancholy These Days, Bon Jovi decided it was time to make music again and went in the complete opposite direction with the very bombastic, poppy, syrupy Crush.
Not that I’m complaining. I love both albums, but while These Days took some getting used to, I instantly embraced Crush because it’s not too far removed from the usual bombastic, poppy, syrupy sounds of Bon Jovi. The only difference is the band brought in “boy band” songwriter Max Martin (“It’s My Life”) but also balanced it out with a bit more of a mature sound (“She’s A Mystery”, “Just Older”, “Save the World”).
It’s not a hard rocking album for the most part (Bounce actually rocks harder than this), it’s very much a pop album, but I still love it. “It’s My Life” though somewhat boy bandish is an incredibly catchy song and I loved that in 2000 I was hearing brand new Bon Jovi on the radio. All three singles (the other two being “Say It Isn’t So” and “Thank You For Loving Me”) are my favorite songs from the album, but the slower moments like “Mystery Train” and “She’s A Mystery” are really enjoyable too.
Probably my only complaint with be the lack of originality. I remember an old review stating that “Say It Isn’t So” and “Two Story Town” ripped off Lit and Joan Osbourne, respectively, and it’s absolutely true. “Two Story Town” seems to be such a near carbon copy of “What If God Was One of Us” that I’m surprised Joan didn’t sue. Also, their use of two “Mystery” songs has always bothered me (even though I love both songs), just like GNR’s “The Garden” and “The Garden of Eden” on Use Your Illusion I, it’s always annoyed me.
The album has a great closer with “One Wild Night” which is the one song that reminds me most of the Bon Jovi of the 80s. This song could’ve easily been on New Jersey right alongside “99 in the Shade” and “Love For Sale”.
Highlights: “It’s My Life”, “Say It Isn’t So”, “Thank You For Loving Me”, “Just Older”, “Mystery Train”, “Save the World”, “She’s a Mystery”, “One Wild Night”
March 1, 2009 at 1:56 am
This is quite a polarising album. Personally I’d actually rate Crush as their worst album, and She’s a Mystery and Save the World among their worst songs. It does have some good tracks though, including Just Older, Next 100 Years, and One Wild Night.
March 8, 2009 at 12:21 am
I loved “It’s My Life.” Kind of a taking-it-back sort of tune. Like some of the stuff on “Crossroads” (“Keep the Faith”), Jon was on the other side of his recovery from alcoholism. He & Ritchie were pals again, & there was very little animosity amongst the band members (excluding Alec John Such).
I like the video, too. Was that the Lincoln tunnel they were all crammed into?
March 8, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Yes, to the Lincoln tunnel!
March 31, 2009 at 9:37 pm
You ever read Stephen King’s “The Stand?”
That sh!t when Larry & Rita were moving thru’ the Lincoln Tunnel was some of the most beautifully written, suspenseful, & gruesome stuff I’ve ever read… And re-read.
July 20, 2009 at 9:48 pm
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