BON JOVI

Abandoning his rough-and-ready rock & roll band, Jon Bon Jovi took a stab at respectability with this non-soundtrack to the film Young Guns II. Given his cowboy songs on Bon Jovi albums, it made sense that he'd be "inspired" by the Western, and he filled these songs (written without the help of bandmate Richie Sambora or hired hack Desmond Child) with references to shoot-'em-ups. Mainstream rock producer Danny Kortchmar put together the studio band, along with guest stars Jeff Beck, Elton John, and Little Richard, and the sound had more space and less drive than the lite-metal of Bon Jovi. Unfortunately, that kind of approach puts the spotlight squarely on the singer/songwriter, and Jon Bon Jovi wasn't quite up to the scrutiny, writing dumb lines like "Tell my guns I'm coming home" and "I been broke and hungry/I think they're both my middle name" in a context in which you could actually make them out without the lyric sheet. The New Jersey cowboy tried to howl his way through, and his still-faithful fans dutifully bought the record, but Jon Bon Jovi wasn't really ready to carry off a starring role without his usual supporting cast. ~ William Ruhlmann, AMG

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.