Bon Jovi and the album ‘Slippery When Wet’

The album that really earned Bon Jovi mainstream popularity as a band was Slippery When Wet. First released on Monday, August 18th, 1986, the album became commercially successful that surpassed many other popular acts of the time. Join us as we step through the ten songs that were a part of that original release.

The third studio album for Bon Jovi, named Slippery When Wet, was released on August 18th, 1986).

Let It Rock launches the Slippery When Wet album with an instrumental introduction followed by harmonies that kickoff the attitude the band wanted to announce with energy, exuberance and the love of a hard rock, pop-metal sound that the band was announcing that they were giving.

You Give Love a Bad Name charted #1 in the United States and #14 in the United Kingdom. This song was the first written in collaboration with Polygram Records executive Derek Shulman, who “thought the key was big choruses” for Bon Jovi to make it big. The writing collaboration of Desmond Child with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora really worked here.

(Bon Jovi released You Give Love a Bad Name as the first single from their 1986 album Slippery When Wet).

Livin’ on a Prayer charted #1 in the United States and #4 in the United Kingdom. The story of a hard to be love affair for Tommy and Gina, striking “a chord with America’s youth, especially the ones from New Jersey. The characters in the song relate to the working-class fans Bon Jovi played to.” The underlying story combined with the chorus and harmony resonated much for me when first hearing this song at 11-years of age.

(Bon Jovi‘s second single from the album Slippery When Wet was Livin’ on a Prayer).

Social Disease is lyrically references to the thirty-two flavors of Baskin Robbins and the drinker that was Little Richard‘s Long Tall Sally in making the case that love is a compelling and overpowering emotion.

Wanted Dead or Alive charted #7 in the United States and #13 in the United Kingdom. The motif of the band casting Jon Bon Jovi as the modern-day, gritty cowboy from the American frontier translated the notion of a touring rockstar well. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote this song about “performing to lots of people who all blended together after a while.”

(Wanted Dead or Alive was released on March 3, 1987 as the third single from the Bon Jovi album Slippery When Wet).

Raise Your Hands is a song about the risk, the stepping forward and the need to confront potential hurt of failure when pursuing love. Raise Your Hands is sung from the perspective of one pursuing the promise of love while raising the same stakes from a romantic partner, metaphorically not unlike a game of cards.

Without Love is the song of two young people who had known the splendor and the pain of love. Both see the risks and the benefits love, sharing their shared faith in a song praising devotion to the longing for romantic belonging.

(From left, Bon Jovi as a band for Slippery When Wet included Jon Bon Jovi of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, David Bryan of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Richie Sambora of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Tico Torres of New York City, New York and Alec John Such of Yonkers, New York).

I’d Die for You offers an interesting ballad-like messaging to a decidedly up-tempo sales pitch for the message of love-suicide within William Shakespeare‘s play Romeo and Juliet. While Jon Bon Jovi as singer offers a dedication similar to the portrayed love-suicide of the play, that the song’s message is blue collar, speaking strictly to the couple and more about the perceptions of friends than family, dedicating love before life definitely stays true.

Never Say Goodbye offers full-blown ballad aimed at fondly remembering the affections of a first love in high school. In ways that were attempted with the song I’d Die for You, Never Say Goodbye hits a clear point of emotional resonance for me wherein I relate more to a sense of felt love. Bon Jovi gave us a very strong song here.

(Never Say Goodbye reached #11 on the Billboard magazine mainstream rock charts and number 21 in the UK Singles Chart. Bon Jovi never released as a single in the United States during the 1980s).

Wild in the Streets brings Slippery When Wet to an end with an anthem of sorts to youth and the hunger to feel and experience all that life had to offer. There’s a definite joy and enthusiasm to the sound and the message that serves as a toast to a time of testing limits and living to feel. Cheers!

Matt – Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Def Leppard and the album ‘Hysteria’

The Def Leppard album Hysteria was released on Monday, August 3rd, 1987. My 12-year-old self was a big fan of this album, which featured musicians Joe Elliott of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, Rick Savage of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, Rick Allen of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, Phil Collen of Hackney, London, Middlesex, England, and Steve Clark of Hillsborough, South Yorkshire, England.

(The cover art for the 1987 Def Leppard album Hysteria is shown here).

Women charted 80th in the United States. Per Songfacts as sourced here, the band knew that “women don’t like songs called “Women,” especially when they’re prurient tales of male desire set in biblical times. When they released this song, Def Leppard knew that it would gin up their core audience but would have little appeal to the female fans who had made them superstars.”

(Women was the second overall single but first released in the United States for Hysteria. The song was released as Hysteria‘s first single in Canada, Australia, and Japan).

Rocket charted 12th in the United States and 15th in the United Kingdom. Playing on the notion of rocking the song while using the title rocket, the band lyrically references music by The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Beatles, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Chuck Berry and Queen.

(Rocket was the last single from the Def Leppard album Hysteria, with a release in January 1989).

Animal charted sixth in the United States and 19th in the United Kingdom. The recording of the song “took three years to complete,” as referenced here. Besides the accident to drummer Rick Allen, the move to change producer from Jim Steinman to Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange made a big difference with this song.

(Animal was the first single released internationally to support Hysteria, becoming Def Leppard‘s first Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom).

Love Bites introduces the notion that singer Joe Elliott wanted to emotionally invest in physical intimacy with a lady. That the song approaches this in a ballad format really helped the band resonate with ladies.

(Love Bites was a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The track peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart for the United Kingdom).

Pour Some Sugar on Me charted second in the United States and 18th in the United Kingdom. The song became an anthem of sorts for the band, with influences as indicated here including The Archies and T. Rex. Illusions to physical intimacy from this song, metaphorically, are quite clear.

(Pour Some Sugar on Me reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States on July 23rd, 1988. The song ranked number 2 on VH1‘s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s in 2006).

Armageddon It charted third in the United States and 20th in the United Kingdom. The song plays with words similarly to the song Rocket from earlier in the album, with the lyrics “Are you getting it?” being answered with “Armageddon it”. As referenced here, the large influence of the change of producers was felt with this song. “Lange took over for Jim Steinman, whose sessions were scrapped in 1985. With Lange, they created songs with a rock bombast and commercial appeal, and this one also played great in stadiums.”

(Armageddon It was released in 1988, going to No. 3 in the United States. It also reached the top 10 in Canada and New Zealand and the top 2 in Ireland and the United Kingdom).

Gods of War “is as close to a protest song as you’re going to hear from Def Leppard,” as noted here. The song didn’t receive much critical or commercial love, though the ask to avoid getting into wars is noted.

Don’t Shoot Shotgun returns more strongly to the world of the platform of love, or at least intimacy, with a protest of sorts into jumping too quickly into a physical expression of love.

(From left, Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, and Steve Clark. This was Def Leppard‘s line-up for the 1987 album Hysteria).

Run Riot feels like an early in the setlist song intended for concerts in support of the Hysteria album. Lyrically, the song itself invites an investment in the glamorous perspective of rock-n-roll where hedonism has it costs but still feels worth it.

Hysteria returns to the ballad style with a song that charted tenth in the United States and 26th in the United Kingdom. As indicated here by guitarist Phil Collen, “The song really is about finding spiritual enlightenment[.] Not many people know that because it sounds like just getting hysterical, but it’s actually about that. It’s about finding this deeper thing, whether you believe it or not.”

(The tenth track on Def Leppard‘s 1987 album Hysteria was the song Hysteria, the fourth single for the album. The single was released in November of 1987).

Excitable offers a clear invitation for returning energy to the band in a concert. The song itself can be interpreted when listening to the album itself in a more intimacy-based context, with the exploration of what you feel outpacing what you think.

The Hysteria album ends with a ballad adjacent song named Love and Affection. Lyrically, the album ends with the offer of a one-night stand of experiencing intimacy where the singer invites the company for the night to give in to the invitation. This song thematically fits with the album, though the offering of so many lyrics without a true bridge back to a chorus strikes me as a bit weak for the finish.

Matt – Wednesday, August 3, 2022