Go on, admit it. You used to love Bon Jovi back in the day too, didn't you?
Sure, their mix of pop-metal and working-class rock is regarded as very uncool in the 2000's, but this album was a classic of its time. 'Slippery When Wet' is big, loud, unashamed 80's stadium rock; huge riffs, huge choruses and huge hair. But unlike the other "hair" bands, who were mostly all show and no chops, Bon Jovi were actually pretty talented. They could write great arena anthems like 'Raise Your Hands', 'Social Disease', 'Wild In The Strets', 'Let It Rock', and the massive hits 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and 'Livin On A Prayer'. But they could also branch out a bit to incorporate Western imagery on 'Wanted Dead Or Alive', or go for a more reflective mood on 'Without Love' and the relatively poignant 'Never Say Goodbye'. The latter two songs are a good example of why Bon Jovi survived and reinvented themselves as a more adult-contemporary band in the 90's; unlike most other rock/metal bands, Bon Jovi's ballads never sound forced or embarrassing.
While there were some huge hit singles, the best thing about 'Slippery When Wet' is its consistency; there's not one weak song here. Just about every track from the album could have been released as a single, and actually it's a bit surprising that they didn't do a Michael Jackson and try to spin off even more hits. 'Without Love' in particular would have been a massive success had it been released as a single.
Yes, it's very much of its time, and it won't win you too many points in the style stakes to been caught listening to this in 2010. But so what? 'Slippery When Wet' is simply great stadium rock that you can play loud and sing along with. What more do you want?Get more detail about Slippery When Wet.
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