Bon Jovi - 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong... [Box] Review

The box set has been used for the last 20 years or so as a way of fleecing a musical artist's most loyal fans, sometimes to the tune of $150 or more.  While some box sets merely collect an artist's musical legacy, others see the release of a treasure trove of material that many times has not seen the light of day, even in bootlegging/tape-trading circles.

With a $50-$60 pricetag, and four discs packed with previously unreleased tracks, b-sides, rarities and soundtrack cuts, Bon Jovi's box set titled 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong is one of the most reasonable and enjoyable box set releases in recent memory.  And it's not just that most of these songs people had never heard.  It's the fact that so many of these songs had never been heard and were so damn good.

Since this decade started, the band has struggled to create a truly good album.  Sure, Bounce was ok, but Crush, Have a Nice Day, and their latest abomination, Lost Highway are far from good.  So what is surprising is just how much great stuff is here from the sessions for Crush.  Not only that, but there is solid stuff here for just about all of their albums.  Only their earliest stuff gets overlooked really, though there are a couple of songs from the 80s thrown in.  Most notable among those is Edge of a Broken Heart, which could have been a massive hit around the time of the Slippery When Wet album.

My absolute favorite song on the collection of 50+ songs is The Radio Saved My Life Tonight, which to my ears could have been a monstrous follow-up to It's My Life from the Crush record.  The crunching riff from Richie Sambora, the way Jon's voice is positively soaring on this track (say what you want, the guy can sing his ass off), the memorable chorus, it's by far the best Bon Jovi song of the last decade, hands down.

According to the band, each disc was put together to flow like an album.  The problem with this is that some work better than others.  The first disc is magnificent, with perfect flow and a nice mix of sounds and moods.  The second disc is ballad heavy and drags.  The third disc is also magnificent, probably even better than the first.  The third disc also gives some of the other members the chance to shine vocally, and so the variety is even greater.  The last disc is also ballad heavy, but these ballads are most of the better ones found on the set.

The mix of rockers, pop songs, and ballads will be familiar to most Bon Jovi fans, but most impressive is the overall quality of these songs.  With only five songs I consider to be "must skips," everything else ranges from enjoyable to some of the best stuff the band has done in their career.  Among the songs not to miss are <i>Open All Night</i> (a mid tempo pop song with a terrific hook), <i>Garageland</i> (a back to basics rocker), <i>Starting All Over Again</i> (mixing a syncopated guitar riff with some of Jon's most passionate vocals), and the gorgeous ballad Last Chance Train, which features some of the best harmonizing on the set from Jon and Richie.

If you are even a casual Bon Jovi fan, I truly feel you'd get your money's worth out of this set.  If you are anything more than a casual fan, your collection isn't complete without this.  With four discs of music and a bonus DVD, it's a terrific investment.

4.5 stars, rounded DOWN since disc 2 is a bit weak compared to the other 3 discs.