Crush

Performer: Bon Jovi
Engineer: Obie O'Brien
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Bon Jovi: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres. Additional personnel: Hugh McDonald (bass); Michael Dearchin, Melissa Russo, Meredith Russo (background vocals). Producers: Luke Ebbin, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora. Recorded at Sanctuary II Studio, New Jersey. CRUSH was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and "It's My Life" was nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. When Jon Bon Jovi went into the studio to record his band's seventh studio album, he went from budding actor to Jersey rocker to remind the world where his bread-and-butter was. After the initial plan to team up hard-rock production gods Bob Rock and Bruce Fairbairn fell through due to the latter's death, an audition process was set up with alt-rock engineer Luke Ebbin (Splender) winning the job. The choice was a fortuitous one as here Bon Jovi updates its sound with a smattering of loops and impressive arrangements, without losing the pop crunch of its heyday. Along the way, Bon Jovi tips its collective hat to the teen brigade invading the charts and the glory days of "Livin' On a Prayer" (the talk-box laden, Max Martin co-written single "It's My Life"), while still writing songs about blue-collar characters full of optimism (the Springsteen-flavored "Two Story Town"). CRUSH also contains the requisite power ballads for Bon Jovi's starry-eyed female fans ("Thank You for Loving Me," "Save the World") along with glam (the Elton John-inspired "Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars") and grimy ("One Wild Night") rockers.

Rolling Stone (7/20/00, p.142) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Jon does a fine job of shaking his Bon-Bon to the blow-dried, rockish tunes...especially...'It's My Life' which sounds like a Britney track shot through the heart with Ritchie Sambora's voice-box guitar..." Entertainment Weekly (6/16/00, p.90) - "...CRUSH - for all its sappy ballads and suburban pop fairy tales - is classic Bon Jovi. And that's not an oxymoron." - Rating: B'

In the early 1980s, aspiring New Jersey musician John Bongiovi assembled a rock band, secured a record deal, and changed his name to Jon Bon Jovi. By 1986, Bon Jovi's brand of melodic hard rock was a runaway hit, with the band's third album, SLIPPERY WHEN WET, achieving massive international success. In addition to the catchy singles, the singer's chiseled good looks only led to more adoration and, eventually, movie and TV roles. By channeling the earnestness of his hero, Bruce Springsteen, and reining in his glammy look, Bon Jovi outlasted his hair-metal peers for decades beyond their '80s heyday.

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