100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong

• Artist: Bon Jovi
• Rating:
• Release Date: November 16, 2004
• Type: Compilation (best of), Enhanced CD-ROM, Box set
• Genre: Rock

Review

Bon Jovi's four-CD/one-DVD box set of rarities, 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, inspires two immediate reactions. The first: How in the world did Bon Jovi have four discs' worth of unreleased material in their vaults? The second: Who on earth would want to hear 50 rarities from Bon Jovi? To anybody who's not a devoted fan, the New Jersey group always seemed like a quintessential singles-driven band. Sure, they had many albums that were blockbusters -- 1986's Slippery When Wet and its 1988 follow-up, New Jersey, dominated the American charts in the latter half of the '80s -- but those were hits because of the singles that ruled the radio, hits that were so well crafted, it was hard to believe that Bon Jovi left material behind, but as this box set proves, they did. Apparently, the band followed the lead of their fellow Jersey icon Bruce Springsteen and cut more material for each album than they could possibly have used. Starting with Slippery When Wet, the band would record somewhere between 30 and 40 songs for an individual album, then whittle it down to a 12-track album, which means a whole bunch of completed material was left behind. Some of it turned up on soundtracks or foreign-market B-sides, but most of it lay unheard in the vaults until Bon Jovi assembled this box to commemorate their 20th anniversary (which arrived around the time they sold their 100,000,000th record, hence the title). All that explains how this box came to be, but it doesn't address whether the set is any good or not. Surprisingly, the answer is that it's very good indeed. In the liner notes, Jon Bon Jovi claims that the band carefully chooses the songs that make the finished album so the record has a specific flow from beginning to end, meaning that the outtakes aren't necessarily worse than what made the record -- they may simply have been songs that didn't fit the mood or spirit of a particular album. Of course, Bon Jovi's fellow Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen follows the same aesthetic when he makes his albums, and it's fair to say that 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong is the group's spin on the Boss's rarities box, Tracks, which mixed B-sides, demos, and unreleased songs the way that this set does. The big difference between the two is that there are no outright classics on 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans -- no songs that are a crucial part of the story, no songs that make it necessary for any curious listener. However, that doesn't mean that listening to it won't make a doubter reconsider their views of Bon Jovi as a singles-only act. What's impressive about the box set is that it's consistently strong and well crafted. Most of these songs wouldn't have stormed up the charts, but they would have fit comfortably on any of the band's records, and sometimes would have been highlights. Bon Jovi were smart to sequence each of the four discs as their own cohesive album, since it gives each disc its own momentum and doesn't isolate all the gems to one single disc. Make no mistake, this box is still for the hardcore fan, who will delight in the rather lengthy collection of behind-the-scenes footage included on the DVD (no music videos are here, just rare footage shot throughout the band's career) and find that the entire set exceeds their expectations, but anybody else who dips into this generous collection will find that the music is strong, varied, well crafted, and often memorable. It's the rare set that enhances a band's reputation, since it reveals that there was more to the band than what was readily apparent on the surface, and that makes 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong an excellent way to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Why Aren't You Dead? [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child	Bon Jovi	(3:31)
The Radio Saved My Life Tonight [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(5:08)
Taking It Back [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(4:17)
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night [Original Demo]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child	Bon Jovi	(5:18)
Miss Fourth of July [#]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(5:40)
Open All Night [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, Eric Bazilian	Bon Jovi	(5:47)
These Arms Are Open All Night [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon	Bon Jovi	(5:20)
I Get a Rush [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, Eric Bazilian	Bon Jovi	(2:57)
Someday Just Might Be Tonight [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Mark Hudson	Bon Jovi	(4:13)
Thief of Hearts [Studio Track][#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Patrick Leonard	Bon Jovi	(4:17)
Last Man Standing [Studio Track][#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon	Bon Jovi	(4:32)
I Just Want to Be Your Man [#]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(3:28)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Garageland [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(3:26)
Starting All Over Again [Japan Bonus Track]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(3:44)
Maybe Someday [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(4:43)
Last Chance Train [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Mark Hudson	Bon Jovi	(4:31)
The Fire Inside [#]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(4:50)
Every Beat of My Heart [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(4:49)
Rich Man Living in a Poor Man's House [#]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(4:22)
The One That Got Away [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(4:48)
You Can Sleep While I Dream [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Mark Hudson, Dean Grakal	Bon Jovi	(4:53)
Outlaws of Love [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(3:20)
Good Guys Don't Always Wear White [From the Cowboy Way]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(4:29)
We Rule the Night [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(4:09)

CD 3

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Edge of a Broken Heart [From Disorderlies]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child	Bon Jovi	(4:35)
Sympathy [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(5:23)
Only in My Dreams [#]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi, Tico Torres	(5:07)
Shut Up and Kiss Me [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(2:47)
Crazy Love [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Mark Hudson	Bon Jovi	(4:25)
Lonely at the Top [International B-Side]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(3:51)
Ordinary People [International B-Side]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan	Bon Jovi	(4:07)
Flesh and Bone [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan	Bon Jovi	(5:01)
Satellite [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child	Bon Jovi	(4:56)
If I Can't Have Your Love [Unreleased Solo Track]	Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child, Diane Warren	Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	(4:15)
Real Life [From Edtv]	Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child	Bon Jovi	(3:52)
Memphis Lives in Me [From Memphis][#]	David Bryan	Bon Jovi, David Bryan	(3:03)
Too Much of a Good Thing [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Richie Supa	Bon Jovi	(4:23)

CD 4

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Love Ain't Nothing But a Four Letter Word [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan	Bon Jovi	(4:14)
Love Ain't Nothing But a Four Letter Word [Original Demo]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(4:08)
River Runs Dry [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child	Bon Jovi	(3:57)
Always [Original Demo]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(5:46)
Kidnap an Angel [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon	Bon Jovi	(5:56)
Breathe [B-Side]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(3:41)
Out of Bounds [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(3:46)
Letter to a Friend [#]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(4:19)
Temptation [International B-Side]	Jon Bon Jovi	Bon Jovi	(4:23)
Gotta Have a Reason [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Michael Kamen	Bon Jovi	(4:59)
All I Wanna Do Is You [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(3:03)
Billy [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(4:32)
Nobody's Hero [#]	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora	Bon Jovi	(8:36)

CD 5

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Bonus Material [DVD][*]		Bon Jovi

Credits

Bon Jovi (Main Performer), Jon Bon Jovi (Liner Notes), Jon Bon Jovi (Photography), Jon Bon Jovi (Group Member), Joe Perry (Musician), Richie Sambora (Vocals), Richie Sambora (Photography), Richie Sambora (Group Member), Kenny Aronoff (Musician), Bobby Bandiera (Musician), Eric Bazilian (Musician), Carol Brooks (Musician), Jeannie Brooks (Musician), David Bryan (Vocals), David Bryan (Photography), David Bryan (Group Member), Bob Clearmountain (Mixing), Jerry Cohen (Musician), Jay Davidson (Musician), Mark Hudson (Musician), George Marino (Mastering), Hugh McDonald (Group Member), Obie O'Brien (Mixing), Obie O'Brien (Photography), Pino Palladino (Musician), Shawn Pelton (Musician), Lance Quinn (Musician), Bob Rock (Mixing), Alec John Such (Group Member), Tico Torres (Vocals), Tico Torres (Group Member), Rick Valenti (Musician), Garo Yellin (Musician), Vartan (Creative Director), Caroline Greyshock (Photography), Mark Weiss (Photography), Michael Johansson (Photography), Kevin Reagan (Art Direction), Kevin Reagan (Design), Ross Halfin (Photography), William Hames (Photography), Cynthia Levine (Photography), Mike Rew (Engineer), Mike Rew (Digital Editing), Kevin Mazur (Photography), Kurt Johnston (Musician), Sheryl Nields (Photography), Efrain Torres (Digital Editing), Adam Abrams (Production Coordination), Bret Healey (Design), Ryan Null (Collage), Jeff Kazee (Musician), Walter Gemeinhart (Photography), Michael Kachko (Marketing), Hugo Dixon (Photography), Logan Riese (Costume Design), Pierre Robert (Liner Notes), Ilene Schreibman (Editorial Director), Yonta Taiwo (Photography)

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