A good rock band

Even if Bon Jovi is not sharing any privileged status with my favourite bands (REM, Metallica, Weezer,...), I have to admit that they are one of the best rock bands in the last thirty years. Sometimes, they are often labelled as a band for girls, since they are most famous for their ballads and due to the image the singer Jon Bon Jovi is trying to sell. I will just say that this prejudice is totally unfounded. I would not dare compare them with the current bands (just for Justin Bieber and friends not to be humiliated by the comparison), but in this post I will try to put them into their real place.

First, Bon Jovi has a characteristic sound, where electric guitars rule. One can argue that most of the songs sound similar, but that is also the case of AC-DC and nobody says they are boring. In the case of Bon Jovi, their characteristic sound has made them great (among others, "It's my life" or "Living on a prayer") and that sound has marked a whole generation, I am afraid.

Beyond their electric guitars, the lyrics of Bon Jovi's songs are really remarkable. Bon Jovi does not have empty love songs or fake rebel hymns. For example, "Blood on blood" is a beautiful ode to friendship in our childhood (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bonjovi/bloodonblood.html), "Someday I'll be Saturday night" reflects the efforts of those with a hard life towards a better life (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bonjovi/somedayillbesaturdaynight.html), "Living on a prayer" explains the hard life of a couple and how their love keep their hopes for a better life alive (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bonjovi/livinonaprayer.html) or "Something to believe in" poses interesting questions about religion and beliefs when times are hard (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bonjovi/somethingtobelievein.html).

As every rock band, Bon Jovi has also ballads, splendid ballads, I would say. It seems that the heart of a true rocker, behind this pose of tough guys, is full of love and emotions. My favourite are "Always" and "Bed of roses", but there are many others ("Bad medicine", "Born to be my baby", "In these arms",...). Well, I admit it, "Always" is a song of a broken love: why on Earth do I like so much these songs of broken love?To sum up, not everything is REM or Metallica or similar out there. Bon Jovi may have some prejudice as being a band for girls, but they are a really good rock band, and that is something not so many bands can say.