When I first heard clips of Bon Jovi's latest single "(You Want To) Make A Memory", I was floored they were picking what I thought was a mid-tempo ballad as their first single. I often think picking a ballad as a lead-off single to be a grave mistake. Not only that, it often hurts your credibility with rock fanatics. Even more shocking the title track of the new album, "Lost Highway" was NOT picked as the lead single. "Lost Highway" is an infectious track that showcases what this band does best and may be one of the best tracks the band has ever committed to tape. Despite my objections, I have found "Memory" slowly seeping into my own memory bank. I saw this record as a sell-out when I first heard about it last year. However, as I continue to listen to "Memory" time and time again, it occurred to me that maybe
just maybe, they are not selling out but pushing the envelope further than anything they have done since 'These Days'. If this were a Springsteen track, critics would be wetting themselves and congratulating the Boss on a sublime and ethereal track that digs below your skin. There is something wholly familiar about the intro acoustic guitar strum, which is as simplistic as anything I have ever heard, yet it's completely original and newfound territory for Bon Jovi at the same time.
"(You Want To) Make A Memory" is the most daring single the band has released since "This Ain't A Love Song" which was also a departure for the band as their lead single off of 'These Days' in 1995. Amazingly, both of these songs had a new light shone upon them during American Idol. I don't like AI in any shape or form, but I begrudgingly watched when Bon Jovi was on. "Love Song" was easily the night's top performance and I applaud the AI contestant who dug deep into the band's catalog to find this gem. Sadly the band has not performed this song live since their 1996 tour. One can only hope that new found interest in this song will lead to the band dusting it off and adding it to their set lists on a semi-regular basis. Most people do not realize this, but the song did reach #14 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Bon Jovi's performance on the second night was a transcendent experience as it (like most Bon Jovi songs) exceeded its studio counterpart. My good friend Rene summed the performance up beautifully in an email exchange I had with him;
What I love about his song, is, they avoided every Jovi clichι', and actually sound like another band at the same time. When they performed it on AI, Sambora's harmonies made it soar; as his singing usually makes all such shared mic time.
I had so many reservations about the band going on Idol and performing what I initially thought would be a throwaway track. It just goes to show that sometimes the best music takes time to reveal itself to you and when it does, it's a striking revelation.
Anthony Kuzminski can be found at The Screen Door
