Retro Spins: Make A Difference Foundation - Stairway To Heaven / Highway To Hell

 

The Moscow Peace Festival which took place in August 1989, brought hair and metal bands together under one venue for a night of rock across the USSR. Cinderella, Gorky Park, Nuance, Brigade S, Scorpions, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, and special guest, Jason Bonham, would all take respective turns performing a selection of their hits, all broadcast live across fifty-nine nations. The event would go on to inspire the hit, Winds Of Change by Scorpions.

This was followed by the compilation, Stairway To Heaven / Highway To Hell, released under the banner, Make A Difference Foundation, which featured studio performances of cover hits by most of the folks noted above. All album proceeds would be split between Make a Difference and the Soviet Union's All-Union Society for Sobriety.

Now I'll be the first to tell you that most covers never hold a candle to the original, but there are exceptions. What's surprising is that all of them on this compilation fall under the exception. They're amazing!

Each respective artist brings their all, in only the style they know how. With amps cranked up to eleven, and bellowing vocals that would scare a pack of wolves away. Part hair band, part metal, all loud.

It's awesome to hear some of my favorite artists from the 80's performing "new" material, like an old friend come to visit again. While each artist performs their own studio cover, it wraps up with a three-part live performance "jam" from the event with everyone involved performing Hound Dog, Long Tall Sally, Blue Suede Shoes, and Rock & Roll.

Though it was never released on DVD, you can also get a two-volume VHS set from 1989 of The Moscow Peace Festival, though volume one is far rarer than two for some reason. While I wish it was on DVD, this is still a great way to enjoy the show.

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Living Vicariously Through My Brother - Gifts And Purchases From Japan

With my brother running around abroad in Japan, he not only filled my text messages with photos, but questions of if I wanted him to pick up some things for me. Some were given as gifts. Others with the understanding that I was going to need to reimburse.

Upon his return, we met up in Baltimore, a nice little halfway point for both of us, where I handed him a check, and he in turn handed me three bags. Two were from Tower Records, and one from Nintendo Kyoto.

The first item was a pair of Monchhichi dolls, which he purchased for me and my sister as a gift. We had these as kids, and today I of course have the full cartoon series on DVD. He thought it would be a fun little surprise for us.

Next up was a used, but presumably complete, original Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo Famicon. Despite being used, it's sealed in shrink wrap to protect the contents inside. He actually picked up two, one of which he kept and opened. I think I'll leave mine sealed up.

He also gifted me an exclusive Nintendo Kyoto glass, which features a selection of Nintendo characters on it. I don't think I'll be drinking out of this. Instead, I'll add it to my Nintendo collection.

Lastly, he gave me a copy of Nintendo Magazine, which was available for free to customers at Ojamakan Fukakusa.

He also grabbed me a copy of the program / catalog from the Star Wars Galaxy In Shibuya event.

Then came the CD's. When my brother initially told me he was going to Japan, he asked if there was anything I would want him to hunt for. I told him that if he came across a Tower Records, that I'd love for him to find me a list of CD's which were exclusive to the country. I didn't expect he'd find and go to three different Tower Records, especially considering he was using his precious limited time abroad to do so.

Unfortunately, he didn't find many of the items on my list. In fact, he only found one. However, he did find a whole slew of other items that I asked him to pick up.

The biggest thing on the list was Queen. I put on my list, "Anything from Queen as long as it's exclusive to Japan." Well, he found a lot.

Unfortunately, the majority of these are bootlegs created by King Street and Coda Publishing. Admittedly, I was a bit surprised to see that Tower Record would allow these to be sold in their shops. Equally, I was disappointed in the sound quality on some of them. Frankly, there seems to be more quality put into the packaging and CD imprinting (artwork wise), than the actual content of the discs.

Fortunately, not everything was a bootleg, such as these two Prince CD's. I didn't necessarily need yet another copy of Purple Rain, and really only asked him to grab this as an afterthought we he returned to take (a lot of) photos of the first Tower Records location. The other Prince album, His Majesty's Pop Life, was the only CD on my list he actually found.

Also not bootlegs were these pressings of Europe's first and second albums. Granted, these were available in the USA, but definitely not as cheap. Though I definitely enjoyed hearing them, in hindsight, I maybe should have opted for US releases, and paid the upcharge to do so. However, the catch 22 to that is that I probably wouldn't have ever gotten them.

Next up was an official re-issue of Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet. This not only features the original intended cover for the album, but a handful of live bonus tracks. The second item is unfortunately a bootleg of their live show from 1990. The sound quality is pretty poor on it.

I was surprised, but all over it when he found this We Bop: Nippon Budokan CD from Cyndi Lauper. It's apparently just been "released", in quotations because it's yet another bootleg. It not only showcases Cyndi at her best in 1986, but the sound quality if phenomenal. The second Cyndi item is a legit release, but nothing more than a greatest hits, which is also available in the USA. In hindsight, I would have skipped on the latter had I know this prior to committing to him grabbing it. Frankly, I didn't even open it.

I so badly wanted him to find the original (and legit) Live From The Jungle CD from Guns 'N Roses, but sadly, he never came across one. He did, however, find two massive boxsets, and individual live album, all bootlegs, and their hard to find legit EP, and even harder to find legit single. Yes, please to all!

Two other CD's which I didn't necessarily need, but asked him to pick them up with the above note Purple Rain were Michael Jackson's Thriller and Bad. Much like Prince, I don't necessarily need more copies of these albums in my life, but opted for them because they're uniqueness.

He was also able to find on Jermaine Jackson studio album, which I asked him to grab. I don't know why, but Jermaine gets no love from Motown. The majority of his albums aren't available on CD. This one appears to be legit, released in Europe in 2022.

Last up was a couple of free gifts from Tower Records for purchasing Queen and Guns 'N Roses items. They appear to be cellophane folders, but they're pretty thin, and fragile.

Did I spend more than I should have? Yes. Do I have buyer's remorse? Well, considering the majority of these turned out to be bootlegs, kind of. I'll put it this way. If I had a bit more time to think about the purchases I was making, rather than frantic texts in the early hours of the morning, I probably would have passed on a lot of.....Ah, who am I kidding....I would have still gotten them all.

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Retro Spins: Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

 

It's that lightning in a bottle that strikes once in a lifetime. Sure, some bands (or solo artists) go on to have equally successful albums, but it's always that one. That breakthrough album that stands out as, "That was that moment in history when..." For Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet was that moment.

Despite releasing two albums prior to Slippery, Bon Jovi remained totally off my radar until the latter part of 1986. In my defense, this was the case for most, as the band had yet to really make an impact. However, just a month after its release, the band entered the charts with, You Give Love A Bad Name. The song would fly to the number one spot by November 28th, but be dethroned the following week by Peter Cetera's duet with Amy Grant, The Next Time I Fall In Love.

But, Bon Jovi was far from done. Living On A Prayer entered the charts in the final weeks of December. It would become the band's second number one hit by February 1987, and also their signature track. A fun story behind the tune was that singer Jon Bon Jovi didn't initially think it was a strong song, and didn't want to include it on the album. It was guitarist Richie Sambora who convinced him otherwise. Living On A Prayer spent four weeks at number one before being overtaken by Jacob's Ladder from Huey Lewis And The News.

Wanted Dead Or Alive entered the charts as their third hit in April of 1987, but would peak at number seven, a slot it held for three consecutive weeks. It would be the final track from the album to chart.

Ultimately, Bon Jovi would be one of those bands that my brother was more interested in than I was. He would play both Slippery When Wet and New Jersey frequently, which resulted in the majority of my exposure to them. It wasn't that I hated them. I just didn't feel the need, at the time, to own their albums. Then again, of my siblings, I was for the longest time the one who owned the least albums.

This all changed of course when I started putting together my carefully, soon to be out of control, curated collection in my adult years. There was no doubt that Bon Jovi needed to be among my albums. In fact, they're one of the few artists who I dabble in the 90's and beyond eras.

To this day, Slippery When Wet stands out as a solid album. It features iconic tracks from Bon Jovi, and is easily one of the greatest of all time. Well, for my generation anyway. This is an album that every music collector should own.

The hits are obviously the hits for a reason, but the album as a whole is not to be shunned. It's one of the few I would label as "perfect", and worth owning on vinyl, since there's no reason to skip any tracks.

If you haven't heard this album, you're missing out. If you have, listen to it again.

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Retro Spins: Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi

New Jersey and Slippery When Wet were absolute monsters back in the 80's. However, what was the foundation in which these iconic albums were based? Where did it all start? That's what I wanted to find out in today's Retro Spin.

Bon Jovi debuted in the midst of 1984. Hair bands were big, new wave was big. Heck, it was the 80's. Everything was big. What else would you expect from the decade of excess?

The album starts out with the only track I know from it, Runaway. It wasn't a song which garnered the success which would eventually come for the band, but it did manage to chart, and in due course, peak at number thirty-nine.

Track three, She Don't Know Me, was the only other song from the album to chart. However, it would only go to number fifty before disappearing. It's okay, but if I'm being honest, it wasn't as good as Roulette, the song which appears on the album prior to it.

Roulette is a powerhouse. It's got a crushing guitar riff and straight up rocks. It sounded almost out of a place for a Bon Jovi song with how powerful it felt.

It's interesting to see the band released a song called, Shot Through The Heart" on their first album. Ironic too, since it could be easily mistaken for their massive hit, You Give Love A Bad Name, from Slippery When Wet. Both songs are pretty great, in my opinion.

As for the rest of the album, it kind of fell into the obscurity of background noise. I just didn't hear anything which really excited me. On that same note, I didn't hear anything that I absolutely hated either.

For debuts, it's no powerhouse, but it's decent. It was great to hear something "new" from a familiar band with a familiar sound. If I'm being honest, that's probably what made it okay in the long run. If nothing else, it points to the horizon for things to come.

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Retro Spins: Bon Jovi - New Jersey

In the 80's, Bon Jovi was everywhere! Their break out album, Slippery When Wet dominated the number one spot for eight consecutive weeks upon its release in 1986, and fans were anxiously awaiting what the band would do next. The answer, 1988's New Jersey.

Though it wasn't as commercially successful as Slippery, it still produced a multitude of number one hits for the band, and as a whole, spent four consecutive weeks in the number one spot. Out of all of Bon Jovi's work, it also remains one of my personal favorites - Perhaps tied in first place with Slippery When Wet.

The album features iconic staples from the band, such as, Lay Your Hands On Me, Bad Medicine, Born To Be My Baby, Living In Sin and I'll Be There For You. However, the good tracks don't end with just the hits. One of my personal favorites from Bon Jovi also appears on the album, Blood On Blood.

It's when I find Bon Jovi being experimental with their sounds that I personally start to lose interest. For example, the short, Ride Cowboy Ride, a track recorded in mono, may serve as a decent intro to Stick To Your Guns. However, it also feels out of place on an otherwise hard rock album. In general, when the tracks switch to acoustic I tend to tune them out.

While one would think for how iconic the album is there would be more to say, I actually don't have much more to offer here. I've been listening to this album for three decades at this point. My opinion on it probably can't and won't change now or anytime in the foreseeable future.

It's Bon Jovi. It's one of their biggest selling albums, and it's a staple of the 80's. What more is there to really know?

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Bon Jovi (McFarlane Toys)

Bon Jovi
McFarlane Toys
2007

It was difficult for a lot of 80's singers / bands to survive the 1990's. 1994 to 1995 saw a ton of "old" acts trying to shift from the pop and / or glam rock styles of the 80's to the heavier grunge style of the 90's. Many tried. Many failed. Those that failed either tried again, while others sunk into oblivion only to emerge later hoping to ride the coat tails of their 80's hits into retirement.

Bon Jovi not only survived the 1990's, but proved they had more to offer in terms of a band well into the new millennium. Over the span of their 30+ year history, the band has released thirteen studio albums - Their latest being 2016's This House is Not For Sale.

In 2007, McFarlane Toys were producing a fair amount of figures based on bands and / or singers. The company glanced Bon Jovi's way when they released a figure based on Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. Unfortunately for the rest of the band, they were ignored.


The figures really don't stretch far beyond what they're intended to be. In fact, they don't at all. They fit their purpose of being plastic iterations of the two musicians. As such, they reach for a niche audience - Bon Jovi fans who may or may not be action figure collectors as well.

For those not into hunting down individually carded figures, McFarlane Toys also produced a limited two pack.

The figures while not scarce will set you back a decent amount. You can expect to spend anywhere from $40.00 to $50.00 a piece for them. The two pack will set you back roughly a hundred dollars.

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