Blueshadow’s Bon Jovi Blog

Artist: Richie Sambora
Album: Stranger In This Town

Stranger In This Town was my first introduction to what Richie was capable of on his own. Up to this point, I had always been a big Jon fan. Richie was a secondary consideration, at best. (Blue eyes are a weakness of mine, and sorry Richie, you haven’t got ‘em, and Jon does.) But after collecting a number of Bon Jovi CDs I started to get curious about Richie’s solo efforts. After all, the man does have undeniable talent on the guitar. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for it–there will never be a Bon Jovi edition of Guitar Hero–but he’s every bit as good as anyone else considered a “guitar god”.

(Actually at the rate Activision is going, there may be a Guitar Hero: Bon Jovi before too long. Unfortunately, I can’t imagine Richie making a particularly attractive Guitar Hero character.)

At any rate, I had to special order my copy of Stranger. None of the places around here keep that kind of thing in stock. But it turned out to be completely worth it. Once I got home, I stuck the CD in the player and started reading my email. Believe me, the email didn’t last long. Halfway through Church of Desire I was sitting in front of the stereo with the liner notes spread out across the floor so that I could follow along.

It’s hard to pick a favorite track from Stranger In This Town; it has really become my favorite CD of all time. I know it’s the only CD that I own that I always listen to from start to finish every time I play it. I never skip tracks on this CD. However, Rosie was really the outstanding song on the CD for me.

First, the lyrics to this song are incredible. Like many of the songs that Richie has written with Jon, it tells a story. But where sometimes their story songs get bogged down in detail, Rosie doesn’t. Rosie paints an incredibly clear picture in very few words. Only the vital details to paint in the image and the story are included. The story could be considered a tired cliche, but it’s handled extremely well. The lyrics make both of the characters into sympathetic figures. This is honestly one of Jon and Richie’s best efforts in terms of songwriting.

Secondly, the vocals on this song are excellent. Richie does a wonderful job of interpreting the lyrics. Honestly, I’m glad this song was cut from New Jersey; I don’t think Jon could have performed it anywhere near this well. It’s Richie’s blue-influenced vocalsund that bring the right degree of emotion to the song. The lyrics on their own could have come off pathetic, but treated as a blues song it works.

Secondly, this is a solid song musically as well. The lyrics on their own could have been a pathetic dirge–by setting them to a tune that a stripper might dance to, it not only prevents the song from being a complete downer but also in some ways brings the story to life. By using that kind of melody it helps bring the images of the dark, smoky club to life. In addition to having a catchy melody, it provides plenty of space for Richie to demonstrate his ability on the guitar, and Richie doesn’t overdo it. Some guitar solos can drag on forever–Rosie’s is long enough to be excellent, and short enough to leave you wanting more.

In short this is really one of my favorite rock songs ever, and was really responsible for me recognizing Richie on his own merits. And let’s face it, he deserves that.