I’m not the biggest Richie Sambora girl out there. I was always, first and foremost, a Jonny girl.
So therefore, I can honestly say that if there ever was a single video clip that can make a Jonny girl sit up and take notice of the lead guitar player in Bon Jovi, the intro to ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ on this DVD is it.
This particular song opens with Jon talking about how These Days just hit #1 on the charts–which of course gets an enthusiastic response from the crowd. This is the kind of thing that I really love to see included in concert DVDs because it really gives me the feel of being there.
This is another one of the songs that I think I’ve heard too many times, especially in concert. It really just doesn’t thrill me anymore.
It’s still a great party song that works if you’re out there actually in the crowd. But for some reason, watching this one on the DVD just doesn’t feel like much more than filler. I think it’s one of those things that you just have to be there.
That isn’t a slam against this DVD, though. All told, this is a good performance of the song. Jon is in fine voice (especially when he’s showing off during the ‘Shout’ intro). And the rest of the guys are turning in good performances–I love the little flip of the drumsticks that Tico does to show off for the camera.
‘Bad Medicine’ just isn’t one of the songs that I watch this DVD for, though. It’s the songs like ‘Always’ and the ones from ‘These Days’ that make me love this particular DVD.
‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead’ is a song that as a fan, I have kind of an ambivalent relationship with. It’s a great live song–but it’s also one of the ones that Jon and the guys have pretty much played to death.
Love the keyboard-heavy extended intro on this rendition of the song. Dave and Tico really get to show off during this one. These are the two guys who end up in the background most often during stuff that the band does, so it’s nice to see them take the lead. Also, it’s kind of awesome to see how much can be done with something as straightforward as the intro to this song when it’s in the right hands.
In this particular song, the intro has an immediate weakness in that the camera repeatedly focuses in on the big screen–which is showing scenes from the ‘Blaze of Glory’ music video. There’s nothing wrong with the video for the song–gotta love Jon’s outfit in that one–but that’s not really what I wanted to see on this DVD.
‘Always’ was never a particular favorite of mine. Yes, it’s a good ballad, and Jon does a great job on it, but there were always songs that I liked better in the Bon Jovi catalog. There are so many of their other songs that have so much more substance to them.
Interestingly enough, for a song that’s usually all about the bass, it’s Richie’s performance that stands out to me. Sure, Jon does and admirable pouty-face during the bridge, and Hugh holds up his end of the song, but it’s Richie’s solo that steals the spotlight here.
This particular song doesn’t strike me as being as much of a standout performance as the rendition of Prayer right before it.
All right, now we’re finally into the meat of the Live from London DVD. I’m used to Prayer being used as an encore rather than an opener, but that actually works well. Bon Jovi shows need a high-energy opener–that one song can set the tone for the entire show, and this song is a great one for this application.