CROSS ROAD

CROSSROAD - THE BEST OF BON JOVI (JAMBCO/MERCURY 522 936-2, RELEASED OCTOBER 1994)

It's inevitable that a major band will ultimately put together a 'Greatest Hits' package at some stage in their career, offering the fan the chance of having a seamless flow of their favourite tracks on one album. It also gives the band in question a welcome breathing space while they consider their next move, not to mention a boost to their bank accounts with no extra work (or costs) involved. Moreover, it usually signifies the end of an era.

With Bon Jovi. 'Cross Road ... ' was a crucial release. Having studiously avoided releasing a hits album before, the band now needed time to consider their future. Personal problems had occurred within the ranks. They desperately needed the breathing space bought by 'Cross Road ...'

The record itself was put together by Jon and the band with the care that one would expect from Bon Jovi. This wasn't just thrown together for the sake of a quick buck. Thus what the true fan got was a series of classic Jovi songs: 'Livin' On A Prayer'. 'Keep The Faith'. 'Wanted: Dead Or Alive', 'Lay Your Hands On Me', 'You Give Love A Bad Name', 'Bed Of Roses', 'Blaze Of Glory', 'In These Arms', 'Bad Medicine', 'I'll Be There For You', 'In And Out Of Love', 'Runaway' and 'Never Say Goodbye' .

In what could have been seen as a cynical ploy to rope in fans who already had the entire Bon Jovi collection in their record racks, two new numbers were also included, the balladic 'Always' (which was to prove a huge hill and the more up-tempo 'Someday I'll Be Saturday Night'. These songs not only gave the fans something new, but also allowed the band to work with producer Peter Collins in a test environment. If all went well- as indeed it did - then he would be the man behind the con­sole for the next full studio album.