Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Bon Jovi Encyclopaedia review



Well, I recently wrote a review of the Bon Jovi Encyclopaedia by Neil Daniels on Suite101. The book is a very comprehensive overview (is that an oxymoron?) but as a diehard fan, I guess I was pretty nitpicky with a few things. Basically I think it's quite good overall, and relatively inexpensive, but certain flaws stick out like a sore thumb due to my passion for the subject and I reckon they are things most of my readership would notice as well. (Tico's name is also misspelled "Ticco" a few times but I'm blaming the editor rather than the author for that one :P ). In particular, the album reviews really grate me and could turn a casual fan off what I (and countless others) feel is Bon Jovi's best work. But at the same time, I understand that reviews are subjective pieces that are always going to rub SOMEONE the wrong way and even in standard journalism, you can never be truly objective because you're only human...

Now if you're American, the spelling of "encyclopedia" might be getting on YOUR nerves... All I can say is that "encyclopaedia" is the traditional British spelling, and guess who invented the English language? :P

Someone whom I was initially surprised to find has his own entry in the Bon Jovi Encyclopaedia is Aussie singer-songwriter Shannon Noll. He has worked with Richie Sambora and Luke Ebbin and I've blogged about him before. I actually met Shannon and his bassist Matty Cornell in Perth on Friday, and attended Shannon's unplugged gig "In the Raw: In Conversation and Acoustic" at the Burswood Theatre that night. He had a bit of a cold but it was still a wonderfully intimate evening, and audience members got to ask him questions in between the two sets that were played. Among other things, including a marriage proposal, Shannon was asked about his writing trip to the US a couple of years ago, which of course spawned "Sorry Is Just Too Late", co-written with Richie. Shannon said in America he could sort of escape the prejudice that came with being an Australian Idol product and be judged on his voice, music and work ethic. He also mentioned freaking out because Luke Ebbin apparently sent an e-mail to Jon Bon Jovi to say that he was producing the album of an Australian musician who was one of the best guys he'd worked with... Shannon's reaction was "What?! You can't send that, it's JON BON JOVI!" Hah.

Anyway, I thought I may as well share a sweet little video from the Perth gig of "Now I Run" which was written about Shannon's late father and dedicated to a young fan in the audience who had just lost her dad. (Please excuse the Elvis impersonation at the start of the vid :P ).



Everything that I am comes from a better man
And all that I've said and I've done
Can't rewrite my history right there for all to see
I'm just my father's son
He taught me to walk, now I run

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