Album: Willie Nelson & Friends
Other Versions: Elvis, Willie Nelson
Era: N/A
Lyrics
Video
Proof that my father is awesome:
He joined a cd club with one of those "OMG SIX CDS FOR LIKE A PENNY DUDES THIS IS WAY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" offers, and one of those six cds was the Willie Nelson & Friends cd. His reason for picking it? He saw that Jon Bon Jovi was on it. He doesn't particularly like Bon Jovi, but my influence is so strong that was his deciding factor. Whoo, go me.
God this is a pretty song. It isn't one I think I would have ever thought of as "omg I want Jon to sing this" song, but he really does a good job with his chunk.
I'll tell you my story of discovering this existed:
When I was still regularly using a Windows PC, I was on Yahoo's LaunchCast all the freaking time. Most of the time it was the radio, but every now and then I'd watch the music video player. My computer was a little slow, so the name of the song would come up a second or two before the video started. I saw "Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson" and I was like "oh, that's nice". And then: "HOLY JEEZLY IT'S JON BON JOVI." Mind you, at this point Jon was my favorite. So I just assumed it was a fuck-up with the labeling...and then Jon started singing "Always on My Mind" and my heart exploded. It's a miracle I'm here to write this!
This is so, so pretty. Jon very much does one of the greatest country love songs of all time justice. He's not as intense as usual, but you get the feeling he is very much aware of "this is a song people love and I will be hung if I fuck this up". Interestingly enough he had no grasp of this concept while working on TLFR. Funny, that.
This might be Richie's best "backing vocals" work ever. You barely know he's there, at least consciously, but goddamn if he were gone you'd notice it. He manages to fade into the background but affect the sound anyway. Well, well done.
I can't hear this song without thinking of this version. The one thing that really tickles me: they had Jon do "I'll keep you satisfied". That is so a calculated attempt to make ladies(and the gentlemen who prefer protuberances) go "ahh, Jonny's gonna keep me satisfied. Mmm."
My Rating: 9/10
Mm, sociopolitically aware/pompous early 80s Bon Jovi.
- (I Don't Wanna Fall) To The Fire
- King of the Mountain
2 comments:
(I Don't Wanna Fall) To The Fire
Could you please give a link to the video? Youtube or any, dial-up sucks big time!
I have this video ... Jon looks rather docile the entire time. But a beautiful song nonetheless.
King of the Mountain gets my vote.
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