Let's get right to the heart of the matter, shall we? On "Keep the Faith," one of the best albums ever recorded (if not the best), "Dry County" is one of the best songs ever (if not THE best). It is an auditory testament to a) how good this band can be, b) the concept of perfection, and c) the purpose of music on Earth. A doctoral thesis could be written on the purpose and power of the near 10 minute epic in the haunting key of d minor that sits at the number 7 track position on this recording, and I am hard pressed to not start writing one here. But I need to get through the whole album in 1000 words...

You've got Stairway, Freebird, Layla, Bohemian Rhapsody, and a simple answer as to why LESS than 2 million people of the entire American population are lucky enough to possess the knowledge that "Dry County" is pretty much the peak of musical epics: it was written by a) Bon Jovi, b) an "80's band", c) an "80's band" in the NINETIES, and d) never released as a domestic single, thus not generating the grape-vine mystique that safe, ridicule-immune "70's bands" wound up scooping up with all of their "legendary" anthems. For the last time: Bon Jovi, for all of their popularity, will always be under-respected, and there's nothing cheesy about any of this.

If you read on, you may learn something before slamming this review for being narcissistic and preachy. "Keep the Faith" was an album released on November 3, 1992. Only Jovi and Aerosmith (with the tail end of the GNR train) were surviving into the era that was the beginning of the still-obvious crash of quality "commercial" music as we know it. The most important thing for any Jovi supporter to know is that this album, albeit without any real marketing effects of the "Dry County" epic, was a huge reason for the band to be able to still be calling their careers a success into their THIRD decade now. Smash hit single "Bed of Roses" pushed album sales hard (and appropriately, as this song itself is a 6 minute artistic and commercial triumph), as well as did lesser, more "supportive sellers" but equally great pieces of music, "In These Arms," "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," and the title track. To my immense shock, only 2 million copies have been moved. What's more, many regard Bon Jovi's career as largely dormant in the 90's! That, coupled with people saying this is ok but no "classic", has me yet again scratching my head at the general public. Who and what defines "classic?" anyway?

But Jon, Richie, David, Tico, and Alec did make some noise with this masterpiece, keeping their reunited heads above the debris-filled undertoe called the 90's. Being big as ever outside of America, their touring (allowing the public to see a more rocking, jamming and driving side to them) fueled their stance at not being an 80's throwaway. And for all the people who hate Bon Jovi, they couldn't stop this band from achieving something VERY lucky and VERY deserved: for the next few years, Bon Jovi stuck to their guns and cohabitated with all the other bands that were essentially Bon Jovi's antithesis. Somehow, they survived the public execution of the rest of the "80's bands", and from those battle scars, they now have carte blanche to make music to the end, big sellers or not. So that, boys and girls, is how the catchy but thin "It's My Life" single and "Crush" album were able to still have a shot with record company promotion and make some people aware for the first time of a Jersey band known as Bon Jovi...20 years after the fact. Well, better late than never to have a 3rd comeback.

The specifics:

There is no filler on this album. NONE. There is creativity and emotion of the highest level. If you are one of those people who finds Bon Jovi to be just a bit too light for you, this is your album (Check out the metallic thomping on "If I Was Your Mother" and "Fear"). If you are a sucker for the ballads, this is your album (Aside from "Bed of Roses," "I Want You" is perhaps their best ballad ever, a template for the derived future hit "Always"). If you respect Richie but aren't big on Bon Jovi, this is your album ("Dry County" and "Keep the Faith" have the most ungodly solos you'll ever hear). If you prefer their bluesier moments, this is your album ("Little Bit O Soul").

THE DIVERSITY - I NEVER get bored of this album, over a decade after when it came out (I bought it on the release date). It's respectable for musicians to do different things - it's nothing short of divine if it all comes together and actually works.

I know it sounds shallow to judge something the "greatest ever," and I do know there's a huge difference between one's FAVORITE and what one considers to be the BEST.... but I don't use those terms loosely. I can't believe how few people give this album the royal treatment it so earnestly deserves. And especially the critics! Never trust them anyway, but it's heartbreaking to read how ignorant some people are atleast in one area, that being the band that is Bon Jovi. Not so long ago, this album was huge. Now, between "Livin on a Prayer," "Always," and "It's My Life," all of the sudden it's one of their LESSER KNOWN(????). I'm just righting a subjective wrong - and with words, not bombs. Just goes to show you what's up with this crazy messed up world we live in, from the small scale to the grand. Keep the Faith.

Email me if you feel the same way.


Bon Jovi at their career-best   May 29, 2000
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Bon Jovi were on the verge of terminally languishing in the almost-great league at the end of the 80's, until this excellent record launched them into the rock-stratosphere.

Softer than heavy metal, harder than most AOR, Bon Jovi turned their large air-punching-rock skills (of "Living On A Prayer", "Bad Medecine" etc etc) to producing an album of powerful, mature and strong songs, from the building, driving opening combo of "I Believe" & "Keep The Faith" to the tender "Bed Of Roses". The mamoth "Dry County" (at ten minutes) is a classic which many thought Bon Jovi just couldn't make. The strength of the singles is enough to commend this album, but the album tracks shine too.

Richie Sambora (responsible for some of the best air-guitar fodder) displays a new depth and soleful-ness to his playing, further evidenced on his solo albums. Tico Torres is more powerful than before, and with production that is a fine line between polish and grit, the sound is convincing.

As an album there are only a couple of tracks that don't measure up and the album lacks the hunger and raw energy of "Slippery When Wet" or (the under-rated) "New Jersey", but it is a more complete album and is better equipped to withstand the test of time than it's predecessors.

This is a journey almost into Aerosmith territory (on a soft day), and Bon Jovi get away with all limbs intact...


This Album Just Doesn't Get Enough Credit   May 22, 2004
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Slippery When Wet made them superstars. New Jersey established them as a great rock band, but Keep The Faith just proves that Bon Jovi is not just another band from the 80's. There are the trademark Bon Jovi songs with the catchy chorus and guitar riffs, but it's the songs that are different to Bon Jovi fans that makes this album work. The opening track I Believe is a solid rock that grabs your attention and it is followed by the title track which is a departure from anything on the New Jersey album. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead is a typical Bon Jovi sing-a-along that's fun to listen to and In These Arms is a cool rock ballad for the ladies, but it was Bed Of Roses that got all of the women to cry. It was also the biggest hit off of the album. The best track would have to be Dry County. Jon Bon Jovi is at his best vocally and Richie Sambora pulls off an excellent guitar riff that will blow your socks offf. The most underrated song would have to be Fear. This song definitely stands out on this album compared to the other songs. To give you my honest opinion, this is Bon Jovi's best album and I am a huge Bon Jovi fan. The songs are more solid and put together than any other Bon Jovi tune. This album also proves than Bon Jovi can be taken seriously as artists and not just another 80's rock band lying by the waste side.


A Good Rock and Roll Album   September 20, 2005
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

With the release of "Keep the Faith", Bon Jovi successfully made the change from an 80s glam/hair band to a great rock and roll band in the 90s.

This cd is loaded with great songs, including the title cut, "I Believe", and the very good "Dry County", an 8 minute song about the problems facing rural America.

For fans of ballads, there are two excellent ones on this cd; "Bed of Roses" and "I Want You". Both feature Jon's tremendous vocals and Richie's great guitar work.

There is very little filler material on this cd. Each song is very good in its own right. From the upbeat "Sleep When I'm Dead" to "In These Arms", there is something for everyone on this cd. I highly recommend this great disc. Pop it in and hear some great rock and roll by the boys from New Jersey.


This is what rock is all about   June 5, 2000
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

In the early/mid eighties, a band called Bon Jovi was born. Granted, they did not become a huge commercially successfull rock n' roll powerhouse until their third album, "Slippery When Wet", but these guys have always had talent. As a loyal fan of Bon Jovi, I am correspondingly a huge fan of every record they have ever produced, including 1995's opus "These Days", which for some reason has been bashed by certain so called Jovi followers since the day it was released. As good as that record was, and as good as all of Jon and company's pre-80's pop rock melodies were, none of them can stand up to the wall of musical supremecy which is manifested deeply in 1992's "Keep The Faith".Now many of the reviews below this concentrate on naming the melodic epic "Dry County" as the best track on KEEP THE FAITH. I have to disagree. Not to take a single thing away from "Dry County" - it is great - but to me it captures only the blunt sense of maturity which was catalyzed by the attitide adjustments needed by bands like Bon Jovi when their brand of music was tossed away by great numbers of listeners when the grunge scene opened. And while Jon sings of an un-ordinary rock theme and Richie lets loose one of his finest guitar solos to date, the song lacks in overall Jovi-ness... not to say that a band must always stay the same and never institute musical evoltion - if that were the case this album would never have been released - but it just doesn't fit into what could be called the Bon Jovi scheme of things. Again, this IS a great song, but the above commens are just my justifications of why I don't think "Dry County" is the best song on the record.Conversely, not to sound like I am jumping on the early 90's rock n' roll Top 40 Bandwagon, but in my eyes, you will not find a better song on this album than "Bed of Roses". Not only is this the best cut on KTF, but it is without a doubt the single greatest power ballad in rock culture history. Just turn this song up really loud, clear your mind, and focus on the completeness of this beauty. The piano, as subtle of a part as it may play, is an integral piece of "Bed of Roses", as are Richie's powerful solo (I can't help but picture him atop that mountain like he is in the vid), and of course, Jon's vocals, which soar high above any other song he has ever recorded (the chrorus, listen to the chorus). As an aside, this song contains my all time favorite lyric, "...some blonde gave me nightmares, think that she's still in my bed / as I dream about movies they won't make of me when I'm dead". Again, this is bar none, by far, and definately the greatest rock ballad I have ever heard, and if for some reason you do not yet own this album, it would be worth buying solely for this song.Of course, there are the other mentionables that everyone else talks about, the hit singles, the songs like "Keep the Faith" and "In These Arms" which yes, are great, but yes, also mentioned in every other review on this page. It goes without saying that they are rock n' roll nuggets, so I will take the time to talk about two different songs, underrated and overlooked songs which deserve their props as well. One is "If I Was Your Mother", a hard rocking, musical tale of perversion with an infectious melody and a very rythmic chorus. It tells the story of a man (Jon, for all intents and purposes) who means nothing to a certain girl of his desires, and he wails away this song telling her how he would even go as far as wanting to be her mother, someone who she can count on and trust, someone who can "tuck her in" and "kiss her sweet goodnight", someone whom she can love back. Pretty deep and thought provoking, if you ask me. Lastly, I want to talk about the closing track on this album, "Little Bit of Soul". Now I admit, this song has nothing on many of the others found on KTF, but just give it a chance. I can see Jon and Richie sitting outside on a warm night, jamming away at this gem, smiling to no ends and maybe not even understanding just how GREAT this song actually sounds. The lyrics are a clash between the worlds of positive feelings and negative mentalities, with the optimistic side ultimately conquering its pessimistic counterpart. But that is irrelevant. Just LISTEN to this song, and if it doesn't grab you the first time, shelf it for a week and then come back to it. Learn to like it. Cuz it is overlooked to extreme degrees.There are twelve tracks on KEEP THE FAITH, and only two that I don't care for (cuts 8 and 9, "Woman in Love" and "Fear", respectively). That's pretty good, people. And I am not much different than anyone else who is into this certain brand of addicting melodies and timeless rock that only Bon Jovi can give us. At least, I imagine that I am not much different. After all, if you weren't interested in these Jersey boys to begin with, you wouldn't be here scouting the opinions of their fans. To me, that says that you ARE into this band. And then I feel safe in saying take my word for it. This is one record that no modern rock n' roll fan, let alone BON JOVI fan, should be without.