Abandoning his rough-and-ready rock & roll band,
Jon Bon Jovi took a stab at respectability with Blaze of Glory, the non-soundtrack to the film Young Guns II. Given his cowboy songs on
Bon Jovi albums, it made sense that he'd be "inspired" by the Western, and he filled these songs (written without the help of bandmate
Richie Sambora or
Desmond Child) with references to shoot-'em-ups. Mainstream rock producer Danny Kortchmar put together the studio band, along with guest stars
Jeff Beck,
Elton John, and
Little Richard, and the sound had more space and less drive than the lite-metal of
Bon Jovi. That kind of approach put the spotlight squarely on the singer/songwriter, and
Jon wasn't quite up to the scrutiny, although his still faithful fans dutifully bought the record despite the fact that
Jon was in a starring role without his usual supporting cast. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
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