Slippery When Wet (studio album)
by Bon Jovi

I own this. Do I play it? No. why not?

I'm not sure where this fits into my listening habits. It's an OK album but it's not heavy enough to sit with the Sabb or even GNR. Musically, it's not in the same class as say, Fleetwood Mac or Dire Straits. I guess if it fits anywhere it's soft rock (on my scale of rock anyway).

It's not Michael Jackson or Prince level pop.

Hugely successful album and band but I don't get the appeal. I know that they are very popular and this is their best album but I just don't "get it" musically.

A classic arena rock/hair metal album that redefined 80’s arena rock/hair metal and sent Bon Jovi into whole other stratosphere. It was also on the US Billboard 200 albums chart for a total of 118 weeks.

This was a bit different from what I expected — but not drastically. There's more emphasis on keyboards than I thought, which gives it a very era-specific '80s pop-rock feel, somewhere between Journey and generic arena rock.

I was hoping for lyrics with a bit more depth, but it's mostly surface-level stuff. Even when it tries to get deeper, it's just the usual "believe in your dreams" and "never give up" kind of message — pretty cheesy. That mix of optimism, naïveté, and light rebellion feels very ’80s in a kind of goofy, over-the-top way.

As with many arena rock albums from that era, the drumming is probably the weakest link — no subtlety, barely any creativity, just a big, loud backbeat that rarely surprises.

Some of the songs are solid, but weirdly, they seem to wear out fast — the more you listen, the less interesting they get. Except maybe “Dead or Alive,” which stands out musically and has a bit more weight.

But overall, it’s pretty straightforward: this is music designed for big crowds and singalongs, not introspection. What you see is what you get.

Can't go wrong with this, a classic hard rock/pop album. Livin on a Prayer the obvious highlight followed by Never Say Goodbye and You Give Love A Bad Name. Not a weak track on it

Album Rating: 71.60
(716/10)

18.08.1986

Bon Jovi (US): Slippery When Wet

1.Let It Rock 63
2.You Give Love A Bad Name 81
3.Livin' On A Prayer 84
4.Social Disease 70
5.Wanted Dead Or Alive 86
6.Raise Your Hands 61
7.Without Love 68
8.I'd Die For You 80
9.Never Say Goodbye 71
10.Wild In The Streets 52

For a pop/glam metal record this is probably the most enjoyable one. Of course Livin' On A Prayer and You Give Love A Bad Name are very good, iconic tracks, but the rest is not that bad.

Some massive anthems on here that are some of the best material Bon Jovi have ever created but the album on the whole is quite inconsistent. Those few outstanding songs are just so full of quality and energy that it is impossible to not fall in love with them. They infect every person that listens to them and that is why they have become the massive hits that they are. The rest of the album is no way near that same level in my opinion. There are a few songs which come closer but the majority feel like weaker versions of those big songs. They rely too heavily on the choruses on every song for my liking and that leads to them being extremely repetitive and irritating for me. It also leads to most songs feeling a bit copy and paste and I do find myself craving a bit more experimentation. The energy they maintain is fantastic however and I can imagine this would be fantastic to hear live with a big crowd. Overall, I am always a little underwhelmed when I come back to this album, but the elite level songs always make it worth a revisit.

From Jboy56 02/08/2022 13:22

One of the pop, GREAT pop&hard rock albums with big songs and melodies.

It’s an 80’s Arena Rock Classic with excellent loud production and mixing and takes you back to a time when rock bands still knew how to have fun…….

From jwammo12 07/27/2021 01:46

Surprised I liked this as much as I did. I was sure these songs had worn out their welcome in my ears, but apparently not, and the hair metal sound was a welcome change from the other stereotypical sounds of the 80s