I honestly can't tell you exactly what it is about Stranger In This Town that means, some sixteen years after it's release, I still love the album and why I can have the album playing constantly in my car for a six hour drive and still not get bored with it. Even my husband, who I met eight years ago, is sick to death of the CD and yet it still remains on of the most influential albums I've ever bought.

Released at a time when Bon Jovi were "on a break" following on from the New Jersey tour Stranger In This Town, Sambora's first solo release, shows a more mature and bluesy side to the guitarist and one that you would never has guessed at from the Bon Jovi output up to that point. Remember this was a time before Jon cut off all his hair and the Jovi's were still the epitomy of "hair metal". Almost a reaction to the throw-away songs of his day job this was the first time Sambora was able to do what he really wanted, and the result is astonishing.

Roping in Jovi cohorts Tico Torres and David Bryan Sambora came up with a set of songs at times darker and certainly more substantial than anything Jovi had released up to that point and then there's the voice. Only rarely hinted at in Bon Jovi Sambora possesses a voice that is both soulful and powerful, almost in direct contrast to Jon's. Listen to Church Of Desire or the title track itself and you'll see immediately what I mean.

Elsewhere Sambora shows off his guitar skills on Ballad of Youth and then co-opts Eric Clapton to provide the solo on the excellent Mr. Bluesman. Of course there are ballads. One Light Burning and Father Time are almost poetic in nature and a million miles away from say Living In Sin or Never Say Goodbye. These were ballads with depth not simply designed to play out to a vast audience via MTV. And then there's the closing track, The Answer. Here Sambora's vocals really shine out, the emotion is palpable and he conveys the story inherent in the song to perfection.

Perhaps the strongest song on the album is, ironically, the one track credit as a Sambora/Bon Jovi co-write (with a little help from Desmond Child and Dianne Warren) and that's Rosie. It's uplifting without being sentimental and shows just what Bon Jovi, the band, could and should be capable of if they ever put their mind to it. Seeing Sambora play the track live at his solo show in London back in '98 was just so special.

Given the absolute quality of Stranger In This Town it's surprising how badly it faired in commercial, if not critical terms. The lead single Ballad Of Youth stalled at 63 in the US charts and the album itself faired little better. Compare that to Jon's Young Guns soundtrack. Oscar nominated and a multi-million seller. Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair. But then again regardless of the success of Stranger In This Town, or lack of as the case may be, Sambora released a true gem of an album and one can only hope that in the not too distant future he once again gets the creative vibe and releases a third solo effort to keep one fan at least happy.

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Track Listing

Rest in Peace
Church of Desire
Stranger in This Town
Ballad of Youth
One Light Burning
Mr. Bluesman
Rosie
River of Love
Father Time
The Answer

Line Up

Richie Sambora - Guitars/Vocals
David Bryan - Keyboards
Tico Torres - Drums
Tony Levin - Bass
Eric Clapton - Guitar Solo on "Mr. Bluesman"
Randy "The Emperor" Jackson - Bass