Music / Slippery When Wet

I'm a cowboy; on a steel horse, I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive

Once upon a time not so long ago...

Tommy used to work on the docks
Union's been on strike
He's down on his luck
It's tough, so tough

Gina works the diner all day
Working for her man
She brings home her pay
For love, for love

— "Livin' on a Prayer"

Slippery When Wet is the third studio album recorded by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released through Mercury Records in the United States, and Vertigo Records globally, on August 18, 1986.

Maybe the third time would be the charm for the Glam Metal outfit. Neither their self-titled debut nor their sophomore effort, 7800° Fahrenheit, produced much in the way of hits. They decided to soften their sound just a touch, and brought on Desmond Child as a collaborator to assist with some of their songs.

The recording sessions, over the first half of 1986, produced thirty songs. It was difficult to pare it down to ten for the album.

One of the songs they had difficulty keeping: the Power Ballad "Livin' on a Prayer".

Critically, Slippery When Wet met mixed reviews. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice opined that it was the epitome of toothless teenage rebellion. In a 1990 retrospective, Jimmy Guterman of Rolling Stone was even harsher, referring to the songs as "reducing every emotional sentiment to a barefaced cliché", and that they sounded like "a smudgy Xerox of Quiet Riot."

But it won fans over in a big way, helping solidify the Hair Metal trend of The '80s as started by Van Halen. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States, and hit #6 on the Official Charts Company album chart in the United Kingdom. It went 12-times Platinum in the US (eventually upgraded to Diamond when the RIAA instituted that certification in 1999), and triple-Platinum in the UK. It would top the year-end Billboard 200 for 1987.

The album was supported by four singles: "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer", "Wanted Dead or Alive", and "Never Say Goodbye". The first two both topped the Billboard Hot 100, and "Wanted" reached #7. "Never Say Goodbye" was disqualified from the Hot 100 at the time since it was not available by retail, but did hit #28 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.

The album has been given three special releases. A special edition CD in 1998 added a second disc with several live versions and two outtake tracks. It was remastered in 2005, and released on a CD/DVD DualDisc; the CD side contained the remastered album, while the DVD side contained the original masters and all the associated music videos. A 2010 special edition included the remastered tracks along with three live versions on a single CD.

Tracklist

1. "Let It Rock" (5:26)
2. "You Give Love a Bad Name" (3:43)
3. "Livin' on a Prayer" (4:11)
4. "Social Disease" (4:18)
5. "Wanted Dead or Alive" (5:09)

Side Two

6. "Raise Your Hands" (4:17)
7. "Without Love" (3:31)
8. "I'd Die for You" (4:31)
9. "Never Say Goodbye" (4:49)
10. "Wild in the Streets" (3:56)

Personnel

• Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, electric rhythm guitar, acoustic rhythm guitar on "Wanted Dead or Alive"
• Richie Sambora – harmony and backing vocals; electric, acoustic, and 12-string lead and rhythm guitars; guitar synth; talk box on "Livin' on a Prayer"
• Alec John Such – backing vocals, bass guitar
• Tico Torres – backing vocals, drums, percussion, finger cymbals on "Livin' on a Prayer"
• David Bryan – backing vocals, keyboards, "noise", horns (horns credited as Lema Moon)

"Troped through the heart, and you're to blame":

• Alice and Bob: Tommy and Gina, the couple in "Livin' on a Prayer", would be referenced multiple times later in Bon Jovi's career.
• Anti-Love Song: "You Give Love A Bad Name".
  Shot through the heart, and you're to blame
  Darlin', you give love a bad name
• Auto Erotica: Referenced in "Never Say Goodbye" and "Wild in the Streets"
  We were cruising to the back-beat
  Oh yeah, making love in the back-seats
  Wild In the streets
• Despair Event Horizon: The second verse of "Livin' on a Prayer" shows the couple trying to be strong despite a worsening situation, as Tommy is forced to pawn his guitar.
• Listing Cities: "Raise Your Hands".
  Raise your hands
  From New York to Chicago
  Raise your hands
  From New Jersey to Tokyo
  Whoa, whoa, raise your hands
  • And then there's the ending:
    (Raise your hands) New York!
    (Raise your hands) Detroit!
    (Raise your hands) Vancouver!
    (Raise your hands) Hey London!
    (Raise your hands) Sayreville, New Jersey...^note Their hometown
    (Raise your hands) Phoenix!...
• My Horse Is a Motorbike: Explicitly stated in "Wanted Dead or Alive":
• Once Upon a Time: Spoken first line for "Livin' on a Prayer"
• Power Ballad: "Livin' on a Prayer", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", and "Never Say Goodbye"
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: "You Give Love a Bad Name"
• Rock-Star Song: "Wanted Dead Or Alive."
• Survival Mantra: The bridge to "Livin' on a Prayer":
  "We've gotta hold on to what we've got
  It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
  We've got each other and that's a lot
  For love we'll give it a shot."