Pete Palladino
Sweet Siren of the Reconnected

by Lisa Hummel

After fronting The Badlees for the past 12 years, Pete Palladino has decided to take the musical trek alone. With Sweet Siren of the Reconnected, Palladino has delivered a disc that presents the singer in a new light: before this effort he was one of five, now he is clearly his own man.

Sweet Siren of the Reconnected allows Palladino to truly come to the forefront, as he has taken the helm in all aspects, creatively and otherwise. Still backed by a full band — in fact, the studio recordings were done with The Badlees on back-up — Sweet Siren is an invitation into Palladino’s world, one that is definitely more pop and less singer/songwriter. The 11 tracks feature a solid beat, catchy lyrics — from the pen of Palladino and longtime Badlees collaborator Mike Naydock — and, of course, Palladino himself, each song toying with his vocal ability, via his impressive range and some funky production tricks.

The pace of Sweet Siren is set by the album’s first track, the energetic first single, “Home At Last.” With lyrics that are meant to stick in the mind, “Home” infuses a variety of sounds, features a toe-tapping beat, and is the perfect introduction to the album. It sets the precedent for “Elena on the Wall” — listen for the great guitar arrangements and the bridge — the explosive “4th of July,” and a title track that is, among other adjectives, interesting. “Sweet Siren of the Reconnected” blends an almost militaristic drum-roll beat, bagpipes, and a general foggy-day feeling and somehow makes it work. It has to be heard to be understood!

The album also includes a fair share of tender moments, too, from the mid-tempo “My Love” to the ballad “Lay Beside You,” a song about undying love — “In the morning if you wake/And I’m not there/Rest my name upon your lips/Whisper lightly/To the angels standing by/’Cause tonight I’ll lay beside you/While you sleep” — that is appropriately convincing and bare.

Sweet Siren of the Reconnected is a great foray into the solo world. While its release doesn’t necessarily signal the certain end of The Badlees — the other members of the band have branched out to form Echotown and The Cellarbirds — it does signal a giant step forward for Palladino. It’s fun, it’s dynamic, and it’s a joy to listen to again and again — every track is a keeper. (P&P Records)

Bon Jovi
One Wild Night Live 1985-2001

by Benjy Eisen

Aerosmith. The Rolling Stones. Led Zeppelin. These are the monsters of rock. Bigfoots known for their historical albums as well as their dominance in the live arena. With One Wild Night, Bon Jovi proves that they can now safely join their ranks.

Spanning their entire 16 year career, One Wild Night opens up with “It’s My Life” — the song that brought Bon Jovi back to life last year after a little lull in which they almost went the direction of many of their peers from the late-’80s like Motley Crue or Def Leppard. Instead, with the help of this tune and others from last year’s Crush, Bon Jovi’s new peers are the superstars of rock and roll. And so are they. Over the next 14 tracks, Bon Jovi jump from one sing-a-long hit to another, including the one-two bang of “Living On A Prayer” and “You Give Love A Bad Name” and even a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.”

Noticeably missing from this set are any ballads, with the one exception being the band’s flagship, “Wanted Dead Or Alive.” And while the songs may jump from one hit to another, they also jump from year to year, disrupting the illusion of this disc as “one wild night” and showing it instead as a 16 year documentary of a band who has remained steadfast throughout.

All the same, whether one wild night or 16 wild years, the fact remains that Bon Jovi have finally established themselves as one of the greatest live rock and roll bands of all time. And this album proves it. (Island)