I’ve always liked Bon Jovi – my cousins were huge fans so we always listened to the band as kids. Songs like “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “It’s My Life,” and “Bad Medicine” were designed to be sung by stadium crowds but “Wanted Dead or Alive” is my absolute favorite. The haunting guitar intro, the black and white video, the double neck guitar, the western theme. It’s so good. I even wrote a paper about the song in high school. Anyway, when I read that there was a documentary on Hulu about the band I was in.
Told over four, one-hour segments, Thank You, Goodnight chronicles Jon Bon Jovi’s rise to fame out of New Jersey and on to stages across the world. While the episodes are meant to be (more or less) chronological by decade, the footage goes back and forth which is fun to see but may not be easy for everyone to follow. I love the timeline jumps but, with the band celebrating their 40-year history, and all the information and footage that has been collected over such a long time, I could see some viewers finding the format a bit distracting.
In terms of content, the four episodes are rich with emotion, humor, and celebrating longevity and brotherhood, while also acknowledging turmoil. Learning about the drive and perseverance that it took to get off local stages and into the recording studio is usually my favorite part of music documentaries and that is true of Thank You, Goodnight as well. I love how Jon’s career begins at The Stone Pony – a local Asbury Park spot (that still exists today and is celebrating 50 years!) that was put on the music map because of locals like Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, and Steve Van Zandt. Footage of all three artists appear in the documentary as well as interviews with Springsteen and Southside Johnny. There is nothing like an OG music venue.
As the documentary continues, we learn how integral Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (anyone who has seen Adventures in Babysitting knows which band I’m talking about) and Springsteen were in getting “another New Jersey band” a record deal. They all crossed path many times throughout their careers and apparently Jon and Springsteen hang out together often. Can you imagine the stories they trade? Following the hit “Runaway,” Bon Jovi hit it big and it’s amazing seeing the footage from all those shows, recording sessions, and interviews. Camcorders were obviously prevalent in the 80s and 90s but bands REALLY had them around all the time.
Interesting side note: When I reviewed Tom Breihan’s book The Number Ones, he talked about a pivotal decision that ultimately changed the trajectory of Bon Jovi’s career when their manager Doc McGhee insisted on the band touring with the Scorpions and Kiss rather than who Jon wanted to tour with – Bryan Adams or the Cars. As a result, Jon altered his image a bit (i.e. his last name changed from Bongiovi to Bon Jovi because music executives liked that the two names looked more like “Van Halen” which is so funny) and bridged the gap between metal and rock/pop. While that decision was clearly a good one, the documentary talks about Bon Jovi ultimately parting ways with McGhee (nothing new in the music business) who is a fucking piece of work. I wonder how some of the things he says in his interviews weren’t left on the cutting room floor.
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Not surprisingly, some of the “juiciest” interview quotes come from notorious guitar player Richie Sambora who famously quit the band out of nowhere – in the middle of a tour – due to drug and alcohol issues. He even says to the interviewer, “I’m excited! Are we telling the truth or we going to lie?” Of course. Although Sambora is a wild card, it is nice watching a documentary that doesn’t center on addiction. I love Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, and Van Halen but hearing story after story about entire bands screwing everything up because of addiction is sometimes too much. In fact, Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres and keyboardist David Bryan both specifically mention that they “never went on stage loaded” and neither did Jon.
One of the highlights of the entire documentary is the footage of the band’s 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, as it shows the pride on all of their faces and marked the only performance that included Sambora since he left the band in 2013. Clearly that induction meant a lot to all of the members but was also a reminder of the hole left by Sambora. Seeing all those interviews from the 80s, 90s, and early 00s depict the camaraderie and partnership between the two (Sambora really could sing) but also shines a light on what happens to some rock and roll pairs (i.e. Mick Jagger/Keith Richards, Steven Tyler/Joe Perry, Axl/Slash, etc.) as egos, drugs, and shifting priorities cause rifts.
One of the most prominent themes is mortality which is tough to watch but also very real and honest. We watch as Jon goes through some very serious vocal cord issues, has surgery, and handles the ups and downs of recovery. He’s so frustrated with not being able to hit the high notes he could hit decades ago. As a viewer and a fan, my heart goes out to him as the idea of not being able to do the thing he’s always done is detrimental to himself and his band. That being said, he is also full of bravery and hope. At 64 years old it’s a question of what’s next and whether or not they keep going and that was a hell of story to watch.
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