If you are only getting this to complete your collection or to get a lineup of Bon Jovi songs played in a refreshingly different order than you are used to, OR just to make sure you have a reference copy to the three songs that as of now aren't available anywhere else, fine.

But if you want to get this 1) because Bon Jovi isn't important enough to purchase their catalog, all they are good for is the hits everyone knows, 2) as an introduction to the band, or 3) you just LOVE that song called "Always", then: shame on you.

Bon Jovi is one of the best bands of the second half of the 20th century, and hopefully more than just that. To think that your Bon Jovi quota can be fulfilled with a hits cd is depressing. Come on now! "New Jersey" and "Keep the Faith" are such incredible albums, you will never know how good they really are if you don't own them. "Always" is just a ripoff of their waaaay better composition entitled "I Want You" from their "Keep the Faith Album." It went to #1 and now barely anyone seems to know of the 2X platinum "Keep the Faith" album. I could go on but I've made the necessary point.

Now to the album itself, rated against the criteria of a solid hits album (equally representative of all major hits, albums up to that point in time, and inclusion of new material).

The new tunes are alright, but against the masterpiece they made only 2 years before, their evolution in sound was slightly worrisome, only because they were really soooo good in '92 (thank God with "Bounce", they're back on track again). "Someday...." has grown on me but it was the beginning of the "strum songs" that would be more and more substituting for creative guitar lick-based output by Richie in the coming years. "Always", as previously mentioned, is fine, but it blindly stole people's hearts away after that should have already been done by "I Want You." No disrespect to big fans of that song, it IS good. And I also am very aware that for Bon Jovi to do what they did in a time when the music industry begin selling its soul to the devil can only be considered a miracle. "Prayer '94" was a hint to how they would continue to play that song off and on to this day, which is fine given you should always be reworking and experimenting, even if the orignial is best (you can't beat the version on Slippery, I'm sorry).

As for the hits: Their first two albums, though not excellent, should have been just slightly more represented. The BIG problem with the album is the huge disappointment in terms of the missing children: "BORN TO BE MY BABY" and "LIVING IN SIN" are nowhere to be found on the American release. "In These Arms" really should have been there also. You can only make a cd so long, but these are huge mistakes. I know it has to do with the record company making money, but if you gotta go to a doubledisc release, you gotta do it.

However, I was very happy to see "Blaze of Glory" on there, and I wish "Ballad of Youth" could have been there as well. The songs that ARE there are flawless, and they all deserve to be there, so although it seems like I'm tearing the album apart, it really is essential to ANY cd collection, and its faults are with the material it lacks, not what is already there. Now just go get the other albums, will you?


Decent Beginner's Set   May 21, 2007
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

For people who only know Bon Jovi from their "Have A Nice Day" and beyond years, "Cross Road" is a very good collection of tunes for them to check out. It gives the listener a solid set of their most popular tunes from their hair band heyday before they got all earthy/Mellencampy. This album is by no means a complete gathering of their greatest tunes. It leaves out at least two songs ("Living In Sin" and "Born To Be My Baby") and instead fills those holes with the dismal "Prayer '94," the forgettable "Always" and the harbinger of things to come, "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night." "Someday" is actually a very good modern roots rocker, but people don't buy greatest hits albums for the new songs. People buy this album for songs like the original "Livin' on a Prayer," "Wanted Dead Or Alive," "Bad Medicine," and "I'll Be There For You."

Lesser known tunes from their earliest offerings(particularly "Runaway") signal the beginnings of a great band to come. Later songs such as "Keep The Faith" and "Bed Of Roses" reveal a band in rock decline and quickly headed for the adult contemporary sound. In short, "Crossroad" gives the listener a pretty good take on how a band from Jersey made it big, leveled off, then headed for the sweet and steady success of light rock. Just to shake things up a bit, "Blaze Of Glory" from Jon Bon Jovi's solo "Young Guns II" project is included. Sadly, we do not get a sample from any of Richie Sambora's solo works. He really is a much better guitarist than he's given credit for, and it would have been nice for one of his tunes to be included in this collection.

I grew up during Bon Jovi's prime, and am proud to say that I own original cassette copies of "Slippery When Wet" and "New Jersey." Although they weren't my favorite hair/glam/hard rock band (that was Def Leppard), they were still one of the best around at the time. Bon Jovi is no longer the band they once were, but for people who want to know where they came from, this is the album to pick up.


A must have for Bon Jovi fans   June 24, 2000
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Although "Never Say Goodbye" and "In These Arms" were not included on the album, you can't help loving "Crossroads." Classic hits like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name" are included, as well as the very fun "Bad Medicine." "Bed of Roses," without a doubt my favorite of all Bon Jovi songs is a classic love song, and the new "Always" is beautiful. I could have done without "Lay your hands on me" and "In out of love," but the other hits are good enough to overlook those two. "Someday I'll be Saturday Night" is wonderful as well, and while not as toe-tapping as the original, "Prayer '94" doesn't disappoint either. All in all, a must have for true fans of Bon Jovi.