On The Road Again: Bon Jovi "This House Is Not For Sale"

miércoles, 11 de agosto de 2021

Bon Jovi "This House Is Not For Sale"

This House Is Not for Sale is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Released on November 4, 2016, by Island Records. It is their first studio album with Phil X on lead guitar after replacing founding member Richie Sambora in 2013, as well as the first album to feature bassist Hugh McDonald as an official member after having played with the band in a touring/session capacity since 1994.

Critical reception was mixed, mostly describing the album as well-made but formulaic. This House Is Not for Sale debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 129,000 album-equivalent units, of which 128,000 were pure album sales. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart, selling 21,448 units in its first week. The album was reissued in 2018 featuring "When We Were Us" and "Walls" as bonus tracks.

The album was the band's first not to be released by Mercury Records and its parent label Universal Music Group following the band's previous album Burning Bridges concluding their 32-year relationship. On September 30, 2015, in an interview for a star2.com, Jon confirmed that the album was going to be called This House Is Not for Sale, describing the album as a "really going back to the beginning." Describing the album, he also said: "This record is about our integrity. Integrity matters and we’re at a stage of our career where we don’t have anything left to prove. Some songs have a little more of the ‘chip on my shoulder’ sound which is OK for us to have right now." He also confirmed that former lead guitarist Richie Sambora would not be returning to the band following his absence from the Burning Bridges album. Lyrics on the album talk about difficulties Jon came across over 2014-2015. Jon explained: "A lot happened. Richie's sudden departure, my trying to buy the [Buffalo] Bills and now this with the label. I have a lot of material to write about. Believe me, the new record is good. It's pointed. It is something we are going to be very proud of in the spring when we put it out."

The album artwork features a black and white image by photographer Jerry Uelsmann and depicts a house anchored by deep roots. Jon Bon Jovi became inspired by the image when he saw it several years prior to the recording of the album. According to Bon Jovi, it was the inspiration for the album's title track and said of the image: "That picture told our story…now it’s our album cover".

Track listing

This House Is Not for Sale – Standard version