BON JOVI – This House Is Not For Sale [Deluxe Edition + Target Exclusives]

To be released next November 4, “This House is Not for Sale” is BON JOVI’s fourteenth studio album in a long and winding musical road that spans more than three decades and total record sales of more than 130 million units worldwide. Bon Jovi is, quite simply, one of the best-selling bands of all time. And, like many other mega-bands, its members have weathered their share of storms.
Yes, Bon Jovi’s hair metal heyday has long faded, as has the band’s prolific right-hand shredder Richie Sambora, who split for good in 2014. Also erased, so Bon Jovi says, is the ongoing dispute with 32-year record label partner Mercury Records which kept the band in limbo for the last three years.

Opener title track “This House is not for Sale” has an explanation; “The House” described in this arena-ready single is the band itself, and the whole “not for sale” aspect seems to be an extra punch toward the label, as well as a beat toward the future, which the singer assured “is bright.”
“Living with a Ghost” ia another straightaway rock banger with a sweeping guitar melody, then “Knockout”, the album’s eventual second single, felt fairly old-school, ’80s in essence.
“Labor of Love” is the album’s first ballad, pretty Springsteen-esque for my tastes.”Born Again Tomorrow” is the “we need to sound like 2016” song, and I don’t like it.

Things get better with follower “Rollercoaster”, an uptempo rocker with a fine dynamic chorus, and even much better with “The Devils in the Temple” and its lyrics with a explicit “screw you” to the record label.
Lyrically, “Scars on this Guitar” s Bon Jovi’s best work in a while, an ode to a lover — presumably wife Dorothea — who sticks around through thick and thin. It’s not that the ballad is so poetic, it just feels like more real, from the heart, and not written solely to blare from MetLife Stadium speakers.
“God Bless this Mess” rocks again with a cool melody and nice guitar riffs, and “Come on up to our House” is a decent midtempo with a contemporary feel.

The Deluxe Edition featured 3 bonus; the first being the really good (to me) “Real Love”. Kudos to Bryan on the bounding, tonally beautiful piano melody for this tune, written in Nashville with longtime Bon Jovi collaborator Billy Falcon, and in the same vein as Bed of Roses.
“All Hail the King” is a typical 2YK light rocker, and “We Don’t Run” is taken from 2015’s fan album/record label demand Burning Bridges, another big rock chorus ready for large stages.
The Target version of the album include some exclusive bonuses as well: “I Will Drive You Home” is a slow midtempo with a kind atmosphere though nothing memorable, then “Goodnight New York” is much better with catchy rhythm guitars and a fun vibe.

As said above, Bon Jovi’s hair metal heyday has long faded, and “This House is Not for Sale” follow the musical path chosen by the band since fifteen years ago or so.
Do I miss Sambora guitar? Yes, I do. New axeman Phil X does a good job, but Richie was unique.
Decent new album from the New Jersey famous band.

01. When We Were Us
02. Walls
03. This House Is Not For Sale
04. Living With The Ghost
05. Knockout
06. Labor Of Love
07. Born Again Tomorrow
08. Roller Coaster
09. New Year’s Day
10. The Devil’s In The Temple
11. Scars On This Guitar
12. God Bless This Mess
13. Reunion
14. Come On Up To Our House
15. Real Love
16. All Hail The King
17. We Don’t Run
18. I Will Drive You Home
19. Goodnight New York
20. Color Me In
21. Touch Of Grey

Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
David Bryan – keyboards, backing vocals
Tico Torres – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Hugh McDonald – bass, backing vocals
Phil X – guitar, talkbox, backing vocals
John Shanks – guitar

PRE ORDER:
intl.target.com/p/bon-jovi-this-house-is-not-for-sale-target-exclusive/-/A-51582390
www.amazon.com/This-House-Not-Sale-Deluxe/dp/B01LTHKNO0
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