Bon Jovi – “This House Is Not For Sale” [Album Review]

However you look at it, the last few years for New Jersey rock icons Bon Jovi have been bumpy to say the least. With the Sambora/Bon Jovi split unfolding right before a fascinated public, splitting their fan base down the middle, things have looked far from rosy in the Bon Jovi camp. Having said that, even with their musical career heading way past thirty+ years, I know people who will still fly halfway across the planet to spend two hours at a Bon Jovi show and there are very few artists out there that command that kind of unwavering dedication from even their hardcore fans.

That being the case, you could look at This House Is Not For Sale as the band, and in particular their iconic frontman, telling the world that this story is far from finished. The result and the latest post-Sambora offering is, unsurprisingly, a mixed bag, although this probably isn’t a surprise considering the album runs over an hour long.

For every pumping track like “Knockout”, there is a more middle-of-the-road track song “Reunion” not too far away; the former showing they can still rock out when the mood takes them, and the latter that this is a band whose wild days are now well and truly behind them. Regardless, none of this is helped by tracks like the forgettable “Come On Up To Our House” which only provides the pro-Sambora fans all the ammunition they need. Ultimately though, Bon Jovi in 2016 is a very different beast to the money-spinning machine of the ’80s and ’90s, where offerings like the more energetic “Born Again Tomorrow” share space with tracks like the meandering “Scars On This Guitar” which are more suited to the country audience if anyone these days.

When all is said and done, Jon Bon Jovi probably couldn’t care two hoots what the media think about Bon Jovi circa 2016. This is a man who has sold millions of albums and, while the sales figures might not be so astronomically high these days, the Jon Bon Jovi machine will continue to roll out albums like This House Is Not For Sale with no hint that he is ready to call time on this record-breaking career.

This House Is Not For Sale Track Listing:

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

Run Time: 70:01
Release Date: November 4, 2016

Check out the track “Knockout”