Burning Bridges | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 21, 2015 | |||
Length | 40:22 | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Producer | ||||
Bon Jovi chronology | ||||
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Singles from Burning Bridges | ||||
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Burning Bridges is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi consisting of new songs, as well as formerly unreleased and unfinished songs. Released on August 21, 2015 by Mercury Records. [1] [2] Produced by John Shanks, it was the first release since the departure of former guitarist Richie Sambora in 2013 [3] (although he receives a co-writing credit on the single "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning"), [4] with Shanks handling the lead guitar parts. Burning Bridges is their last album to be released through Mercury, marking the end of their 32-year relationship with the label. According to Jon Bon Jovi, the album serves as a "fan record" to tie in with an accompanying international tour: "It's songs that weren't finished, that were finished, a couple of new ones like the one we released as a single 'We Don't Run'." [5] Burning Bridges was followed by This House Is Not for Sale , the band's fourteenth studio album released in 2016 which featured all new songs. [6]
On November 18, 2014, in an interview with Pierre Robert from WMMR, a leading rock station in Philadelphia, lead singer Jon Bon Jovi confirmed that he started writing songs for the upcoming Bon Jovi album and that album is going to be recorded in 2015 and released in 2016. He also confirmed that lead guitarist Richie Sambora left the band and said that the doors are wide open for him if he wants to return to the band, even though it is highly unlikely. Jon said: "I’d be hard-pressed to [allow him to return], so would David, so would Tico. It’d be a lot for us [to allow him back]. After a year and a half and you miss 80 shows … I don’t think that’s possible.” [7] By February 2015, Jon confirmed that he was still in an early stage of songwriting process with around 12 songs written and that inspiration for writing those songs came out of reading newspapers. [8]
Burning Bridges was conceived to fulfill Bon Jovi's commitment to Mercury Records, as the band and label could not agree on adjusted terms for the band's recording contract. "I've stayed at that label my entire life—32 years. I am the longest tenured artist on Mercury, or whatever they are called this week. But my deal was up, and that's that," said Jon Bon Jovi in an interview with Billboard . [9] The album's title track makes explicit reference to Bon Jovi's dissatisfaction with the label.[ opinion ] According to Bon Jovi, "This hits it right in the head and tells you what happened. Listen to the lyrics because it explains exactly what happened. And that's that." [10] Regarding the split, a representative for Mercury Records stated, "Jon is a rock 'n' roll icon, and we are so proud of his 30-year collaboration with Mercury, which brought extraordinary commercial and creative success. We wish Jon only the best." [9]
Burning Bridges is the first album without guitarist Richie Sambora who left the band in 2013. It is also the first album in 29 years to not feature a credit by Desmond Child, who has co-written or produced at least one song on every Bon Jovi album since 1986's Slippery When Wet .
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Asbury Park Press | Positive [12] |
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Mixed [13] |
Newsday | B- [14] |
The National | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Steven Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic gave the album 1.5 stars out of 5 by saying that "'fan album' not only sounds kinder, it also identifies precisely the audience that would be interested in this brief, power ballad-heavy collection". [11] Chris Jordan from Asbury Park Press gave a positive review stating that "the new album from Bon Jovi, features a spark of anger from frontman Jon Bon Jovi". [12] Jon M. Gilbertson from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gave mixed review stating that "Artistically, it represents Bon Jovi's transformation from 1980s hair-metal act to 2015 adult-contemporary act. Sub-Springsteen working-class references, spiritually patriotic clichés and foursquare, bombastic riffs abound". [13] Glenn Gamboa from Newsday rated the album with B− stating that "'Burning Bridges' does sound a bit, well, burned-out". [14] Rob Garratt from The National gave the album 2 stars out of 5 by saying "new album offers little more than a fresh excuse to refill the coffers and add a few more set fillers to a multimillion-dollar touring juggernaut that is still dining out on 1980s anthems". [15]
The album debuted at No. 13 on Billboard, [16] and No. 3 on Rock Albums on its release, [17] selling 19,000 copies in the first week. The album has sold 67,000 copies in the United States as of August 2016. [18]
The album features twin lead singles, "We Don't Run" and "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning", both released on July 31, 2015. Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning premiered on Hitradio Ö3 on July 17, 2015. at 9:45 a.m. [19] Originally written in The Circle sessions, it was finished for this album. Three days later, on July 20, 2015, Brazilian radio station "Radio Rock" premiered "We Don't Run". [20] Though not released as singles, the songs "Blind Love" and "A Teardrop to the Sea" were digitally released on August 7, 2015, followed by "I'm Your Man" on August 13, 2015. Lyrics videos for all the songs have been released on Bon Jovi's YouTube account. [21]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "A Teardrop to the Sea" | Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 5:08 |
2. | "We Don't Run" | Jon Bon Jovi, John Shanks | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 3:19 |
3. | "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning" | Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, John Shanks | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 3:23 |
4. | "We All Fall Down" | Jon Bon Jovi | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 4:04 |
5. | "Blind Love" | Jon Bon Jovi, John Shanks | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 4:47 |
6. | "Who Would You Die For?" | Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 3:54 |
7. | "Fingerprints" | Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 5:59 |
8. | "Life Is Beautiful" | Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon, Chris DeStefano | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 3:22 |
9. | "I'm Your Man" | Jon Bon Jovi | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 3:44 |
10. | "Burning Bridges" | Jon Bon Jovi, John Shanks | John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi | 2:44 |
Total length: | 40:22 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Austria (IFPI Austria) [53] | Gold | 7,500* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Worldwide | August 21, 2015 | [54] [55] [56] |
Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band currently consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John Such left the band in 1994, and longtime guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora left in 2013. The band has been credited with "bridging the gap between heavy metal, rock and pop with style and ease".
Bon Jovi is the debut studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on January 23, 1984, by Mercury Records. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, it is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album in which a song appears that was not written or co-written by a member of the band. The album charted at number 43 on the US Billboard 200.
Slippery When Wet is the third studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on August 18, 1986, by Mercury Records in North America and Vertigo Records internationally. It was produced by Bruce Fairbairn, with recording sessions between January and July 1986 at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver. The album features many of Bon Jovi's best-known songs, including "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".
New Jersey is the fourth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on September 19, 1988, by Mercury Records. The album was produced by Bruce Fairbairn and recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The album was the follow-up to the band's third album, Slippery When Wet, and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart in its second week of release after debuting at number eight. It remained at the top for four consecutive weeks and was Bon Jovi's last album to do so until Lost Highway (2007). The album was named after the birth state of Jon Bon Jovi, New Jersey.
Keep the Faith is the fifth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on November 3, 1992, by Mercury Records. It is Bon Jovi's last studio album to feature all five original band members as bass guitarist Alec John Such was dismissed from the band in 1994, though it was not his last release with the band. It is Bon Jovi's first album to not be produced by either Lance Quinn or Bruce Fairbairn. The album was produced by Bob Rock and was recorded at the Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. Keep the Faith marked a change to a "more serious interpretation of the band's pop-metal groove". It is also Bon Jovi's longest album to date, clocking in at 66 minutes.
These Days (stylized as (these Days)) is the sixth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on June 27, 1995, by Mercury Records. This was the first album Bon Jovi released after the dismissal of original bass guitarist Alec John Such, and their first album to be recorded officially as four-piece band (without an official bassist, but featured Hugh McDonald as a session/touring member on bass guitar). The album, produced by Peter Collins, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, is praised by many critics and fans as their best album. These Days is overall a darker album in contrast to the band's usual brand of feel-good, inspiring rock songs and love ballads.
Crush is the seventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on May 29, 2000 by Mercury Records in the UK and on June 13, 2000 by Island Records in the US. It was produced by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Luke Ebbin. The album marks the longest timespan between studio albums for the band, with five years between the release of These Days (1995) and this album. After the initial plan to team up with producer Bruce Fairbairn fell through because of his death a year earlier, Bon Jovi and Sambora hired Luke Ebbin to update their sound.
One Wild Night Live 1985–2001 is the first live album by the American rock band Bon Jovi, released on May 22, 2001. The album includes live covers of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" and performance of the Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays", with a guest appearance by their lead singer Bob Geldof. The album charted at number 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Bounce is the eighth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on October 8, 2002 through Island Records. Produced by Luke Ebbin, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the album was recorded at Sanctuary II Studio in New Jersey.
Have a Nice Day is the ninth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on September 20, 2005. Produced by John Shanks, the album was recorded at Sanctuary Sound II in New Jersey, and Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, California.
"It's My Life" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on May 8, 2000, as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Crush (2000). It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Max Martin, and co-produced by Luke Ebbin. The song peaked at number one in Austria, Flanders, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Switzerland while charting within the top 10 across several other countries and peaking at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "It's My Life" is Bon Jovi's most well-known post-1980s hit single and helped introduce the band to a new, younger fanbase.
Stranger in This Town is the first solo studio album by Richie Sambora, the guitarist from the New Jersey band Bon Jovi. The album was released in 1991, while Bon Jovi was on a 17-month hiatus. Jon Bon Jovi also released a solo album, Blaze of Glory (1990), during this period.
Billy Falcon is an American musician, composer and music producer. He released rock albums throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, as well as appearing on The Way International's "High Country Caravan". He is currently active in the Nashville, Tennessee, area with the band The Sowing Circle.
American rock band Bon Jovi has released 16 studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, five EPs, 66 singles, 14 video albums, and 71 music videos. Bon Jovi has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. As of 2018, the band has sold 21.8 million albums in the US Nielsen SoundScan era. Billboard ranked Bon Jovi as the 45th Greatest Artist of all time, achieving 6 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 & 4 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Bon Jovi has sold 34.5 million albums in the United States.
Lost Highway is the tenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on June 19, 2007, in the US through Island Records. Produced by John Shanks and Dann Huff, the album was recorded at Black Bird Studios, Nashville and NGR Recording, Hollywood.
"(You Want to) Make a Memory" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, which was released as the first single from their tenth studio album Lost Highway (2007). Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child, it was released for radio airplay on March 20, 2007, and for download on the US iTunes Store on April 17, 2007. The song is a ballad, and was performed at several nationally-televised events in an effort to promote the single. "(You Want to) Make a Memory" peaked at number 27 in the United States, making it Bon Jovi's last single to break the Top 40 on the Hot 100.
The Circle is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Released on November 10, 2009, the album was produced by John Shanks. The album debuted at number 1 in several countries, including the U.S., where it sold 163,000 copies in its first week.
What About Now is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Produced by John Shanks, the album was released on March 8, 2013 in Australia and March 12, 2013 in the United States. The album was promoted throughout the band's 2013 Because We Can: The Tour. It is the last album to feature lead guitarist Richie Sambora before his departure from the band the following month.
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.
"We Don't Run" is a song recorded by American rock band Bon Jovi for their 2015 album Burning Bridges. It was later included as a bonus track on the deluxe versions of their following album, This House Is Not for Sale.