SamboraBlog

Guitarist Richie Sambora says the band will launch a world tour in late spring to support the album, although dates have not yet been announced.

Sambora adds, "I think we stumbled upon something again on this particular record, kind of like what happened with 'It's My Life.' When [that] came out, it seemed to give Bon Jovi a whole new audience. We've always had a vast audience base, but with this new record, what I'm feeling [is] it's kind of a new direction. It sounds very fresh, yet it sounds like us."

The band worked with producer John Shanks (Michelle Branch, Melissa Etheridge), who also wrote tracks with Bon Jovi and Sambora. The album was recorded during the summer.

Bon Jovi notes that changes in the climate of the country, and the state of the music business, influenced the songwriting on the new album.

The songs reflect "personal and introspective views on issues I may have had growing up that I certainly would have never discussed publicly before. I've always kept this 'chin up, glass is half-full' kind of optimism, and [now] I showed some chinks in the armor."

The song "Last Man Standing" depicts Bon Jovi's unhappiness with the music industry. He says it reflects his "disgust of the music business in general and its lack of true vision when it comes to supporting the artistry of a song, the songwriter and the bands on the road."

"Instead of creating what Andy Warhol once called '15 minutes of fame,' think it's down to just three minutes and 30 seconds," he says. "I don't know how this industry is ever going to have another Bob Dylan when it's all about the single, [not] the album and the vision and that inspiration. [It's] all for the sake of a 99-cent download so they can sell bulk and make their bonuses. It's heartbreaking." -- Billboard/VNU Entertainment News Wire