The Circle (Bon Jovi album)
Encyclopedia
The Circle is the eleventh studio album by rock band Bon Jovi
. Produced by John Shanks
, the album was released November 10, 2009, with the new single "We Weren't Born to Follow
" premiering on radio August 17. The album was released in Germany and Ireland on October 30, 2009, and debuted at#1 in several countries, including the US, where it sold 163,000 copies in its first week debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200
. This gives them their fourth #1 album after their 2007 effort, Lost Highway.
In an interview given to Rolling Stone Magazine, guitarist Richie Sambora
says the album is a return to "rock and roll" and said "There’s going to be some big choruses on there. It sounds like Bon Jovi, but it sounds fresh. We experimented with a lot of new sounds and had a really good time working with John Shanks, who is also a really good guitar player, so he and I did a lot of ‘weaseling’ with the guitar sounds. There are a lot of really good guitar sounds and new kind atmospheres on the new Bon Jovi record, that I think makes it really modern. I think people are going to dig it, man. And it rocks hard."
In an interview on UK radio station
Absolute Radio, Jon Bon Jovi
stated the album title has multiple meanings. It stands for the fact that a circle is never ending, and that it also refers to Bon Jovi's inner circle - stating that "in this organization, the circle is very difficult to get into, and even more difficult to get out of."
The album is the first record since 1988's "New Jersey" not to feature bonus tracks (all the subsequent albums from 1992's "Keep The Faith" through to 2007's "Lost Highway" have included songs not available in the USA). Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi has stated that there were one or two songs that he left off the album that could have been bonus tracks which he wanted to keep for the Greatest Hits
.
The Circle Tour
began in early 2010 and will include dates across America and a residency at the O2 Arena
in London
.
Before the official release of the album, U.S. President Barack Obama
's chief adviser David Axelrod
had the lyrics to "Work for the Working Man" framed and hung in his White House
office.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
score of 51, based on eight reviews. The album received a 79/100 from billboard.com praising the group for returning to their rock roots.
. It debuted at the number-one position with the sales of around 67,000 copies on the Japanese Oricon
weekly album charts, becoming their fifth number-one album on the Japanese chart. Because of the album's number-one debut, the band tied the Oricon charts' record of having five number-one albums as a Western artist, which was held by Mariah Carey
and Simon & Garfunkel. The album was certified Gold by RIAA. The Circle was also certified Platinum in Canada, and has sold 3 million copies worldwide.
, directed by Phil Griffin. The documentary follows the band through their 2007/08 Lost Highway Tour
.
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. Produced by John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
, the album was released November 10, 2009, with the new single "We Weren't Born to Follow
We Weren't Born to Follow
-Recording process:When Richie Sambora recorded the solo for this song, he played a very melodic, Beatles-esque break. But as soon as the song debuted at radio, many fans expressed dismay at the lack of a guitar solo...
" premiering on radio August 17. The album was released in Germany and Ireland on October 30, 2009, and debuted at#1 in several countries, including the US, where it sold 163,000 copies in its first week debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. This gives them their fourth #1 album after their 2007 effort, Lost Highway.
In an interview given to Rolling Stone Magazine, guitarist Richie Sambora
Richie Sambora
Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
says the album is a return to "rock and roll" and said "There’s going to be some big choruses on there. It sounds like Bon Jovi, but it sounds fresh. We experimented with a lot of new sounds and had a really good time working with John Shanks, who is also a really good guitar player, so he and I did a lot of ‘weaseling’ with the guitar sounds. There are a lot of really good guitar sounds and new kind atmospheres on the new Bon Jovi record, that I think makes it really modern. I think people are going to dig it, man. And it rocks hard."
In an interview on UK radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
Absolute Radio, Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
stated the album title has multiple meanings. It stands for the fact that a circle is never ending, and that it also refers to Bon Jovi's inner circle - stating that "in this organization, the circle is very difficult to get into, and even more difficult to get out of."
The album is the first record since 1988's "New Jersey" not to feature bonus tracks (all the subsequent albums from 1992's "Keep The Faith" through to 2007's "Lost Highway" have included songs not available in the USA). Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi has stated that there were one or two songs that he left off the album that could have been bonus tracks which he wanted to keep for the Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Bon Jovi album)
-International edition:While the standard edition released in North America will have 28 tracks, the Australian and Japanese editions are set to have 30 and 31 tracks respectively. There are a few differences between the North American tracklist and the international tracklist. The main difference...
.
The Circle Tour
The Circle Tour
The Circle Tour is a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi. The arena leg of the tour has finished and the stadium run has begun, starting off in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and then heading to East Rutherford, New Jersey for the grand opening of New Meadowlands Stadium...
began in early 2010 and will include dates across America and a residency at the O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Before the official release of the album, U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's chief adviser David Axelrod
David Axelrod
David Axelrod may refer to:* David Axelrod * David Axelrod , Senior Advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama* David B. Axelrod , poet and educator...
had the lyrics to "Work for the Working Man" framed and hung in his White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
office.
Title meaning
The album title, Bon Jovi explains, has several meanings: "Some may say that with this album we have come full circle. Others may see The Circle as never ending. I see it as very hard to get in to and even harder to get out of. Having had 5 studio records in this decade, there are songs on each record that represent the world around us. And while they don't always like what they see, they try hard not to see the cup as half empty."Reception
Critical reception
Initial critical response to The Circle was average. Nigel Britto of the Times of India observed that the album marked a 'return to tradition' and served as a 'breath of fresh air' to those that found the band's recent material corny. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 51, based on eight reviews. The album received a 79/100 from billboard.com praising the group for returning to their rock roots.
Chart performance
The Circle debuted at the number-one position with sales of 163,000 copies on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It debuted at the number-one position with the sales of around 67,000 copies on the Japanese Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
weekly album charts, becoming their fifth number-one album on the Japanese chart. Because of the album's number-one debut, the band tied the Oricon charts' record of having five number-one albums as a Western artist, which was held by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
and Simon & Garfunkel. The album was certified Gold by RIAA. The Circle was also certified Platinum in Canada, and has sold 3 million copies worldwide.
Singles
- "We Weren't Born to FollowWe Weren't Born to Follow-Recording process:When Richie Sambora recorded the solo for this song, he played a very melodic, Beatles-esque break. But as soon as the song debuted at radio, many fans expressed dismay at the lack of a guitar solo...
" is the first single of the album. It reached #68 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and #10 on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks. The single peaked #3 in Japan, #4 in Austria, #5 in Italy, #6 in Germany and #29 in Canada. - "Superman TonightSuperman Tonight-In Television:*Superman Tonight was one of the songs used in the soundtrack of WWE's Tribute to the Troops 2009 show for the ending highlights.*Bon Jovi performed the song live on the American Idol results show, May 12, 2010....
" is the second single from The Circle. The single reached #26 in Germany, #44 in Austria, #91 in Europe and #15 on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs. - "When We Were BeautifulWhen We Were Beautiful (song)-External links:*...
" has since been released as the third official single from the album with the music video being released on May 24, 2010.
Track listing
Peak positions
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
31 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Wallonia) |
39 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 11 |
| Danish Albums Chart | 18 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
4 |
| European Albums Chart | 2 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 6 |
| French Albums Chart | 39 |
| German Albums Chart | 1 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
22 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart | 11 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 13 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
7 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
1 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 38 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 20 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 14 |
| Polish Albums Chart | 41 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA .... |
5 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 3 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
9 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Album Chart | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | 35 |
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
86 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 49 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
79 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
189 |
| Chart (2010) | Rank |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
35 |
| European Albums Chart | 73 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
88 |
Certifications
Chart procession and succession
Deluxe CD/DVD Limited Edition
The Deluxe Edition of The Circle includes the twelve track album plus a DVD of the 2009 documentary When We Were BeautifulWhen We Were Beautiful
When We Were Beautiful, also known as Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful, is a 2009 feature documentary of the American rock band Bon Jovi, marking the band's 25th year....
, directed by Phil Griffin. The documentary follows the band through their 2007/08 Lost Highway Tour
Lost Highway Tour
The Lost Highway Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi, that took place from October 2007 to July 2008 in support of their tenth studio album Lost Highway...
.
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
October 30, 2009 | Universal Music Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , CD+DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... , Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
October 30, 2009 | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
November 4, 2009 | Universal Music Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , CD+DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... , Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... , SHM-CD |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
November 6, 2009 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , CD+DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... , Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
November 9, 2009 | Mercury Records, Universal Music | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
November 10, 2009 | Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... , Mercury Nashville |
|
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
November 10, 2009 | Universal Music | |
| Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
November 11, 2009 | ||
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
November 27, 2009 |
Personnel
- Jon Bon JoviJon Bon JoviJon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
- lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Richie SamboraRichie SamboraRichard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals - Hugh McDonaldHugh McDonald (musician)Hugh "Huge" McDonald is a well known session musician and bassist. Before joining Bon Jovi he was the bass player for the David Bromberg Band, touring extensively worldwide and playing on many Bromberg albums...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Tico TorresTico TorresHector Samuel Juan "Tico" Torres is an American drummer and percussionist for rock band classic, Bon Jovi. He also has taken lead vocals on a song on the box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, as well as backing vocals on a couple of the early Bon Jovi tracks, notably "Born to Be My...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - David BryanDavid BryanDavid Bryan is the keyboard player of the band rock classic, Bon Jovi. Bryan also sings backing vocals and often at live shows sings part of or the whole of the song "In These Arms", one of a handful of Bon Jovi songs credited to him as songwriter...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals