The Song That Saved The Band

Dry County-what else is necessary?Great song,the video is on fire,don't mension the solo....song to die for!

I don't buy the whole "It's more special if they don't play it" argument. Wanted Dead Or Alive is always played live and people still love the song. Dry County is a magical song with one of the greatest guitar solo's of all time (In my opinion). It should be played every show, it is one of the bands greatest achievements and is fantastic live. I despair of anyone who would leave the show while this song was on to use the bathroom or get a beer.

It's funny though that people are saying that this is classic Bon Jovi and they should do more songs in this vein and yet all the midtempo numbers on the latest album were roundly slagged off by everyone apart from I Am which sucks. Admittedly Bells Of Freedom is no Dry County or Wanted but it is a trademark Bon Jovi song for me. The type of song they have always done well and one (lyrics aside) I would have thought Bon Jovi fans would like as it sort of harks back to those classic songs as well as IBTFY. Again I must stress that it is not as good as those songs but along with HAND it is the most Bon Jovi sounding song on the album.

My point was Wanted can be played with thier eyes closed, that's how comfortable they are playing it. Wanted is a cake walk compared to Dry county. I was meaning to respond earlier but someone said "Wild is the wind" was performed live years later and sounds good. But look how easy of a song it is. A song like Dry County would cripple Jon, I'd think. I wouldn't count on ever seeing it played live again, and I'd rather they didn't.

Guitar solo aside (And Wanted has a decent length solo) I don't see why DC is any more difficult to play/sing than Wanted. I understand that some people think that if they played it now and it wasn't as good as in years gone by it might somehow tarnish the song in some way (The whole George Lucas and the prequels argument). I just don't agree with it, they play watered down (vocally at least) versions of Prayer and Wanted but they're still great live and most people would feel a little cheated if they didn't play them. Dry County should be the centre piece of every Jovi show in my opinion. Depending on how many shows you attend on each tour would you really get that tired of it seeing it maybe once or twice every 2 or 3 years?

If Wanted had a solo that amounts the song to 10 minutes long, I'd agree. It's decent length but any good guitarist can pull it off. There's so much more to Dry County compared to any of the other songs. With so many hits, setting aside 10 minutes to play a song that 1/2 the audience don't know, and 3/4 of the audience that DO know it will go take the time to piss. Dry County is a song more for the hardcore fans.

This could go on all day, I take your point, it's a long song and not one of their biggest hits (Although it did reach No. 7 in the UK charts). Maybe there are a number of fans at the show who won't be that familiar with the song but maybe that's because they never play it. I never noticed the crowd emptying when the played it on the KTF tour and I think 3/4 of Bon Jovi fans who do know the song would go for a piss is a gross exaggeration. Maybe it's one of those Europe vs North America things, KTF was a huge album over here. I'll no doubt be proved wrong shortly but I've never met a Bon Jovi fan who doesn't love that song.

How many of the crowd would be over familiar with Runaway or The Radio Saved My Life tonight, how many are deperate to hear a Tom Petty cover or 10 minute versions of I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and Bad Medicine?

At the end of the day you have your opinion and I have mine, you'd rather not hear it whereas if I picked the setlist it would be on it every time. Bon Jovi are the ones who sell out arenas and stadiums all over the world so I guess they know what they're doing. I just think it's a shame that probably their greatest most mature musical statement has been consigned to basically an album track off an old album never to be played on a regular basis (If at all) again.

Awesome little story. Just imagine what would have happened if Jon hadn't sat at the one little piano and wrote.... Things could be a lot different.

Ryan

Well said. We'll just agree to disagree.

It was well said and so true. I remember back on the Bounce Tour where we had rumors of them rehearsing Dry County. Everyone was going nuts only to be dissapointed in the end. I hope it's played again, and if it does... The crowd that gets to hear it are lucky SOB's....

Ryan

Hmmmmm ... I don't remember those rumours....