Blood In The Water - the best post-TD era song?

I never got the love for this song... It's so "noisy" you know? Just like a bunch of songs from This House it sounds better live 'cause there you can hear everyone playing and singing.

EDIT: I'd rather choose Pictures Of You or (if they had kept it on the album) Burn with Me as the 1st single. Call it doctored whatever this last song sticks in the head hahaha.

The difference between the studio and live version is maddening. The backing vocals, Richie's chugging power chords, Tico's less robotic swing....I adore the live version and the studio one just doesn't have enough OOMPH.

But isn't that the case with most of the songs, no matter which era?

I agree that the studio versions of the last decade (at least) failed production-wise so that the live versions always won over. That "maddening" part, like you call it, wasn't the case in the past.
But still, the live versions always blew away the studio ones. To me In These Arms and Fear are the only songs that come to mind, where they didn't get the OOMPH of the studio versions live on stage. But with every other songs I always prefer the live performance over the studio version.

It was the worst chart position in the UK at the time for the band in a very long time. I'm sure it went to 33 or something in the UK and then from then on, they've never done much really in the charts.

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There are certain songs I prefer the studio version over the live. Sleep When I'm Dead, honestly Lay Your Hands On Me has never really wow'd me live, but it's a pretty subjective thing I guess.

I agree with LYHOM. They can get that same studio production live.

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Commenting production :

Up to (and including) CRUSH, the sound was organic, flowing, cool.

Bounce was "modernized", not as natural. Already on songs like "The Distance" there is this noise - present also 10 years later in TWTWMM - which kills the groove and also the melody.

With some exceptions, the sonic landscape of BJ records has been rather boring in the last 20 years. But that is one of the highlights of 2020 : they have improved a lot in terms of productions, sound actually alive and kicking and fun in most songs

Agreed on some songs...BITW is the perfect example.

I think the main problem with Shanks’ production (after the ‘wall of sound’ that really doesn’t suit Jovi) is the drums, especially the high-hat and cymbals. When It’s closed, it sounds tight and nice, but when it’s open and Tico hits the cymbals, we get that ‘noise’ that people are talking about. That’s why acoustic songs sound really good, but especially the upbeat pop-rock songs sound saturated.

Have a close listen, see if you agree. It’s true that 2020 is more Bob Rock orientated on some songs, but then compare it to the CCR rip off that sounds pretty dire.

I agree with this. 2020 breathes much more than previous records, oversaturated are in my opinion HAND and especially WAN, even though I like HAND as an album.

Regarding Blood in the Water, it is a hands down the best song since TD in 1995, and it is something that Bon Jovi should have done all this time, but half of this album could go in this category

Now it's too late for new fans, as they are old and Jon's voice is subpar live. But if they did this since 2000 (excluding It's my life) they would be at least equally popular (there wasn't another true hit after IMF except HAND, and in some parts WSYCGH), but more respected and taken as legendary. Now their fame is diminished, but still strong.

It's a pity, not because of new fans, but because I think Jon always had it in him, but he was aiming another IML for 20 years (even with this record with Limitless). Shame on one hand, but FINALLY on another. Some f**** talent and passion.

2020 even went higher on my list of best BJ albums. Blood would be enough, but there is half of album worth of songs that are brilliant, with production that doesn't suffocate them and with Jon's voice that suits them (fragile but determined and passionate).

Still in love with this song.

Jon sounds great, the drums are excellent, the lyrics are superb... It's just a great song!

As we have all said, it's lacking an outro which is my only criticism of it. I think the guitar solo is nice but something a little longer would have made this song even better to listen too.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I honestly didn't think Bon Jovi (or Jon) had this in them anymore. Yeah, it may be massively influenced on Dry County in terms of structure but that doesn't take anything away from the song, for me. We've all wanted something like this for a long time and Jon himself has said it's influenced by Dry County (or something along them lines at them fan club show things)

The fact this was the first song Jon wrote for 2020 is interesting too. It kind of went downhill from there, really

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