What say you about this Ryan Adams cover?

Thumbs up or down?

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Permalink Reply by Hal Bogerd on September 2, 2011 at 7:50am
Wouldn't buy it.
Permalink Reply by T Hanssen on September 2, 2011 at 11:52pm

There's probably a bit of nostalgia getting the better of me, but I like this.  I think it would be unfair to not give credit to a well written song.  Went back and listened to the original for the first time in a while and was a bit horrified by the production.

 

I don't own a thing Ryan Adams has recorded, but I've heard a few stories about him.  Whatever.

Permalink Reply by L A Johnson on September 3, 2011 at 10:54am
Ignore the stories: invest in some of his music - he's a bit of a p.....k at times especially when interviewed but most of his music stands up, especially Gold.
Permalink Reply by T Hanssen on September 3, 2011 at 12:55pm
Sounds good.  I'll start with Gold and see.
Permalink Reply by Hal Bogerd on September 3, 2011 at 1:48pm

Start with everything by Whiskeytown and then his solo career but I'd stop with Gold.

 

Permalink Reply by Kyla Fairchild on September 3, 2011 at 2:56pm
Personally I really like Gold even though it's a bit more commercial. I agree that you should start with everything by Whiskeytown though.
Permalink Reply by L A Johnson on September 4, 2011 at 4:48am

Agree all Whiskeytown worth a purchase and I reckon all Mr Adams records contain 2-3 stand out songs. Artists like Neil Young always tries something new and it's called visionary and a maverick, Ryan Adams refuses to make Gold II and he's castigated - he can't win oh well...

 

Permalink Reply by Hal Bogerd on September 8, 2011 at 9:38am
I agree and what I meant to say was  stop after Gold.
Permalink Reply by Kyla Fairchild on September 8, 2011 at 9:49am

Personally, I really like a lot of the stuff after Gold too.  I once read an interview with Ryan where he was responding to being criticized for pumping out so many records in such a short time and I can't remember the exact quote but he said something like:

 

It's like when your Mom makes too much meatloaf, that's not a bad thing it just means you have leftovers!

 

There are a few "leftovers" on each album but for the most part I enjoyed all of them and there several standout tracks on each.

 

I'm glad all those records came out as it would have been a shame to keep all that music in the closet just because some people thought it wasn't up to the standard of Ryan's best. His "leftovers" are better than the best of what many artists release.  (in my opinion)

 

Permalink Reply by Jason Wilson on September 8, 2011 at 11:20am

I think too many people bag on Ryan Adams specifically because of the volume of the production.  All artists do this in some way or the other... witness the litany of posthumus or "vault" releases from everyone from The Grateful Dead to 2Pac.  1)  It's pretty naked in the artistic sense to just throw it out.  Some of it's good and some not but I find it fascinating-- kind of like that 'Sympathy for The Devil' documentary where you saw the build up of the song to the thing that we know.  2)  I think the biggest reason that the material suffers is because he goes in and rolls tape and this song on album X sounds a lot like that song on album Y simply because they were recorded at the same time, under the same conditions, and in many cases, with the exact same sound on guitar, bass, drums, etc. 

 

Anyway.... yay Ryan Adams.  The Iron Madien cover seems solid if uninspired and an ambitous nod to your affection for metal--- but that's not a bad thing per say.  I'm just not gonna crank this one in the car.....

 

Also, to the point I was going to make, go for "Gold" as a first listen for the polished songcraft and professionalism that too many people accuse him of not having.... and Whiskeytown's "Faithless Street" for the unvarnished and  unashamed romantic-drunk that we all know Ryan Adams to be at heart...

Permalink Reply by L A Johnson on September 8, 2011 at 3:02pm
Sounds good to me too.
Permalink Reply by Kyla Fairchild on September 9, 2011 at 3:42pm

Here's a link to an interview from today's WNYC Soundcheck with Ryan talking about his 2001 song “New York, New York.” He gives a bit of the backstory about how the song that was intended to describe an East Village heartache became a 9/11 anthem (the album that the song is on, “Gold,” was supposed to come out on 9/11/01, and the music video was filmed a few days before the attacks in front of the downtown New York skyline).  He also plays a version of the song at the piano.


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Created by No Depression Feb 17, 2009 at 9:06pm. Last updated by No Depression Apr 9.