Okay.
I am back.
I know it has been awhile, apologies for my inattentive and procrastinating nature.
So. Ryan Adams. I'm a fan. In my opinion Mr. Adams is one of the more important songwriters of our modern music era, whatever that means. He got his start in the mid 90's (can't go wrong there) with the alt-country outfit Whiskeytown when that style was all the rage. Coming out of Raleigh, North Carolina, Whiskeytown garnered critical acclaim and became a staple to the genre that also claimed Uncle Tupelo; a band that included members Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy who parted ways to form Son Volt and Wilco respectively (I'll save that for a future blog). Anyway, despite Whiskeytown's success, the group had difficulty retaining its members, aside from Ryan Adams and other staple Caitlin Cary. Suffice to say, Adams may not have been the easiest dude to get along with.
Adams' solo career has been quite a prolific one. In the span of the last thirteen years, there have been thirteen full length L.P.'s released by the singer-songwriter (including two double albums among the catalog) and five E.P.'s. Here is my brief synopsis of his oeuvre:
Heartbreaker (2000) - a sensitive/reckless folksy masterpiece, essential Ryan Adams
Gold (2001) - a quintessential record of the singer-songwriter genre that became so trendy during last decade, this is the one that got me hooked
Demolition (2002) - here we get a little taste of Adams' punky 'tude sprinkled in with his familiar country tinged sound
Rock 'N Roll (2003) - this time we get the full rock treatment; electric, driving, and a little angry
Love Is Hell (2004) - I'm going to go ahead and call this one his Leonard Cohen phase, I may be off base on that description, for me it is something in the tone of his voice and the blunt dreariness that I perceive, haven't listened to this one too often but it is dark and intensely contemplative as far as I can tell and is concerned with the woes of romance and drinking/drugs
The Rescue Blues E.P. (2004) - don't have much knowledge of this release, I assume it has b-sides from Gold or contains the bonus tracks that were packaged with the special edition of said L.P.
Moroccan Role E.P. (2004) - a quick rocker in the vain of Rock 'N Roll, appropriate as the title would naturally suggest
Cold Roses (2005) - this double album remains a personal fav, capturing what I will call his Grateful Dead phase which is apparent with the Jerry-esque guitar tones and free love/weary traveler vibe, the song Rosebud is in fact a song about Jerry Garcia's guitar displayed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (OHIO! Cleveland for life!), and during this time Adams also played several shows as a member of the Phil Lesh & Friends group
Jacksonville City Nights (2005) - here we find Adams continuing in the stripped back, loose country vibe that was the focus of the previous record, another favorite
29 (2005) - we complete the trifecta of psychedelia tinged country records with this third 2005 release, though this one is heavy on the ballads and story-based songwriting
Easy Tiger (2007) - many fans may consider this record to be the opus, it contains some of Adams' most popular tunes, the production value is stellar with a superbly crisp sound, and particularly articulate lyrical content probably due to the ceasing of his drug abuse
Follow The Lights E.P. (2007) - I've got a soft spot for this record, it continues with the distinctly coherent style of the previous record and imparts a very soothing vibe
Cardinology (2008) - this release showcases well the range and scope of Adams' style, from tender, personal, and sensitive to groovy, rockin', sass; a great record that displays his maturity developed over the years
Extra Cheese E.P. (2009) - another one that I don't own, though my research reveals that this was simply an iTunes exclusive containing previously released tracks for Valentine's Day
Orion (2010) - this record was a heavy rock/metal project released only on vinyl and again I have never heard it, fans of Ryan Adams will most likely be aware of his outspoken affinity for 80's hair bands and this record was made specifically in tribute to the band Voivod and guitarist Denis D'amour
III/IV (2010) - originally my inspiration for this blog post, this record is a double album of material recorded during the Easy Tiger sessions, it is so musically and lyrically dense that I am going to just do a seperate post on this guy
Class Mythology E.P. (2011) - a limited edition Record Store Day vinyl release that I unfortunately do not own and have not had the pleasure of hearing
Ashes & Fire (2011) - Adams' most recent release is quite mellow and calming, I would say that this is his most seasoned effort to date
As should be prevalent, Ryan Adams is certainly prolific as I mentioned before. His vast catalog displays that Mr. Adams is an artist that does not know how to slow down. I am getting a bit lengthy here so I will save the rest for a future post. Cheers to Ryan Adams and his wonderful music. Happy listening to all those that are so inclined.
To be continued...
Ryan Adams on Spotify
Ryan Adams on iTunes
