Ryan Adams - any fans?

[Cheesehead]

A friend recently turned me on to Ryan (not Bryan) Adams. Good stuff.

I'm not particularly tuned into the feelings about alt country at this forum, but was wondering what y'all thought of him. I'm not a country fan but I like his rootsy sound.

Any fans?

[skeksis]

I love Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams' first alt-country band in the late 1990's), and really like the first couple solo albums (Heartbreaker, Gold)... but my enthusiam has faded a little for his efforts over the last few years. He's a talented songwriter, not a particularly great performer. swing over to youtube and you'll find all sorts of good stuff.

there's a few of us alt-country nuts on the board, we could probably get you oriented to some stuff you'd really like.

[Strawfields]

He's got some really great stuff out there like "Demolition" .. he's so prolific that he puts out everything and sometimes Quality over Quantity issues are raised.

I like him a lot though

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by skeksis

there's a few of us alt-country nuts on the board, we could probably get you oriented to some stuff you'd really like.

Please do. I tend to listen to a lot of blues, Hendrix, Stones, rootsy stuff like Tom Petty. The same friend introduced me to Old 97s. They're kind of cool...

[Strawfields]

You might like Red House Painters http://www.myspace.com/sunkilmoon too

Great band

[skeksis]

sure, most of my favorite stuff tends toward the rock (even punk) influenced anti-nashville country that really got rolling in the early 90's. I think there's a website out there that lists "quintessential" alt country albums, that's a great place to start. Many of the important bands have ties to one another...

Look for:
1990's
Uncle Tupelo (Illinois band that made the sound relevant in the 90's)
Son Volt (1/2 of Uncle Tupelo after breakup; album Trace is one of the all time best)
Wilco (other 1/2 of Uncle Tupelo; my favorite is "Being There")
Jayhawks (a few good albums)
Old 97's ("Wreck Your Life")
Whiskeytown ("Faithless Street", Ryan Adams around age 20)

Recent:
Lucero (Memphis band, maybe not so great as the others, but still good)
Bright Eyes (couple very good albums)
Neko Case (if you're into women-fronted bands)

I'm probably forgetting a ton of others.

If you go back a ways, old Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers/Byrds provide some context for the bands I listed above.

Enjoy!

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyl...lt-country-al/

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by skeksis

sure, most of my favorite stuff tends toward the rock (even punk) influenced anti-nashville country that really got rolling in the early 90's. I think there's a website out there that lists "quintessential" alt country albums, that's a great place to start. Many of the important bands have ties to one another...

Look for:
1990's
Uncle Tupelo (Illinois band that made the sound relevant in the 90's)
Son Volt (1/2 of Uncle Tupelo after breakup; album Trace is one of the all time best)
Wilco (other 1/2 of Uncle Tupelo; my favorite is "Being There")
Jayhawks (a few good albums)
Old 97's ("Wreck Your Life")
Whiskeytown ("Faithless Street", Ryan Adams around age 20)

Recent:
Lucero (Memphis band, maybe not so great as the others, but still good)
Bright Eyes (couple very good albums)
Neko Case (if you're into women-fronted bands)

I'm probably forgetting a ton of others.

If you go back a ways, old Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers/Byrds provide some context for the bands I listed above.

Enjoy!

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyl...lt-country-al/

I like Wilco too. One of my sons is on the same football team as the son of the former drummer for the Jayhawks.

[tubesandteles]

Originally Posted by Cheesehead

Please do. I tend to listen to a lot of blues, Hendrix, Stones, rootsy stuff like Tom Petty. The same friend introduced me to Old 97s. They're kind of cool...

Gotta love the Old 97s. Pretty much everything thats coming out of Texas these days is great

[nasonm]

Sure I dig his music! Some albums haven't been my favs but all in all he's quite talented. I like some of his more rockin' albums and Ryan and his band backed Willie Nelson on Willie's Songbird disc.

And skeksis, I LOVE Neko Case!

[wilkat1]

Ryan Adams is great. I love "Easy Tiger." The dude does create music at an absolutely frenetic pace.

[BradKM]

skeksis has a great list of suggestions.

I like Ryan, but not enough to buy everything he puts out (the quantity of quality thing really does apply).

I lean towards the Whiskeytown stuff, but "Cold Roses" is favorite as well.

[Tim73]

I'm pretty much with Skeksis over Whiskeytown & the early Ryan Adams records. I'd add the Ryan Adams produced Jesse Malin debut album as worthy of investigation

[RomanS]

I like "Easy Tiger" well enough (though it won't make it into my own Top Ten of alt.country albums by far...), but really dislike his "Rock'n'Roll" album - go figure...

[hayseedtele]

they kind of shifted styles (they're on Epitaph records which is a punk label), but one of my favorite bands is The Weakerthans.
Another good band is Limbeck. I would suggest anything from either of those bands. I hear them and they instantly make me happy.

[mistermullens]

I like him too, although I got burned out after Demolition. I really just can't stand to listen to "Rock N Roll". Wasn't my cup of tea. I did get that double album, but haven't really listened to it since it came out. He is one songwritin' machine. I really enjoyed his "Jamaica" DVD.

[Telarkaster]

I read a review of one of his shows a few years ago. A heckler shouted out "sing Run to You" and Ryan Adams flipped out. Demanded that the heckler be thrown out, he wasn't going to play until the guy left, etc... Don't know if the ejected guy got his $35 back for his ticket...

You'd think that a person whose name is one letter away from Bryan Adams and plays in public for living would have a better comeback? Maybe learn a few bars of "Cuts Like a Knife" or "Summer of '69" to shut him up? This surely can't have been the first time he had to deal with that...

[bootow]

lucero is great ..Really fun band live.
Drive by truckers are good.
Grace potter and the notcurnals

[Dave_O]

I really like some of his stuff and I'm with (it seems) quite a few guys who see a huge and patchy output, but interspersed with some absolute gems.
His live work seems to also be patchy, a gig he did in Melbourne last time he was here was.... well, let's just say the term "tired and emotional"....

Originally Posted by Telarkaster

I read a review of one of his shows a few years ago. A heckler shouted out "sing Run to You" and Ryan Adams flipped out. Demanded that the heckler be thrown out, he wasn't going to play until the guy left, etc... Don't know if the ejected guy got his $35 back for his ticket...

You'd think that a person whose name is one letter away from Bryan Adams and plays in public for living would have a better comeback? Maybe learn a few bars of "Cuts Like a Knife" or "Summer of '69" to shut him up? This surely can't have been the first time he had to deal with that...

Telakaster, I've heard that too, and I think perhaps a sense-of-humour implant is in order.

[Ringo]

Well , he sounds like whiny Neil Young knock off.
A guy at work plays some Ryan Adams CDs all the time, a few of the songs sound good, but I get tired of it pretty quickly.
I haven't listened to much of his music but the couple of CDs that have heard don't do too much for me.

[Telarkaster]

Originally Posted by Dave_O

Telakaster, I've heard that too, and I think perhaps a sense-of-humour implant is in order.

[bradpdx]

Ryan Adams is unevenly brilliant and indeed prolific. I've seen him be a total ass and then turn around and be the closest thing to a new Dylan.

"Heartbreaker" absolutely rocks, with the fabulous David Rawlings (Gillian Welch's partner) producing. Highly recommended. "Cold Roses" exudes an early '70s Dead vibe, and has been a sleeper in my collection that I keep coming back to.

His newest stuff shows growth, it seems he is becoming more mature. More power to him, I love songwriters who take chances like he does!

Oh, and bless Gram Parsons, wherever his soul might be.

[ac15]

I've liked some stuff I've heard, but I'm a bit put off by his pretentious, weaselesque attitude.

[Hockey Rocker]

Big fan here. I've seen him a couple of times and own most of his stuff, which is quite a collection. The man is prolific. I like his darker stuff like “I See Monsters” from Love is Hell 2. The young guy has written some fine lyrics.

I always say that often the most troubled souls create the most interesting work. Ryan Adams is a good example of this, I think. He reminds me of the portrayal of Mozart in the film Amadeus, an immature vulgarian chosen as a vessel for beauty. I hope he has a long run.

[winny pooh]

As above, one of those troubled/frustrating musicians who we could never hope to better. I really dig the music though.
Albums I would recommend:

Love is hell, part 1&2
Heartbreaker
Gold
Cold Roses
Whiskeytown - Pneumonia

From a pitchfork interview where the ryan adams comes out:
Unfortunately the one where he describes calling Bryan Adams in the same hotel in Canada is missing, pretty funny.

"Pitchfork: Ryan, I was a little surprised that you wanted to talk to me.

Ryan: Me ****ing too! I'll tell you how I came across Pitchfork. A friend of mine, a writer, came over, and we were having lunch. And he was like, "You know, I read this really funny review. You know this site?" And I was like, "No, is it cool?" And he was like, "No, it's not very cool. It's not very cool at all." And I was like, "Awesome." So I went and I read your review, and I read everything. And I was thinking, these guys ****ing hate my guts! Some of the stuff was so mean that I was laughing out loud. Because it was just really super awesome. The kind of conversations I used to have in school. You know, "Did you get Daydream Nation?" "Yeah! John Cougar Mellencamp sucks!"

[Nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Strawfields

He's got some really great stuff out there like "Demolition" .. he's so prolific that he puts out everything and sometimes Quality over Quantity issues are raised.

I like him a lot though

+1... I like what he does but he releases so much stuff and some of it shouldn't be there. However....

[MandyMarie]

I do dig him and I think he's a talented writer (I wish I could write like that!) but, whew, that Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt stuff just knocks me out.

...I want to like Wilco more than I actually do. Can someone give me the name of their favorite Wilco album? I only have one. Thanks in advance!

[skeksis]

Originally Posted by MandyMarie

I do dig him and I think he's a talented writer (I wish I could write like that!) but, whew, that Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt stuff just knocks me out.

...I want to like Wilco more than I actually do. Can someone give me the name of their favorite Wilco album? I only have one. Thanks in advance!

Wilco's a moving target... definitely far evolved from the Uncle Tupelo days -- which some people love and other people, well, they love the Son Volt. Here's a quick tutorial.

A.M. (1995) closest to to Uncle Tupelo sound, fun songs
Being There (1996) ambitious double album, my favorite Wilco, still "alt-country" flavored.
Mermaid Avenue (1998) w/ Billy Bragg SOME GREAT STUFF (woody guthrie lyrics)
Summerteeth (1999), Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002), A Ghost is Born (2004) -- all are pretty strong albums, but you definitely start to see the band settling down into a pop/rock/indie groove. YHF is probably my pick of this bunch.
Sky Blue Sky (2007) newest effort, less ambitious w/ some good moments. Nels Cline (pretty remarkable guitarist) joined for this effort, you've probably heard several of the songs on Volkswagon commercials.

[wilkat1]

You gotta get that there first Son Volt album, "Trace." They've been kinda spotty ever since but that album is great.

And methinks it's time for another Grace Potter thread. She's wonderful.

[hollowman]

Yeah, I dig a lot of his stuff too...

More alt country bands you might consider:

Dead String Brothers
The Jayhawks
Bottlerockets
another +1 for Drvie by Truckers
anything by Alejandro Escovedo

[CJohnson]

I have pretty much bought everything he has put out and Gold is my favorite. It was also probably his most commercial album. Since Gold he seems to have gone back more to his roots and sings a lot of ballads. I wish he would kick it up a notch again. I wasn't that impressed with the Cardinal albums, but everybody has their own taste. I do like Easy Tiger, but again it's very mellow.

[GopherTele]

Interesting that Tim McGraw had a huge hit with Ryan's Stars Go Blue.

And he recorded it almost exactly like Ryan did.

It's a great song, IMO.

Ryan has said that he was able to buy a swimming pool made of unicorn bones from the proceeds. I'd like to get ONE of those checks!

It's a common cliche among the hipnoscenti that his older stuff is better. But I disagree. The albums he makes now (2-3 year) are excellent.

[BradKM]

...I want to like Wilco more than I actually do. Can someone give me the name of their favorite Wilco album? I only have one. Thanks in advance!

The problem with suggesting just one is the fact that the band has made huge stylistic leaps with each album.

"AM" is charming, with fun songs, but has almost the feel of a demo.

Most folks are warm to "Being There". It's got a classic rock vibe and much better production than "AM".

I'm quite fond of "Summer Teeth". Keys begin to creep towards the front of the sound and Tweedy starts to get more experimental with song structure.

"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" was hailed a breakthrough and probably makes the biggest single stylistic leap. They're in full indie mode now. The pedal steel doesn't kick in until the sixth song or so, and is only used for flourishes. Folks begin to apply the "pop deconstructionist" label.

"A Ghost is Born" continued the shift towards experimentation with song structure and sonic textures. For many, it's a hard album to get into on first listen. I tend to see themes of tension building towards release and order shifting in and out of chaos. It took a while, but this one really grew on me.

"Sky Blue Sky" is the latest. This marks the first studio recording with Nels Cline, and I couldn't be happier with his presence in the band. There's still some playfulness with song structure, but the sonic experimentation of the previous two albums is dialed back a great deal. Some have described this as a very mellow, casual album. It's been in constant rotation for me since its release early last year.

[Rizo]

love Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams' first alt-country band in the late 1990's), and really like the first couple solo albums (Heartbreaker, Gold)... but my enthusiam has faded a little for his efforts over the last few years. He's a talented songwriter, not a particularly great performer. swing over to youtube and you'll find all sorts of good stuff.

I was pretty much going to say that. I love Whiskeytown. Some of the solo stuff is OK, some really good, some not so much. Worth looking into though...

[Strawfields]

Wilco ... "I am trying to break your heart" DVD is really great insight into band/record label 'dynamics' [ hate sterile words like that but i'm tired]

It's about the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and how they got dropped by a new label head but managed to keep the masters of their recordings ( incredible as it turned out to be huge )... I'm not a massive Wilco fan though..

"Ashes of American Flags" is one of the greatest songs though.

[ibobunot]

Originally Posted by skeksis

there's a few of us alt-country nuts on the board, we could probably get you oriented to some stuff you'd really like.

Blue Mountain - Dog Days
Chris Cacavas - Pale Blond Hell
Chuck Prophet - Soap And Water
E.I.E.I.O. - Land Of Opportunity
Green On Red - Gas Food Lodging
Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles - Diamonds In The Dark
Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
The Beat Farmers - Tales of the New West
Jackie Greene - Giving Up the Ghost

[T_red7882]

I'm a huge fan, i've seen him numerous times. Since 2004 (post wrist break) he's been a very consistent and excellent performer. Since getting sober (early 07) he's been among the best live acts i've ever seen. He is, without question, the most underrated artist out there. If this were the 70's, he woulda been huge. His early career antics hurt him (he was insane with the drinking and drugs) but he's pretty mellow now. His last album was terrible, but sold well, and his new stuff that i've heard sounds great.

i just saw him saturday night at the fillmore in SF, 3+ hours of amazing music, every i talked to was blown away. If i were to rank his albums in the order of what a new fan should get (but not my rank of overall quality):

1. Cold Roses (everyone should own this album!!!)
2. Love Is Hell
3. Heartbreaker
4. Demolition
5. 29
6. Gold
7. Jacksonville City Nights
8. EZ Tiger
9. RockN'Roll

[Strawfields]

Richmond Fontaine are worth checking out too.

[teleon]

"ghosts have got me runnin.."

[Hockey Rocker]

Yup, he's one of the few artists that I run out and get the disc on the first Tuesday or Wednesday when it hits Wal-Mart. They're usually cheaper or the same as Amazon with the Adams stuff. Here's my ranking based on what I enjoy most:

1. Heartbreaker
2. Love is Hell Part 2
3. Gold
4. Pneumonia (Whiskeytown)
5. 29
6. Love is Hell Part I
7. Cold Roses
8. Easy Tiger
9. Strangers Almanac (Whiskeytown)
10. Faithless Street (Whiskeytown)
11. Demolition
12. Jacksonville City Nights
13. Rock n' Roll

[MandyMarie]

Thanks so much, my friends! "Being There" is the Wilco album that I have - I'll look into the others. Thanks a million!