Ryan Adams - the Good the Bad the Ugly

[The Actionman]

Twin Reiver actually prompted me to start this discussion...you better pour it out!

So "RA and me" is a complete love/hate thing.
I really dig the Whiskeytown thing and most of his solo stuff. He is a prolific writer with lots of influences he gladly wears on his sleeve while still offering several deliveries that are his own. This new album is heads and shoulders better than the last 2 (or 3 if you count Love Is Hell as Vol. 1&2). But damn if he's not a whiner!
I find him hilarious and revolting at the same time for different reasons.

Several buddies and myself have been following his career from it's inception and we have had the same kind of love/hate discussions about him for years. But still, we'll buy the records and see the shows. I've seen him act like a complete brat on stage and I've seen him be graceful and respectful - like the solo show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta a couple of years ago.
(That really was an impressive display of talent and showmanship)

So jump in here and help me find my way with this guy:
Why do you like him, hate him or wonder why you can't understand how somebody could get this confused over the guy that sings "Summer of '69" and "Cuts like a Knife"?

[TJNY]

and have yet to buy the new one (which has garnished good reviews). I think he's a very good songwriter and yes, he does wear his influences on his sleeve. I haven't seen him live yet and unfortunately couldn't go when he played in NY on Monday night. Maybe next time around...

[Strat82]

i used to really like him...liked him alot...demolition has some amazing songs on it.

i saw him open up for the stones in pittsburgh, and he only played 2 songs i recognized...most of it was new stuff he was working on. that's awesome!!! who else has the balls to play obscure songs that aren't super catchy in front of a crowd like that.

i later discovered and became friends with Joel Plaskett, who is pretty much Canada's version of ryan adam, only better. he told me he hung out with ryan adams in new york once right when whiskeytown broke up and before his solo album, and he said the guy new exactly who to talk to at each place and how he was going to get the right connections to make it big.

please check out Joel Plaskett...he is amazing!

[BLACKCAT69]

I hear him everyday on accuradio.com (Twang channel). I like the Whiskeytown stuff and about 50% of his solo stuff. The rest gets on my nerves. Stop crying dude, it ain't that bad!

[Twin Reiver]

(twitch) *shake* ... shudder ... trying to hold tongue ... must not ... can't hold on much longer ...


(and I hope you guys have bought all of Paul Westerberg's records, from the Replacements on through the new stuff, before you give that little ... twitch ... struggling to ... must keep it together ... Ryan Adams a penny.)

[J-man]

I like his stuff a lot, his take on Wonderwall has to be one of the greatest covers of all time. I also quite enjoyed Rock and Roll which was an album of original songs, all of which were tributes to different areas of rock.

[TDPRI]

I like his stuff. And I've not seen him, but I've heard stories about him going off on people. Gossip is probably more like it. And I've seen a couple of news reports of drinking problems, too. Who knows what's true?

My favorite story was at a concert when someone from the Audience called out "Play 'Cuts Like a Knife'!" I heard he went totally nuts and walk off the stage or some such.

Paul Green

[The Actionman]

It'll poison you if you keep it in...

(and yes, I have the Westerberg records -"Come feel me Tremble" being my Fav at the moment and am old enough to have seen the Replacements ! )

[Skully]

I haven't heard enough of his music to comment on his art, but they way he's been portrayed numerous fawning articles I've read about him really turns me off. I'm also wary of buying albums by anyone that prolific, because the bulk of their material invariably ends up being underdeveloped and/or less than vital.

[J-man]

He does like his drink.. My sister went to see him a few years ago and she said he was completely wasted, falling about everywhere, but that he still managed to play really well..

A few gigs later he was SO drunk he fell off the stage and broke both his arms. :D (I shouldn't laugh but it is just a funny mental picture)

[Twin Reiver]

That it's Robbie Fulks paying people to go in there and yell Bryan Adams songs. Talk about good work if you can get it!

And honestly, if he doesn't like people doing that, why doesn't he just use David, his REAL NAME ... I guess he figured if he had something real in his act it would stand out too much ... ah darn it Actionman, look what you made me go and say ....

[J-man]

Originally Posted by Twin Reiver

That it's Robbie Fulks paying people to go in there and yell Bryan Adams songs. Talk about good work if you can get it!

And honestly, if he doesn't like people doing that, why doesn't he just use David, his REAL NAME ... I guess he figured if he had something real in his act it would stand out too much ... ah darn it Actionman, look what you made me go and say ....

Ok.......

Very few younger musicians use their real names, but nevermind......

[Twin Reiver]

And I've actually got the new Ryan Adams Cold Roses CD right in front of me. It's good ... (for keeping my Fresca from leaving a mark on my desk).

[GopherTele]

Robbie Fulks has encouraged his fans to call out Bryan Adams songs at Ryan's gigs for some time now.

In Nashville at the Ryman a year or two ago a smart aleck yelled out "Summer of '69!".

Ryan stopped the show, asked that the house lights be turned on and offered the guy a refund of his 20 bucks or whatever it was. It was pretty embarassing for all.

He's talented, although derivative and a total whiny wuss. I have no time for precious artistes like him.

[Johnny Glow]

Whiskeytown's Faithless Street probally gets more air time in our house than any other cd.

The catchy tele riff of Midway Park (1st track) I could listen to all day -- Ba na na na na na na na ding ding.

I like a lot of his solo stuff but Faithless Street is fantastic.

[The Actionman]

Originally Posted by J-man

I like his stuff a lot, his take on Wonderwall has to be one of the greatest covers of all time. I also quite enjoyed Rock and Roll which was an album of original songs, all of which were tributes to different areas of rock.

Agreed...excellent cover of that track. He made it fresh.
I HATED the rest, well there were a couple that work OK...It sounded like Larry Mullen Jr. was his drummer on that whole record! (No offense to you U2 fans, I like them too...)

[The Actionman]

I knew I could count on you!

So, do you like the "Dark Star" guitars on Cold Roses?
It took me totally by surprise. Had to listen several times before it hit me. Nice change of pace and a very organic sound to the whole production. Cindy Cashdollar does some really cool PS noise behind the guitars on a few tracks. There are 3-4 songs that grate on my nerves though...

(I don't know that I'd admit on the web that I drink Fresca while bashing a guy for using only part of his name... ) David Ryan Adams is his full name

[J-man]

I know quite a few people who go by their middle names, they just prefer them to their actual first names, even their parents call them by their middle names!
I don't see the problem with it..

[Twin Reiver]

I am in the wrong town in the wrong line of work in the wrong circles to really let the true deep soul-crushing darkness of my feelings about David Ryan Adams loose in public. Lord help me. Lord gimme strength ....

And it's a gin and Fresca. I gotta be cool. I'm at work.

[TJNY]

it's only an opinion!!

BTW, he broke his wrist, not both arms in a fall off stage last year whilst heavily intoxicated! I've never broken anything while intoxicated so I'm one up on him!

[Twin Reiver]

And J-man, my friend, the point isn't really that he uses his middle name, I was kinda being facetious a little bit. The point is more that he is a rotten, humorless, egomaniacal little creep who consumes a steady diet of his own press and takes his mediocre third-rate Steve Forbert rip off Psychedelic Furs never squeezed out an idea he didn't release snivelling singin' like a chick watered down y'alternative sophomore in college wimp rock so seriously that he can't even be cool enough to have a laugh at himself and play a couple of bars of Run to You before he starts singing another one of his half-baked melody-less rambling ditties in that cringe-enducing Emmylou Harris falsetto he can't pry his larynx off of. IMH (sic) O, of course.

[Skully]

Hmm... your description of him matches the largely uninformed opinion of him I've formed without listening to more than a song or two of his catalog.

[J-man]

The guy makes good music, that's the way I see it.
I guess I'm biased because I listened to his music long before I had any idea who he was...

[bigdog]

I have a list of artists whom I've never been able to get excited about and Mr. Adams is just another of those folks. I have often spent time wondering what all the hoopla was about with critical faves (fill in your own space)
and why I seemed to be the only one who didn't get it. I am tired of being made to feel that I have failed some type of rite of passage or something because I have a more discerning ear for talent and how it is applied. I don't want to pile on here but I have to agree the whining is a bit over the top.

[moonshiner]

I have a love hate relationship.. if'n he weren't such a prima dona, he'd be taken more seriously... I love how he picks fights with everyone.. Mostly he gets his ass kicked.. There have been plenty of corroborated stories of him being thrown in dumpsters etc...

Cold Roses has nothing memorable on it... In the next 6 months, he'll have 2 more albums out... Hopefully they'll be more impressive... and not so Grateful Dead sounding... Maybe he'll tour with Phil Lesh and friends... he's already "jammed" with him...

His other discs... are pretty good.. lotsa catchy numbers... howerver, Whiskeytown is far better.

[The Actionman]

TR, That ramble about made me fall outa my chair laughing!
I think you got that off your chest nicely...must be the FRESCA talking?

I have to agree, if it was me - I'd work up a full medley of Bryan Adams tunes and whip it out anytime some jackass threw that out from the croud!
He is WAAAAAAY to serious about himself and his music.

Unfortunately, I must disagree with you that he is without talent. I think the kid is very good alot of the time, but horrible some of the time.
(The falsetto thing has definately been bugging me lately.)

J-man, don't take any of this too seriously either.
My point here is mostly this:
Ryan Adams is someone who needs the helping hand of an elder muscian to kick him in the ass and say "Lighten up kid".

Despite his self-abuse, whining about how he's been short changed or not loved, pig-headed insistance to release EVERY song he's penned, and sometimes arrogant for no good reason attitude...he can write a good song and deliver it with feeling and emotion.
I think if he would cull half of the crap he puts out and tame his ego, he could be an artist of huge proportion. But alas, he will continue to piss off even his fans and more folks who have not really turned onto him by acting the fool and putting out some great songs muddied by quite a few half-baked ones that take away from the general quality of the song writing.

Boy, this has been a good thread so far!
Thank y'all for jumping in the mix here...

(please continue the discussion)

[BLACKCAT69]

I'm cracking up here. Has anyone seen his live in Jamaica CD? I've seen bits but not enough to make a judgement call on it. I suspect it shows a lighter side to Adams...but is it worth a rental?

[captain gorgeous]

Whiny prima donna? = yep

Drunk? = yep

Copyist = weeeel i think he's got a real sense of history and where he's coming from so, proabably yeah i wee bit i guess... Okay i'll give you that one. But i get the feeling he's only paying homage to The Replacements, The Smiths, The Stones, Van Morrison, The Beatles, Gram Parsons whoever...

"Melody free" are you KIDDING me?!" that b******* has more killer tunes up his sleeeve than i'll ever write in my whole life. Have you ever played ony of his stuff? try Wild Flowers off Gold. How'dya like them chord changes? Simple. Beautiful. Musical. Natural. God I could hate that guy.

Dear Chicago?

My Blue Manhattan?

The vocals on To Be Young or Faithless Street would be enough for me to to defend the stroppy monkey anyway, but the fact that he's come up with SIX albums worth of on the most part pretty interesting and annoyingly touching music in the last three years or so. that's gotta count for something right?

yeah some of his stuff stinks and he's probably a bit of an idiot in person - but since when being a reliable, sober, stand-up-guy count for anything in the interesting musical talent stakes?

sure it's unbelievably nice when your heros turn out be sweet, friendly and down-to-earth guys.

but so what if they're not? what if they're all screwed up.

that's not why i bought their records. i bet keith richards is a right pain to be around!

i'll buy the new one.

[The Actionman]

Yes, I own it...laugh if you must. I am not ashamed.
(plus I picked it up for $9.99!)

The audio quality is amazing given it's a location shoot, it was from the "Music in High Places" series.
Very well filmed too...

Ryan has no less than 2 whiney fits in the thing.
One about bugs biting him and the other about a sunburn he got on a Waverunner. You can see the producer roll his eyes several times as they're rubbing sunscreen on his knee through a rip in his jeans!
That part kills me everytime...HILARIOUS!!!
Oh yeah, one more where he's whining to go shopping instead of getting a good take...WTF???

That aside the songs are done well and there is a cool work out of a reggae tune with Toots Maytel (sp?).
Probably the best example of the musician Ryan can be...


I'd say worth the rent if you dig his tunes, just keep the remote handy to forward thru the breaks, as it was originally done for TV.

Again, this is another instance in which he comes off as a complete idiot and a brilliant singer/writer in the same presentation. The guy just can't help himself...

(are you starting to understand my conflict?)

[The Actionman]

"yeah some of his stuff stinks and he's probably a bit of an idiot in person - but since when being a reliable, sober, stand-up-guy count for anything in the interesting musical talent stakes? "

Most of my heros musically and otherwise are complete jerks.
(nicest thing I could say with offending)

Why is that...?
And what does that say about me..?

(sorry that could be a complete other thread and my therapist would get pissed that I shared with someone that didn't charge me!)

[David Barnett]

Whiskey Town played once at the venue where I work. At the time I'd never heard of them, and had no idea why the "is he even legal age yet???" singer was such an arrogant f*ck, or how he had earned the right to be so jaded at such a young age.

But he had a mahogany-top Guild flattop with a tone that was to die for. After sound check I asked him what kind of pickup was in it, and he physicially turned his nose up in the air and said "the BEST kind" and turned around and walked off.

During the show he made constant complaints to his sound man.

Actually the thing that impressed me the most about the whole thing was that he had Ed "eDFROMOHIO" Crawford of fIREHOSE on lead guitar.

[David Barnett]

I heard an interview with Adams on NPR once, and the interviewer (I think it was Teri Gross of "Fresh Air") asked if he ever suffered from writer's block. Adams replied: "No, my muse never leaves me."

[BlueMidnight]

I think Ryan is often a self-absorbed immature jerk, but I enjoy his songs and the fact that he and guys like him and Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy are keeping country rock, alt-country and the spirit of Gram Parsons alive. Ryan's a prolific musician and I think most of his stuff is pretty damn good. The Rock N Roll album full of killer guitar tones. I hear all of the above mentioned influences in his music as well, but those are all artists and bands I already like. I try to ignore "difficult" artists' personalities and just enjoy the music.

[andrew]

His "Gold" album is decent, I listen to it from time to time.

Jack Ingram has given him some air time on his weekly radio show with his new cd, and it's not tooo bad from what I hear.

[jpkusa]

I have a hate/hate relationship with him.

[ye olde fretmonkey]

Originally Posted by David Barnett

I heard an interview with Adams on NPR once, and the interviewer (I think it was Teri Gross of "Fresh Air") asked if he ever suffered from writer's block. Adams replied: "No, my muse never leaves me."

*phfffft*

Oh, for cryinoutloud~!

Originally Posted by twin reiver

And J-man, my friend, the point isn't really that he uses his middle name, I was kinda being facetious a little bit. The point is more that he is a rotten, humorless, egomaniacal little creep who consumes a steady diet of his own press and takes his mediocre third-rate Steve Forbert rip off Psychedelic Furs never squeezed out an idea he didn't release snivelling singin' like a chick watered down y'alternative sophomore in college wimp rock so seriously that he can't even be cool enough to have a laugh at himself and play a couple of bars of Run to You before he starts singing another one of his half-baked melody-less rambling ditties in that cringe-enducing Emmylou Harris falsetto he can't pry his larynx off of. IMH (sic) O, of course.

...WOW...!

[dhdfoster]

"it's Robbie Fulks paying people to go in there and yell Bryan Adams songs. Talk about good work if you can get it!"

LOL! I'm sorry, but I find this very funny. I find it funny that people actually do it, and I find it funny that he throws a fit. I'd probaby pay to see him just for this.

[ye olde fretmonkey]

Yeah, Robbie Fulks has been doing that for awhile. Actually he's offered to refund the ticket price of anyone who gets tossed for yelling Bryan Adams songs (refunded in Robbie Fulks merch).

[Twin Reiver]

that Robbie Fulks does that, but Robbie shouldn't throw stones at smug loudmouths in glass houses. But if he is throwing at Ryan Adams, here's hoping he throws hard.

[Seanycaster]

One of my main problems with Ryan Adams is that he doesn't seem to know when to keep his gob shut. I've read interviews with him where he has been very bravado about he drug taking and his life style. Now I'm not about to get all holier that thou about people's lifestyles, but it struck me as the king of thing one should keep to himself. So yes, he can write a good song, and yes, his version of Wonderwall is frankly brilliant, but at the end the day he's just another spoilt little brat of the music industry looking for attention :x