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Ryan Adams-more than hype

Just a few notes about Ryan Adams an artist I think many Audiogoners would enjoy but might avoid due to the hype surrounding him and indeed the adverse publicity.
Indeed one member told me he avoided him due to this name being too similar to Bryan Adams!

Who is he?
He's thirty this year, born in Jacksonville,NC was the main man in alt-country band Whiskeytown and has been an acclaimed solo artist since 1999.

Is he good?
He's the real deal but more of that later.

Why the bum rap?
He is something of a wonder kid,songs seem to pour out of him at an amazing rate in a wide range of styles so part of the negativity to me is jealousy.
However he has a self-destructive streak, problems with drugs an alcohol have featured in his life at times.
Occassionally on stage he's been an idiot but I do believe he is 100% genuine,his gig recently in Glasgow was a joy to watch,it's easy to see he's a little misunderstood.
If occassional bad behaviour(and it's minor) was a barrier in chossing music to listen to our collections would be mostly empty.

The music?
Awesome in places,he's the closet to a modern day (younger)song writing genius we have.Part of his problem is he creates so much music that he must find it difficult to find the right presentation for it.
Who does he sound like?
He has country roots (he did a spectacular To Miss Someone in Glasgow,he has an amazing voice when he goes plaintive)with an occassional rockier edge-he can evoke memories of everybody from Dylan,Van Morrisson, The Band,Gram Parsons,Cash, and his new record The Smiths and U2.
He can sound like a magpie at times but what saves him,makes him special is the quality of the songs.

What should I buy?
Probably Gold is the place to start-arguably his most mainstream record,listen to it and don't dismiss it because of the influences,let it breathe and you will hear a very very special talent.
I would also state I'm no expert,like any artist there is an underground network of bootlegs,unreleased songs etc.-I'm sure if the rumours are true some of his best stuff is still in the can.
If you can try to hear some of his most beautiful songs like La Cienga Just Smiled from Gold or indeed Dear Chicago from the otherwise poor Demolition and tell me I'm wrong.
ben_campbell
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Everytime I see him on TV, I think yeah, he's got some talent (also, gee, he looks totally different yet again), but doesn't really have 'it'. By which I guess I mean that I'm never as bowled over as the critics say I should be (not at all, actually), and he seems more like a dilettantish craftsman than an original/inspired genius, and a bit of a self-conscious poser at that. All of his reference points let me know that he and I probably admire a lot of the same stuff, but heck, I can enjoy that on my own without needing him. I haven't heard all that much of him, it's true, but from what I have heard, I wouldn't put him in the same catagory as prime Westerberg or Chilton or Costello, for instance - more like one of their skilled admirers (who also digs Gram Parsons) than true inheritor, maybe sort of the new Matthew Sweet, but no Gene Clark (or even Robyn Hitchcock). However, I suppose in these artistically impoverished days one could do worse...
ben_campbell OP
1,164 posts
 
Zaikesman-I know very well where you are coming from.
I allude to that in my original post.
There is not an awful lot of originality per se in his work (when was the last time anybody did anything original in their work for that matter?)but the quality is there in abundance and indeed the songwriting is of a quality and quantity that beats the likes of Alex Chilton. Chilton's standing in my book is way overrated,I like Westerberg a lot but neither would win prizes for originality.
Adams comes from the same chain of songwriting/rock and roll but imho he has more scope and more versatility than they did-the 5 full records he has produced since 2000 are a pretty eclectic bunch.
Try to hear So Alive from Rock and Roll,La Cienga from Gold,Political Scientist from Love Is Hell,Dear Chicago from Demolition and To Be Young from Heartbreaker and tell me most of the names you mentioned could fit that range (Costello would be the exception).
Better still try to catch him live he was/is the equal of both Westerberg and Costello both of whom I've seen live and enjoyed greatly (although Costello stunk once).
I think part of the problem is us- we are so aware of the influences indeed the history of music that we automatically make the connections-Adams work is good enough to survive that if you listen ENOUGH because the quality and the spirit of his music comes through,it is music with roots and I believe it to come from a pretty honest guy with a good heart whatever his flaws and yes he is human.
I've been following muisic for 25 years and longer and I've seen plenty of hyped acts who to varying degrees struggled to live up to their labels.
I stand by every word Ryan Adams does have "it" and in abundance.
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Ben - When I say originality, I mostly refer to the originality of the spirit, since very few performers can actually become true musical-form trailblazers on the order of say an Elvis Presley or James Brown. John Fogerty would be a classic exemplar of this other, equally-valuable way of being an 'original'. Basically, I guess it boils down to having your own organic thing, and that inimitable thing being exceptionally good. BTW, you may be in some sense correct when you say that Chilton's standing may be overrated (meaning with critics, mostly), but in the larger picture he is still undervalued (yes, it's possible to be both, meaning those who pay attention at all are largely insistent on doing so for his supposed 'influence', rather than for his work). And it's never been about quantity (see above Gene Clark reference, and then contrast the relatively small size of his prime body of work with the much larger size of, for instance, Costello's or Dylan's *non-prime* bodies of work). We can't all be prolific like Paul McCartney or Brian Wilson, and most shouldn't ever try.
ben_campbell OP
1,164 posts
 
Zaikesman I think he is original in spirit which is what I tried to explain badly.I think we take a similar view to artists and I think Adams is honest which is how I'd put.
I agree about quantity in those terms (Nick Drake for me) and I again maybe put it badly however he does seem to have that thing Dylan had in the 60's where the music almost seems to explode out of him.
judasmac
25 posts
 
Hey, I'm new to this thread, and I'm new to Ryan Adams. I started listening to Demolition, Gold, and Whiskeytown's Pneumonia without knowing there was any hype surrounding him -- I didn't know about the Gap ad or Elton John etc. The more I listen the more I agree that he IS the real deal, but very much a work in process. He's a real talent, a gifted songwriter, but still a kid, really, and I hope that explains some of the posing and silliness that I hear reported about him. But these three CDs are well worth checking out and Adams is worth keeping an eye on. I buck the trend and prefer Demolition over Gold and even over Heartbreaker, although I know it least well. Demolition is supposed to be demos, but I don't buy it. This is very polished work and well enough recorded, although not as "produced" as Gold (that's a good thing). A bit more exploratory, overall, which is why I suspect it was released under the guise of "demos." Heartbreaker seems a fine CD, but has a more conventional sound. Following too closely in Steve Earle's tracks perhaps. I haven't heard his latest, but I'm sure I'll track them down and follow his career.
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