Ryan Adams
Throughout the '90s, Country music's mode of operation was "cleaning up" the '70s Eagles sound and riding it to the bank. With M.O.R. pap spewing from Country radio it looked as though the time was right for Alt. Country. Like Outlaw Country, which blew away the stale Nashville establishment in the '70s, Alt. Country seemed ready to break through. Only one thing - it didn't happen. Seems the Country crowd liked their music by-the-numbers and the emotions all glossy. Too bad. A lot of good, and maybe near great, Alt. Country groups, like Whiskeytown, came and went with barely any notice, except from the occasional non-Country music critic. Fat lot of good it did them.
Whiskeytown's volatile frontman, Ryan Adams hit the solo road following his band's demise. His first effort, another Alt. Country album (some people are slow on the uptake) was a musically compelling but a lyrically depressing collection (critics loved it) that failed to register. Losing the gloom and turning more toward Rock, Adams recorded the L.A. (the North Carolina native's residence) influenced "Gold" in '01. The album featured "New York, New York" (yeah, it's supposed to be about L.A.), "Firecracker" and "Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard." "Demolition" came a year later.
Anyone who appears on their album cover holding an electric guitar had better be prepared to deliver. '03 release "Rock N Roll" does just that. Adams released the acoustic oriented twin EPs "Love Is Hell - Part 1 & 2" in late '03 and early '04. Then he managed to break his wrist falling off the stage during a Liverpool concert.
'05 was a busy one for Adams. During the year, he and his band, the Cardinals, put out the Country-oriented "Jacksonville City Nights." There was also the acoustic - piano/guitar - leaning "29" and the double album "Cold Roses," which fell in the middle.
Adams spent much of '06 touring the U.S. and Europe. He and the Cardinals took time out to work on Willie Nelson's "Songbird." Adams produced and the Cardinals played. The album received tepid reviews.
The following year, Adams revealed that he had beaten addiction. He said that he routinely snorted heroin cut with cocaine, took speedballs and abused alcohol and pills. Given his work ethic and prolific nature, the news came as a surprise, though it probably accounts for some of his more laidback efforts. Adams credited his girlfriend Jessica Joffe and Alcoholics Anonymous for getting him through the ordeal. "Easy Tiger" hit that summer.
Adams released the EP "Follow The Lights" in '07 and reunited with the Cardinals the next year for "Cardinology." But that didn't last. He quit the Cardinals in '09. "I have absolutely no idea what the future holds," said guitarist Neal Casal. "The Cardinals were the best band I've ever been in, and I would love to play with them again."
Adding to the ambiguity was Adams marriage to actress Mandy Moore and the Cardinals (sans Adams) work backing New Zealand singer-songwriter Gin Wigmore on her full-length debut album "Holy Smoke."
"I encouraged Ryan to go and get married, and have a life and find some peace," said Cardinal drummer Brad Pemberton. "The guy hasn't really slowed down in ten years, and he needed it as much as we did."
Adams first post-Cardinals effort was '10's Metal influenced "Orion" which was released on vinyl and online through Adams' PAX AM label. Later in the year, tracks recorded during the "Easy Tiger" sessions (but not included on the album) became "Cardinals III/IV."
For a Judd Apatow hosted charity gig (826LA.org, an L.A. based non-profit that supports creative writing by school aged children), Adams gave his first "official" show since leaving the Cardinals. He went on stage backed by the Ryan Adams Band which consisted of former Cardinal keyboardist Jamie Candiloro, bassist Sebastian Steinberg and drummer Marshall Vore.
Adams' next effort stood in stark contrast to "Orion." Recorded in Hollywood, the acoustic ballad oriented "Ashes & Fire," arrived in October, '11.
2000 Heartbreaker
2001 Gold
2002 Demolition
2003 Rock N' Roll
2004 Love Is Hell
2005 Cold Roses (w/ The Cardinals)
2005 Jacksonville City Nights (w/ The Cardinals)
2005 29
2006 Easy Tiger (w/ The Cardinals),
2007 Follow The Lights (w/ The Cardinals)
2008 Cardinology (w/ The Cardinals)
2010 Orion
2010 Cardinals III/IV
2011 Ashes & Fire
Whiskeytown's Alt. Country and Adams debut solo album are, like Jack Daniels, an acquired taste. Not that it's bad, there's just a lot to go through to get it. The far more accessible and accomplished "Gold" does the job. Adams is a prolific songwriter, writing or co-writing all the tracks. Various musicians, including guitarist Chris Stills (yes, he's the son of Stephen), Counting Crow's Adam Duritz and keyboardist Benmont Tench (whose day gig is Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) help out. '02 release "Demolition," a compilation of previously unreleased material starts strong with the Country tinged "Nuclear." The raw throat Rocker "Starting To Hurt," the shuffling "Tennessee Sucks" and the acoustic flavored, harmonica spiked "Hallelujah" are recommended. But the rest of the album lacks the kick and general fun of its predecessor.
The five people that actually buy Alt. Country CDs might view "Rock N Roll" as a sell out. But everyone else will be happy with Adams' effort. Opener "This Is It" signals that the electric guitar is the driving force. "Shallow" has a "taken me higher than I've ever been" theme that just about falls into a T-Rex groove (without losing its footing) while the free floating "So Alive" has an intrinsic appeal. "1974" ("like the day I was born") is another exceptional track. Everyone knew Adams had it in him. "Rock N Roll" proves the point.
On "Love Is Hell - Part 1 & 2" EPs Adams continues his "write 'em/record 'em" mode. For the most part these acoustic ramblings range from forgettable to irritating. The exceptions on "Part 1" include an acoustic version of the Oasis classic "Wonderwall." Clearly out of the Rock context, the song takes on a different, more intimate feeling. "Love Is Hell" actually brings some life (and electric guitars) to the proceedings. "Part 2" has the pleasant "English Girls Approximately."
With a musical chameleon like Adams (he's even dabbled in Hip-Hop) it's tempting to catalog the influences or styles on a particular album and call it good. Sure, Adams channels Neil Young ("Goodnight Rose" and "Off Broadway" in particular) here and there on "Easy Tiger" but he uses it within the context of the song.
Young was probably not the originator of that rough, whiney, high-nasal tone but he was the first to sell it to the Rock audience. Like Bob Dylan, Young's songs told stories where his vocal limitations added credibility. Adams can pull that off too effectively using the same sort of inflections to anchor a track.
There's a nod toward Dwight Yoakam ("Tears Of Gold") while the album ends with Bluegrass and acoustic Country songs. OK, Adams can sound like other people, so how's he do on his own hook? Pretty good. Two songs, the introspective ballad, "Two" (my money's no good when I'm up to no good"), with vocal help from Sheryl Crow, and airy, free-flowing "Two Hearts" show Adams at his most self-expressive, confident and accomplished. The set's curve is "Halloween Head." In this dark, impressionistic song Adams describes a street scene Lou Reed would appreciate.
"Follow The Lights" is another of Adams' low key efforts but it's a collection of pretty impressive songs and performances. The title track is a haunted acoustic song with a strong emotive draw. Adams channels "Harvest" era Neil Young again on "Down In The Hole." "My Love For You Is Real" takes a pleasant Country/Bluegrass (with banjo) turn while "Blue Hotel" has Adams in full troubadour mode. All that is pretty much expected. A surprise comes when he delivers a more grounded (and forceful) spin on The Strokes "This Is it."
What's nice about working with a band is that there is some muscle behind the songs. Adams, cleaned up and ready to go, takes advantage of the opportunity on "Cardinology" where he travels through all things Country-Rock.
Gram Parsons' influence permeates the ballad "Born Into A Light" while Adams pulls off the neat trick of channeling Young (yet again) and cutting it with Bono's directness on the stellar "Fix It." The spiritual "Let Us Down Easy" and the gospel tinged "Natural Ghost" provide emotional resonance. "Go Easy" features a cascade of shimmering guitar chords reminiscent of Tom Petty but it's the unbridled "Magick" ("what goes around, comes around, turn up the radio and get down") that draws attention. The title's spelling (with the added 'k') was popularized by Aleister Crowley, a British occultist (among other things), early in the 20th century. Magick was "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will." Willing something to happen. That obscure reference aside, this blast of pure Southern Rock steals the show.
Few groups enter the studio and record just enough songs to fill an album. Most cut a few extra and leave it to the producer or label to sort out the best eleven or so. But some groups lay down enough material for a couple albums. The songs left off are usually only released if the band's lead singer dies or some other tragedy befalls the act; the group disbands but is still popular; or massive writer's block.
For the "Easy Tiger" sessions Ryan Adams and the Cardinals produced additional 21 songs which eventually made up "III/IV." As Bruce Springsteen proved with the '10 release of "The Promise" - songs recorded during the "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" era - these shelved tracks are as good as the cuts that made the album. Maybe they didn't fit the concept or were too similar to other songs. While Adams is no Springsteen he is a lot closer than most think.
"III/IV" represents a creative peak in a career laced with them. Adams and the band take a Hard Rock approach throughout but infuse particular songs with Punk ("Numbers") and Metal ("Icebreaker"). There's even a nod to The Cars (sans keyboards) on "Wasteland" and the expected Country romp, "Happy Birthday." With so many gems these once shelved tracks represent a treasure trove.
"Ashes & Fire" with Country tinged songs - nearly all ballads - is reflective of "Harvest" era Neil Young. That's most evident on "Dirty Rain." The dark yet intimate storytelling resonates on the title track and "Lucky Now." Given the stripped down arrangements, "Chains Of Love" sounds positively lush.