Describe Ryan Adams in one word

Another good one.

 

Wonder what Songbird thinks of Adams' cover of Wonderwall?

 

He covers Green Day but won't sing "Summer of '69." Douche with a capital D.

 

mercurial

can be brilliant but volatile, erratic and wildly inconsistent

 

Angry.

 

Obsequious
Purple
Clairvoyant.

 

Douche. Not many people fit that word better.

 

I'm NOT Ryan Adams, assholes!

 

Who?

 

Brilliant.

This is one of those things that I can argue for days. Ryan Adams might be an asshole -- and there is plenty of evidence to suggest this, although most if it was produced in the height of his drug addiction -- but he's easily one of the most talented songwriters alive, and maybe of the last 30 years. Jay is correct; Adams really could write a song about this thread -- in 20 minutes -- and it would be better than half of what Billy Joe Armstrong has written in the last 10 years. And I like Billy Joe Armstrong. (He even appeared on Love is Hell, btw.)

The Summer of '69 stuff is probably the dumbest shit ever. If you think it's sooooo fucking hilarious to go to a Ryan Adams concert and scream "Summer of '69!" for two straight hours, why are you even there? (Get it! Their names are similar! One is a shitty Canadian pop star who wrote that song from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves!) I can't defend his assholish phone calls to Jim DeRogotis, but he's hardly the first or last musician to flip out over a bad review.

I'm not sure anyone has ever written better break-up songs than Adams. His stuff with Whiskeytown contains some of the best "story" songs of the last two decades (Jacksonville Skyline; Houses on the Hill; Bar Lights) and though some of his solo stuff has been mediocre (I think 29 is almost unlistenable and I don't really care for Jacksonville City Lights) I've never really understood why people seem to get mad that he puts out an album every year.

If all you know of Ryan is "New York, New York" or "Stars Go Blue" fricken PM me your address and I will send your ass a CD full of songs. Or at the very least, listen to some of his stuff on YouTube.

4. Dear Chicago (my favorite Adams tune)

5. Bar Lights

6. Jacksonville Skyline

7. Dance All Night

8. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight

9. Burning Photographs

10. Hotel Chelsea Nights

 

good job double down

yeah, whiskeytown was great

 

Great freaking call on Jacksonville Skyline.
Besides Dear Chicago, that's my favorite song he has done, and one of my all-time favorite lines is in that song.

That paints just about as perfect a picture as I can imagine.