It’s true… I’m still reeling from the news of Ryan Adams‘ hiatus. It’s a tough pill to swallow because I’m such a huge fan of his music. Adams truly spoiled his fans by releasing so much material… he put out eleven solo albums in eight years… NOT counting his output with Whiskeytown. Just to give you some perspective on how prolific Adams was, Michael Jackson has only released nine solo albums since 1972, not counting his various Greatest Hits packages. And Jackson is the “King of Pop.”
Ryan Adams will hopefully be back sooner than he thinks…
I’ve been listening to his catalog now for the past few days, and have decided to list my Top 6 Ryan Adams Songs. Remember, these are MY favorites… so if I’ve left a favorite of YOURS off the list, please feel free to chime in!
Oh My Sweet Carolina – (From Heartbreaker)
This has got to be my favorite Ryan Adams song. It’s always a joy to hear, and I frankly can’t get enough of it.
The album version has emmylou harris singing harmony with him. If there’s one singer that can make me weep, it’s Harris. Well, Barney also makes me weep, but that’s only because I know that I have to jab my ears with pencils afterwards.
Many people regard Heartbreaker as Adams’ greatest effort, and with a song like “Oh My Sweet Carolina” on it… well, that’s quite a strong argument. I know that I tend to compare all of his releases to Heartbreaker. Is that fair? I don’t know. I just tend to do that.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Oh My Sweet Carolina (live 2002-11-15 @ Savoy Theatre)
La Cienega Just Smiled (From Gold)
Ryan Adams sure knows how to tug at the heartstrings, don’t he? I can recall playing this song for almost 24 hours straight when I first got the record. “La Cienega Just Smiled” sounded great at any volume, and it still does.
I remember discovering where La Cienega is… for those that don’t know, it’s a street in Los Angeles, at least I think that’s what Adams is referring to. When I finally came across the street, I had to pull over on the side of the road and say to myself, “Ohhhhhh.”
Up until that point, I thought La Cienega was a person.
The lines “And I hold you close in the back of my mind / Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt” floors me.
Then again, La Cienega COULD be a person… to which I would say, “Ohhhhhh.”
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: La Cienega Just Smiled (acoustic version from The Suicide Handbook)
Hallelujah (From Demolition)
Ok, I couldn’t find another live version of “Hallelujah,” aside from the one included in the Das Haus bootleg I posted a few days ago. Off of Demolition, “Hallelujah” has one of the best melodies Adams has produced. It’s simple, concise, and every time I come across the song, I have to play it at least five times in a row.
Demolition mainly consisted of songs that didn’t make the cut for Heartbreaker or Gold, but I thought it was a strong album and think it’s a nice landmark to an “era” of his career.
For those interested in this period of his writing, you should try to find a copy of The Suicide Handbook, a collection of acoustic demos that were supposed to be the album after Heartbreaker.
If you find it, you’re cool.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Hallelujah
Let It Ride (From Cold Roses)
The double-album Cold Roses was part of Adams’ three-pronged attack in 2005. He apparently wanted to one-up Bright Eyes, who released two albums in the same year. If you picked up all five albums from both artists, you were in for a treat…
Anyhow, I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Roses, one song in particular. “Let It Ride” was easily my favorite song from the lot. The production of the song was “old-school,” in that the drums were pushed to one side (the left, I believe), a technique that I’m a fan of. I’m not sure WHY I like that technique, maybe because it reminds me of TheBeatles, who did the same thing on a number of their tracks.
“Let It Ride” is one of the smoothest songs of Adams. It just flows like the Cumberland River as you leave on the Delta Queen.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Let It Ride (live 10-4-08)
Two (From Easy Tiger)
I became a huge fan of this song last year on a camping trip. My good friend, John Davis (a spectacular drummer), pulled out a guitar and started to play “Two,” and I sat there singing what harmonies I knew to it. I murdered the song, but it stuck with me… after that moment, I couldn’t stop spinning it.
Easy Tiger had a lot of wonderful nuggets in it, but “Two” rises above the rest because of the feel… it’s so relaxed and fits perfectly on a lazy Sunday morning.
The beginning of the song reminds me of “Harder Now That It’s Over,” and a slowed down “New York, New York,” but Adams picks out a great melody, and the part where he sings, “And I’m fractured from the fall” is just gorgeous.
I only wish the song were a BIT longer.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: Two (live)
To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) (From Heartbreaker)
“To Be Young” is the way Adams introduced his solo work to the world off his debut, Heartbreaker. This song is just a blast to hear, and I haven’t grown tired of it after all these years.
I found this ROCKIN’ live performance of the songs on my iTunes, dating back to 2002.
For those that are fans of the movie Old School, you’ve heard this song before as it plays during the opening credits.
“Hi, I’m here for the gang-bang?” HAHAHA!!!! LOVE that movie!
The track posted below only lasts about two minutes and fifty seconds, and the rest is just Adams introducing his band, so don’t think that the version here is four minutes long. It’s a kick in the arse, though, no matter the duration.
Your Dig-It Download:
Download: To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) (live in Austin, TX 9-29-02)
Man, I dig his music. What are your favorite Ry Adams songs?
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