Ryan Adams The Album by Album Thread

I am starting to listen to Ryan albums again, with three new albums coming this year
Would anyone with good knowledge of his work
Please start
Thanks

 

Summer of '69 is pretty great

 

There's this great story where Ryan confronted a "Brian Adams" heckler and had him removed from the show. Complete with $20!

 

That's a pretty ambitious project. Especially if you included Whiskeytown. Used to be pretty knowledgeable about his albums up to "29" but haven't played them in ages.

 

Heartbreaker is the debut solo studio album by American singer/songwriter Ryan Adams, released September 5, 2000 on Bloodshot Records. The album was recorded over fourteen days at Woodland Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. It was nominated for the 2001 Shortlist Music Prize. The album is said to be inspired by Adams' break-up with music industry publicist Amy Lombardi.[1]

Heartbreaker

Studio album by
Ryan Adams
Released September 5, 2000
Recorded Woodland Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre

• Alternative country

Length 51:57
Label Bloodshot
Producer Ethan Johns
Ryan Adams chronology
Heartbreaker
(2000) Gold
(2001)
According to Adams, the album's title originates from a poster of Mariah Carey: "My manager called and said, 'You have 15 seconds to name this record,' "My eyes focused on this poster of Mariah wearing a T-shirt that said HEARTBREAKER. I just shouted, 'Heartbreaker!'"[2]

 

Love Heartbreaker -- To Be Young, Winding Wheel, Sweet Carolina, Damn Sam, Shakedown on 9th are my favorites

 

Come pick me up is a great song, love that lyric

 

I think I overplayed Heartbreaker at the time. To the point that I find it difficult to enjoy now.

That said the highs on it are outstanding (Damn Sam, Come Pick Me Up, Why Do They Leave, To Be The One).

 

While I certainly enjoy Heartbreaker, it was the next album where Ryan Adams truly got his hooks into me.

 

I was 17 when Heartbreaker came out, fresh out of a tough break up and it hit me, hard. Weirdly, my mum recommended the album to me...

Anyway, the warmth in this album is astonishing. There’s so much air too. Come Pick Me Up seemed to be the fan favourite at the time and for the next few years was the song everyone cheered for most at his gigs, but Oh My Sweet Carolina is a stone cold classic. Had Neil Young released that song on Harvest, it’d be up there with Heart of Gold in the highest echelons of singer-songwriter tracks. I think it deserves far more praise than it gets. If you’ve ever heard Ryan do that song solo, especially with a quiet crowd, it’s ethereal.

For me, Carolina and Call Me On Your Way Back Home are two of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Sweet Lil Gal, In My Time Of Need, My Winding Wheel... there’s just so much to choose from here.

Wonderful, wonderful album. I haven’t played it in a long while as I feel burned out on Ryan after spending much of the last... wow, 19 years... listening to him. But I know as with all past musical loves of mine, he’ll come back into favour at just the right point and I’ll appreciate it all over again.

 

I have the SACD of this album and the recent deluxe version. It is a great collection of songs. I am not sure he has ever written anything as good as Oh My Sweet Carolina. Also love Damn Sam, Come Pick Me Up, In my Time of Need. If I had to pick my favourite 20 of his songs, I think all four would be in the chart.

 

He does seem to be channeling Neil Young and Bob Dylan on this record, more than any of his subsequent records. Any fan of those two acts would find a lot to like on this record.

 

To get my weekly music fix I present a Community Radio show on www.103theeye.co.uk
Several years ago a regular listener asked for Ryan's Magnolia Mountain for the Beat The DJ spot, where I'll play anything.
Maybe once a decade an artist alters your musical landscape.
This track hit so hard I had to get everything by RDA.

Timeless album from a guy who cares
Maybe sometimes too much. In a good way.
And featuring musical royalty.
Rarely off the turntable.

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "(Argument with David Rawlings Concerning Morrissey)" (An argument regarding the Morrissey track "Suedehead".) 0:37
2. "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" Ryan Adams, David Rawlings 3:04
3. "My Winding Wheel" 3:13
4. "Amy" 3:46
5. "Oh My Sweet Carolina" 4:57
6. "Bartering Lines" Ryan Adams, Van Alston 3:59
7. "Call Me On Your Way Back Home" 3:09
8. "Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)" 2:08
9. "Come Pick Me Up" Ryan Adams, Van Alston 5:18
10. "To Be the One" 3:01
11. "Why Do They Leave?" 3:38
12. "Shakedown on 9th Street" 2:53
13. "Don't Ask for the Water" 2:56
14. "In My Time of Need" 5:39
15. "Sweet Lil Gal (23rd/1st)" 3:39

 

Musicians

• Ryan Adams - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, piano, banjo
• Ethan Johns - drums, bass, Chamberlain, glockenspiel, B-3, vibes
• David Rawlings - backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, tambourine
• Gillian Welch - backing vocals, banjo, acoustic guitar, electric bass, "voice of Lucy"
• Pat Sansone - piano (5, 9, 11), Chamberlin and organ (6), backing vocals (2)
• Emmylou Harris - backing vocals (5)
• Kim Richey - backing vocals (9)
• Allison Pierce - backing vocals (11)

 

Essential: cold roses, love is hell, Heartbreaker

 

I find Ryan Adams to be a pretty frustrating artist. Loved Whiskeytown, and Heartbreaker and Gold are absolutely stunning, essential albums. But since then, he seems to be just churning out one decent-but-forgettable album after another. A real case of quantity over quality.

I'll admit I haven't heard every album, but has he done anything else that comes close to the quality of those first two albums?

 

Along with Jason Isbell, my favourite songwriter lately.

 

I think Cold Roses is his best album. Love is Hell is also fantastic.

 

I'm sure I'm in a minority here when I say I really like his last two albums (s/t & prisoner)
I'd go with cold roses, love is hell & heartbreaker as my top three earlier records

 

Hey, Wilco's Pat Sansone! Well, he wasn't back then, but not sure i ever knew he was on this ...

 

His self titled album Is brilliant from a few years back imo

 

Agree last two are really good, and he’s brilliant live

 

Heartbreaker has great some sonics..Isn't Petals in a rainstorm from these sessions?

 

Pretty much my experience as well. After Gold I went back and bought this one as well as the Whiskeytown records.

It's probably my most listened to Ryan Adams records right now. Not sure if its my favorite, Gold and Love is Hell run neck and neck with this record for that, but its certainly one of my favorites.