Heartbreaker

didn't actually listen to this because fuck Ryan Adams, instead i listened to A Tribe Called Quest - Thank you for your service.... We've got it from here Q-Tip's product is as slick as ever and opener Space Program followed up quickly with We the people.... set the tone for the rest of the album. Solid wall of sound has the best use of a Elton John sample and i think is a stand out non single track. This is a fitting final album for an amazing group, RIP Phife

I loved that song he did for Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. It was number 1 for 16 weeks. And what a 16 weeks they were. This doesn't stand up to that monster.

2.5 - If this album was a sexual encounter, it’d be a third date and in the middle of dinner she says she’d rather be friends. I’m reminded of live acoustic music you might hear at a winery. It’s contemplative, downtempo. Your mind wanders to boring places as you listen. How does this tiny vineyard town support a music scene? How many musicians make their living playing these winery venues? Why is this dude on the guitar wearing so much turquoise jewelry?

I kove this album. Yep, Ryan is a douche and always has been. All of you up on your soapbox aren't going to sway me. If you want to whine about every creep in the music biz you might as well just give up on this project right now because I've got some baaaaad news for you. It's a rock solid 4, but I'm making it a 5 because this overall score is criminally low.

Fuck this predator piece of shit abusive garbage man. I’m not giving him a dime of royalty money today or ever! Justice for Mandy Moore and Liz Phair. I’d rather listen to a Bryan Adams album.

This albums is actually pretty solid. It just sucks dick that the dude is the fucking worst.

Never heard this album, nor listened to Ryan Adams. The first track, “To Be Young”, is a good example of the mood of the music and the mood of the lyric completely and intentionally opposed to one another. Not sure to what purpose, but intriguing. Good instrumental settings and performances. Good acoustic guitar with sensitive coloring backgrounds—well-produced. Vocally pleasing, effective use of hushed melodies. Not a trained voice, and lacking range in the natural register, but effective, given the genre. Emmylou Harris’ backing vocal on “Oh My Sweet Carolina” is not an example of her better work. (I suspect her agent was trying to keep her relevant, when by 2000 she was over the hill.) Kim Richey does better on “Come Pick Me Up”. The lyrics are vague enough to allow multiple interpretations, more of a collage of impressions than a conveyor of meaning. Adam’s frequently tries to be Dylan-esque (“Damn, Sam”, “Don’t Ask for the Water”, etc.) in lyrics, guitar finger-picking, vocal style, and in harmonica accompaniment, but he’s obviously not in the same league. (Although I bet he makes Dylan wish he’d learned to play the banjo.) “To Be the One” is powerful. “The empty bottle misses you, and I’m the one it’s talkin’ to”. That hit home. “Shakedown on 9th Street” and “To Be Young” demonstrate that Adam’s can rock. He should do more. Overall, a good album. 3/5

Beautiful music from a reprehensible human being. I went out of my way not to pay for this, and probably can't make it a repeat listen.

It’s a 5. Get over yourselves Wokesters. No crime was committed. It’s life. It’s complicated. And you’re hypocrites.

This album is phenomenal. I always knew I should listen to Ryan Adams as I had been recommended him from iTunes and such. I have also heard most of this album being played at restaurants and coffee shops. Every song is a winner and I was astounded he was keeping it up throughout. But I also know this guy has had a messed past with women and he will likely never recover professionally. I don’t think I would feel good ever supporting this guy financially. Again, another album we have to evaluate our feelings about. I think criticism of him is justified. I think he deserves the hardships he seems to be experiencing. But this is obviously a great record and likely influenced a lot of artists. Still deserves to be on this list.

Great album. Too bad he is a slime who uses his status to prey on young women.

Aw hell naw! What a flaccid dribble this is. So much that is dreadful I cannot even start to memorialize here. Continuing this week's theme: "Tres Hombres"; 4/5, tight and tuneful boogie. "La Grange" I knew, the rest was a treat. "Thank Christ For The Bomb"; 5/5 (provisional) - so good! Heavy and exciting enough for this blues-agnostic cynic. McPhee seems extremely talented, and the rhythm section equally so. Might well purchase if the Xmas cheer continues Merry Christmas to one and all (except Ryan fucking Adams who is as poor a musician as a human being)!

Did not listen, due to the sexual controversy surrounding the artist. The 1 is a reflection of my distaste with Ryan Adams.

Awfully dull, painfully tasteful, necro-Americana in pre-worn denim drinking decaffeinated country, this intrigues me with its success: did the turn-of-century zeitgeist really embrace such soporific material? Was this popularity a sublimated invitation to the ghastly horrors that followed the prematurely declared End of History? This is my second - hopefully last - review of a Ryan Adams album and also only my second - perhaps last - mention here of the September 11 attacks which were, as aptly described by Norm MacDonald, a National Tragedy. As to Ryan Adama’ involvement, I have no proof.

Shitty like a fruit stand in New York

Absolute dog shit. Words, almost, fail me. Not a single redeemable feature, plus he's a twat.

Dull album by a shitty human being

Back in 2017, before we knew that Ryan Adams was a nasty man, I listened to his album Prisoner, and I loved it. Thankfully though, I never listened to anything else of his, and I think that I only listened to Prisoner that one time. I debated even pulling up this album in my Spotify, and once I had it pulled up, I really wrestled with if I wanted to listen to it or not. Knowing what I know about Ryan's behavior, how could I look the women in my life in the eye and tell them that I listened to this? I eventually settled on listening to it, because I started this project with a desire to experience every album on this list, and I wanted to keep this journey going all the way. Besides, I've already listened to both Eminem albums on this list, and while they were both great, they were both unpleasant experiences. Also, there are other creeps on this list (Steven Tyler, Phil Spector), likely creeps (David Bowie, Prince), and creeps we don't or may never know about. The worst thing about this album is that Ryan Adams was a manipulative monster to several women in his life, and he got away with it for a really long time. The second worst thing about this album is that I thought it was really good. Even though I thought it was good, I hated myself the entire time I was listening to it, and I'll probably hate myself for the next week or two for having listened to it. Usually in my reviews, I'll mention what I liked about the music, but I'm not going to do that on this review, because now that my listening experience is over, I don't want to go back through it. I hate that we live in a world where people in positions of power do things like Ryan did, and I hate that we as consumers of art are stuck in sticky positions, trying to navigate how we feel about art we loved at one time, when we learn that the artist did disgusting and cruel things. This is a five star album, but it's sad that it was made by a one-star human being, who's so small, that he felt the need to wreak havoc on the lives of others.

Problematic at the least, but still a great slab of Americana

Great sounds and not a lot of weak points. Unfortunately made by a sexual predator, so only useful in looking at associated acts and adjacent sounds.

This is really my lane. Gritty vocals, heartfelt lyrics, and folky instrumentation. Sucks that Ryan Adams is such a piece of shit.

He's a terrible person. Album very average.

Never heard of this guy, started off sort of OK in places, but then rapidly got progressively crappier. Generally not for me, I would need to be beyond bored shitless to even contemplate listening to this again..

Yeah this was dull and he is an ass

2.5/5. The very definition of yallternative. Don’t love the music and I think Ryan Adams is a piece of shit human being.

The only reason I had heard of this guy was cuz he used to pork Mandy Moore. This is a fantastic album and I’m not what you would call an alt-country fan at all.

Ryan Adams is not able to do it for me. Some songs I can listen to, with difficulty. I've given this album a couple of tries, so Ryan has already been in the rematch several times, but I think it is generally too slick. The emotion strikes me as affectation. I simply don't believe him.

Trash music, trash person. You can't end a song with a fade out harmonica and then immediately open the next song with a fade in harmonica. That's like album sequencing 101, bozo. This is the third faux-Bob Dylan album I've had this week and I don't know how many I have left in me, especially since all of them were at least 50 minutes long. Best song was the argument concerning Morrissey. One outta five = get outta here.

RA is one of my favorite all-time artists. This album starts out with on of my top 5 songs in his catalogue. I do think it suffers a bit from slowing down too much on the second staff, but it is still a killer in total. 5/5

This is another you must separate the art from the artist album. This album is beautiful start to finish. You may not like the man, but the music deserves a listen.

Favourite songs: To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High), Shakedown on 9th Street, Oh My Sweet Carolina, Come Pick Me Up, My Winding Wheel, Bartering Lines, Damn Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains), To Be The One, In My Time of Need Least favourite songs: Amy 5/5

7/10 I admire it for being a sort of foundation for the better Contemporary/Alt-Country that exists today, it’s a pristine sounding album that carries a lot of emotion and a slick sheen. The Bob Dylan influences are pretty obvious and at points get a bit distracting, but it’s consistently a really good sounding album in spite of its shortcomings in songwriting. Can an emo boy and a country boy really fall in love 🥺

Ryan Adams is, by all accounts, a shitty person—but Heartbreaker is undeniably a impressive debut. Raw, vulnerable, and steeped in alt-country tradition, it’s a confessional masterpiece that captures the pain and beauty of falling apart. With its stripped-down production, Dylan-esque swagger, and moments of emotional brilliance, it feels like an album made in a single tear-streaked breath. Problematic? Absolutely. But even shitty people sometimes make great art, and Heartbreaker earns its spot on the 1001 Albums to Listen to Before You Die list—begrudgingly or not.

Heartbreaker I listened to this A LOT back in the day when I was really into Ryan Adams. I absolutely loved Gold and then worked back to this and Whiskeytown but by the time of Love is Hell I started to drift away and haven’t listened to him much at all. I think his douchiness put me off him before all the sexy predator stuff. Aside from the douchiness and the nostalgic rush this is a good little album. It’s definitely a bit patchy and can feel longer than it actually is, and there is more than a hint of self mythologising sad eyed I’m a poet fuckboy about it, but there are some great songs and the relatively spare production is excellent, perfectly in keeping with the deliberately loose and slightly ragged feel. I always liked To Be Young a great Dylan-esque rocker, he’s good at these sorts of things, but the more plaintive acoustic tracks are probably the tracks that work best on here, the run of Winding Wheel (the organ is great on this), Amy, Oh My Sweet Carolina, Bartering Lines is superb, and Emmylou’s appearance on Oh My Sweet Carolina is great. I like the chorus of Call Me on Your Way Back Home, but the overall mauldin nature of the track is a bit trying. The lyrics on Damn, Sam have always annoyed me, a kind of teenager’s idea of romanticism, but are ultimately hollow. That mawkishness does bubble to the surface on occasion down the back half. Come Pick Me Up I’m not that keen on,To Be The One is great in it’s almost Nebraska-esque sparseness, but Why Do They Leave, from the title to the melody, and despite Gillian Welch’s backing vocals it’s all a bit too overwrought. Shakedown, despite being a rather prosaic rocker is welcome burst of energy. In My Time of Need is another great, spare ballad, and the piano on Sweet Lil Gal is a nice variation on the banjo/guitar and has a nice ghostly ambience. He is clearly a great songwriter, there are great melodies and hooks throughout, but revisiting this now I do cringe at some of the lyrics I was into as a 22 year old. Overall though it is a very good album, a bit patchy in the middle but up to Bartering Lines it is truly excellent and it finishes strongly as well. Combine that with the nostalgia and it pushes it into the 4s. 💔💔💔💔 Playlist submission: Oh My Sweet Carolina

I like his singer/songwriter style and the songs themselves see well crafted and sung. For the most part, quiet simple musical arrangement, with a convincingly heartfelt delivery. The first half of the album is really strong, with Oh My Sweet Carolina being my favorite. Still there's enough strong songs that keep the album interesting.

Powerful songwriting at times, boring tracks at others. A big bunch of hits and misses. I enjoy each track individually, but, altogether, they get lost within each other. Not offensive and I’d say more to like than not. 4/5

In terms of singer-songwriter albums this is quite good and I enjoyed the lush instrumentation. Not sure if this really deserves 4 stars in terms of that this album could just as well have been from the early 80's... So definitely nothing groundbreaking or in any way original here. Nonetheless, it's a good album and I enjoyed it.

i guess i like country more than i thought lol

As what feels like a precursor to stomp-clap-hey music, this is better but maybe worse because of what it inspired. There's certainly more variety - no one can deny Adams' talent, but 25 years on it feels a little empty. Integrating Dylan into your songs is clever, but empty. Plaintive slow guitars in between the rockier stuff feels empty. Maybe because this genre got hollowed out by the 'mersh 10-15 years down the line, but I can't get behind it. Really drags in the back half.

certain songs were very nice and pleasant and creative and made me appreciate the musicianship a lot, and then there were others that reminded me i am getting ran over by the giant green john deere tractor

A seriously impressive debut, and another example of the criminality of not being able to give half stars.

Before I start - if you voted this record poorly because this guy is a predator but you have people like Bowie, Kanye, Miles Davis, John Lennon, any 80's metal band, or the kiddy-fiddler-quartet aka Led Zeppelin in your top artists, just know you're a moron and a hypocrite. Either you seperate all the artists from the music, or none. You can't just choose to ignore one piece of shit's proclivities over another just because you like that artist's music more. Anyways, aside from the above, the first half of album was a snoozefest. The kind of shit your mum puts on during the day after her valiums have kicked in. You know how Americans really like recreating successful British TV shows and they usually always fail in comparison? This is that except in this case he's aping Damien Rice. Still, I didn't hate it, the start was super boring and I generally just don't subscribe to crybaby rock - but otherwise, the latter half was really enjoyable and the harmonica went hard. Bang on average record I'd say. Can't see myself coming back to any songs in a hurry.

Put aside Ryan Adams the person, and you have one of the best songwriters of his generation.

RA debut impressed Elton appaz. No so much I. Singer songwriter alt country Americana. Nothing stands out. Also he's a bit of a dick.

This is an ok album. You can give it a listen and it’s pleasant and interesting. It has some objectively good songs, such as “Amy”. However, after a couple of rounds I didn’t feel this to be a very original journey. When I think of great albums, I think of a more cohesive and ambitious project, a narrative or a concept. “Heartbreaker” is a satisfying collection of songs (some good, some not so much), but there is nothing particularly ambitious or groundbreaking in this output.

The fact that Ryan Adams started this record off with an argument about Morrissey might be the most hilarious foreshadowing of character in the history of recorded music. Peas in a pod, those two. I wasn’t planning on making this a review about the moral fiber of Ryan Adams, enough of you have done that already. It’s just that sometimes the universe/matrix/whatever puts something in front of you and you have no choice but connect the (hilarious) dots. The music here was fine, expertly played country music with an alternative tinge. It’s not for me, but if it works for you, that’s great. The Morrissey thing ended up being so on-the-nose and amusing to me that it became the focal point of the record, almost like a thesis, though I assume that is in no way what the track was intended to be.

Unrepentant dirtbag makes 50 minutes feel like four hours while proving, once again, that harmonica sucks.

It's so unremarkable that I'm honestly a little angry that someone thought it's worth recommending, let alone putting on a list of 1001 important albums

I've read a lot of reviews that have given Adams a lower rating based off all the sexual harassment allegations against him; I had look this up myself, as I was unaware, and just curious in general. Although I don't condone this type of behavior, I'm not going to factor this into my review, which is still low regardless. I honestly felt like this album was just "meh," purely lazy songwriting on Adam's part, not to mention, boring melodies.

Luistert wel oke weg, niks dat ik al niet heb gehoord en het is nou niet heel spannend ook

failed to impress. His other album on the list was much better.

It’s like he went to Bob Dylan’s house to raid his fridge. But he forgot to bring a cooler so the food went bad

Bland. Very bland. 3/10

It was okay, the beginning was promising but then it got boring🙁‼️

Absolutely not memorable, but also not bad per se.

Bruh

Fuck this dude, album’s dogshit too.

Boring album

Good music. Seems like a bad person.

I never heard of this guy. Listened to the album, and tbh it was a bit of a sleeper. Neither his music nor words pulled me in. When it was done, I started reading to understand why he is in this 1001 album collection. I still can't figure out the rationale, but I did learn he's a putz called out in the me too movement and previously for just being a general shit. I also learned he's put out 29 studio albums in his less than 50 years on this planet. 6 between 2000 and 2002 while embroiled in the me too controversy. What? Why? How? If they are as boring as this one, God bless. 2 for the album. Minutes one for the human.

You want to talk about a broken heart? Hearing what a jerk this guy is. I used to really like this record and now his behavior has made it hard to listen to. I acknowledge the contradiction, etc, here. I am somehow able to separate Morrissey's distasteful politics of late from The Smiths music and still mostly enjoy those songs and yet somehow Ryan Adam's actions have tainted the music in a way that I can no longer enjoy it. It's through this lens that I rate the record so low. And, I guess that does make it and him a Heartbreaker. :(

A.A. Bondy released his debut album in 2007. It is a masterpiece. And I would not be surprised if he took inspiration from Ryan Adams. Adams didn't invent this style of singer/songwriter country pop style. But this particular brand seems more rare than some others. This album just doesn't click the way Bondy's does. It's good. But it doesn't elicit the emotional heft it's trying too. Songs like "Come pick me up" are too cliche stylistically to move me and the slower tracks lack vocal and lyric lines that me stop and take notice. The reality is this is a really well put together record made up of forgettable songs. There's a proto something here... But whatever that thing is, it was taken and implemented by others. I should note I didn't find out he was a likely rapist until after I had heard the record. In this case I dropped my score from 2 to 1 stars. So only a small effect overall. But fuck this guy. I also think it's funny how butt hurt he gets when compared to Bryan Adams. I almost changed my review to one about Bryan, then realizing I was reviewing the wrong guy half way though. That would have been fun. But I ran out of time.

I'm sure there are a lot of other slimey white men on this list but this one in particular is very bothersome because his music isn't even that good!!

Couldn’t finish it

First off, what a dumb fucking way to start an album. I'm shocked this dude has more than one album on the list. I can't stand this kind of NPR friendly alt country. It's almost as if he's trying to make music that'll specifically appeal to Boomers. He's always trying to chase some kind of cross-over market, hence all his song for song cover albums. He disgusts me.

Hes a scumbag and this album is crap. Why is this on this list? 1/5

Only heartbreaking thing about this album was me listening to all 15 tracks out of respect to this here initiative Suck my balls ryan adams

Fuck, another way too long album by Ryan "I am a total piece of shit" Adams. Why? Let's go. So the whole thing kicks off with a skit discussing Morrisey, and you just know the entire thing will be insufferable. Even when Adams writes a catchy tune, he either gives it a horrendous name ('To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)'), or his delivery just reeks of insincerity ('Come Pick Me Up'). The fucker does NOT have the voice for a song like 'Oh My Sweet Carolina' or the pathetic closer 'Sweet Lil' gal (23rd/1st)', and it really puzzles me that people actually enjoy this. 'My Winding Wheel' is soulless through and through, the fucking banjo 'Bartering Lines' is awful, and what the hell is the uninspired 'Shakedown on 9th Street'? This has Open Mic Night at your least favorite bar written all over it, and I hated every fucking second of it.

To be Young - boring Bob Dylan knockoff The winding wheel - this is decent Amy- another dull song Oh my sweet Carolina- this is a sweet song, easy to listen to👍 Bartering lines- this is quite atmospheric in a background way Call me on your way back home- lyric very cliché Gave up on track ratings, nothing else stuck out to me God this album is The epitome of boring. Just a lot of blah 1/5

Wrongen.

This album really won me over. I’d heard of Ryan Adams but never dug into his music until this album. I went in with no expectations, thinking I’d either love it or not connect at all—and thankfully it’s a gem. It’s rooted in alt-country and indie folk, with a raw unpolished production that gives it a gritty roots-rock edge. The songs are mostly intimate and mellow, carried by delicate acoustic fingerpicking, while piano and organ gives it this warm, atmospheric vibe. A few upbeat tracks bring out some lively spark, that rounding out the mood beautifully.

Well hey, there's the heartbroken soundtrack to my late 20s and early 30s. Great album.

🌟

Every couple of years, I try to get into country music. The first time I did that in the early 2010s, I figured that I should start with a subgenre that is close to the music I actually like, so, because of alt-country’s proximity to punk music, I figured I’d start there, and a quick google search led me to Ryan Adams’ Heartbreaker. And I don’t know what to say. While it wasn’t what I was looking for back then, it’s hard to deny that Adams is a great songwriter, and these songs are timeless. This is a quintessential heartbreak album, and one oozing emotion with every guitar strum. While it’s got a little bit of bloat and his style can start to feel repetitive, I think the material stands on its own. For obvious reasons, I rarely revisit this album any more, and I also don’t need to, emotionally-speaking, but this listen confirmed that it is still great country music that anyone can enjoy. Good songs are good songs are good songs, and Heartbreaker is filled with them.

Amazing. Killer. Greatness

A beautiful masterpiece. Im not into folk or country pop bit this album is absolutely a diamond. I loved it and the storytelling was great I suffered what this dude was all sappy about. I hate whoever did Ryan dirty.

Loved it. Inject it straight into my veins. Come Pick Me Up is 10/10.

What an incredible album. When you're young you get sad is such a stellar track, but the whole thing is filled with artistry, emotion, poetry, and more. One of the better discoveries in this project

I listened to this record a ton after it came out. It's as close to a personal classic as you can get. Love it forever.

Excellent. I enjoyed listening to this one immensely! Somber, solemn, exciting, cohesive - I felt like this all came together nicely. 'Come Pick Me Up' was my fave here. Side note, I ended up falling into a rabbit hole and listening to "Orion" - which is a metal album from this guy. It's on YouTube - and not half-bad. I recommend giving it a try if you have any passing interest - it felt weirdly unique and it's probably a lot more obscure than it ought to be.

Very very good, would listen to this again. Good broken heart album

It wasn't the album I wanted and ended up being the one I needed. I get it now.

2000. Alternative country, roots rock

A slow monday morning was probably the perfect time for this album. Lovely country vibes, gorgeous slow songs. Will definitely have to check out more of his stuff.

Excellent Americana album. Great contributions from Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, and others.

Songs with the right hooks, tasteful instrumentation and very appealing vocals: a personal favourite indeed.

5/5. This is a sweet album to listen, very country and quiet for the most part but beautiful songwriting. A great breakup album honestly and really fits the aesthetic it is going for. I am finding out more that this man is a country artist when I always thought he was rock. Glad I was introduced to these, bypassing the recent releases. Hard to find any fault on this one, it is just a series of great songs and a wonderful album front to back to listen to. Also, I am rating this on the listening of the album since that is the point of this list. Best Song: To Be Young, Oh My Sweet Carolina, In My Time of Need, Why Do They Leave?

Favorite Track: Oh My Sweet Carolina

4/5

His voice works for me. and the gentle guitar. As does his playful willingness to do very different stuff from U2 to Taylor Swift's 1989. Curious as to why I like his music despite the 'country' sound. Pure enough. Interesting enough lyrics. open to more. at least a 4. on the 'definitely listen to more' pile.

Day180 - highly enjoyable album and i don’t think it’s his best album. i never get tired of “to be young”

Really good, I want to hear more

Content

Don't know anything about Ryan Adams's personal life, but most of the reviewers on this site write how shitty he is. But I'm here to listen to somewhat significant musical œuvres of modern age and rank them, not to ramble about how shitty as a person the artist is. This is a good country-rock album, and I had a great time listening to it.

One of my favorite songwriters of the past 20 years. Too bad he got caught up in some cancel culture hype. Is he a saint, nope. But I still enjoy his music. And is releasing tons of music... although the media will not mention it. Good stuff... just stay away from the recent singles of live covers.

This is not what I was expecting. I think I have always assumed Bryan Adams and Ryan Adams were the same person. This has a great alternative country feel that I loved. I don't know if it is quite full marks, but is at least a high four stars. Oh My Sweet Carolina was my favorite. After a second listen I think this definitely gets a 5 from me.

One of my all time favorites

To Be Young My winding Wheel Amy Oh My Sweet Carolina Bartering Lines Call Me On Your Way Back Home Come Pick Me Up Why Do They Leave Shakedown on 9th Street In My Time of Need Dare I say a master piece. Banger after banger. Beautiful voice. Beautiful guitar. Can understand the lyrics. Great vibe behind the album.

This is really, really good. I love the choice timings for harmonies. Occasionally there's some really interesting and great chord choices. The instrumentation and vocals pair together wonderfully. There's not a single miss on the album, and there's some really, really good songs that push it over the top for me.

Something about Ryan Adams that speaks to me. Maybe its that we're from the same hometown and grew up miles apart. Who knows. I do love all his music though!