Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Was a 4 star album until 3/4 of the way through. In the end it dragged a little and I was hoping for the end.
Strong collection of Dylanesque folk, acoustic singer-songwriter tunes and country rock. I really liked the call-and-response chorus on "Shakedown on 9th Street."
I love an album that starts with an argument. Just kidding I don't think I've ever seen that but let's go for it; it's the first day after the election and I'd love to get my morning going that way. This album is quite solid. The music itself is really nice, and his voice has a ton of good qualities. It's emotional and dynamic and has natural country twang tone for days. A lot of these songs have great structures, arrangements, and the production suits him really well. The only thing I wanted more was some kind of experimentation. Judging the book by its' cover, I didn't expect him to be a pretty straight shooting country singer-songwriter. I thought there'd be a little more straight rock or even a little blues in there, but this isn't too far off from cowboy hats and boots with spurs. That's totally OK and the sound suits him really well but I would have rated it a little higher if there was a little more diversity. Interesting album cover- it almost looks like a promotional shot for a movie or something. The thing that has me perplexed is that it looks like there are three layers of depth here- his face, the cigarette, and the background. I can't tell if the cigarette is at the same depth as the background, but it definitely doesn't look like it's on the same one as his face is, right? It's like he's laying there and the cigarette is placed behind him and not in his mouth.
01) (Argument with David Rawlings Concerning Morrissey) - / 02) To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High) - 7,5 03) My Winding Wheel - 6,5 04) Amy - 6,5 05) Oh My Sweet Carolina - 7,0 06) Bartering Lines - 7,0 07) Call Me On Your Way Back Home - 6,5 08) Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains) - 7,0 09) Come Pick Me Up - 6,5 10) To Be the One - 5,5 11) Why Do They Leave? - 6,0 12) Shakedown on 9th Street - 7,0 13) Don't Ask for the Water - 6,0 14) In My Time of Need - 5,5 15) Sweet Lil Gal (23rd/1st) - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,43 (64/100) Current ranking: 270/352
The consensus seems to be that Ryan Adams is a prolifically horrible person and I'm not doubting that, but you can't deny he is also one of the most prolific singer-songwriters in the past couple of decades. I don't know where he finds the time, recording, touring and being a misogynistic manipulative jerk, but he pumps out albums, much like Amazon pumps out cash. Heartbreaker was Adam's debut album, 24 years ago and it might be considered one of his best. Taking the alt-country styling of his band, Whiskeytown, he produces an album of strong tracks and songs that are even beautiful at times. This is the blueprint he builds his career around and weaves in different styles and influences into his later albums. I admit, I like several of those other records, as I never really warmed up to Heartbreaker. It's solid, but not my favourite and still prefer Whiskeytown.
"Alt Country" is not really my thing. However...there are some really great songs on here.
Not a huge fan but this was enjoyable.
Yeah suedehead is on viva hate… There’s something I just don’t like about Ryan Adams, not even with him as a person just his music… well with him as a person still but you get the gist. The folkier country tracks sounded like they were trying desperately to be something they were not, the rockier tracks just sounded generic. It’s not abhorrently bad but it’s not great either. 3/5
It's not you, it's me. Honest. I've just seemed to get such a stream of "acclaimed album by singer/songwriter...just him and a guitar" album. They just seems to merge into one - very similar songs, very similar instrumentation, very similar intonation. Sigh. I grow weary. This isn't a bad album, and a couple of tracks to seem to try new features, but ... nothing is memorable now.
If you're going to be an appalling human in the music industry, it's probably also better to make slightly better music than this.
Reasonable take on folk Americana but nothing remarkable, once again a bit strange it's included here 3.5*
one more letter and you get a censoring canadian
5/10…folk / country
Pretty good singer songwriter album 3.5/5 1. To be young 2. Oh my sweet Carolina 3. Why do they leave
Pretty good country record
He was quite popular in the indie scene (as I followed it) ages ago. I didn't get it back then. Tastes change with age, so I thought this was as good a chance as any to give Adams a second chance. Turns out I don't find it as bad as I did back in the day but it's still a 3/5 at best for me.
An alright album. Nothing to really get me excited or that I didn't like.
I really thought this was a Bryan Adams album when I first opened it up and was confused when I heard this. Also couldn’t figure out why Bryan Adam’s would be on this list. Anyway, not bad Americana sorta throwback style country. Or whatever you’d call it. It’s not Bro Country, as I’ve heard the current garbage called, and he wasn’t singing about a beer in his truck and a girl with a short skirt and cowboy boots, so that was good.
Good acoustic songwriter stuff.
Not really a fan of this, but didn't actively hate it. Felt like I was in the car with my mom.
Nobody, I mean NOBODY, loves Ryan Adams more than Ryan Adams.
When you're young you get sad, when you're Ryan Adams you whine your ass off well into middle age.
Alright, some good, some bad
Some pretty solid alt-country. I was more into the first half of the record than the second half. I think I could listen and get into this more if I didn't know that Ryan Adams was a sexual predator piece of shit. It's hard for me to separate the art from the artist sometimes. It's not that hard to refrain from being a sexual predator.
3.0
I'll be honest, when I got this album I was a tad bit excited, for it was time for me to see what the fuss was about when it came to this and its creator Ryan Adams. And while for the most part this album is good, I was rather disappointed in the sort of monotone nature of it all. It was as if there was very little variety and hardly any ear perking songs here (maybe To Be Young and Shakedown stand out for me). I understand that this is called Heartbreaker and not all things are merry and jolly here, just put a little bit of pep in some of those steps. Favorites: To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High), My Winding Wheel, Oh My Sweet Carolina, Call Me on Your Way Back Home, Damn Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains), Come Pick Me Up, Shakedown on 9th Street, Don't Ask for the Water.
Based on the reviews here, few people actually listened to the album and jumped straight to the Ryan Adams hate. If you can't separate the art from the artist you going to have a bad time in your little time on this sphere. Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams is such a colossal monster of an album. Adams fits perfectly into the lane of singer-songwriter from this period with other greats like Rufus Wainwright, Damien Rice, etc. 3.5/5
First time really listening to Ryan I think.
I was a big Ryan Adams fan once, I’m firmly On the downside these days but there are some decent tracks here
Ruhig und ganz nett
Too much whiny harmonica
"To be young" reminded me of the opening of Old School. Good song; the rest was just ok and ran out of steam. I've heard much worse folk kind of music on this journey but can't say I was super impressed. 6/10.
Ryan Adams was totally new to me and after hearing the first song (following the studio chatter) I was thinking all right... I can get on board with this. Then what followed was a glut of quiet, low-key songs that were so similar in tone and vibe that they were pretty much indistinguishable from one another. There were only 2 upbeat songs out of 15 and I think this album needed more for a better balance and to make it more interesting. Even so, none of the songs were really bad in and of themselves and this was a pleasant though unmemorable listen.
I know this from way back. Got me to know RA and explore the rest of his catalog at the time. It's a very slow album with peaks and valleys. I find myself turning it up at times because it's so lo-fi. Really enjoy "Oh My Sweet Carolina" with Emmylou Harris, they sing well together and created a classic track. "Pick Me Up" is instantly catchy and the centerpiece of this album. Would not have made my 1001 List but enjoyable.
I was so not drunk enough to appreciate this. Ryan Adam’s a decent lyricist, but this is pretty similar in it’s melodic composition, and is mostly all slow and acoustic, which I don’t hate, but it all ends up mushing into one big acoustic clump. Maybe it’ll reveal itself more on relistens, but I’m not sure I’ll take the time
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.
Deep lyrical folk kinda alt/rock.
Really good singer songwriter album that reminded me of a litany of other artists. The slower songs sound like Zach bryan a bit. There was some Johnny cash and bob dylan as well. It’s a sound that’s becoming more popular now. Roots revival country that is moving away from the big pop country stadium sound that has been dominant. Interesting to discover people had been making similar music as early as 2000
Alright album with a real americana/country tinge to it. Most of the album is pretty mellow with the exception of a few tracks, so if that's not your thing, skip this one. If nothing else, check out the track "To Be Young"
-I’m not a huge fan of country / country-adjacent music maybe because I haven’t listened to it much but this was decent. i like the rock and country blending -Favorites are To Be Young, Amy, and Shakedown on 9th Street
Don't like the guy but gave this an honest shot. Some decent tracks but mostly underwhelming/background music.
Nice slow album. Works better than any melatonin
15 songs about losing love did not have me optimistic about this album. Thankfully it wasn't droning and had the banger To Be Young. Exceeded expectations.
I first heard Ryan Adams on a series of those cd’s that come free with music mags. He seemed to be prolific & I suppose I assumed he wasn’t selling well & that’s why those tracks were turning up gratis. One of my favourites was To Be Young, the opening track here on his debut album, & it still sounds wonderful almost 25 years later. I eventually collected several of his cd’s, including Heartbreaker. And it still sounds fresh. No wonder, with personnel like David Rawlings, Gillian Welsh & the great Emmylou Harris. A good listen.
I'm not sure what I think about this. I wanted to like it, but it felt like he was trying too hard.
El primer álbum en solitario de Ryan Adams tiene el sabor de los clásicos del folk-rock americano, fronterizo con la música country. Tiene también un cierto aroma alternativo desde el mismo arranque del disco con "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)", un tema sobre la angustia propia de la juventud, con sonidos dylanianos. Me gusta mucho la tranquila y emotiva "Oh My Sweet Carolina", cantada a dúo con Emmylou Harris, y sus arreglos bluegrass. También la exitosa canción de desamor "Come Pick Me Up" y la stoniana "Shakedown on 9th Street".
I loved this one in my late teens, as a bumpkin who grew up resenting country music & Americana slowly getting over it. I'd seen him play a total disaster show at a festival where it was clear he sang effortlessly, mostly otherwise bad except a deranged version of To Be Young stuck with me. To Be Young and Come Pick Me Up definitely don't hit the way they did now, but I think very nice music for an immature teen figuring out the world in the timeframe they came out. That first festival listen ends up as a good summary, a lot of talent, a lot more terrible trainwreck decisions and bad taste. I have a mean opinion about Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, which is that they haven't done anything better than on Heartbreaker. One day I may change my mind on that. music industry creeps: hated. (⌐■_■)
Enjoyed this quite a lot as a youth. Lots not to like about Adams over the years, both as a guy who is pretty bad, and a musician who ultimately has more misses than hits. Now, I suppose I would call it a good baseline for alt-country or whatever. The good songs are great, but there’s a lot that’s a bit weak too.
Another day, another three star album
It was good, I'd enjoy seeing him play at a live music festival, but it's not an album that I'm going to pull up of my own volition.
I liked it but didn't love. solid 3
A friend of mine is a big fan. I never understood why. Still don't. Most of this record is boring, but it has some good parts. Good background music. Favorite song: Amy
Folk rock? Country Rock? lots of harmonica .... I understand why there's an audience for this type of music and I don't want to hate on it but I didn't enjoy it. I enjoyed the sad songs, particularly the ones near the end like In my Time of Need. I respect this as a record, but I don't think it's tremendous by any means. It's like Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan Beta ... is that too harsh?
Great voice. Clean. High 3.
Ugh. More alt-country I’ve been recommended a ton of times and never enjoyed. To Be Young is an okay song, but the rest of this kinda just keeps happening without much of a point to its existence. I truly loathe this where it goes more country and merely tolerate it where it’s fairly generic rock. There’s nothing remarkable about the lyrics and the pacing on many of the songs is nothing short of tedious. There’s a group of people who love Ryan Adams, Wilco, My Morning Jacket, etc. that I tend to have a lot of shared musical taste with, but this stuff just never does it for me.
Honestly it's a decent album. Full of passion and commitment. High tempo. 3.5/5.
It was ok
Some good country-style pieces but being slightly different, folksy in some songs like 'Amy'.
Fun time. Sort of right on the edge between the country that I listen to and the one that I don't.
I had never willingly listened to Ryan Adams before. All I knew was that he has a record of being an asshole. I was not looking forward to this. However, I really loved the rockabilly songs. The ballads were meh to me, but I’m not a ballad person. +5 for the rockabilly songs, -1 for the ballads, and -1 for being an asshat.
Can't lie - my heart sank a little bit with this one. I absolutely loved Ryan Adams when he broke onto the scene. Coming from small-town suburban UK, the alt-country-rock vibes were like they came from a different planet, but a planet where I belonged. Saw him live several times and the show was always immense. On the other hand, what an absolute helmet.
#218. You see, when you said Ryan Adams, I thought you said Bryan Adams, and I was expecting something completely different. This was fine though. Very Dylan-esque folk but without as many ear raping harmonica solos. 3/5: acceptable.
I remember hating Gold, but this was actually quite strong and enjoyable. I know he’s a dick, so I won’t rate it too highly, but that’s another story.
Not what I thought Ryan Adams sounded like. All felt a bit bland
This album had more country vibes than expected. I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't blown away either. Average
Some nice alt-ish country. The best tracks are the more intimare songs that let the soft sound flourish
Haven't listened to Ryan Adams much, though have heard quite a bit about him. It was alright, but I can't see myself revisiting. Last track, Sweet Lil' gal was my favourite
I feel like I’ve passively heard this entire album before, in the background, over the past 20 years. And with that I never felt called to seek him out. Still don’t really.
I had no idea I liked Ryan Adams. I honestly just assumed I wouldn’t like him because of South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. “Now now. The Canadian government has apologized for Ryan Adams on several occasions.” And now I just realized that the above mentioned line is incorrect and Brian Adams and Ryan Adams are two different people. So we’re figuring out a lot this morning.
I hate that I like Ryan Adams' music, given his alleged creepo stuff. His cover of Swift's 1989 is really awesome, and this record is really great. Check out Dave Rawlings Machine's cover of To Be Young, To Be Sad. 4 album gets a 3 because dude is a creep.
I love “to be young” and it’s an amazing opening track, however from there things slide into a lull, “winding wheel” is an average song and “Amy” is incredibly dull. There’s nothing then to distinguish and of the tracks untill the brilliant “come pick me up” We then slide into another unfortunate lull untill the final track “sweet lil gal” which I don’t particularly love but sounds sonically different enough from the rest to stand out. The writing here is good and Ryan has a nice voice, I think it’s just a bit too sleepy to rate any higher, it’s peaks are great it’s lows are incredibly forgettable.
Not bad but wasn't this the cunt who almost broke up the strokes?
I don’t know much about Ryan Adam’s but his music was ok.
A nice take on the americana singer-songwriter tradition, with beautfull arrangements and a few rockers. It did not carry my attention all the way through, but its still a good album that I'll give a re-listen.
Melancholic slow country pop.
A bitte slow, but nice melodies
3/5. A few great songs. A lot in-between.
Pretty dang good. Definitely an alt country kinda thing going on. I'll come back for another listen when my mood is better suited to it. A bit melancholy for my tastes but overall quite well written
Country-influenced pop rock and folk. A bit slow and sleepy. Highlights: "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" (Stonesy country), "Come Pick Me Up" (nice harmonies, catchy chorus), "Shakedown on 9th Street" (Bo Diddley beat gives it a 50s sound, kind of White Stripes-y)
I don’t as somewhat familiar with Ryan Adams, I like Americana, Country Singer-songwriter music so I honestly expected to enjoy this more than I did. It felt a bit too overproduced and polished, he’s a good songwriter with a good voice but everything about this felt too clean and got boring bc of that. 3 stars
Liked it. Liked the opening with a good rock and roll vibe.
As others have mentioned, beautiful music by a reprehensible human. And, like other case, you're supposed to separate the art from the artists but.... 5 stars for Phoebe Bridgers (and boygenius), and Mandy Moore, and everyone else this monster tried to destroy. 0 stars for him, 3 stars to split the difference
Nice Bob Dylan vibe
Nice tunes, bit of a player singing about Lucy and Amy though
If this was a cup of tea it would be mine
It isn't bad. Kind of tiring after a while though. 3.5
Country romantic love vibes pretty good. A lot of acoustic but it works well. He has a good voice the guitar is pretty good, slow and romantic Best track: my winding wheel 3.6/5
Ok I liked about 1/2 of it, don't think I will listen to Ryan Adams anymore 3 stars
4 Star album from a 1 star human
Basic singer/ songwriter stuff
Good in parts.
Not bad. Not memorable.
is ok
Not a big country guy, but this album was worth listening
Some great tunes
A nice little alt-country record. It wasn't a complete wow-fest, and there are other country projects I'll go to first, but I would listen again at some point for sure.
I liked it
This kept my attention and was pretty good but next morning I couldn't remember a thing about it
I'm not familiar with Ryan Adams, so I checked the reviews... it appears that Mr Adams is a reprehensible human being. Well, that's unfortunate. On the other hand, Rock Star and Reprehensible Human Being go together more often than I'd like to think. I'm not sure starts were better in my youth, but the lack of 24 hr news cycle and no social media provided a level of insulation, and maybe allowed a level of willful ignorance on fans' behalf. Anyway, what about the music? I was pleased that this album from the year 2000 is not all synths, autotune and drum boxes, with no hint of rap or hip hop. The opening song has a rollicking feel, somewhat reminiscent of Dylan's "From A Buick 6". That's a nice start, but also the high point. It doesn't drop off much, at least. This is a pretty relaxed feeling album, with a very "natural" feel. Acoustic guitar, harmonica, a touch of banjo. Un-affected vocals. Very "real". Especially compared to other albums from 2000, like Britney Spears, Eminem, NSYNC. Really, this is the type of sound that I generally like, and that's good. But it's just not especially memorable. Still, a lot better than I expected. Might've been pushing towards a 3.5, but gotta dock a bit for the personal "problems". 3/5
funny shit
Zu viel Mundharmonika
I didn’t hate this
It was a mixed bag for me. Liked the slower songs more than the upbeat ones.
Better than I thought actually
Not bad! Not exactly a genre I listen to a lot, but it sounded great. 3.5/5
Note sure if this is a hot take but "Love is Hell" (and "Prisoner", for that matter) is far superior to "Heartbreaker" and that's really all I can think about when I listen to the latter. Even Adams himself agrees, he's quoted as saying that "Love is Hell" is "..alot like Heartbreaker but better and more severe". Exactly. I'll save my love letter to "Prisoner" for that review.
I was introduced to Ryan Adams by his less lauded Cardinology which has a lot more rock-and-roll sound. Heartbreaker is a little more tender, like a combination of heartland rock and folk rock in the vein of Dylan’s Desire or Nashville Skyline (which despite their different “eras” and sounds, have always seemed thematically similar to me). It also reminds me of Neil Young, specifically Rust Never Sleeps with a mix of electric and softer acoustic-ish tracks. Adams is no Dylan or Young, but this is a pleasant album.
A couple great songs but some weaker Americana pieces that bite at the heels of Springsteen. Or maybe I’m being harsh because he’s a terrible person.
Supposedly romantic
this is a country/folk album. Mostly generic folk type songs. There were a couple of rock sounding songs that were OK
- The album is fairly repetitive, but manages to still be a fun listen. I ended up adding "Shakedown on the 9th street" to my playlist, which is kind of the opposite of the album mood. - 5/7
En l’écoutant d’une oreille, j’avais trouvé ça vraiment ennuyeux. En y prêtant plus attention, je comprends l’aspect intimiste et je trouve qu’il y a quand même de belles mélodies
Pleasant surprise of an album after never hearing of this singer before. Real good voice, rhythm, and lyrics. It’s not my genre of music at all. A few songs shorter and I could maybe listen to this one again.
Good folksy alternative album, but once again a lot of the singer-songwriter albums on this list have a problem where the songs blend together to the point where it's hard to differentiate between songs.
3/5 I liked the americana/country elements of the album.
it was pretty good overall, the full band songs much better than the simpler stuff. just got boring about 30 minutes in and then had to kind of slog through the last 20 minutes
Jotenkin tosi pätevää ja hyvän kuullosta, mut silti ei oikeen vaan lähe.. emt onko liikaa pateeta ja tuottamista vai mikä, mut jotenkin kaikesta hyvästä huolimatta ei vaan oikeen nappaa mukaan.
Pretty good. What country could have become rather than Pick Up Trucks and what-not. Slower ones in the latter half dragged. Could have been a 10-track album and easily hit 4*
Would have been an easy 4 if not a 5 but I have issues when people refuse to be actually repentant for actions
Enjoyed
I was surprised by the sound of this album. This 2000 debut solo album from Ryan Adams has a roots rock, folky country indie sound, a sound that became popular in indie music during the early 2010s or so. But here Ryan Adams is, doing it long before that! The songwriting here is nice, and the vocals and instruments are peaceful and incredibly easy to listen to.
Ryan Adams? Heard of Brian Adams.... I prefer Brian... It's a pretty nice album. No complaints. Nothing really stands out as great. 3.5
I never heard much by Adams. This album was fine, a nice rock'ish and popp'ish collection of songs.
Yes that was pretty nice
Better than expected
20 year old me would probably have liked this more, some decent stuff but nothing mind blowing.
I was only able to give it one half-hearted listen while doing work. The sound is fine and reminds me of other stuff I like (like Wilco) but so far none of the songs really grabbed me.
Not sure what changed between now and 23 years ago. Not being surrounded by megafans going on about what a genius Ryan Adams is? Not being subjected to some iteration of his music whenever I was in Bellingham? Whatever the reason, the first half of this album was surpisingly enjoyable. Started to feel a little ballad heavy with the 2nd half, but might benefit from *not* being listened to as an album. Also, justice for Mandy Moore.
Rapist so deducted a star
Pretty good
No está mal, entiendo que en USA tenga una gran aceptación pero para mí le falta "punch". Le doy 3 estrellas justas. To be young y Come pick me up.
Strong 3.5, enjoyed much more than i thought.
3/5 - Really not my genre and nothing particularly stood out however the album was worth a second playthrough and I enjoyed it.
I remember nothing from it
Soft 3
No es mi disco favorito de Ryan, pero va bien.
Better than I thought it would be. Nice Americana flavors. This man is a sexual predator though.
Best Song: Come Pick Me Up. Never underestimate the melancholy qualities of the harmonica and a well-placed "fuck". Worst Song: Shakedown on 9th Street. He'd built a nice, thoughtful vibe, only to undo it with this White Stripes rockabilly. A fine enough song, but one that doesn't belong on this album. Overall: A quiet and contemplative album. This album is best when it's at its most raw and stripped down, relying only on sparse instrumentals and pained vocals. Its deviations into "rock" are wholly unnecessary and detract from the vibe of the rest of the album.
Un album de chialade que j'ai plutôt apprécié. J'ai tout de même deux remarques : - La formule "I miss you / Take me back to + nom d'Etat américain est à bannir définitivement. - La mandoline et l'harmonica sont deux instruments indésirables qu'il faut utiliser avec parcimonie voire dans l'idéal pas du tout.
C'était pas mal du tout à la surprise générale.
Meh. OK for a wanker. 3 stars.
ahhh the guy who Phoebe Bridgers absolutely eviscerated in "Motion Sickness" - I liked the one big hit on this album but the rest didnt stand out very much to me amongst the backdrop of your Jeff Buckleys and Elliot Smiths. I saw the potential but not sure it lived up to it. It was on in the background while I worked though so I will admit to only half listening to the lyrics. Would go 3.5
Opening track was my favorite. This kind of toed the line between good country and the overly sweet stuff I don’t like as much. I think it lost its way in the middle a bit.
Mooi, maar ook niks aparts
A little moody/gloomy, but I guess it's a breakup album. Solid country and rockabilly otherwise.
It was one of my sister’s favourite albums before his sexual harrassment lawsuits and the Mandy Moore divorce became public. It’s so hard to divorce the artist from the art. It’s funny that he was having an argument about Morrissey in the first track. Another narcissistic asshat. This was the real start of alt-country, I believe. I enjoyed despite the issues raised.
overall rating: 6.5/10 favourite song: to be young ( 9/10 ) runner up favourite: shake down ( 8/10 ) least favourite: to be the one ( 3/10 ) album cover: 9.5/10 vocals: 10/10 instrumentals: 7/10 would i recommend ? : i will tell my dad about it other: great start of the album with an argument about morrissey , morrissey is my favourite artist of all time. i’m pretty sure this is country which im really unfamiliar with.
🧌
It seems like this stuff comes more naturally to him than some of the other work he's produced and it shows. It's not as good as the artists he's inspired by/trying to piggyback on but it's still good, country-adjecent singer-songwriting stuff that is well thought out and stands up to a decent listen. 3.
I definitely preferred this to the other one of his we've had - this one is his attempt to be the lovechild of Bob Dylan and Neil Young rather than his previous attempt to be the new Bruce Springsteen. This one works better. It's pretty good country rock, better in the places where it veers more towards rock than it does country. 3/5, meanders a bit but there are a couple of good songs on there. Disappointed to hear that he (like too many of the artists on our list) is a bit of a piece of shit.
3.5
6/10
Quand même bien aimé considérant comment c'était pas mal country. J'appréciais un peu plus les pièces qui avait un appel orienté plus vers le rock évidemment. Les pièces plus douces où c'était principalement lui et sa guitare étaient très ternes par contre. 6/10
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, it was decent, quite ballad orientated but not a bad thing Favourite song: Track 5 - Oh My Sweet Carolina
Fine singer songwriter type things
Påminner lite om Dylan. Lite svårbedömd. En tvåa eller trea.
This album did not feel like it came out in 2000. Immediately when it started I thought it was the 60's so the ambiance was impressive. Songs were good too, but nothing memorable in my eyes. Just another singer songwriter album that is def taking the place of a much better album on this list.
Reminds me a ton of Scott Miller and the Commonwealth. If you like this kind of music but want to listen to an artist who isn’t a scumbag, give Scott Miller a chance. I’m rating it a 3 but this would be a 4 easy if Ryan didn’t have such a terrible reputation now.
да хуй знает. Приятно фоном вопит че-то там про любовь. Но я не смог проникнуться любовью или уважением к этому альбому. Алкоальбом: пьешь водку и вспоминаешь бывшую
Блин, это точно альбом 2000ого года? Ему как будто надо было вместе с Дон МакЛином где-то существовать... или с Джони Кэшем... не, для Джони Кэша он слишком слащавый. Гармошка... ну, бесючая конечно, но не настолько там уж всё и плохо. Но лучше бы не было вообще, да.
Not my style/genre but can't really fault it too much either?
The music vacillates between country and Bob Dylan. That's not a bad thing necessarily, it's just something I observed while listening to him. The song I probably liked the least was "Bartering Lines," I felt that that one was getting way too repetitive. Dragged on way too much. There was a feeling of age to these songs, as if they were older than they appeared. Like Ryan had pulled them from some old songbook, and not written them himself. It was weird to hear that, like looking through a mist. You can make it out, but just barely. I liked his voice, and the way he duetted with a few others on the album. Ultimately, it worked well for a duet album. I definitely won't be him with BRYAN Adams anymore. So ultimately I liked it for its independence, singer / songwriter feel. I saw some of the albums or works he covered and I'm intrigued to hear how they sound against the original. Probably like a 3.4 for me.
9th May 2023 Listened during the day while working from home. Chilled evening, watched City Real. Young, problematic boy creates diet-Dylan album. 3.5 if I could.
Overall a slower paced emotional album, had a couple of tracks that I enjoyed!
Interesting experience. Something between 3 and 4.
Almost a 4
Isn't this the guy who rerecord one of Tswizzles albums?
This was OK. I wasn't wowed.
i had heard of ryan adams, but never heard any of his music. let me start out by saying that he’s very talented. having said that, i only thought three songs were pretty good. other than that, just not into it. most songs were pretty slow and kind of boring, in my opinion. highlights: “to be young”, “come pick me up”, shakedown on 9th street”.
Erica: it's almost like a cross between Bob Dylan and The Goo Goo Dolls. And that's not a bad thing. Bryant: I was ready to make a crack about him being one B away from greatness, but I've never heard of this guy and I really like it. This is my jam. Tracks 2-4 were really good. He really pumped the brakes at track 5 and I didn't like it as much. I'd probably like the slower tracks in a different headspace, but I'm not there right now. I've heard "Come Pick Me Up". After we get past the harmonica it's pretty good. 5-8 cost this album a star for me. Why do they leave... I can pretty much always go with less harmonica. Shakedown... Ohhh some greaser rock, I dug this. Don't ask... Meh In my time of need... Better as far as the slow ones. Sweet lil gal... Really good piano at first, but the vocals didn't hold it. Overall, I'll listen to this again, but it could have been better.
soft rock like this just doesn't do anything for me. Bring on the power ballads if you are going to do this kinda stuff.
This was ok
Apparently Ryan Adams is a bit of a cunt, which is a shame because his music is quite enjoyable. Not mindblowing, but comfortable like an old sweater.
I can appreciate Ryan Adams. Nothing all too special but a very decent folk album
A couple of great songs and a bunch of mediocre songs... the great ones are "To Be Young" and "Amy".
It's fine and all but Ryan Adams never is interesting to me, it's always just reminding me of other artists I'd rather listen to.
Pretty good, but a little more rootsy than I like.
While I wondered why the cover art is so similar to Boz Scaggs' Middle Man (and I know there is another one that did that but can't remember which one), I really liked Bartering Lines. The rest of the album sounded ok, everything is very well recorded, well played, there is a sense of intimacy, and the songs are easy on the ear, but I would still struggle to consider this one as an essential.
3*
Mazai klausiau ir actually jau nebepamenu
A harmless, enjoyable Country album. But don't let the country part put you off, its mostly accoustic singer/songwriter music. It's a bit Jeff Buckley esc, but somehow more about love songs (probably because that is what country is about). Overall I did enjoy the album 7/10
Mä tykkäsin tyypistä kovasti joskus vuosia sitten, mutta tätä levyä en tainnut kuunnella. Olin hetken innoissani, kun laitoin levyn soimaan - eka biisi oli aivan ihana - mutta sitten en enää jaksanutkaan niin keskittyä. Ihan jees tää silti oli, ei yhtä hyvä kuin myöhemmät levyt.
Tässä on jotain tuttua mutten osaa sanoa mitä. Ehkä tällänen aika Dylaninkaltainen viba tekee sen. Ei paha. 3/5
Oon näköjään alkanut vähän lämpenemään tälle levylle, vaikka itse artistia ei juuri huvita kuunnella. Mutta musaahan tässä arvioidaan, sanotaan 3/5.
Moderni kantri on ollu mulle aika vaikea genre. Levy on ihan mukiinmenevä, 2.5/5
Primer treball en solitari del que hauria de ser una discografia inacabable. I un dels millors, sobretot la primera part. Desencís, tristesa i desesperança que traspua en les lletres i la veu. Honestedat en estat pur
I had heard maybe one song by Ryan Adams before this album came up in the rotation, and it is quite good. And, wow, what an all-star lineup of musical artists helping out on this album: David Rawlings, Gillian Welch, and Emmylou Harris. Incredible.
A decent singer songwriter album. Adams has a solid voice and I like some of his later albums a bit more than this one. I’m sure since this is his first that’s why it’s on the list. Overall the music is pretty standard for a breakup album. It’s somber and remorseful. It has Americana vibes which I like. 6.3/10
1970 albumi aijaijai.. 2000 LUKU???????? KAVERI OLLU 30 VUOTTA KOOMASSA JA LAITTANU ALBUMIA PIHALLE??? KRÄÄÄÄ PPPPPPPHAAA!! hyvä albumi...
With the benefit of hindsight: nah. Perfectly serviceable etc, but nothing to take home with you. I guess this is why he is so prolific
Idem poslušat, ali mi se gadi već zbog toga što je napravio Phoebe Bridgers i ostalim ženama. Osjećam se užasno, ali jebiga, ima dobrih stvari, dobrih pjesama. Hvaljen je što se tiče glazbenog dijela, kad već ne ide sa ženama....jel? Tipa komentar: "I knew I’d eventually end up in a situation like this, where I’m forced to wrangle with the problem of whether an artist's shortcomings as a person invalidate their art." Nažalost, pun kurac ih ima u zabavnom svijetu takvih i jebo im pas mater. Uglavnom, ovo je odličan album za one koji prolaze *srcekidanje*. Meni je okej album, sviđa mi se, ali ne do granice te gdje bih se često vraćao na ovo. Alt-Country je the shit, paše mi. Međutim...
Album starts off very strongly, but it tails off quite a bit by the end. Favorite track: My Winding Wheel
(Argument with Jim B concerning Nolan)
It’s nice enough but I’m not too impressed with this kind of folk albums. I think I’ve had too much recently. Plus the guy sounds incredibly pretentious. 3/5 cause I liked the melody in the first track
Behalve zijn prachtige Taylor Swift cover plaat is er toch weinig van 'm wat me echt kan bekoren. 3 sterren voor je, Ryan! Maar alleen omdat ik weet dat je meer in je mars hebt.
This was a really good album to have playing in the background this morning. Not having heard this guy before, I had no expectations. Very nice voice and good music.
no me llamó mucho la atención
3 stars
I dived in expecting to hate it. Turns out I don't, but I'm not entirely sold either. It all started well, though. The first three tracks, "To Be Young", "My Winding Wheel" and "Amy" are stellar songs. The latter especially. It's not easy to write a Paul McCartney song when your name is not Paul McCartney. Even Paul McCartney himself can't do it sometimes. 😁 Unfortunately, everything after that great start soon lost me. You have melodies that are somewhat nice once in a while. Other times, you have more than decent lyrics, and funny one-liners, too (as in "Don't Ask for The Water"). The problem is that you rarely have *both* good music and good lyrics at the same moment during the course of this very drowsy and slow-moving alt-folk-country record. "Shakedown on 9th Street" woke me up a little from that snorefest in the middle of side 2. But then, it was business as usual. Worse, some of the hillbilly twang affectations sound fake on several tracks, whether on side one or on side two. And you have the uneasy feeling Ryan Adams thinks he's the next Bob Dylan, except that the songs are not good enough for that. It's a skilled simulacrum, though. For this, and for those first three songs, I'll give *Heartbreaker* three stars. Number of albums left to review: 767 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 117 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 57 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 59 (including this one)
After the other one of his albums on the 1001 I was dreading having to listen to this. I was pleasantly surprised. It had a good raw, noncommercial sound that worked
Liked it better than I expected. Docking it a point because by all accounts Ryan Adams is a shitty dude. You should look into the allegations, including ones made by his ex-wife. 3/5
Overall, good vibes, kind of country / musique de lovers, had a good time but nothing exceptional ! Bisous Ryan
its okay, harmonica
now do summer of '69
It’s alright 7-8/10
It's fine but there's a lot that sounds like it out there
One of the lyrics is “as calm as a fruit stand in New York”
Some Mellow Country
Not bad, but his acoustic approach on this album doesn’t provide anything that hadn’t been done already to that point in music. Nothing really stands out after listening.
Ryan Adams' debut album with a, for me, unexpected country sound. Not bad and has a great duet with Emmylou Harris but overall just not memorable enough to warrant more than 3 stars
Funny that the album opens with some banter about Morrissey. Heartbreaker shares some jangly-Americana influences with Mozza's early solo albums. In addition, both vocalists have exhibited some behaviors that force fans to separate the tunes from the performers' personalities offstage. It's an alright album if you like Bruce Springsteen. The quiet songs are OK when they sound like Sufjan Stevens or Elliott Smith.
3/5
I had some hopes for this album just based on "To Be Young," which a is fun, energetic song. But the album actually is far more quiet and downbeat for the most part. Maybe I have to be in the mood, but I found the album just dragged for the most part. Fave Songs: My Winding Wheel, To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High), Come Pick Me Up, Amy, In My Time of Need
Putting aside the personality issues this is a good listen
This album made me sad but in a good way
Started off with a bang but then never really went anywhere from there
Damn fine western folk blend of Dylan and Neil Young, full of variety and pregnant pauses. I wasn't planning on getting anything out of this at all. Highly likeable.
A bit too quiet...
Oh, Ryan Adams, I wish you weren't such a terrible person. A fantastic songwriter. And a terrible person. The only thing he loves as much as his harmonica is being an abusive prick. This is as country as I can tolerate. It hits just right for me, in a sweet spot that I used to love. But Ryan Adams has spoiled all that. I'm gonna keep tapping my foot, because I can't help it, but he can shove his harmonica where the sun don't shine. This is a four-star album. But -1 because I just can't enjoy it in the same way anymore.
I used to love this album. It was my perfect rainy day music. Then came #metoo and a slew of allegations that he was a manipulative, abusive, lecherous fuck. Sigh. I can’t separate my feelings about the man from my feelings about the music. If I could, this would be a higher rating.
I’ll focus on the music because I didn’t read anything on this one (Ryan Adams is a dickhead based on inference). There’s a lot to like here musically. I prefer the more upbeat, honky tonk-ish sounding songs. Some of them are very good. Like the one with Carolina in it. But there are also some almost inaudible tracks too. I like a stripped down arrangement as much as the next person, but one requirement is that I shouldn’t have to double the volume to hear it. Some of the songs, the more stripped down ones that I could hear, were boring. There is more to like than not. However, I’m judging the album as a whole which has too many misses.
I’ve listened to a few of his albums and I reach the same conclusion each time. There are a couple of really good tracks and I really want to like the rest, but he disappears into self indulgent songs that aren’t really for anyone but himself. Started out a possible 4 but ended up a low 3. If it carried on it how it was going it would have been a 2.
Good instrumentation coming from the Taylor Swift cover artist.
Ehhhhh it was cool I guess
I'd have to give it another listen to fully appreciate it. Very good tunes here. 3.5/5
Se conmueve el vaquero que todos llevamos dentro.3
6/10
-”To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)” sounds like Bob Dylan at a few points -Generally a little slow throughout a lot of the album -I quite like the upbeat pace of “Shakedown on 9th Street.” The distorted guitar and drums are great. -Overall nice, with some nice bits, but very slow in others. Not much pulling me back to listen again
7/10
Some hits and some misses.
Duller than I thought it might be
Better than I thought I would be, in a few parts he's got a pretty cool sound, a 60's Dylan / Donovan / Stones vibe which bands were adopting in the late 90s. But overall it cant escape the 2000's acoustic country pop drivel. 3 - It was was alright, would enjoy it if it was on the radio but probably wouldn't choose to put it on again.
It was alright although I wouldn’t seek it out. 3*
Wasn't expecting to like it but it was good in a sub-TVZ/Dylan type way. A bit too droney for 4 stars but close.
58 Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams 15 tracks. This started off great but I soon lost interest. Might give it another go when I'm in a different mood. It's good, but it's also just not for me, (or at least not for me right now). 3/5
Nice Americana album, pleasant listening
Okay!
Ryan seems like a nice boy who writes nice songs. It's good that there are some albums on here that wouldn't offend my grandma if I put them on.
Slower, mellow songs that I enjoyed for the most part. 0RS
Alternative country-inspired guitar
Rock suave
If you can get past the fact that Ryan Adams is a shit bloke, you love listening to song after song about breakups, relationship breakdowns and their aftermath then you’ll probably like Heartbreaker.
Soou como um pop bem feito.
good mix of old and new style country music.
Never really listened to Ryan Adams before this. I'll have to make an effort as this wasn't half bad.
A bit blah, isn't it?
Top 3 1. (7) Call Me on Your Way Back Home 2. (4) Amy 3. (12) Shakedown on 9th Street
13/06/2021 Ricardo was here.. I like this album
Good but nothing special.
A pretty solid album, but I feel like it blended into the background on the first listen. Probably need another.
Maybe everything that came after was derivative, and this was trend setting, but I was bored
The heartbreak in this album is evident. Much lamenting and sorrow throughout. Lots of harmonica riffs really touch to the sadness of a broken heart. Best: Oh my Sweet Carolina; Shakedown On 9th Street Worst: Sweet Lil' Gal
it’s country so eh but not the worst i liked it
I went back and gave it a shot. To be young is such a great song!
I liked it, but it found it forgettable.
אלבום טוב סך הכל, לא ממש מתחבר אליו למרות שזה נחמד מדי פעם לגוון ולהקשיב לדברים כאלה
Country folk triste, no está mal.
I warmed up to this album for sure. There are some pretty bare country ballads on here, but there are also a lot of great country rock songs too. Definitely more good than bad. Favorite song: Amy
false
dylanesque melancholic
Hijole, está difícil. La verdad casi todas las canciones me dieron una enorme hueva, hubo varios skips la verdad. Me gustaron básicamente la esa de to be young is to be sad and high y shakedown on 9th avenue, aunque he de de decir que esta última sí me gustó tanto que la agregue a una playlist. Mood: mames, midwest, bájale al clonazepam que se duerme la banda.
It was quite ok to listen.
“I never see pics of you anymore,” Adams wrote in November 2014, when he had just turned 40 and Ava was newly 16. “You were blowing my mind.” He had pet names for her body parts. So it turns out Ryan Adams is not as romantic as I thought....
although Mark Ronson may have done it better , ‘Amy’ is such a pretty song :* his voice works and sounds better on the slower and softer tracks ! he do be relying on that harmonica tho ¿
Enjoyed it!
First “song” is pretty good and it generally holds steady throughout
Pretty chill and folksy rock. Not bad to listen to, though his voice is a little whiny. Definitely tainted by knowing Ryan Adams is a creep though. It's also weird that he had to cover that Taylor Swift album, like he gets credit for making something someone else wrote more ~artsy~.
3.5. Country blues. Surprisingly good and very listenable. Some songs were forgettable but there were some good ones in here
I'd say it's good, not very good, but definitely listenable and smooth. Would try to check out some of his other songs/albums
More country-adjacent, but this one is a little better at least. I only know Ryan Adams as the subject of Phoebe Bridgers’ song ,,Motion Sickness”. The first track on this album is worth the three stars alone.
Started strong but mellowed
Osittain meni Teams-palsuilun takia ohi, mutta en kokenut tarvetta ottaa uusintaa joten arvostelu = OK
Sen tyyppistä kantria mikä mulle toimii ja oli lepposaa kuunnella. Paikoin hyviä fiilistelybiisejä
Alright. May like more on further listens.
good alt-country record by a shitty man.
Too much harmonica
Härliga backing vocals och bra munspel är det som räddar detta från ett sämre betyg.
60s music for the 2000s crowd Not interested
Something something…Bryan Adams joke…something something. This is a forgettable one hit wonder album that shouldn’t be on the list. 1.5⭐️
Well produced and recorded. Feel like this can be found in a lot of places. That’s not to say it’s bad - just not going to seek it out.
This started off promising - he knows how to create a song - but concluded a bit shite. There are a couple of songs on here that are good, but I can't say I enjoyed the rest of it.
So my usual approach with these situations is to try and seperate the art from the artist.. I found with this one it was difficult to do. I genuinely like the style and think Ryan Adams has some genuine skill as a songwriter, I just couldn't not hear some level of predatory cringy masoganist BS shine through on this album. Not sure if this was real or just perceived, but either way it left me with a bad taste in my mouth and i couldn't enjoy this. His fault not mine.
Towards the top of the two stars, quite enjoyed this although doubtful I will listen again
Everything about this album is underwhelming. Even the argument about Morrissey barely qualifies as a tiff.
Hugs to the dude who thought this was a Bryan Adams album. Ryan Adams is a much bigger dickhead than Bryan could ever be. Ryan has some solid albums, this one is just meh for me.
Liked some of the songs but a lot of them sounded repetitive with the harmonica and him wailing about his love interest leaving him
Not my cup of tea.
Never listened to Ryan Adams or any of his songs so looking at the cover I thought that this will be finally an album full of heartbreak inspired piano ballades but it is not! All the songs are the same - very meh
Jan Levinson would have loved this one
I really could not stand his voice sadly. I gave the album a good try and there were a song or two where I had a decent time but when it’s just him and a guitar or a piano I couldn’t stand it.
Bit whiney init? Guys a good songwriter i guess, but for some reason I didnt love the album.
Ryan Adams is a prolific americana and roots rock songwriter with a good voice. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are great musicians. But this album is not for me. Most of the songs are mellow americana songs that I find truly depressing. And the Bob Dylan harmonica is the nail in the coffin. I did like Amy though which reminded me of early Beatles.
The weirdest thing about reading Ryan Adams’ Wikipedia page is that he continually had albums rejected by labels for being not good. And then the albums that got made are like, so middle of the road. Huh? Fact is though, he can write a good song every now and then. And he uses a lot of organ in the background and that shit is nice. Everything else about this sucks.
boring i fear
Well, that was dreary and uninteresting, and apparently the man is a piece of shit.
An intresting album but a shitty person. 4 for the album but knock of a couple for being a twat
2.5, almost a 3
The album was ok, sounded like it had a couple of cover songs
Slow country songs a bit meh
I thought I was listening to Bob Dylan but I wasn't because it wasn't as good. Below par imitation.