Gold

I hate this album. Its as phony and contrived as things can get. 1/5

What is this even doing on this list?

1001 Albums Generator Day 11 At the turn of the millennium, the singer of an up and coming "alt-country" band went solo to make a top-heavy, overlong, yet pleasant album with the kind of guestlist that gives the monthly reviewers butterflies. He was deeply reverent of artists from the past and the wasted genius image they exemplified in a way that invited comparison with them, but he did not possess the lyrical, melodic or vocal gifts of, say, Evan Dando. Later, his musical reputation would be based on his first two solo records and his perceived eccentricity, which meant an apparently voracious taste for speedballs and recording lots of albums no-one wanted to release. The two albums still turn up in lists like this one, but from roughly 2002-07 he was effectively replaced by a younger, prettier, more talented "new new Dylan," Conor Oberst. So, what about this album, Gold? I bought a copy in a charity shop a few years ago, but I had to listen via streaming today as it soon ended up back in the donations pile. The title describes its smooth, expensive sound and anticipated its UK certification for sales. It has the kind of guestlist that gives the monthly reviewers butterflies. It's also characterless and, as for overlong, this fucker is the length of a football match. Both Heartbreaker and Gold are in the book on which this series is based, but if you can't find 1001 albums better than both you aren't trying hard enough.

Well, this is devoid of personality.

Really bad. The blandest thing I've ever heard, not an original note on the album

Ameeeee Me gustó mucho

Great album. Surprisingly good.

So goofy, so good!

This album holds a special place on my heart I love it

My wife is a huge Ryan Adams fan so I'm already familiar with his stuff. This is the first time I've properly listened to it and I'm surprised I'm enjoying it as much as I am. I sing this song to my kids at night! Instant great album.

Bob Dylan Vibe to these Ryan Adams Songs Pleasant to listen to but not shooting out the lights

Ryan Adams invokes images of Midwest America in his music. He has found a place in my music appreciation spectrum. This album is one of his best! Love Sylvia Plath, as it leads to existential angst recuperation!!

Wonderful day doing dishes and cleaning with the girls on a snowy blizzard march day

Типичный Американ альбом для какого нибудь фильма про ностальгию о Нью-Йорке

Forget Whiskeytown and Heartbreaker, the hill that I will die on is that this is Ryan Adams' masterpiece - an utterly fantastic album that ranks as one of the best of the 00s. It's excessively long*, consistently threatening to fall under the weight of itself, but there's not a dud song on the whole disc. Adams effortlessly weaves from country to rock, Eltonesque ballad to Jagger swagger, and everything in-between. This tightrope act and sheer diversity keep things interesting, the backing band is tight, the production immaculate. *In a rare case of record company intervention being a good thing, Adams was forced to reduce the album to a single disc, excising 25% of the intended songs onto a bonus disc. None of them are essential and the album is undoubtedly better off without them. Adams is a real piece of shit, but this remains a wonderful time capsule of how talented and promising he was out of the gate before he squandered it all.

Day753 - new york, new york and when the stars turn blue are already two of my favorites. the rest of the album is very chill and i especially like adam duritz’ backing vocals on la cienega just smiled

Outstanding singer/songwriter stuff. I can't find any reason to deduct stars from this even though it's not music I would normally listen to.

As a fan of great songwriting, I'm gonna go ahead and just give this a 5. This cat can write a song. There are plenty of arguments for why this album's not quite a 5, but it just hit me in the right mood on the right day. I really enjoyed the listen. And New York, New York by itself almost makes it worthy of a 5 anyhow. Great song. If you haven't seen the video for that, recorded in NYC on September 7th, 2001, it's worth checking out.

Johnny Cash aside, there hasn't been enough Americana / alt-country on this list so far. What a welcome addition. Ryan Adams is someone I've known *of* way more than I've actually listened to, but that will change. This album hit me really strong right from the gate, and I think it will improve on re-listening.

Love this album

Such a good album

Just amazing Ryan Adams

Once again, it’s a shame Ryan Adams is kind of an terrible person, because his early albums and Whiskeytown are so great.

I wish he wasn’t a terrible person

Beautiful as always sweet prince

Solid album but way too long. There's a lot going on in every track and the musicianship is stellar. Very Rolling Stones and Van Morrison, it's Americana folk rock done well. I don't listen to a lot of this style anymore, if you're in the mood it's pretty strong. The cover looks like a Green Day single.

This album reminds me of driving in the car with my dad when I was a kid. New York, New York is an absolute banger. Don't know if it's actually perfect but it's perfect to me

Rather than an album review, I feel like a critique of cancel culture is appropriate. The Hypocrisy of Selective Accountability The disproportionate response to Ryan Adams's alleged misconduct, compared to other famous musicians with similar or even more severe allegations against them, exposes a few unsettling truths about how society applies its moral standards: 1. The Role of Genre and Image The "Good Guy" Fallacy: Adams, with his indie-rock/troubadour persona, often fit the mold of the sensitive artist. When his actions were exposed, the cognitive dissonance was jarring, leading to a more intense public reckoning and career collapse (at least for a period). The "Expected Misconduct": For artists in genres often associated with "rebellion" or "bad boy" images, similar allegations can be met with a shrug—as if the misbehavior is already "baked into" their brand and expected, thus mitigating the sense of betrayal. 2. The Power of Public Relations and Scale A-List Shielding: Musicians who are significantly more famous, financially powerful, and have major label backing often possess the resources to control the narrative, employ high-powered legal teams, and weather the storm. Their celebrity status can act as a shield. Ryan Adams's Niche: While famous, Adams occupies a smaller, more critical niche in the music world, making him arguably an easier target for the industry to quietly sideline. 3. The Test of Time and Oversight Historical Privilege: Some older musicians with decades-old allegations continue to tour and profit because their misdeeds happened before the #MeToo movement and the era of instant, global digital scrutiny. Their legacies are largely protected by a pre-internet time of cultural acceptance or willful ignorance. Immediate Consequence: Adams's reckoning happened in the digital age, where consequences are immediate, collective, and often permanent. The Inconsistent Scales of Justice Why does public forgiveness seem to be granted selectively? It suggests that accountability is often less about the severity of the crime and more about the visibility of the individual, the timing of the exposure, and the commercial risk they pose to their corporate backers. If the goal is true justice and cultural change, then the standard for moral and professional conduct must be applied consistently across the board, regardless of an artist's fame, genre, or the depth of their back catalogue. Anything less is not a moral stand—it's just a popularity contest dressed up as activism. Example Case Elvis Presley is a frequently cited example that perfectly illustrates the time-based and cultural shield that protects some famous figures. When discussing Elvis Presley, the key controversy that draws parallels to modern allegations of predatory behavior is his relationship with Priscilla Beaulieu (later Priscilla Presley). Elvis and the Shield of the Past The Core Allegation (Elvis) The Age Gap: Elvis was 24 years old when he met Priscilla Beaulieu, who was 14 years old and in ninth grade. The Narrative: He cultivated a relationship with her over many years, eventually arranging for her to move to Graceland (at age 17) and controlling her appearance and image before they married (when she was 21, he was 32). Biographies also contain allegations of his pursuit of other underage girls. The Modern Lens: In the post-#MeToo era, a relationship started and maintained under these circumstances, involving a massive power imbalance, grooming, and an extreme age difference with a minor, would almost certainly lead to immediate and widespread "cancellation" and potentially criminal investigation for a living celebrity. The Outcome (Elvis vs. Ryan Adams) Elvis Presley Era of Exposure: 1950s/60s (Pre-Internet/Pre-MeToo) The Allegations: Grooming, extreme age-gap relationship with a minor, controlling behavior. Career Consequence: None. He was celebrated. The scandal was minimized as a "romantic" story for decades. His legacy is largely untouched, and his image is globally revered. Ryan Adams Era of Exposure: 2019 (Peak #MeToo/Digital Age) The Allegations: Emotional abuse, manipulation, sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women. Career Consequence: Immediate collapse. Major label contract dissolved, tours canceled, music sales plummeted, and his career was effectively frozen for years. Why the Difference? The "Period Piece" Pass: Elvis is viewed as a product of a different, more permissive time. Many fans and institutions apply a historical lens that says, "That was acceptable then, so we don't judge it now." This excuse is rarely afforded to living artists. Death as Protection: Since Elvis is deceased, he cannot personally profit from new work, nor can he defend himself. This often halts the public appetite for active cancellation that drives digital shaming campaigns. The focus shifts to protecting the brand (Graceland, his estate). Cultural Deity Status: As the "King of Rock and Roll," his cultural significance is so monumental that questioning his moral conduct feels, to some, like questioning the foundation of modern music itself. It’s harder to dethrone a global icon. The public's willingness to condemn Ryan Adams for the manipulation of women while simultaneously celebrating Elvis—who had a relationship built on a significant power imbalance with a child—is a striking example of selective morality that depends heavily on an artist's level of fame and the decade they committed the alleged acts.

I love albums like this. I really had no idea what to expect, but my over-riding feeling was "I'm not going to like this". That turned out to be an unfounded fear. From beginning to end I was hooked. It was fantastic. There were a couple of tracks where the quality dropped, but only slightly, and it immediately stepped back up.

I know he’s been cancelled and I know he’s a horrible person but this album brings back good memories and I do love the songs. Jen was the first person to introduce his music to me and I loved it. I hate that I feel guilty now for still enjoying it but - love the art, not the artist!

He is a problematic individual, but his music is fantastic. This is the album that introduced me to his music.

A case in point in removing the art from the artist. Adams begins to move away from alt-country with his second solo album (though that's here) and starts to flesh out his style a bit more including, bluegrass, gospel, pop and rock. This was a man who had his whole future ahead of him with this album, and though he often was able to write good albums, and some with tunes that could have gone on this album, he was never a great as this again. Is he a cunt? More than likely. Is this a great album? Definitely. Best Tracks: Firecracker; Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.; Cannonball Days

I don’t know if it’s his best, but this album holds such a significant place in my heart. My first exposure to Ryan Adams, and the gateway to some of my favorite artists. Our wedding song is on this album. I spent countless sleepless nights driving around listening to this. Our daughters’ lullabies that they now sing themselves are on this. Such an important album for mainstreaming alt-country. It’s unfortunate (and probably not surprising) that he turned out to be such a creep. I atone by buying all of Phoebe Bridgers’s albums in recompense.

I loved it. I'd only known Ryan Adams from a couple radio hits. This album was great. There's a Bob Dylan quality to the subject and lyrics but sung with an great voice. This is a good one.

Classic Americana album.

I, unfortunately, really loved this. Singer songwriter always does it for me. Unless it’s Leonard Cohen.

For a guy who was (and at the time of this writing) still may be a complete fuck up, there is no denying his ability to write a great fucking tune. I’m not sure where he is in his scandal ridden life, but having learned that even a thorough and complete piece of shit like Donald Trump can be elected President twice, Ryan probably get’s a pass. Whiskeytown was my first introduction to Ryan’s exceptional talent. This is a good time to mention Caitlin Cary, his talented partner in the that revolving door band. She was the only other constant in that band which really was the perfect mix of alternative rock and country. Her later work with North Carolina royalty, former dBs, Chris Stamey and Don Dixon are also compelling listening. So, what about Gold? This 2nd solo record took ideas that first surfaced in Whiskeytown and repurposed them into a collection of songs that hold up remarkably well in 2025. Putting aside the two singles - New York New York and Answering Bell for a moment, the true gold in this record lies in the solidly consistent and varied songs that make this a complete record. It’s not just the amazing musicianship by the assembled studio band (check out the Wiki for that info), it’s just that Ryan’s vocals are perfectly recorded and mixed lending a sweetness and sincerity to what is essentially a breakup record. Is it sprawling? Yes, certainly. Is it a little juvenile lyrically at times? Yes, certainly. But I don’t see either of those as flaws on this record. At the time I recall reading reviews of this record mentioning the length and writing as negatives. They are not. This is a complete window into where Ryan was at the time and it’s perceived flaws reveal a remarkable honesty in both approach and delivery. Ryan was immature. Heartbreak is hard. This is an intensely personal record by an experienced and talented musician who certainly should have been a star. Like Paul Westerberg (the Replacements influences are all over this record), Ryan, at 26 years old, was expanding the palate beyond his influences and creating an experience for the listener that was more than the romantic leanings of his charming debut solo Heartbreaker from the previous year. This record was made to be a classic- timeless and I think listening to it again all the way through, he has achieved that standard. Picking standouts on a classic record seems pointless but in the hope someone wants to experience the record in a slightly different way than what was sequenced on the vinyl here is my take: start with the run of New York New York, Firecracker (track sounds like it came off the Replacements Hootenanny record) and Answering Bell. As good a 3 song start to any record. Then Somehow Someway, Nobody Girl and then Gonna Make You Love Me. Nobody Girl is as fine as dusty barroom ballad as as ever been constructed. Then next with Touch Feel & Lose, Enemy Fire, La Cienega Smiled and The Rescue Blues. These blues songs are a compelling quartet - examining the heartache from all angles but with an amazing tenderness Then you can bring it all home with Sylvia Plath ( dark fucking lyrics), Wild Flowers, It’s Harder Now That Its Over, The Toledo’s Street Walking Blues and finally Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd. An awesome finish to a very fine record. I know that it’s probably sacrilegious to reorder the tracks but this is how it all plays out in my mind. And that’s what makes this record special- it touches you emotionally even though it’s not your relationship that just crashed and fucking burned. Great music makes you feel emotion and this record will touch your heart.

High in the running for best album of 2001, and tied with Bob Dylan's Love and Theft for my favorite album from that year, Ryan Adams Gold is a beautiful masterpiece of rock -n-roll. A perfect album in every way. From New York to Hollywood Boulevard, from poets to prostitutes, from gorgeous ballads and love songs to balls out rave ups, it is the best kind of American rock -n-roll...sacred... holy. An achievement. It Deserves it's place on this list for sure, and five just doesn't seem to cut it. Nevertheless, 5.

Title of the album speaks for itself

The power of this album is found in its release date. Dropping weeks after the Twin Towers fell, it was the perfect salve for a shocked, and grieving America mostly anchored by that opening track New York. 'Gold' takes me back to such a specific time and place and age, that I hold it so dear to my heart. It's got an incredible opener of 8 solid tracks. The back half of the album is a little middling and overly long, but still quite good. Ryan's career was never able to quite reach the heights of 'Gold', but this album was so terribly needed than all the unremarkable and unfair reviews on this site would care to admit.

Top to bottom, phenomenal album.

Excellent album great voice

Brilliant album. Great set of songs!

Surprisingly not what I expected. Bonus: Spotify matched songs very nicely

Rating it a five, not because it's one of the best I've heard, but because it's an album I would've never heard otherwise full of consistent tracks on the first half. Usually this kind of early 2000s pop rock feels a bit samey, but this one kept me listening

Perfect album!

I really enjoyed this album. I've heard of him but have never listened to him before.

Another album that I had to spend some time over. Ultimately I determined that although there are a few tracks on it that I don't like too much, the overall experience is such that it deserves a place in my Tidal library, and an award of five gold stars.

Klasse Album. Eingängige, melodiöse und sparsam instrumentierte Songs! Endlich mal wieder ein Highlight für meine Playlist!

Own

Yes, ryan is a POS. Let's get that out of the way. But separating the art from the artist, this is a great album. Pure American. Makes you want to put on a Jean jacket and hit the road. The first half of the album is incredible. The second half slows a bit so I'd give it 4.5 stars. Rounding up to a 5 though considering how good the first 2 songs are.

This album was my introduction to Ryan Adams. He has gone on to become one of my favorites. Great songwriting, backed by an excellent band. The first 3 songs are all highlights for me: New York, New York, Firecracker and Answering Bell but I love the whole thing!

Another great album from someone I wish was a better person. Ryan Adams covers a lot of sonic territory here. The penultimate track sounds like The Rolling Stones, and Adams similarly dabbles in rock, country, blues, and pop on this album, succeeding in each. The whole band (including backup singers) sound great here. Favorites: "Answering Bell", "When Stars Go Blue", "Nobody Girl".

Brilliant

Classic album! Reminds me of a particular summer I listened to this album non stop

La Cienega Just Smiled. Bastantes canciones preciosas.

Don't really know why, but instant classic. Nice sound, I just really liked it. I listened to the bonus tracks as Adams originally wanted to release it including those as a double LP so they count for me!

Still a classic in my book (9.9) ★★★★½

One of my favorite albums I have listened to that I didn't already. Really enjoyed it all the way through.

4.5 - Ryan Adams is really good, such a great song writer. He makes it feel so effortless and natural and this album really is great. I just struggle to separate the art from the artist with this one. Objectively it's so fucking good, and so gonna try to listen to him again

When I saw the 1 hr 30 min playtime I almost skipped this one. I've heard Ryan Adams before and I really do like his music, but dedicating 1:30 to one album felt like a potential slog. But because I've liked what I've heard before I jumped in. An hour and thirty minutes later I'm really glad I did. Adams is such a great singer/songwriter. I joked with my wife that he's like an aphrodisiac for people who like coffee house music. Definitely coming back to songs from this one.

La Cienega Just Smiled. Bastantes canciones preciosas.

I was obsessed with this album in 8th grade. I know we’re not supposed to like him anymore but he is such a great songwriter and I love a lot of his records. Rosalie come and go was on so many of my mix cds

Кантри-альбом, который звучит очень свежо, напоминает работы Криса Риа 80-ых, но при том отсутствуют ярко выраженные клавишные и соло-гитара. Очень понравилось, сочное, приятное и местами необычное ритм-звучание.

Awesome folk rock with impressive versatility, encompassing everything from rock to bluegrass and Americana. Loved it!

Enjoyed pretty much every song. Easy chill, vibe listening!

Great album. I've been a fan for a long time. Any album you can press play, listen, and enjoy every track you know you've got a winner. I'm sure I'll listen to this many more times in my life.

This album used to be in heavy rotation when I was younger. Every track has something to offer. New York New York, is a great song. The whole album is full of rock blues music. Nobody Girl is a personal favorite of mine

From what I hear he is a pretty big douche bag but this music is decent Americana. Ill give it five stars but actually 3.5 when you take away the curve I grade on.

I see and hear what you're doing there, Adams. A stab at Bryan Adams and an inversion of Born in the U.S.A.. I get you... Personal issues aside, really good album I thoroughly enjoyed. I was expecting this to plod a bit but that was the most striking thing to me about Gold. Even the slower songs had some pep, creating an experience that was very catchy, melodic, and very beautiful in several spots. Anything that makes me want to sing or play along is a winner in my book.

Say what you will about Ryan Adams as a person...this album is soooo good! I love it and it reminds me so much of a snapshot in my life.

The first song came on and I was thinking damn this is some good ol Americana. Classic but not too classic and catchy but not cliche. To my surprise, it more or less continued consistently throughout the whole album. Some songs stood out more, but overall there were no misses. Altogether, since I enjoyed it, there were some great songs and really no duds, and the album flowed together the whole way through, and I'll definitely be coming back to it, I think this deserves a 5

La Cienega Just Smiled. Bastantes canciones preciosas.

One of my go too albums in 2001. Didn't think Ryan could top Heartbreaker. Grows track by track. 6 stars. Rescue blues and nobody girl are in my opinion two of the best songs of 2001.

Classic

La Cienega Just Smiled. Bastantes canciones preciosas.

cool

Blissful 😊

Un artista poco sonado en su momento pero que es una máquina de hacer grandes rolas. Este disco se deja ir solito, sin un momento que me aburra o que me invite a cambiarle. Incluso la rola más depre (Sylvia Plath) es una chulada si le pones atención. Me encanta ese punto que encuentra entre Rock, Pop y Country en el que un montón de las rolas del disco sirven en muchos momentos.

Awesome album

I love Ryan Adams' music. I'm not sure why I don't listen to it more, but it's great. I'm not even really sure why I like it so much - it just seems kinda timeless to me. There is definitely a Neil Young, Bob Dylan vibe, but also like the Stones and a bit of the Beatles. It's blues, but it's folk, but it's also country. He could have performed at Woodstock or at a contemporary music festival and people would dig it. It's somehow genius in its simplicity. I don't know. But - 5.

😀 That was a good one 😀

Ryan Adams is not a pleasant guy. I saw him live this year and it was a bummer to see a guy on stage that was mainly complaining about the audience and making very depressing cynical jokes. Still Heartbreaker and Gold are terrific albums with great songs.

I think this would be way better if he had chopped off the last half. Solid AF through about 8 songs for me. Back half kinda lame but overall it's enough to get to 4 stars

2000s indie rock. His bestselling album. I love this album so much. Shame he's such a POS. Too long.

I love Ryan Adams!! I have always liked many of his songs. La Cienega just smiled being one of them. I think he is very underrated. He also has Meniere's disease, like me, so I feel you.

05/07/2026 This surprised me. I have never actually heard of this guy. The album started to drag towards the end, but was overall okay! Spotify listeners: 954.9k

Ryan’s second album is Gold, even better than his strong debut from just a few months earlier. So much for the sophomore jinx. I will listen to this album again. (4.3*s) Hard to believe this is from 25 years ago, I still think of Ryan Adams as a “new artist”.

Ok so minus for a bit too country, also lacking hits. However, for several songs I thought “I could add this one to 1001”, so there were good songs. Album too long though. 7/10

Tough question: Would this album have been as successful as it was if 9/11 hadn't happened? Somebody please build a time machine, go back to prevent the terrorist attacks, and report back with your findings. If possible, stay back there a while and see if Ryan Adams is still bad to women.

Had two really good hits and the rest of the album was solid. There are a lot of albums on this list that can't say that.

Pretty good

Good album country tinged lively expansive

It's a good album. I like the bluesy vibe, and he does solid interpretations of Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. If this album had fewer slow songs and if the cover didn't look like a douchey Abercombie ad, this album would be a certain 5-star. Oh, and apparently he's a cunt, so fuck him.

Очень красивая музыка. 4 с плюсом

Nice, clean production. Good blues rock album

oh i could rock with this

an accurate title cause this was actually gołd for me, i really like how the album begins with beautiful, beautiful „new york, new york” to later conclude with „goodnight, hollywood blvd.” - different sonically i think. saying that the entirety of the album was superior would be a lie though but there were multiple tracks which i was GENUINELY impressed by.

Si fuera por las primeras canciones del álbum quizá hubiera calificado distinto el disco, a mi no me gusta el country y así sentí esas canciones (aunque no sé si sí aplique el género), pero poco a poco se fue transformando en el género que esperaba, ¿un rock un poco más sube que sentí que rozaba el bules?, y siento que que son de esos disco para escuchar mientras manejas en la carretera (aunque sea imaginándolo en tu cabeza).

*2001. *This one is nostalgic for me - I listened to it on repeat 20 years ago. *Such a good start - New York New York, Firecracker, Answering Bell... RATING - 7.5

Cool! 2000s style

4/5

I feel like I'm getting used to country music. This Ryan Adams album is actually kinda enjoyable. Sounds like he had fun making it too.

It was good. Goodbye Hollywood Boulevard and Wild Flowers were absolutely 👌🌷. Overall, I would give this album a 3.9/5!

This was annoyingly enjoyable but I think it's just cause it sounded like Matt Nathanson (who's far superior in my book, and less of a creep)

Well, it is not bad, actually. I've found this album both interesting and pretentious. And I don't meen it to sound bad, but there is so much in here, and sometimes the songs work, but there are some that are pretty bland. So, considering that a nine-minute-long song should give a bit more to justify its length but that it also recovers with more bluesy (and even jazzy) songs, combined with a nice touch of Americana... well, I may forgive some not that well executed tracks. Not for saying this album is amazing, for sure, but I'll say that it's a pretty decent one. And it is even very enjoyable when the songs don't try too much to sound intense.

first listen some great heartland rock

A really good album held back by a lack of editing. There are some really solid high points on this album especially in the softer ballad tracks. But the album peaks too early, and noticeably drops in quality after the midpoint. This would easily be a top tier country rock album if not for how much it drags towards the end, which is disappointing. Top tracks: La Cienga Just Smiled, When The Stars Go Blue, Nobody Girl

i hate how great adams's early albums are because it turns out he was likely an abusive creep. having his first two albums as physical media, which includes _gold_, means i'm at least not support him further. and they are both great, great albums. nothing on _gold_ reaches the sheer brilliance of "to be young", but most of it comes pretty damn close. (and, tbf, nothing on _heartbreaker_ reaches the heights of "to be young").

OK

This was my first Ryan Adams album. I picked it up at a used records store back in 2009, before any allegations against him. It still hits the feels listening to this album all these years later.

Ryan Adams is a grade A piece of shit, but it unfair to judge him on his behavior while ignoring the behavior of the other bags of shit and pedos on this list just because their music was more impactful on a historical or popular scale. I love this album. It’s nostalgic for me but I always seemed to find my way back to it. It’s fun, and sad, and a great mix of Americana. That said, fuck Ryan Adams and I refuse to give him the streaming numbers….except when I’m sad and I put on Prisoner or Jacksonville City Nights, but still…fuck that guy.

Such a good album! I love Ryan adams a lot lol and this was a great album!

One of my favorite albums from my youth. Listened to this multiple times during and it still is good today. 8.75/10 Top song... Gonna make you love me

“I’m appreciating what this music did for me, independent of who made it.” (Advice from ChatGPT when asked “how do I separate the art from the artist?”)

Ryan Adams is an asshole, let's make that clear, although I've separated art from artist so far so just rating on the music I can't go to 5* because this is pretty bloated but I do like Adams' writing. He has a nice turn of phrase and there are some evocative lyrics. When The Stars Go Blue is a beautiful tune in particular and I found the first 3 tracks are a strong opening too. Just not quite enough killer to be 5 for me

nice

This album oozes 2001, and I should know, I was actually there. It's a style that would later become a cliche, probably not that much later to be fair. But it's remarkable for it's simplicity, and effectiveness. This is from the era when Coldplay were good, when we'd all narrowly survived the much touted Millenium bug, and importantly from the era just before home studio equipment became affordable and accessible, Youtube made music production education accessible online, and even a simple record like this, required a team and studio of equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ryan Adams has since become a master the slow, emotionally devastating ballad, but at this moment you can still hear his youth and optimism. I love his later work, but listening to this is like waking up and realising it's a summer Saturday morning, and you're 13 again, just about to start honing your teenage angst. Or at least thats what the first half of the record feels like. The first indications of that talent for intimate emotional devastation are in the most played song of the album When The Stars Go Blue. Serving a style of ballad that Paolo Nutini would make his own a few years later on the other side of the Atlantic. The second half develops a musical maturity that will take you by surprise if you have no context on Ryan Adams. The uncommonly curious introspection in Sylvia Plath, ripping solos in Enemy Fire, the timeless ensemble storytelling in Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues. They demonstrate a scope to the artist that you'd never have guessed from the easy floating drone strum that kicks off the album in New York, New York. When it closes out with Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd. it's easy to see why this mammoth album (16 tracks!) made an impact.

For this long of an album it is pretty consistently good. 4 stars or B.

I quite enjoyed this album. Ryan’s songwriting and performance are wonderful. As someone who has never heard of Ryan Adams’s, each song feels familiar and new at the same time. He effortlessly mixes pop, country, and alternative rock elements to create songs that gap each of those genres.

Favorite Track: Enemy Fire

This is a weird one. Well I was werid for this one. Sometimes I end up with a record on a day where I finish a book like 10 minutes before I start the music and that was today. I was distracted by the stranger by Albert camus. Good book but not the music. So generally I liked the record. I didnt save much but a single track but the whole thing was fun to listen to. I really did like alot of it. I was very scared at the outset when I thought id got Bruce Springsteen. But that was just the cover. This was much better than that. Just super solid singer songwriter stuff. Im not a huge songwriter nerd but I got the feeling in every case of what he was going for. I'll have to come back to this again someday cause it might get even higher

He's not breaking any new ground here but that's not always the right criteria. This is just plain and simple heartland alt country adjacent indie singer songwriter stuff ripping off/extending the narrow band of Americana from exile on main St to Springsteen to Mellancamp. Beyond being a dickhead, he provokes strong reactions because of the unstable mix of earnestness and pretense, the cringe self seriousness and ludicrous affectation. He really over uses some annoying writing tricks (naming specific places especially) and there's a lot of mid tempo low inspiration filler on the bum, BUT, goddamn if the good bits (5 of the first 7 songs basically) don't hit hard if you let them.

Day 193 One I hadn’t heard before, really enjoyed it , will be checking out more. Highlights Nobody Girl Sylvia Plath Goodbye Hollywood Blvd

4/5

I don’t know why I was reluctant to listen to this album. It is a little Springsteen-ish with a nice variety of tempos and styles.

Good indie pop/ alt country album. I know I saw this a bunch when I was younger but never really listened to it. I liked it more than I thought I would

nice

Good songs

Setting aside feelings of the artist, this album is really good. It’s longer than it has to be, but there are a lot of great tracks, in particular “Wild Flowers”, “Nobody Girl”, and “When the Stars Go Blue.” 4/5

mag ich iwie echt gerne, ein bisschen country, ein bisschen belle and sebastian, nice

I enjoyed this.

More into Heartbreaker & Love is Hell, but this is good if you're in the mood for it.

Better than I expected! I quite enjoyed this...

Lots of reviewers seem to be reviewing Ryan Adams as a person, rather than the album. I don't think that's an issue per se, but be consistent - there are plenty of artists on the list who have done things far worse who haven't received the same treatment. Personally, I think this is a quite lovely album, and my favorite from Adams (although admittedly I haven't listened to any of his recent albums). A bit long and a bit overproduced though.

'I'll always love you tho New York'; 'So when does the plane go down? / 'Cause I'm gonna ride it 'til it hits the ground'; 'And I hold you close in the back of my mind / And raise my glass 'cause either way I'm dead.' Adams is more than just a convincing assortment of Dylan, Springsteen, Young, and Yoakam, tho that is kinda where it starts and ends w/ him: he has his voice and songwriting knacks, but ultimately he's just an impossibly and seamlessly gifted artist who's apparently absorbed the entire spectrum of the rock, folk, + country world. These songs effortlessly roll off the tongue b/c it feels like he merely rolled outta bed to write them. It's indeed so easy for him that I'm moved to deduct points: his talents approach a robitism.

I really wish I didn’t discover Ryan Adam’s music after knowing he’s a shit person. This album 4 stars, Ryan as a person 0 stars

I used to use this album as a stereo demo among others in rotation for clients. One thing I'll say for it is pretty well recorded and varied. Nice mix of songs. A bit long but I actually found myself succumbing to a bit of nostalgia for it.

Ryan tuvo un momento de gloria (si así se puede decir) después del 11-S cuando todas las televisiones y radios ponian su New York, New York a todas horas. Imparable, con un ritmo imposible de sostener, que incluye disco cada año, giras y conciertos, colaboraciones y producciones amén de versiones no ya de canciones ajenas (Wonderwall es un clásico) sino álbumes enteros (1989 o Is this it por ejemplo). De su paso por el heavy metal pues tampoco parecía demasiado apetitoso. Sus escándalos tampoco le han dejado en buen lugar. Este disco, largo, son 16 cortes más 5 bonus, merece la pena porque se escucha del tirón y suena estupendo, sin que le pesen los años. La duda es si este o el anterior (Heartbreaker) es el mejor. El comienzo es arrollador con New York, New York. Answering bell es The band, La Cienega Just Smiled es otro temazo como When the Stars Go Blue, The Rescue Blues Somehow, Someday o especialmente Nobody girl (que está al nivel de los mejores Wilco) que desemboca en la también espléndida When the Stars Go Blue. Nobody girl es una mezcla de Neil Young y psicodelia pop que encaja a la perfección. Sylvia Plath y Enemy Fire cogen fuerza aunque bajando revoluciones llegando al sonido sureño de Sylvia Plath que uno se imagina tocada por los Black Crowes... y sigue la racha con Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues y el cierre de Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd. Un gran disco y eso que aún no hemos hablado del bonus...

Silver

I couldn’t hardly understand a word, but I liked the vibe! The songs were upbeat and lively.

A good album, I liked New York New York, Somehow Someday and Wild Flowers the most.

4.5 stars. Really cool blend of rock/country/soul

So strong country rock 304

For some reason the arm hair really throws me off the Bruce Springsteen attempt. Decent album actually, not sure I agree with wanting to go out with Sylvia Plath. Specific rating- 4.2 Fav song- Tina Toledo’s street walking blues Least fav- Sylvia Plath

Super talented dude. It’s too long but there’s much to like here. And a few klonkers. 3.75

Country music naturally tends to lack dramatic tension, but Ryan Adams largely compensates for this with good and varied songwriting, an expressive voice, and, of course, the incorporation of various other styles. The result is “Gold”, an appealing album with 16 or 21 songs, depending on the edition, that is really worth listening to. My only criticism is that, for my taste, it contains too many ballads, which tend to slip into the country boredom mentioned at the beginning. Apart from the uptempo numbers - of which I would particularly recommend “New York, New York” - Ryan Adams and his band also manage to maintain the tension in some of the slower songs, such as “Touch, Feel & Lose.” Overall, a strong album that, in my opinion, deserves a place on this list.

Catchy pop rock tunes, varied in style. The mood is equally as vulnerable as the better songs on “Heartbreaker”, but the tempo is slightly more upbeat. Some will prefer that and some won’t, but Adams is on good form here. The standard does dip towards the end; a few of the tracks are a bit boring. However, it’s a solid effort and I will definitely revisit this at some point.

It's pretty clear Ryan Adams is a dick, but he can write a pretty song.

Maybe it’s because I am constantly conflating Ryan Adams and Bryan Adams, but I was pleasantly surprised with this record. It was a great blend of rocky-rolly as well as some heartfelt ballad-type stuff. Fun listen! Best Track: Harder Now That It’s Over

Way better than expected. Classic. Great lyrics nice tappable beats . 7.9999

Surprisingly very good, for a while I figured it could’ve been a 5 star but some songs felt they were just bloating the album, first listen of ryan adams. Lot to digest but all good

I love most of Ryan Adams albums. The sexual misconduct allegations are so incongruous with his lyrics that it's hard to accept the music on its own merits, but on its own merits I really like it. 4 stars

Great album! Even better knowing what was going on in his life at the time.

like it better than expected

Good solid alt country

Pretty good, even if it is missing Spirit of 69.

Real shame that this guy is a huge piece of shit. This album is extremely good.

Didn’t know what to expect, was prepared for really bad, but was pleasantly surprised and actually listened to it twice all the way through. Energetic, upbeat, and positive. Little hints if Dylan, and Brian Adam’s vibes. I don’t know that it would be considered great because so much of it is imitation of other artists style, but it’s solid.

Good singer. Great songs.

A very grandiose listen in terms of scale, several classics here. The album I found dipped in quality around the midway point but picked up during the last quarter.

I really liked it a lot!!!

Ok listen. Wasn't anything special from my perspective.

Now this is what I call a good discovery. I've never really gotten into Ryan Adams before, but this album has given me a different perspective. I was taken in by the first track, New York, New York, and remained engaged through the remainer of the record. This is fantastic road tripping music., I can just imagine blasting this with the windows wound down along a sunny outback highway.

It varies between awesome rock and pretty good 2000s country tinged singer songwriter. Didn’t hate it.

I like it, I think. It's got some really good songs, some album filler, some deep cuts that I really connected with. I think my favorites are La Cienega Just Smiled and Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd, which is surprising, because my usual reaction to art about how art in the art city is sad in an art way is to strain a muscle in my eye from all the rolling. Regardless, there's some gems here that improved for me after a couple more listens.

Another example of early 2000 indie being the best era of music

I really liked this album.

I had heard his name many times, but never listened to his music before. This is a really solid album. I'd be curious to hear the double album version he originally intended.

Ryan surprised me. Solid 3 if not 3.5 so Im bumping to 4.

Ham kan jeg godt lide

Singer-Songwriter

I have determined over these last couple weeks with 2 of his albums coming up that I really like Ryan Adams and I did not know of him before. This album definitely drew on a bit long but the beginning half was very good. Seemed a lot more rock then his debut album. Lower 4

Fav songs - New York, New York - The Rescue Blues - Nobody Girl - Goodnight Hollywood Blvd.

The man is trash but this album is terrific.

Once again gracing us with his presence is abusive scumbag Ryan Adams. Man, I don’t like this guy. But what I don’t like even more, is that I think he’s a great musician. Back before we the lid got blown off his scumbaggery, I’d listened to Prisoner and loved it. I had always meant to check out more of his music, but never did. I rated Heartbreaker 5 stars, but in my review, I refused to discuss the album, because I deemed Ryan Adams unworthy of any praise. While that fact remains true, I won’t be doing that for this album, because I didn’t do it for any of the other low-lives who landed albums on this list. This is one of the few times I’m glad Spotify screws over artists, so here goes nothing! Just like I felt while listening to Heartbreaker, I was pissed off listening to Gold. Not because I ‘had to’ listen to one a Ryan Adams album, but because someone with his talents as a musician made the conscious choice to sexually manipulate and harass women. If I were this talented, I would simply choose not to be an asshole. But here we are. Gold is a bit short of five stars for me, but not from lack of effort. I do like Ryan Adams’s voice, and he creates musical arrangements that I really enjoy listening to. The instrumentation on this album was wonderful, and the songwriting was really good too. Granted, knowing what we know about him now, it does damage the authenticity and vulnerability of his song writing in my opinion. I really loved the Hammond organ playing that was used throughout the album. It never really steered the overall sound, but it blended in with the guitar in a way that I really loved. As soon as “New York, New York” started playing, I felt like there was a good chance that I was going to like this album, and I swore loudly. The Hammond, vocals, and bass all sounded great, crafting a beautiful sound that I really enjoyed. I understand why people call Ryan Adams a Dime Store Springsteen, but I disagree with those sentiments. I can see the influence, but I think they both take a different approach to creating music, and you can feel it in the atmospheres they create. “Firecracker” was great too, and it made me realize that I just love the way he arranges his music. I really noticed how the organ and the harmonica sounded fantastic together on that song. “La Cienega Just Smiled” was my favorite song on the album. It reminded me of David Gray in the way that it was gentle and beautiful. “Nobody Girl” was great too. I loved the Bluesy guitar, and the backing vocals were awesome. I really enjoyed how hard it leaned into the blues sound towards the end. For a nine-minute song, it never once lost my attention. My only beef with this album (other than my disdain for the artist) is that some of the songs felt like filler. I know Adams intended for this to be a double album, but some songs were pretty forgettable to me. The songs that were memorable were fantastic, but I felt like this album could have been shortened quite a bit.

A solid Americana album. Ryan Adams is a great songwriter and singer. There's a lot of his influence in some of the modern americana and indie folk bands that came after. This is probably his most well known album in terms of recognizable songs. Apparently he's kind of an a-hole in real life, which sucks.

I’m just talking about the music. I know he’s a bad person. I remember seeing the video for “New York New York” when it came out in 2001. I don’t even want to listen to it. I thought it was some planted patriotic crap. Like Toby Keith. I was way wrong. Jason isbell learned a lot from Ryan Adams. Great songs. Other than the ones he tried to get too broadway, like the last song. Could have saved me 3 and a half minutes with that last song. Yes, I know he’s a horrible dude. I just started getting into Ryan Adams and his new stuff when the allegations dropped. Haven’t listened to him since, but this is a great album.

los das album am tag nocher chli verschlofe im zug. find s cover huere weird irgendwie was hets mit de USA ztue? aber egal das sind uhuere viel uuuhuere gueti songs. nobody girl und wild flowers gad highlights wo in sinn chömed. zum teil ischs chönt mer ihm chli leerheit und 70er johr cosplaye vorwerfe und s mached etz au nöd alli songs so mega viel mit mir. sie sind selte meeega groovy oder so und wenn bi 70 minute jede song a eim söll emotional zerre wirds irgendwie streng. aber er schiint unendlich songs i sich z haa. schono beidruckend. und s isch über alles vode instrumentierg kohärent, sehr tight gspielt, er singt sehr guet und sehr variabel. das isch vilicht chli sini schwächi. er cha so i viel verschiedeni rolle schlüpfe dasmer ihn nüme sofort erkennt. find es isch es sehr guets 3 bis jetz. los aber die letste paar songs no. oke die letste paar sind super. touch feel and loose hammer de street walkin blues shit mega stones aber geeil. VIA

Positively surprised: Ryan Adams is a man of many talents and styles. I love the songs with a gospel influence. The ballads sound a bit corny. But I will listen to this again.

luv it!!

I have a lot of fondness for this album, since it is so linked to a specific time and group of friends. But, if I'm honest, Heartbreaker is a better album and Adams is sort of a garbage human.

Kinda vibe

7/10 pretty good, idk, I’ve heard better from his contemporaries makes me wanna listen to Jeff Buckley

Alternative country with licks of rock'n'roll, really nice, little tiring by the end

I'm surprised I never really knew about this guy. I guess he was just before my time and slightly outside of music taste. Maybe he didn't have as much staying power as some other acts of the time. All I know is that anyone who was married to Mandy Moore has to have some game.

Man, between multiple platforms, this album gets its fair share of hate and low ratings, although I’ll admit, some of the reviews were pretty entertaining. After listening to it myself, it honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It’s a mix of country rock and Americana, and I thought it worked pretty well as background music, especially first thing in the morning. I can’t say it had any standout tracks that I really remember, but at least it didn’t annoy me.

Real bluesy with some gospel thrown in, and it works really well. Ryan Adams has (usually) great lyrics, a nice delivery, and his band is fucking tight. Especially the drummer, he brings the perfect energy. However, this was too long. There's a 5 star 40-45 minute record here, an hour and 10 makes it drag. Though, funnily enough, it's the first few songs that make it drag for me. Also, I can't get over how stupid that pose on the cover looks, like what the hell is he doing with his hands?

Yeah this guy is good

An excellent album of country rock, folk rock, and blues. Ryan Adams clearly loves Dylan and Springsteen (along with the Stones and Zeppelin), and he set out to make an album that blends those styles in his own voice. And it's really good! At 70 minutes, there's a lot of music here, but it doesn't repeat itself or overstay its welcome. Just one good song after another. Listening to Ryan Adams always feels funny for me because I'd heard a handful of his albums years ago and was on the cusp of getting more into his music when the news story came out that he was generally a pretty terrible guy. It put a damper on on my burgeoning fandom, because it's one thing to deal with that kind of story when you're already a fan -- (Can you separate your established love of the music from the gross life of the artist?) -- but it feels strange to deliberately seek out an artist that's new to you after you read that. Anyway, I was mostly able to compartmentalize those thoughts while listening to this, but they were definitely still swimming around my mind as I enjoyed this album.

Exceedingly listenable. Might need to listen again to see if it’s actually memorable but it is just effortlessly pleasant which is an accomplishment in itself. This guy is a douche tho

What started as a standard country feel (which I love) molded into rock and slow ballads. I came into this not expecting much, but it really delivered. The only song I think I’ve heard before is “Gonna Make You Love Me”, which is a banger. My only point off of a 5 is because of length. Some songs could have been a lot shorter, and the album as a whole was also just too long.

Ya really not sure how I hadn’t really heard of this dude. Really liked it. Think I like the Tim McGraw version of when the stars go blue better but it was cool to hear the original.

Shame he’s such a prick because this is a great album.

This is what it would sound like if Van Morrison and the Black Crowes had a musical baby. I heard bits and pieces of several other musical influences in there as well. I only knew "Answering Bell" having heard it used in the soundtrack to "Bridesmaids". Also hearing "Ryan Adams" made me think "Bryan Adams" but musically they don't sound the same. I actually listened through every song in its entirety and I enjoyed it all the way through. I'd happily listen to this again.

Can't help but want the little guy to do well

Same as his other album on the list 'Heartbreaker', I enjoyed it a lot more than i expected i would. Great voice and knows how to write a solid tune. Could definitely use a little trimming though.

I quite enjoyed this one. I liked his voice and the piano parts. 4.5/5

What a touching record. When The Stars Go Blue made me tear up and Sylvia Plath was very emotional as well. There are so many good songs on here but to be honest: 21 songs and 90 minutes of playtime is way too much and overwhelming for such an emotionally charged album*. I still enjoyed it and probably will return to it - and maybe get even more into it. This is such an American record! All the local references to cities and places… nice flavor. I liked the singer‘s voice and the lyrics and the band was great. * my bad - only after reading up on this I saw that it is 16 songs and Spotify does not show the distinction of the extra songs.

Nazi scum can fuck off

4.5

Deeply rooted in Americana, with threads of rock, folk, soul, and country all woven together. Adams' music always carries a tone of isolation, heartbreak, and loneliness, and this album is no different. He paints a picture of an almost deserved vulnerability. Adams has his share of critics, and probably rightfully so, however it's difficult to deny his songwriting and talent.

Moj problem z tą płytą jest taki, że gardzę jej autorem. Trudno ją ocenić w oderwaniu od tego. Ma kilka mocnych kawałków i ogólnie jednak jest po słonecznej stronie rozkładu normalnego - jasne jest to typowa Americana, nie wymyśla się tu koła na nowo, raczej stąpa utartymi ścieżkami. Mimo tego mniej niż 7/10 byłoby dla mnie przekłamaniem. Daje więc tyle z ciężkim sercem podkreślając że autor powinien zniknąć z życia społecznego na dobre. Justice for Mandy Moore

Normally when an artist is all over the map mixing numerous styles in one album my reaction is something like, “Pick a lane.” But Ryan Adams make it work somehow when he put songs of many different styles together on Gold. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-gold-by-ryan-williams?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Really liked this record. Hadn't listened to it for a few years, largely since hearing of Adams' cancellation due being an abusive sleazebag. Damn but the songs are still great though. It's really copping a lot of hate on here and I'm not sure if I'm just out of tune with with the rest of the world, or if the hate is largely reputational received wisdom. Either way, I think there's still plenty to enjoy here. Like a young Neil Young in the better moments. Way too long though. As ever, there's probably an unimpeachable 40 minute classic lurking in an edit. Conflicted whether to mark this down more or keep it up there...

Excellent album. Probably a little too long but the songs are so good and I don't know what to cut.

Very solid, with a great finish.

Das vierte Studioalbum des amerikanischen Singer-Songwriters und Rockmusikers Ryan Adams. Das Album wurde in mehreren Aufnahmestudios aufgenommen, darunter die "Sunset Sound Studios" in Los Angeles und die "United Recording" Studios in Hollywood, und spiegelt eine Mischung aus Country, Rock und Folk wider. Adams, ein ehemaliges Mitglied der Band Whiskeytown, lässt in seinen Songs viele Einflüsse seiner bisherigen Musikkarriere einfließen. Ein herausragender Track des Albums ist "New York, New York", ein emotionaler und introspektiver Song, der sowohl lyrisch als auch musikalisch überzeugt. Ebenso bemerkenswert ist "La Cienega Just Smiled", ein nachdenklicher und melodisch ansprechender Song, der eine der stärkeren Kompositionen des Albums darstellt. "Firecracker" ist ein weiteres Highlight, das mit seinem eingängigen Refrain und seiner klaren Struktur eine breitere Hörerschaft anspricht. Das Album kombiniert eine ruhige, nachdenkliche Atmosphäre mit den rockigeren Momenten, was zu einer abwechslungsreichen und dennoch kohärenten Sammlung von Songs führt. In der Produktion ist es klar, dass Adams die Balance zwischen Authentizität und professioneller Studioarbeit gesucht hat, ohne die rohe Energie seiner früheren Werke zu verlieren. Insgesamt ist Gold ein gelungenes Album, das die Vielseitigkeit von Ryan Adams als Musiker und Songwriter zeigt. Es bietet sowohl für Fans von Singer-Songwriter-Musik als auch für Liebhaber des Americana-Genres viel zu entdecken. Es ist ein solides Werk, das seine Zeit überdauert hat, ohne jedoch das musikalische Erbe von Adams maßgeblich zu verändern.

bright, tuneful Americana

More twang than expected.. almost Allmans-esque on the opening New York New York

Surprisingly enjoyed it. Well crafted songs, great vocals and nice production.

This is my first time listing to Ryan Adams. He’s very talented and a good songwriter. There was something about this him and this album that I couldn’t put my finger on that made me not love it as much as I should considering how talented him and his band is. The closest way I can describe it is, is they have heart, but they don’t have soul.

Pretty solid. Easy to listen to. Good tunes.

Another round of having to separate the art from the artist. I was a fan of his since his days back in Whiskeytown, and his ability to release so much music at a prolific rate is astounding. Seeing him live in 2017 sold me on his songwriting abilities. And even though he’s such an asshole and accused sexual harasser, as much as I don’t want to admit it…this album, although too long, is still littered with good songs.

Ryan Adams comes off as a grade A asshole. Probably kept me from listening to most of his stuff. This may be the only album of his I’ve listened to. I really didn’t want to like it. It’s too long. But it is quite solid. I’m rounding up and hope we don’t get much more of his stuff! 3.75/5

I had never heard of this guy…apparently he is quite a tool. That notwithstanding, I rather enjoyed this album. It was a bit too long for me, but if I can separate the work from the personality, I give it four stars.

Wonderful album, with a range of different styles and stories that felt like there was a ton of heart behind each song. Felt like the second half starts to fall off a bit, with my personal favorites ringing in early on with La Cienega and Rescue Blues. That doesn't take away from the fact that it's an enjoyable listen all the way through and a worthy addition to this list. I like Ryan Adams so I'm glad to have been opened up to more of his discography.

Very good album. A little pop for my taste, but solid rock and roll.

Alternative country or something I liked it

Far ranging but very solid.

4.5

Not my thing but I loved it!!

Rock in the vein of Bruce Springsteen. Very competently done, a little sedate for my taste.

Really liked a lot of this. It just became a little long by the end.

It seems very appropriate to be listening to this whilst in Nee York!! I have never heard a Ryan Adams song before but have heard good things. I’m excited to listen to this. I really enjoyed this. I will listen to this again. It’s an album I would have never tried without the nudge from this challenge. Favourite song: Somehow Someday and when the stars go blue Least favourite: Sylvia Plath and enemy fire. The album goes on a mid album slump. Album artwork: cool cover, very born in the USA

I have got and like his album "Prisoner" from 2016 and was interested to hear this one, his 2nd album. Good tracks on hear, I'm not usually that keen on "American country rock" (if that's what you could pocket his musical style) but I've always been drawn (& not sure why) to his stuff, and this album doesn't change my mind. Particularly liked the tracks "La Cienega Just Smiled" "When the Stars Go Blue" & "Nobody Girl, in fact there's a lot of tracks I like from the 2nd listen! If you like it, (or even you don't) listen to "Shiver & Shake" from his album "Prisoner"

Don't get me wrong It's a bit long But quite a few a' decent song

Good writing, excellent vocals, variety, nuance and some really nice guitar work. I added 4 songs to my "liked" list.

A solid 4, but I'm not losing sleep over its lower-than-musically-deserved album score.

fire?? unexpected fire??

He’s got some really good tracks on here. It’s a really long album.

Oof. Got caught up yesterday and couldn't find the time to listen to this album before another one got generated. Forgive me, then, if I rush this a litte; I have a MAGGOT BRAIN on the other side of this that I wanna get to. So, like, from the words "alternative country," combined with that pop emo-ass cover and **especially** that runtime, I wasn't looking forward to this. Now, I've liked plenty of country music just fine, but something about putting "alternative" in front... Actually, I don't know why it rattled me so much. I guess maybe I was thinking this'd be some kind of ultra-hipster country music? The stuff I "should" be listening to if I wanna understand mainstream country. But y'wanna know what this actually sounded like to me, honestly? OK, so one of the songs on here, "The Rescue Blues", was used on an episode of SCRUBS, right? Reading that before I listened to the album, I just shrugged and went, "OK." Matters to me about as much as another song getting used in BRIDESMAIDS. But then once I listen to the album, and especially once I get to "The Rescue Blues", it all clicks for me. 'Coz, y'see, so much of this album reminds me of "Superman" by Lazlo Bane, the song SCRUBS used as a theme song. And I **love** "Superman", so getting to listen to a whole album in that sonic vein... Which, I mean, I probably shoulda listened to that Lazlo Bane album first, but still, I dug this so much. Especially coming after all the stuff I got caught up on, too: it was a nice album to just unwind to. Now, of course, I still have a problem with this thing's runtime. As much as I sympathize with Ryan for the fact that his label forced him to chop off the last five songs... Like this thing needed to be any longer. Over 70-some minutes, goodness. This absolutely could've been cut down **more**, possibly. As much as I don't like saying I agree with meddling with his artistic vision... I mean, it's not like I actually listened to those last five songs this listen around, y'know? And as for the lyrics, I didn't really pay attention to them, of course (typical of me), but if they're really anything like what groupmate Gutseh was saying... Goodness. And I didn't not like "Nobody Girl", for as long as it was, it could've been more of a "Champagne Supernova" overdeal like he said. Overall, y'know, both my group mates gave this thing a 4 rounded up from a 3.5... And I feel like I'm at a 4 solid? If not just in the same boat, honestly. Like, I'm pleasantly surprised by this, but I'm not head over about it like I was that Frank Black album where I had similar expectations. It's just a really nice time, sonically. At the most basic level, there's not much more I could ask. And somehow I wrote 500+ words, including these. Hm. Well, I hope I can match for MAGGOT BRAIN. Goodness, what a solo...

Honestly a bit too long for its own good, but it's some decent enough rock and country. 3.5 bumped up to 4.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4. This is a great 70 minutes to *listen* to, save for a few tracks. Very key wording on “listen” – a lot of the time, these tracks do match really well with their lyrical content and their instrumentation. When the album makes sense, it’s rolling, it’s flowing, and it’s providing some great examples of the early 2000s rock scene – basically, everyone trying to mix the Stones with Nirvana, and a hint of rap flair (or at least, that’s how my brain kinda hears it now). I would probably give the very best parts of this album a 5. The big falldown of an entire point and a half then, comes when the lyrics and the soundscape don’t quite match, which unfortunately happens a little too often – it’s bound to happen at some point with 16 songs, but when I can point out 6 of them that didn’t click, something’s definitely consistent, in a bad way. Nobody Girl is the most key offender of this – the glorification of someone being called a “nobody” and sort of glamorizing a lonely lifestyle should be met with a moodier tone and some slightly somber instrumentation, not a big Britpop-sounding extravaganza reminiscent of Champagne Supernova in its structure that lasts for 9 minutes. There’s other disconnects on the album, and a few soundscapes that really don’t mesh with their lyrics, but that’s by far the worst one to me. With that said, it is still a great listen – the band is excellent throughout, his voice has a great variety to it, and when everything does click, this album really, really rolls. It just hits too many potholes to really stay consistently good; whether it’s the track order feeling a little chaotic in its tone, the lyricism and the instrumentals not matching, or just some really icky songs in general (who let him fucking record “Harder Now That It’s Over”??), this album just stumbles a few too many times for its own good. I still enjoyed it, and I think it’s a recommended listen, but when put under scrutiny, it just manages to crumple a bit after a pretty hot start. It’s a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4, but I truly cannot imagine this thing having another 5 tracks laid on top of it.

Really liked this. A bit long though. Shame he’s a wrong’un. Simpsons: No

I recently entered a Ryan Adams era, so I've already listened to this multiple times this year (which I recognize is problematic because he's not a great dude). This album is great. Very happy to listen to it any time, and some songs are real favorites for me. I know there was drama about this being a double album that the studio fucked him on, but maybe they should have cut even more songs? If this was just the absolute best stuff it could have gotten to 5 stars for me.

Great album, little long, shame about the grooming.

Reminiscent of CCR and Bob Dylan

Pretty fun album, too long though

Sigh. This is a great album and …New York, New York is one of my favs. Too bad it’s tainted by him being an ass, but I guess many musicians are so….

Too long but I enjoyed this, took a couple of listens

Right in my wheelhouse, but a bit too much of a pop leaning and there is something about the production that I don't care fully for, but nonetheless a good album. 4 stars

A slightly lesser batch of songs than Heartbreaker, and I definitely like the overall sound less. I also think the second half, with maybe the exception of "Harder Now That It's Over" and "Goodnight Hollywood Blvd" is mostly filler. However, there are some excellent songs here. "New York, New York", "La Cienega Just Smiled", "The Rescue Blues", and "When the Stars Go Blue" rank with his best songs. There's probably an album here that gets close to the excellence of Heartbreaker with some scrappier production and some of the fat trimmed. 4 stars

I’ve only ever heard bits and pieces from Ryan Adams, so it was good to hear an album in its entirety. Pretty decent.

From today's notes on 'Bad people can make good music…' We have Ryan Adams' absolute monster 'Gold'. This is a fun listen where just about everything from his well written lyrics and the music pair perfectly together that you don't realize this album just barely crosses the one-hour mark and it doesn't bother me! On a personal level, yeah, he may be a shit human being but none of that was known at the time this record came out and really should have no impact on its artistic quality. 4/5

The first 6 tracks are so good.

Nice coutry-rock album. Easy on the ears but maybe a bit too long?! I like him most on this, when he is more into rock. favourite: " New York, New York", "Firecracker", "Nobody Girl", "Gonna Make You Love Me", "Touch, Feel & Lose", "Tina Toledo´s Street Wlakin' Blues" 3,5

4+

I liked this more than I expected. It's like Americana mixed with pop and a touch of blues. I would listen to this again. 3.5 stars.

Not sure why this album resonated with me, but I really liked it. Had never knowingly listened to Ryan Adams but will start sampling his stuff more often.

4/5. I had a very different view of Ryan Adams when I first listened to him. His music has altered to a more rock and emo oriented versus just basically country like this one. And honestly, glad I was surprised I liked this one more than I was expecting. Just a solid album of back to back well-written country songs, each one standing on its own but the songs are good enough to make this feel more like a Greatest Hits album. Now I don't think the whole is album is perfect, but it's good enough to get a 4 in my opinion. It's intrigued me enough to explore the songs some more, just in case there was a song I missed fully and the ones I already enjoyed are great. Best Song: When The Stars Go Blue, La Cienega Just Smiled, New York, New York

bluesy rock Americana is just always a vibe 8/10

Really enjoyed some of the songs, 8/10

Quite an enjoyable experience, didn't feel fundamentally essential to the 1001 though. I strongly dislike the album cover and I am very confused why a guy born David Ryan Adams would choose Ryan Adams as his stage name when there already existed a very successful and well known Bryan Adams. Fave Tracks: New York, New York, Nobody Girl, Sylvia Plath, the last two minutes of The Bar is a Beautiful Place (which I guess was a bonus track) 3.7/5 (probably 3.5 without the disc 2 tracks which I found all quite enjoyable)

Some fun peppy songs that my ears perked up to, good instrumentals.

I enjoyed this album, and I had no idea he wrote the song When the Stars Go Blue—I'd only heard Tim McGraw sing it before. Using the Michael Jackson rule of logic, and separating the a rating of the art from the artist, this feels like a solid Sophomore entry.

This was a solid pop-rock album. I'll probably never come back to it, but it was certainly a good listen. 3.6

Know this one well from 2001/2 and it’s packed with brilliant singer-songwriting that varies effortlessly from bluesy to rocky and ballady with a dose of the better kind of country in there too. The opening run of five tracks is pretty spotless (New York, New York, Firecracker, Answering Bell, La Cienaga Just Smiled, Rescue Blues) but the latter half does drop off. I learned today that there’s a second disc that apparently Adams always intended to be included. It seems he can be a difficult person to work with and was regularly at odds with his label but I must say, in my experience the labels know what they’re doing as the extra minutes only serve to dilute the quality here. It’s a fantastic album that I’m always happy to play but doesn’t quite sit in my absolute top tier.

Ég sá þennan listamann og hugsaði: "Hét hann ekki Brian Adams, hef ég misskilið í allan þennan tíma?" Þetta er ekki Brian. Þetta er annar listamaður sem er samt bara mjög góður. Smá blús, smá þjóðlagaívaf. Ég set hann aftur í spilun þótt platan sé helst til of löng.

Opening track is great right off the bat. I really like “New York, New York

Pretty good I feel. I remember him being popular back the but never listened to it. It’s pretty Americana, but really is a solid 3.5+

This must have fueled so many post American Pie movie night make outs for the highschool class of 2001

This was really good, Interesting alternate country sound.

I never actually listened to one his albums before but I know he was a big influence on some songwriters that I used to play with. I really love a lot of that early 2000’s singersongwriter stuff and I can hear how influential this must’ve been. Great songs and album but the Me Too stuff does actually kind of ruin it for me though. 3.5 -4

There's a lot of good stuff on here. I seem to remember this guy was everywhere in the early 00s.

This is gold

Big fan of the music. But such an asshole.

I’ve heard of this guy but never listened before. Found this one to be pretty interesting. Lots of different styles. And I have a soft spot for singer songwriters.

A tender collection of songs delivered over an exquisite instrumentalization. Great production, lovely experience.

He makes it look so easy, doesn’t he, save when he's doing totally tedious live show experiences (in his sober years, especially). One loves the record, its ease and laid-back feel, the authenticity of emotion and its connection and its consanguinity with a happy/growth-oriented time in one' s life (listening "New York, New York" not long after the record came out, while riding around subways [with one's CD Walkman] not long after moving to Gotham is an indelible musical memory. He floats smoothly between earnestness and a hipster distance, balancing them quite effectively to one's ears. It feels personal and is easy to listen to. What the Byrds would sound like at the turn of the millennia. Maybe you can take a point off for having too many songs (last few are not as strong as first 10 or so) -- and that's RA's distinct genius, the production of such quantity at such high levels of quality (leaving aside unfortunate #MeToo actions; "Gonna Make You Love Me" does a hit a bit different now, doesn't it?).

First song is stellar, the remainder if the album is easy to listen to. Giving it 4 stars, but not an album I would play frequently.

Well this guy may not be the nicest, most well-balanced person in the world but to me it's a good album with some outstanding Rock songs. If he'd been born 30 years sooner no doubt he'd have got away with it rather than shouting his mouth out on Social media today. I'm more interested in the music and the music is good.

After reading the other reviews I was prepared for a difficult. But actually, I enjoyed this. I like the song writing, and I like Ryan’s voice and guitar playing

Sucks this guy is a creep because this album is good

Fantastic rock album with strong Americana and blues roots. Ryan Adams taps into the hallmarks of the mid-20th Century American sound, creating tracks with fresh lyrics but a distinct classic sound. Lot of moments that remind me of Dylan, Springsteen, and the Band, but Adams is still very much a legend in his own right. Will definitely revisit.

Nothing to remember her, but sounds sweet as sugar

"Gold" is the second studio album by American musician Ryan Adams. Rock and alternative country appropriately define the genre. Ethan John's produced the album. The album hit #20 in the UK and #59 in the US and had mostly positive critical responses. The album opens with the first single "New York, New York" which eerily enough was supposed to be released in September of 2001 but was pushed back. Acoustic and electric guitars. A nice melody. A song written about an ex-lover whom Adams followed to NYC. A good job describing NYC. A sax fade ends the song. Ryan plays the banjo on the second single "Answering Bell." Slide guitar also giving it that alternative country vibe. The Counting Crows' Adam Duritz is on backing vocals. In "The Rescue Blues," Ryan goes for a more soulful and bluesy vibe. Mission accomplished with guitar and female backing vocals. A slow strumming acoustic guitar and piano open "When the Stars Go Blue." Adams goes falsetto and high pitched. Great harmonizing female backing vocals. Ryan at his emotional best. The lyrics comparing a marriage to collapsing stars. This is the highlight of the album, my favorite Ryan Adams' song and shows the how high Adams' can reach. A nice placement of the next song with "Nobody Girl." This is a straight-forward jamband rocker clocking in at 9:40. Adams does his best "Exile on Main Street" on "Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues." A straight-forward bluesy rocker. He seems to be having a lot of fun of this one and it shows. This is a nice sounding and very well-produced album with the strings and horns. The first half has more ballad-type and slower songs with second half having more rockers. There is a variety of rock, country, pop and bluesy sounds. Most of the songs seemed to be about broken relationships. Geez, that's new and original. The album length may be long at 70 minutes. Some songs could have been chopped but basically that's Adams' entire career. Regardless, there's enough good here to give this a listen and recommendation. It's right up there with his best.

Better than I expected, especially some of the bluesy stuff further into the album.

Surprisingly pleasant. Enjoyed it.

I'll admit I'm fan of Ryan Adam's music, just the the music. That being said this album is just ok, he has much better work than this, it's too hard fro the pop Americana sound and it just doesn't work. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. Only going to 4 because global reviews are a bit harsh and directed more towards the person and not the music. I agree with everyone, he's a shitwad.

So many killer tracks on this album, after a while I think the vibe stays too similar though. I think if the album was just a little shorter it’d be a 5.

Man alive, I played the heck out of this album back in the aughts. IMO, it includes no duds. The instrumentation with additions like organ, strings, and harmonica is thick and gives you more than the average singer/songwriter fare. The Americana vibe and poetic lyrics strike a lovely balance. Ryan has turned out to be a grade A prick (Team Mandy and Team Phoebe forever!), but this album is indeed gold, if I do say so myself. 4.6

Really good. There are a few different gears on the album -- rockers, acoustic jams, introspective indie numbers. I would have trimmed a few songs to make it tighter, but I suppose the breadth adds some appeal. Pretty timeless all these years later. 4.2

I called Ryan Adams' first album "twangy" which I wouldn't have called this one. Not quite country, not quite rock. I really enjoyed these songs and they seemed particularly suited to listening while driving.

It was fine. I really liked a few tunes and none were terrible.

Wait, what? Another record by Ryan Adams? Really? A lot of the tunes are solid, some less so. It's fine.

I personally think Ryan Adams is one of my favorite song writers. I really like this album. A lot.

Enjoyable listen.

I turned around on this album. Started off very skeptical - I find certain country music sounds very whiny. However, the more we got folksy songs, the more I enjoyed it. I like his voice, and I liked the lyrics.

Quite enjoyed this although was a bit long

Latter half is better

new york, new york, nobody girl, harder now that it's over

First listen for me. Really enjoyed it. Americana?

in 2001 I was 25 and very serious. I guess I was perfect for Ryan Adams. I wouldn't say this was anything groundbreaking but it is top notch coffee shop rock.

I can understand what he meant by making a modern classic. Sounds significant and has a great vocal performance. Not exactly my country-ish style but good album

This was a new to me album/artist (there are so many dudes with names like his they all kind of blend together in my mind--the best of them did that song that's in Old School that goes "to be young is to to be high" but I don't think it's this guy). And it got off to a good start, I was getting into it and then, midway through Nobody Girl, I realized Ryan Adams is a complete asshole. No question. And yet the last 3 minutes of that song are blister! Never before have I liked an album so much when it's so clear the artist is a complete asshole. Kudos to you, Ryan Adams!

very easy listen - checked it out in the car. Definitely has more of that early 2000s singer/songwriter acoustic pop sort of sound with the backbeat drums and the acoustic guitar. Good listen.

Probably my favorite RA album. Good choice!

Fuck Ryan Adams

Love it!! Nice Album! 4 stars!