Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Olen jonkun verran kuunnellut näitä Adamsin Raijanin settejä aiemmin ja ihan tykännyt, mutta suosikiksi herran tekeleet eivät ole koskaan nousseet. Tällä levyllä teemat tuntuvat pääasiallisesti olevan siirappiosastoa, joten sydänverta on vuodatettu ja se kyllä ihan välittyykin kuulijalle. Biisit ovat hienosti sävellettyjä ja oivaltavia. Saundit ovat kuosissa ja pieniä nyansseja on uitettu mukaan kuulijaa ilostuttamaan/ärsyttämään. Sinänsä hyvä levy, mutta ei mitenkään mullistava. Jotkut veisut jäävät vaisuiksi, joten ihan koko matkalta kokonaisuus ei kanna. Levy on ilmeisesti alunperin julkaistu lyhempänä versiona kuin mitä Spotifyssa oleva versio, mutta artistin itsensä mukaan olisi halunnut juuri tällaisen kokonaisuuden julkaista ja levy-yhtiö leikkasi lopun biisit tyrannimaisesti pois. Tämä oikeuttaa taas kerran antamaan hieman moitteita siitä, että vähän liikaa on tavaraa tungettu mukaan :)
Miksi se oli niin pitkä levy. Ei mahtunu yhteen lenkkiin, ärsytti. Mutta tavallaan ihan monipuolinen ja miellyttävä levy jos tommosesta diggailee. Ihan kiva!
Tämä oli positiivinen yllätys. Tiesin entuudestaan Ryan Adamsilta ainoastaan So Alive -biisin, ja se on niin kova biisi että luonnollinen reaktio itselle oli, että muu tuotanto ei voi olla lähellekään yhtä hyvää. No ei tällä levyllä totuuden nimissä ollut yhtään niin kovaa biisiä kuin tuo mainittu So Alive, mutta muuten kyllä ihan hyvää musaa. Vähän ehkä kyllä liian pitkä, ja tavallaan myös itseään toistava levy jotta olisi vielä parempi, mutta yhtä kaikki - tähän tulee kyllä varmasti palattua.
Solid album.
High 3
Is ok 3
The Rescue Blues // Nobody Girl // 2.5/5
This started out really good. I like this type of music in general and so I appreciated the style and sound. But…it really dropped off in terms of listenability as the album went on. The medium and faster songs were great, but the slower ones like Sylvia Plath and Wild Flowers were pretty insufferable. The second half of the album was just plain boring and it automatically loses a star for being far too long. My favorite songs on it were “Somehow, Someday” (I tend to love songs with this type of nostalgic theme), “New York, New York”, and “Firecracker.” Honorable mention goes to “When the Stars Go Blue.” I’ve heard other people sing it, but whenever I’d tried to listen to Ryan Adams’ version I could never get past the beginning without turning it off. I can’t stand the way he sings the beginning of the song. The rest of the song was great, but I feel like it was ruined by the weird stuff he did with his voice in the first few lines 😕 It was like he was singing but without putting any effort into it. Like he barely had enough energy to form the words and push out the sound 😅 Still, I’ll give it 3 stars, because overall it wasn’t bad and the songs I liked, I liked very much.
Melodic. Will be a 3. Solid. Quite entertaining, but not more.
6/10 - country mixed with indie rock, good vocals, and some catchy tunes. But too long of an album
Not a country fan, but I don't know that it falls easily into that...saw it described as alt country. Seems like a good singer/songwriter and covered a wide range. Might go back and listen again. Could see it getting higher than a 3.
I was charmed at first, then it felt flat, then that one nine-minute song came on.Crazy that it was that long and I wanted more of it. If the whole album was that song it would probably rank higher. But the supporting cast wasn’t there.
A decent album, just not quite up my street
5/10 I think it is incredible that anyone could think that there is enough interesting material to fill a 90mins double album. As an artist, you should be challenging yourself as to what NEEDS to be included. For example, Nobody Girl in absolutely No Way requires to be 10mins long. It doesn't have a message. It doesn't have a musical statement. At 3mins, its fine. Deeply forgettable, but pleasant. But 10mins??? What on earth are you thinking? The music is weak, the lyrics are bland. It kind of makes me very angry, but equally, I can listen to it. Makes me wonder how I am rating these albums relative to each other.
A pretty good, if somewhat derivative, rock album by a shitty person.
This wasn’t so bas for what it is. Dude can obviously write good songs, but this is a bit too gentle for me. Sometimes it sounded like a cross between Rufus Wainwright, Wilco and Elliott Smith
Listened in the truck via YouTube music. Hadn’t listened all the way through for quite some time. First half is really solid. Last half is very standard sounding.
Ryan Adams can undoubtedly write a song. Most of the songs here have a pleasant hook or melody. The problem is that he's written too many on this album, and too many of them are ballads. "Firecracker" has some great country twang and the kind of hook that makes Adams's best songs great. But it's the only song of its kind here. So much of the rest of this album is slower, aiming for a kind of melancholy or nostalgia that just doesn't come through. "Sylvia Plath" is the worst example for me, there's almost nothing there musically and the lyrics are weirdly parasocial. There are some rock songs that get things going a bit, but they all feel like they're cut from different clothes and don't belong on the same album. A prime example of an album being less than the sum of its parts.
Pleasant enough listen. nothing special.
Play Summer of ‘69!
Sometimes he sounds like Gram Parsons, sometimes he sounds like Big Star, but mostly he's just there. It's not bad but this album is also way too long.
bummer that this dude turned out to suck, cause this was a fun album
some good ol' americana/rock n roll. although isn't this guy from canada? or is that bryan adams?
Just okay. Pretty boring.
Cool album! I liked "Enemy Fire", "Touch, feel & lose", and "Tina Toldeo's Street Walkin' Blues".
I was into the first few songs (New York, New York was the best) but the rest of this felt really dull and slow. Slow music + over an hour of runtime really made this drag out for me. I still probably skew towards a low 3 here, but not by much.
While I really enjoyed the last Ryan Adams album, I didn't find myself as hooked in here. Sure the songs are pretty and well-written, but there were only a few standout points that really caught my attention. For me those were back to back in the middle of the album with absolutely lovely When The Stars Go Blue and the wonderfully drawn out Nobody Girl. Otherwise this one just sort of washed me by -- perfect candidate for a 3.
The slower songs reminded me a bit of Jackson Browne. Had a bit of that southern twang otherwise. Going with a high 3 on this one.
a great album for 2000 nostalgia and driving.
OK, you can listen to it. The album was playing in the background and didn't bother me. His voice is ok, the arrangements too. But there's nothing on the album that made me sit up and take notice or stayed in my mind. 3/5
My guy wants to be Bruce Springsteen so bad but he’s just not as cool
Holy moly minor 5 chord?? In this economy???! Good album, enjoyed more than I expected; sounds like an American road trip. A lot of range, but a bit too long for my liking.
nice sounding tracks, enjoyed a lot of it, didn’t blow me away but some good tracks
Ui.. das isch ja gar nüd de Bryan - da isch äs B verlore gange. Nüd schlächt, aber au nüd meh. Nett zum Lose. Äs sehr guets 3.
All of the country twang songs get a 2 for me. There are some more progressive song that brought the score up.
was okay. lowkey didn’t finish but it wasn’t because i hated it. i just didn’t care for it enough to put off listening to my music. really toed the line between pop and rock. 3/5.
169/1089 - This is most certainly alternative country music. I'm getting sick of this bit I'm doing with the 3 star albums, but I really don't have anything to say. Before I give any of these albums a listen, I like to imagine what they sound like. If it sounds like what I imagined, I'll probably give it a neutral rating. I might change my rating style in the future. There are definitely some albums I rated previously that I changed my mind on. Since I Left You is a 5 (not a 4) and Beyoncé is a 2 (not a 3) in my opinion. This one will probably be a high 3 and stay that way.
Some songs were really good
This album is A LOT better than the cringey album cover suggests. Not every song is a gem, I’m looking at The Rolling Stones knock-off track and the overly affected white boy soul (life is a highway vibes). But, there is magic in here.
I was eager for this album because I really liked Heartbreaker. But this album is nowhere near as good. I liked one track (Answering Bell) and kind of liked another (Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd) but that's it. The rest of the album is "meh", and it's a pretty long album.
Another album where I hear the influences almost more than the artist - the desire to be a latter-day Bob Dylan feels like it's evident on nearly every song; 'Answering Bell' gives serious Van Morrison vibes, and 'La Cienega Just Smiled' made me think of James Taylor. There's probably country influences I'm not aware of given my lack of familiarity with the genre. Unfortunately, very little of the album comes close to the either lyrical (Dylan) or vocal (everybody else) skills of those influences. It's largely fine but Adams' reedy, often nasal voice grates after a while and the lyrics aren't brilliant enough to overcome that. Moreover, some of the lyrics land a little grossly given what's known now about Adams' behavior with women, e.g.: 'How'd I end up falling so bad for such a little girl' and 'You're nobody girl' made me seriously grimace - a song I was actually enjoying until that chorus came along. It's also just too long. 'Sylvia Plath' really should have been left in the coffee-stained, Sharpie scrawled notebook where I imagine Adams keeps his most self-indulgent ideas. With some editing, this might have been a 3.5/4 star album. Between the length, Adams' ultimate mediocrity, plus his unacceptably shitty behavior with women, it's barely a 3.
Couple of great tracks here. 3.5 stars.
Is Ryan Adams related to Bryan Adams or do they just rhyme? I had never heard of him or the album. Very listenable with bits that sound like other bands, but not really my style. 3.5.
Gold, Adams’ major-label solo debut, is still a little too long. It’s not until “Somehow, Someday,” a third of the way in, that Adams catches up to his reputation as country noir’s hurt king.
An ok listen. Wouldn't seek to listen again, but may not turn it off.
Enjoyable smooth mellow and chill. Perfect background music.
Not my style. Sort of like Tom Petty....the songs are clasically good, but in a very American way.
jo men ganska gött ändå men alldeles för långt
weirdly familiar even though i didn’t recognise any of the songs? kind of a rock, country, pop vibe could get my head around it but enjoyed it nonetheless.
it was pretty mid, it works makin' me fell in a rodeo or in a farm, but it doesn't make me wanna listen to the next song, is average as much, is enyoyable, but i wouldn't listen for my own
Same old rock stolen from black people
Not a genre that I personally like very much, but this album is actually very listenable. He's got a great voice and solid song writing. I have it a focused listen all the way through (even though it's a pretty long album) and generally enjoyed it. i probably wouldn't put this on again by choice, but wouldn't mind if it happened to be on somewhere.
Right from the first track, New York New York, the music sounds like The Stranger-era Billy Joel or any-era Van Morrison, with less interesting songwriting and a more countryish vocalist. But then the style goes all-in on country rock, abandoning the New York vibe. Which is fair, I guess. Only one of the songs has New York in the title. Though each individual track is fairly solid, the entire setlist doesn't quite work as an album. This is partly due to nearly every track consisting of three chords (and often just two, I and IV, such as the opening track), the same instrumental arrangement, and (for most of side 1) a similar tempo and upbeat country-esque mood. 90 minutes is just a little too long for an album that doesn't have a concept to back it up. Adams should've released this as two separate LPs. Particularly by disc two (or, as Adams calls it, "disc four"), the album really loses momentum. Goodnight Hollywood Blvd. is a solid ending to an album that's already a little longer than is standard - but then we're blessed with five more tracks that don't add anything musically but Adams insists we must listen to. When The Stars Go Blue is a mellower track that still manages to be more emotional and soulful, making it an easy standout. The low-mixed cello and violins really tug at your heartstrings. Nobody Girl is solid but definitely too long. It really only has one musical idea/hook - the melodic delivery of the song title - and that alone doesn't justify almost 10 minutes of runtime. Ryan Adams's singing sounds very odd in Sylvia Plath. Kind of sounds like a female vocalist. I wonder what made him choose that particular vocal style. You hear the same thing later on with Goodnight Hollywood Blvd. Wild Flowers is another standout for being brave enough to include some switches to relative minor and other (relatively) wacky chords. Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues sounds like something off the Stones' Let It Bleed, but with better production. A great track. The combo of female vocals, piano, and guitar is nostalgic and I'm happy it's getting some traction in the 21st century. 3/5 Key tracks: When The Stars Go Blue, Enemy Fire, Wild Flowers, Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues
Just good but not astonishing, some songs are nice, maybe for me is long
There is a unique quality about Ryan Adams because his music is good, but it’s good because it is a music lovers homage to the music he loved. New York, New York has a feeling like Kieth Urban; Firecracker feels like Bob Dylan; Answering Bell feels like James Taylor; La Cienga my daughter asked if it was CCR; and The Rescue Blues feels mid-‘60s Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. All of these songs are solid. I don’t know if I can say I was overwhelmed by any of them, but I enjoyed all of them. This will be a good album for beer and corn hole in the backyard this summer. Side note: this was a pleasant change of pace to add a little rockabilly/country into the mix. It clears the pallet.
Random thoughts: * I thought Ryan Adams got cancelled. Oh well, I have no issue separating art from artist. * I've always dug New York. I added this song to my I Heart NY playlist and have listened to this track many times. * Firecracker was a good one too and speaking of which I need to add to my 4th of July playlist. * Overall this album is just alright. I won't revisit it besides the few songs that stand out.
The kind of album that's nobody's favourite, but sits in a peripheral "good stuff" area. Like Stereophonics. Or the colour yellow. 90 minutes tho? Never trust a man with two first names.
Poor man's Neil Young
Not nearly as bad as I expected when I saw the cover and the musical style is certainly better than anticipated. Very gritty and folksy. Not bubble gum boy band wannabe pop.
bluesrock mit herzschmerz, kommerziell verwertbar aufgemacht. etwas gar schnulzig.
conventional
Gold was quite a solid album which rather surprised me. For some reason, the album art made me think that this was going to be an emo album (i guess some of the fashion choices did it for me including the hair and the eyeshadow) but no, this is in fact a country rock album. This album does it's job pretty well as many of the songs can be pretty beautiful or pretty rocking in a lot of the best ways. The main issue that i do have with this album is it's length, this album is around 70 minutes which would be fine if the songs sounded more varied but here they do not and it did cause my enjoyment of this album to tank a bit. It's still a solid album and was better than i was expecting due to Adams' reputation on this site. Best Song: The Rescue Blues Worst Song: Touch, Feel & Lose
Well produced, with a decent variety of styles between songs. Very Americana. Any song taken on its own is just kinda boring tho. No dynamic changes, no “wow” moments. Just one riff and one dynamic the whole way through each song.
I wanted to hate this because this guy is a creepy scumbag but it's decent. He's a good songwriter. Shame about literally everything else.
The songs were good not great. The musicianship was good not great. The song writing was good not great. The vocals were prosaic but the songs are generally a good listen. Overall, I'd rate this a good album if somewhat unremarkable. Not sure why it is on the list. 5/10 so ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Meh.
It’s not too bad. I like the first half of the album. It feels refreshing. Nice tone. But the second part becomes a bit boring and a bit too long. It’s like when you go out for a walk, the most exciting moment is when you open your front door.. but the walk itself is actually mediocre. So maybe not quite a four. But a solid 3 for me.
listen, I'm no conspiracy theorist... but this is kinda wild how close this album came out to 9/11. is Ryan Adams part of of the plot? who knows. what I do know is that this album could have been a proper new age for the country/pop genre. i could easily see Adams being like a Luke Bryan or something later on in his career if this were to take him to the stratosphere. just didn't work out that way I suppose. shout out of 'La Cienega Just Smiled', I thought that was one of the best songs on the album. that being said, i thought that the first half of the album was so incredibly 'faux-american'. like, it was supposed to be the new classics and i dunno, it came across as pandering I guess. I actually think the second half of the album is much stronger, with Wild Flowers, Tina Toledo, and Rosalie. All in all... its aight
I was really enjoying the singer/songwriter vibes from this album early on, but then it got a little off the path late in the track list. There are times where that’s not a bad thing, but in this case, I wanted it to stay in the same sound as the beginning. Pretty long, and I lost interest but stuck with it, so I’ll give it a three.
joo lisää ryan adamssia. lisää ryania... ryäni on sen verran semmonen veikko että lisääa lisää albumjea?= mitä vittua on tämä listä.. miksi vitussa alotettiin tämä paska.. ei edes huono albumi mutta mitä vittua? miksi s siis aivn vitusti aikaa käytetty yhteensä se tuhat tuntia. tuhat. tuntia. käytetty tähän ja suurin osa on vittu turhaa mössöä. ei tämä ole mitään sivistymistä vaan ajantuhlausta. pop kulttuurin yhden perspektiivin opiskelu ole mitään millään tasolla mitenkään tärkeää. ja ei voi lopettaa koska sunk cost. en ole koskaan lopettamassa. ei ole mahdollista että nyt vaan loppuu härnäily.. numero liian iso. pikselit johtaa elämänkulkua. pikselit jo valinnut mitä teen noin 100+ tuntia vielä.. ilman mitään syytä paitsi että koska olen jo täällä.. mitä vittua? firecracekr
car trip album
Like it 3/5
It’s a nice album. Pleasant and I have no up and down to say on it. Maybe I would like if I had it on rotation.
#582. This sounds like the kind of music your mom would put on after she's had two and a half Michelob Ultras and is feeling kinda spicy and she brings some candles and her back massager with her to the bath. Yeah, that's who this music is for, I'm sure. 3/5: mom rock
A little overlong, but there were things I liked. Particularly When The Stars Go Blue. That's a pretty song.
Good lyrics An interesting and atmospheric sound
nice harmonica, but pretty bland and generic. Nothing too much here to write home about
This is the whitest white person album with the whitest white man ever on the cover
Way too long and he’s 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻 but still gets a 3 from me for “New York, New York” and a few other nice moments throughout 😬
It's very easy going and breezy and I had a perfectly nice enough time with it.
It's not so bad for knockoff Bruce Springsteen
In offensive but sorta bland. Loses some points for being about twice as long as it should have been, he’s delusional to think there’s enough outstanding material here to be worthy of a double album.. still it was entertaining enough but no higher than 3/5
This was OK. A few songs stuck out as being much better than the others for me, but for the most part it was decent americana rock that only resonated so much. Not something I'd be mad at listening to again, however. 3/5
This is a mixed bag. I found I liked half the songs but then the other half weren't very good in my opinion.
***An ok album
Believe it or not, Ryan Adams is not Bryan Adams’ alter ego. This is despite them both playing fairly easy-listening pop-rock. I didn’t recognise anything from this album, but I did rather enjoy it. It was yet another case of the music being fairly fun, but not something likely to stick with me for long. The music and vocals are decent, but I don’t think there was any point that particularly made my ears prick up.
Börjar jäkligt starkt men tappar
Ryan Adams second solo album. I know Heartbreaker forward and backward but never really listened to this one much. It's great but doesn't hold the powerful nostalgic pull over me that Heartbreaker does. But it's got all the hallmarks of early Ryan Adams there and it's a great listen.
Good album. It was mostly enjoyable.
Solid at points but gets progressively worse
3.5 stars. Really enjoyed this album, would listen again and will listen to more Ryan Adams. Tina Toledo’s street walkin blues was a jam!
Puts the cunt in country
I actually really like how this sounds, but it's difficult to listen to without the stench of how much Ryan Adams sucks. Some songs are better than others but I generally enjoy the groove. 3
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. I'm not wasting my time or yours with a fresh take on Adams - so you get a repeat of the Heartbreaker review.
I initially thought that this album would be a 2, but I wasn’t able to find the time to listen to it all the way through for a bit. This led to me listening to bits and pieces of music for a few days, before I managed to listen to it all straight. This repeated exposure gave me a better appreciation for the music, and the album is now bordering on a 4. I’m still not a huge fan of the songwriting or his singing style, but I really enjoy the warm, nostalgic feeling that this album gives me. Favorite Track: When The Stars Go Blue
This album had a few good songs but never really moves out of just being very average
Maybe the closest we'll get to the Platonic Form of singer-songwriter on this earth
There's something about earnestly wholesome light-rock that sets me off. I can't criticize the quality or creativity, I just tend to lose my patience and soon my goddamn mind. This reminds me of the essence of Todd Rundgren, evidently a massive treasure of a human being, but I can't stand his music. I get it, Mr. Adams has been a tireless, prolific and irrepressible troubadour his whole life. I don't think I've encountered any of his material other than 'Gold' and I don't expect I'll intentionally seek it out.
In my list, I'm replacing this with a Jason Molina album. No doubt, Ryan Adams is a great songwriter, but my god he needs to know when to pack it up. I also get the impression that Adams has an ego that needs to be checked.
great start, then a bunch of ok tracks, singing like Zeppelin & the Stones in places, overlong
Some good to great songwriting. Some good to great rockers. I found it derivative. So much had already been said. It did not captivate me.
It's nice, but seems so forgettable. I could imagine revisiting this one later on and seeing how much it sticks.
It was fine. Will listen to his music.
Gold by Ryan Adams is average. With its release in 2001, Gold straddles the world between rock, alternative, and country well. I can hear the nineties country sound and the yet-to-come aughts alternative sound. And this is a very easy, mellow album to sit back and enjoy. Except for the cringe-worthy moments Adams' voice breaks. But lord oh lord, did Ryan Adams get extremely lucky with Gold's release two weeks after 9/11, the American flag on his album cover, and his songs about New York and patriotism. I cannot believe his luck, and I will bet a good amount of money that the album wouldn't have received the same kind of reception if it was released years before or after. Gold is decent, but it's not great. I don't understand--but I do understand the other reviews that call this a budget Bruce Springsteen.
I like his slower music. Don't really enjoy his faster music. So, we'll settle on a 3 star.
For some reason I've always swerved this album. I even turned my nose up at it for £3 in a charity shop earlier today. I've no idea why I've had such a downer. It's great! Proper wholesome US rock, with a slight outside feel. This feels like an important album. The songs are solid and well structured. The storytelling kept me interest. I caved in and splashed out £2.40 on ebay. Another decent find.
A shame he turned out to be a shithead, as he one time made some good tunes.
I dunno who he is calling "Nobody Girl" but I never heard of this Nobody Guy. Who? Bryan Adams? No... RYAN.. Ryan Adams. Doesn't ring a bell. Doesn't even cut like a knife. This is fine for some easy groove music. His melodies are pretty good but it doesn't really strike me as that creative or interesting. Somehow, Someday was pretty good. And I liked Tina Toledo's Street Walkin Blues. It's got some good stomp energy that most of the other songs lack.
This album is very polished...super tight musicianship and his vocals carry a lot of emotion. Sounds like he's been a pretty big jerk in his past, but trying to look past that. I think in the early aughts, the emotion in his music would've moved me more than it does today. It just feels very much of that time period. Not taking away from the talent here, but not sure this is so much my thing anymore.
Pretty decent album. I liked a lot of the songs. Overall, it was a good 90 minutes of solid American alt-country music. Standout songs: La Cienega Just Smiled The Rescue Blues Gonna Make You Love Me 3/5
Very good!
I like the album, but it does maybe lack focus or something. It feels like a lot of the same by the time you grind to the end.
niceee
Ei pohkömpi albumi! En ookaan kuunnellut häntä ennen. 3/5
The musicianship and songwriting is here for sure. However, outside of a few songs not much of this spoke to me.
Is Summer of ‘69 not on this one?
Everything I do, I do it for you! Crazy he had so many hits that weren’t on this album….I kid I kid. Pretty solid lil album. Never really got into him. I liked it but didn’t land with me in that tingly way for me to round up 3.5
mostly upbeat alt-country/americana. pretty good album, although clocking in at just over 70 minutes makes it a bit longer than i would have liked.
Some of this is really good. Some of it is boring. Knowing what I’ve heard about him, I can’t really listen without cringing.
Umm... okay then. This is an album. Ryan Adams is an artist that I do not know much about. What I do know is that he's kind of a shithead, but we try our best to separate art from the artist in this house. Anyways, let's talk about his second album, Gold. My thoughts on it are that the album... is fine. It's okay. There are definitely things to like here. The sound is nice. Country isn't really my thing, but I can respect anything country-adjacent that isn't the garbage I have to hear on the modern country hits playlist that I'm forced to listen to every day in my computer class. Ryan's singing is decent. The writing is solid. "When the Stars Go Blue" is a pretty good song. I do have problems with this album. The songs do feel a bit samey at times, and the album is definitely too long. However, I certainly wouldn't call this a bad album. It's good. High 3/5.
Started well for me, then songs sounded pretty similar. Album is too long. He has good voice.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to long
It was nice I guess. Voice was good, lyrics were mostly interesting, but this was too long and too many of the songs ran together. Didn’t think this was that special but it was good.
another solid "meh" album. decent background music but nothing I would ever seek out to listen to again. and way too long
When I first read the artist name I misread it as 'Bryan Adams', and was mighty surprised when he started singing. My general feeling about this is that it sounds a bit too much like teenage music to me. That coupled with the fact that it sounds like modern country, or very "american rock" for lack of a better word, makes it hard for me to relate to. I found that the songs I enjoyed the most were the more mellow ones like 'La Cienega Just Smiled', and 'When The Stars Go Blue'. But apart from that it just really wasn't my jam. Not that it was bad per-se, just not for me.
3/5
Sir, a second New Yorker talking about New York has hit the playlist. In 2001 I would have called this music gay. In 2025 I would called this music gay not in a gay way. 6/10
His song writing is very good and was the most enjoyable part of the album for me. A lot of the instrumentals seemed repetitive or boring at times for me. Kinda felt like country bob Dylan, maybe that's a weird take. I feel like he should be more bleachers, or something upbeat. His voice is good enough for better
On par with the Beatles
This felt like American Oasis, meaning it sounded fine but there was something vaguely annoying about it. La Cienega Just Smiled was decent. Too long.
very Springsteen which, judging by the cover, is completely intentional. nothing much to say, a long but not bad listen. unlikely to revisit ever though
2.9 Strange one. A race (albeit a slow one) through Americana tropes. Some times it hits really well - the trio encapsulating Nobody Girl and Enemy Girl is an enjoyable run. Most of the time it misses though, the first third or so of the album the weakest which is a strange ordering. Didn't need the full 70 minutes for sure. Some songs saved down, but glad it's over.
This guy reminds me of Morrisey a bit. He has some talent. Some lullabies
Ryan Adams is talented but there's definitely some filler here - I prefer his rockier tunes than his ballads. Tina Toledo's Street Walkin Blues is great. I think a few more listens and I'd enjoy it more - but it's a long album too.
This was a real mixed bag. Ryan Adams has a good voice, but the instrumental choices were all over the place. A lot of Americana type stuff and some power ballads. Diverse album that suffers from it. Standouts: Firecracker, La Cienega Just Smiled, When The Stars Go Blue, Wild Flowers, and Harder Now That It’s Over.
Could've been better if it wasn't TOO LONG
6.5/10. The album is not very good, but I did end up enjoying it quite a bit, as much as I don't wish to admit this. I'd rather listen to Bruce Springsteen, but I wouldn't mind listening to this album again. :)
Gentle rock, with some country/folk leanings
I was a huge fan of Ryan Adam’s, specifically what would be his mid-career, but then all the allegations came out and I stopped listening. It’s interesting to drop back in now, especially to his country roots, which pre-date his indie singer songwriter phase. Overall it’s fine, but it doesn’t have what made him such a captivating artist for me.
I got two Ryan Adams albums in a row. I preferred this one a bit more than Heartbreaker. He reminded me of Bruce Springsteen in a way. Still too country for me but if I liked country I would probably like this guy's music. Rating: 3
-meh it’s whatever I guess? very bloated but certainly not bad, even though I’m not a big fan of his voice. I liked Heartbreaker a lot better, though I did enjoy some of the creative improvements with the instrumentation and backing vocals -Favorites are When The Stars Go Blue, Enemy Fire, and Touch, Feel and Lose
Een country album met een omgekeerde Amerikaanse vlag op de cover. Is dit het lijflied van de Amerikaanse BBB? New York, New York heeft niets te maken met het bekendere nummer van Frank Sinatra en op het 2e nummer is de mondharmonica al gespot hoor! Dus dat betekend dat dit een lekkere Yeehaw Honkey Tonk plaat word, kan niet anders! En tsja, dat is eigenlijk precies wat het is. Het is een country album, niet veel meer, niet veel minder. Als je van country houdt vind je dit leuk, als je het haat vind je het verschrikkelijk. Ik vind het prima, dus vind ik dit prima. Wel alleen maar Disc 1 geluisterd, zo goed is het ook weer niet. Nobody Girl pakt me, ik ben toch een echte progrocker he, dus nummers van meer dan 5 minuten hebben al snel een streepje voor! Mijn god, zelfs met maar 1 disc duurt dit album wel lang hoor. De eerste helft van disc 1 red dit album tot een prima 3 sterren, maar het had echt niet langer moeten duren! FAVO: New York, New York, Answering Bell, When the stars go blue, Nobody Girl
Un gran esfuerzo sin duda, hay temas de pegada, pero al tiempo se diluyen
El pop-rock típico yankee, que mezcla temas arriba con baladas tristonas. No me conmueve.
Cheesy cover but otherwise it is just some inoffensive music that doesn't offer that much.
Adams is a dirtbag. But also his music isn’t really that good
Decently well-produced album but nothing special.
Not a fan of country, but this was decently enjoyable. What a difference having a good vocalist makes. Even though I don't really like the style, and some of the songs felt overly simple, it was not a bad listen.
This was alright but it was bloody long. For that reason gonna go for a 3.
This was ok, nothing really stood out but it had too many tracks. Not sure I will seek out any of his other 28 albums though
very pretty and also very long. whoof.
Who would buy this and chose to spend their precious time on Earth listening to such boring drivel.
Album 583 of 1001 Ryan Adams - Gold (2001) Rating : 2.5 / 5 This is ok but just struck me as something I might here on AOR radio and probably change the station. Very meh for me.
Poignant, though not universally appealing, revealing sensitive songwriting and emotional depth for those willing to listen.
Good. Not great.
Yo, fuck the haters. This shit is fire. Alt-Country is a genre I've not run into much but it's pretty cool. This album is GOOD, but I've given a lot of good albums a 3, sooo...
Está bien, no me la pasé mal pero 90 minutos son demasiados minutos. Aunque tiene su onda, no pude evitar pensar que he escuchado miles de cosas iguales.
I like this album. -1 star for being a dick ryan
**"Gold" by Ryan Adams - In-Depth Review** Released in 2001, *Gold* is Ryan Adams’ second studio album, widely recognized as one of his most accomplished works. Following the critical success of his debut album *Heartbreaker*, *Gold* marked a shift towards a more expansive and polished sound. It blends elements of rock, folk, country, and blues while still retaining Adams' singer-songwriter roots. This review will delve into the album's lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, providing an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. ### Lyrics The lyrics on *Gold* showcase Adams' signature ability to craft vivid narratives, often reflecting on love, loss, and disillusionment. He employs a blend of personal introspection and storytelling, oscillating between confessional tones and more general reflections on life in America. The album's lyricism feels steeped in nostalgia, with many songs evoking classic Americana themes, harking back to a time when music could serve as a direct emotional connection. Songs like “New York, New York” exhibit Adams’ ability to capture the spirit of a place while expressing a deep personal longing. Written before the 9/11 attacks but released shortly afterward, its opening line, “Well, I shuffled through the city on the Fourth of July,” resonates deeply with themes of resilience and change, even if it was not intentionally about the tragedy. Adams’ lyrics often touch on universal sentiments like yearning for home (“La Cienega Just Smiled”), romantic despair (“When the Stars Go Blue”), or transient love (“Firecracker”). At times, the lyrical themes can feel repetitive. Many of the tracks focus heavily on lost love, which, while effectively delivered, may seem like well-trodden territory for some listeners. Although Adams’ wordplay remains sharp and poetic, some lyrics lean towards predictable phrases and motifs that evoke the Americana and country-rock canon, which slightly undermines the originality in places. ### Music Musically, *Gold* spans a variety of genres, merging country, rock, folk, and blues influences into a cohesive sound. Adams takes inspiration from classic rock acts like The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young, blending their stylistic elements with his own twist. This homage to classic Americana is both a strength and a drawback, as it draws the listener into a nostalgic soundscape but occasionally borders on mimicry. The opening track, “New York, New York,” is an upbeat, Stones-influenced rocker driven by a memorable guitar riff and a catchy chorus. The song's energy and spirit immediately establish the album's tone, offering a lively entry point into the record. The use of horns adds a layer of vibrancy that complements the song's dynamic nature. Another standout, “When the Stars Go Blue,” showcases Adams’ softer side with its melancholic melody and emotive string arrangements, emphasizing his versatility as both a singer and a songwriter. Adams' guitar work is central throughout the album, ranging from twangy, country-inspired riffs (“Firecracker”) to more rock-oriented tones (“Gonna Make You Love Me”). He also introduces diverse instrumentation, including harmonicas, pedal steel guitars, and pianos, enriching the sonic texture and supporting the diverse emotional palette of the songs. However, the album’s length (70 minutes) may work against it, as the sheer number of tracks (16 on the standard edition, 21 on the deluxe edition) causes some songs to feel less impactful or redundant. Tracks like "Somehow, Someday" and "Rescue Blues" don't quite stand out among the stronger cuts, making the album feel less concise. A more selective approach might have bolstered its overall impact. ### Production The production of *Gold* is clean and polished without being overproduced, allowing the rawness of Adams’ voice and the instrumentation to shine through. The album was produced by Ethan Johns, who skillfully balances a warm, organic sound with a professional finish. Johns' experience working with artists like Kings of Leon and Ray LaMontagne contributes to creating an album that feels timeless rather than stuck in a particular era. The mixing ensures that Adams’ vocals remain front and center, delivering his lyrics with clarity and emotion. The backing instruments are layered thoughtfully, never overwhelming the vocals but still providing rich support. The arrangements incorporate vintage elements—such as the Hammond organ and pedal steel guitar—creating a soundscape reminiscent of the 1970s while still feeling modern. The production sometimes veers towards being too safe, lacking the raw, spontaneous feel that characterized *Heartbreaker*. While the slick production fits the album's polished aesthetic, some tracks could have benefitted from a rougher edge, which might have heightened the emotional intensity in places. That said, the high production quality does contribute to the album's accessibility and radio-friendliness. ### Themes *Gold* covers a range of themes, with the most prominent being love, heartbreak, longing, and a sense of place. The album often reflects on the passage of time and the feeling of being caught between past memories and present realities. Songs like “La Cienega Just Smiled” explore the conflict between wanting to escape from painful memories and the struggle to move on. The melancholy nature of the album’s themes is further accentuated by the slower, introspective tracks that dominate the latter half. The motif of place is prevalent throughout the album, not just in “New York, New York” but also in tracks like “La Cienega Just Smiled” and “Harder Now That It’s Over.” These songs evoke a feeling of being adrift, as Adams grapples with different cities and the emotions tied to them. The concept of travel, both physical and emotional, pervades the album, contributing to its bittersweet, nomadic feel. The album’s themes are mostly grounded in personal experiences, but Adams does not dive deeply into political or social commentary. This lack of broader thematic exploration can be viewed as a limitation, given the time of its release in 2001 when the United States was undergoing significant changes. Still, the album's focus on personal and emotional experiences helps maintain a universal appeal. ### Influence *Gold* helped cement Ryan Adams’ status as a key figure in the alt-country and Americana movements. The album's sound, which draws on the influences of past musical legends while injecting a modern twist, resonated with listeners who appreciated a blend of traditional and contemporary styles. Its release during the early 2000s contributed to a renewed interest in Americana and folk-rock genres, influencing other singer-songwriters who sought to incorporate classic rock elements into their music. The success of tracks like “New York, New York” and “When the Stars Go Blue” brought Adams into the mainstream consciousness, with the latter being covered by several artists, including The Corrs and Bono. The album’s impact was significant in bridging the gap between indie and mainstream audiences, helping to elevate the alt-country genre from niche status to broader recognition. Despite its influence, *Gold* did not escape criticism for its adherence to traditional rock and folk formulas. Some detractors argued that the album did not push musical boundaries or innovate significantly within the genre. The album’s ambition to pay homage to the past could be seen as a double-edged sword; while it succeeded in evoking the spirit of classic American rock, it struggled to establish a completely unique identity for Adams. ### Pros 1. **Strong Songwriting**: The lyrics are poignant, well-crafted, and emotionally resonant, showcasing Adams' skills as a storyteller. 2. **Varied Instrumentation**: The use of diverse instruments—guitars, harmonica, horns, strings—adds depth and texture to the album’s sound. 3. **High Production Quality**: Ethan Johns' production is polished and complements the album's nostalgic aesthetic, creating a timeless feel. 4. **Blend of Genres**: Successfully merges elements of country, rock, and folk, appealing to a wide range of listeners and adding to the album’s accessibility. 5. **Emotional Range**: The album covers various emotional landscapes, from the exuberant optimism of “New York, New York” to the mournful tones of “Sylvia Plath.” ### Cons 1. **Length and Repetition**: At 70 minutes, the album can feel overlong, with some tracks failing to distinguish themselves. 2. **Safe Production Choices**: While polished, the production sometimes lacks the raw edge that could have intensified the emotional impact. 3. **Over-Reliance on Nostalgia**: The album's heavy nods to classic rock and Americana can occasionally come off as derivative rather than innovative. 4. **Limited Thematic Exploration**: The focus on personal themes, while universal, misses an opportunity to address broader societal or political issues, especially considering the album’s historical context. 5. **Inconsistent Track Quality**: While some songs are outstanding, others feel like filler, which dilutes the overall strength of the album. ### Conclusion *Gold* by Ryan Adams stands as a significant work in his discography, exemplifying his ability to blend heartfelt lyricism with diverse musical influences. The album's exploration of love, loss, and the American experience resonates deeply, even if it does not break new ground. Its strengths lie in its songwriting, instrumentation, and the high production quality that helps to elevate Adams' stories. The weaknesses, including its length and moments of predictability, slightly undermine its potential to be considered a masterpiece. Ultimately, *Gold* remains a landmark album in the early 2000s' alt-country scene, bridging the gap between traditional rock influences and modern sensibilities. For fans of Americana and singer-songwriter music, it offers a richly textured listening experience that, despite some flaws, showcases Ryan Adams’ talent and cements his legacy in the genre.
Mellow, good background
Meh. Nothing stood out.
3.5
Big, beaming bronze medal collection of alt-country/heartland indie. Tracks are crisp and clean yet rootsy as well and most of the songs are of a fairly good quality. When The Stars Go Blue and Nowhere Girl shine best. Ryan Adams has a certain blandness as a singer though and his songs are often a bit too slickly spun and don’t really have genuine emotional pull. It almost is authentic but isn’t quite. Most of it does sound like generic music that would be plonked somewhere in a special episode of Scrubs, The OC or Dawsons Creek.
Middle of the road pop rock. Fine, I guess but not the “modern classic” he so humbly claimed he set out to make.
Muy largo, prefiero los discos de la década de los 10, honestamente.
Well totally pleasant and easy listening. But a touch bland and predictable. Didn't peak my interest but also wholly inoffensive!
I was really ready to hate this album. But there were some good songs in it to my surprise.
❤️❤️❤️/5
This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be going in. I moderately enjoyed it.
I've just never been able to understand the hype for him. Not quite alt not quite country, just kind of there.
More upbeat than ‘Heartbreaker’ from memory, although I didn’t go back through the list to confirm. If you like that album, and that whole alt-rock/country sound in general, then you’ll like this, as long as you can get past Adams’ confirmed abusive behaviour and sexual harassment of multiple women (including ex-wife Mandy Moore, and ex-girlfriend Phobe Bridgers).
Not really my thing
very generic americana/rock.
Winding and self indulgent. I really tried but it held me the listener in contempt. Some moments of gold but don’t ever want to sit through all this again. A far cry from the summer of 69 /s
I've heard the album before. Good songwriter with lots of different moods on this album.
First listen. More variety and wider range than I expected.
I like a lot of Whiskeytown, but his solo stuff has skewed to pop-rock, and I don't like his particular brand of pop-rock. I think "Heartbreaker" is better than "Gold," as well. However, this album is not actively bad or offensive. It's just mostly boring for me, except a few songs like "Harder Now That It's Over."
🎧Decent, sort of generic-sounding at times. Not as good as Heartbreaker.
I should love Ryan Adams, his music should be in my wheelhouse. And I like him, I just don’t love him like I love some artists. This is a very good album, I just like it, not love it
Fine. Very 2001 vibes of an album for sale at a Starbucks cash register.
For starters, yeah this is pretty good, the guy can write a decent song. It’s overlong and at points the songs were just so-so. But this was always going to get a three or less because of the fact that Ryan Adams is a massive shitsack. So there you go.
Decent, inoffensive, country rock type music. Better and more thoughtful than most country I hear, but still kind of bland. Best track: New York, New York, but the beginning of that and Gonna Make You Love Me both sounded like Pinball Wizard to me.
Alright I guess
5/10 - It was the definition of a rock album. Nothing crazy happened. Nothing stood out too much to me. But then again nothing was terrible.
Boring and long but not offensively bad
This might be the goofiest and tackiest album cover I've seen here yet. With that said, there was very little for me not to enjoy here. The hour + went by relatively quickly with these (mostly) short and sweet country-rock tracks with touches of Americana and heartland sounds, akin to Bruce Springsteen (who the album art might be referencing). The production's layered and Ryan's a good enough vocalist and writer in this area, but as I'd expected, the sound starts to wear its welcome near the 40-minute mark. The opening 'New York, New York' might be the highlight of this whole thing and I quite enjoy the escalating outro of the elongated ballad 'Nobody Girl'. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed my time with this album.
if this was 40 minutes it would be 6/10 but being a mediocre double album drops it to a 5/10. none of the music here feels unique.
Not bad at all
not really my jam
To be honest, I started listening to this and thought, well, not that bad. Then the album was over and I couldn't remember anything.
Solid, high 3+ - not that those “nonces” who think shoegaze and britpop bands merit any presence on this list would know.
A bit slower than his debut album. And I think I like the higher tempo more.
Also fairly neutral
Very solid album that I will likely have to listen to several more times to make a final determination, I am not sure I want to do that.
Actually pretty good but the vocals started to grate on me after about the 12th track. Less is definitely more for this album.
It's a nice voice, but I listened through the whole album in the background while I was doing something else, and I couldn't remember a single thing about it.
There are parts where the tone of his voice is annoying. La cienega just smiled and nobody girl are my favorites
It's like an uninspired Bob Dylan and an apathetic Bruce Springsteen made an album. 2.6875
6.5/10
The music isn’t bad per se, but not really that interesting. Not sure I get what so special that it ends up on a list like this.
Didn't notice this first time, not surprised.
Good. Enjoyable and good voice 3.5*
Just ok
Though Adams seems like a crappy person, I've listened to a lot of his albums through the years, starting when he was in Whiskeytown. Gold is probably his most commercial record, if he has one and his early solo works stay within the comfort zone of the alt country/Americana sound he is known for. I give him credit for exploring other musical styles, including full records dedicated to rock, punk and Taylor Swift (song by song cover of 1989) and he has to be the most prolific present day singer-songwriter, with at least 29 solo studio albums, as well as his Whiskeytown stuff. Gold is good, it's just not my favorite Adams album, but it was an important record for his career that brought him more exposure and a fan base. I thought of his earlier material, as a "poor-man's", Wilco or Jeff Tweedy, he has the talent, but there's something lacking in his character, passion and craftsmanship. You can make dozens and dozens of recordings, but is anyone listening to it all or even give a shit?
Decent album; hard to imagine finding a reason to listen to this again.
All I could think to myself while listening to this was thank god it wasn’t another Bruce Springsteen album
I thought I was going to actually like this but it was disappointing. 2.5.
1: 3 2: 3 Börjar med två typiska "mellanlåtar". Lite musikens 101. Inte dåligt, men absolut inget märkvärdigt. Lite rytm och en sång. Inga krusiduller. 3: 3 4: 4 - bättre än resten. Lugnare tempo passar bättre. 5: 3 - marginellt bättre än de första. Men inte lika bra som den lugna låten innan. 6: 3 - Lite Neil Young över denna låt. Lite! 7: 3 - lugnare. Men inte lika bra som förra. Lite väl meh. 8: 9: 10: Irriterande. Skrev nåt som försvann. Skumt. Orkar inte skriva om. Rosalie var bäst har jag för mig. Hade väldigt höga förväntningar. Trodde Ryan Adams skulle vara mycket bättre
Det är ett habilt hantverk detta och väldigt jämnbra. Men det är också problemet. Det maler på runt en trea hela tiden, plus minus 0,5. Jag har svårt att behålla intresset hela vägen när det är så otroligt låååångt och relativt enformigt.
Err why is this album in here, did they need one to fill the ‘unremarkable middle of the road blues country rock’ genre section? Faster numbers just sounded like Black Crowes/Primal Scream/Stones and the slower ones that sort of general late 90s/00s tortured male solo artist sound a la David Gray etc. Struggled to see anything really original/interesting. Easy enough listen though I suppose:
A bit dull
Well that was fine Album cover: B+. Not very original (Aaron Carter did it better) but points for being that cheesy and sincere about it.
Mood: terrible Setting: FUCKING DISHES AGAIN Not bad, didn't really connect with it. I actually really like another Ryan Adams album (the one with him lying down smoking a cigarette on the cover) but this one didn't have that same magic.
This sure was an album. The songs sound like the inoffensive rock that plays in the background of an autogenerated montage played at a company's goodbye party for an employee. 5/10
Country ish
Rock / country mix, americana
beautiful voice and songwriting but not for me
Aina tiedostanut kahden Adamsin tekevän musaa, mutta en ole tainnut koskaan perehtyä beettömöän version tuotantoon tässä laajuudessa. Musa erittäin viihdyttävää ja tasalaatuista.
Perushyvä rock-albumi
Difficult to finish, not my cuppa tea
3.5
I’ve always been mostly aware of Adams because he’s almost Brian Adams and he covered Taylor Swift. Turns out Adams is early 2000s version of dad rock. Everything is a little too smooth and clean. I do like it more than the previous decades dad rock. Adams plays good pop/rock with a bit of country. When the Sky Blues is a great song and there aren’t really any bad songs but something is missing, it’s all very on the surface, formulaic dad rock. At least times it feels like a direct rip off of 60-70s music. Tina Toledo’s Street Walking Blues is the best example. Also 70 mins too long. 6.9/10
Some great songs but about 6 tracks too long
Not bad. Very easy to listen to. I give it 3 stars.
Possibly too long, but a good listen. Opens well with New York, New York.
I enjoyed parts of this record rather more than I anticipated. The opener 'New York' is recognisable (and catchy) and a few tracks like 'Answering Bell's and 'Tina Toledo Street Walking Blues' are highlights. The standout for me was the sprightly 'Gonna Make You Love Me', which is superb in all departments. What lets the album down is the slower numbers, which are ponderously dull and sadly this accounts for about half the album (although it feels more).
Not my usual type of music but there were some songs I quite liked in there. That said I won’t be going back for more.
This was easy to listen to but started to feel the same throughout by the end. Inoffensive enough for an average 3*
ja, naja. kenn ich schon lang und hat mir als jugendlicher schon nicht gut gefallen
Good! A bit long though.
I've never listened to Ryan Adams before. For an alt-country album (not usually my style) it has a few genuinely good songs. But for me, it really struggles to keep the quality high throughout. He sounds like a less interesting version of Jack White. From what I've read of Adams, he does seem like a bit of a mess. He seems to always be frantically recording albums, many of which he label refuses to release (including one with the very questionable title 'The Suicide Handbook'). He's had sexual harassment cases. He seems to kind of want to play punk rock but keeps going back to country. Are you ok, Ryan? Anyway, I can see why some people like him but for me, this album was about 40 minutes longer than it needed to be.
I thought this was better than his previous album despite being initially put off by its length, but I’m still never going to enjoy hearing this prick
A nice listen but immediately dissipates and is completely forgettable. Straightforward adult contempo.
It's ... fine? Yeah, it's fine. Nothing here groundbreaking, nothing here that annoyed me, either. Sort of sounds like that dude from Train, and maybe a bit like Bob Dylan's son.
First time listening to RA. I liked several of these songs enough to sing along. He's got craft and I respect that.
Kept waiting for "I do it for you" to play, but realized the next day that this wasn't Bryan, but instead the knockoff Ryan. It wasn't terrible though.
Id never heard of Ryan Adams and this was a shock! Really solid songwriting, very catchy, at no point did it feel like it was dragging. Equally, not quite my style of music which is preventing this album getting a 4 since I'm unlikely to save any of the songs to my personal collection. Cool though!
Good album. Nothing really original but still enjoyed. Dudes got a lot of woman problems though
Based on the name, cover, genre, reviews, and even the reputation of the artist himself, I fully expected to hate this. Honestly, I'm a little irritated that I enjoyed parts of it quite a bit. Very strong openers, up to about track 5, and then the quality dips and, unfortunately, the songs just keep coming. Sylvia Plath in particular is awful, the total low point here. I'm genuinely conflicted because my enjoyment of parts of it are a 5, but other parts drop all the way to 1, plus I still hate Ryan Adams, so I'm going down the middle on this one. 01/03/24
A lot better than expected. The second disc was a bit rubbish. Otherwise would have been 4 *
Haha his name is one letter away from Bryan Adams Feel good American songs Solid 3***
The bones are good here. If this album was from the 70s it might get higher marks, but it being so recent makes it feel a bit derivative.
this is perfectly fine, and not really the artist’s fault, but i think i’d like this a lot more if this album didnt become a patriotic rallying point after 9/11. with that, it’s mildly annoying to me but broadly fine.
Bit of a snoozefest. Wasn't bad, but nothing stood out. I would listen to it again while working. I think it is best suited as background music.
Some catchy stuff, bad dude though
Good album.
somehow, someday, when the stars go blue
Somewhat boring
I knew only his song "New York, New York" from this album, which I always enjoyed but for some reason, I never listened to anything else by him. I'm glad this project served up this album today. I listened to it, and overall, I like it. Some good songs here.
Mellow pop-rock ballads. It started not that bad, but it was too long and as it went on got too mellow. Stand-out: Answering Bell
Alright
4 star album but too long, a number of songs could have been dropped Addition by subtraction
Some good stuff. Almost like a Tom Petty for a new generation
I’ve never listened to a complete Ryan Adams album before, I knew the name but I didn’t know much about him. It’s pleasant enough, it has a similar feel to some Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison songs, which is not a bad thing because I like all them.
Ryan Adams' suffers from a problem of actually putting out too much music... (just last December he put out FOUR ALBUMS....) which could be good, but feels like some of it end up lacking a filter. (the other problem is his name resembling to much of bRyan Adams...) This album has that feeling, some really cool songs like New York, New York and When The Starts Go Blue, and a lot of songs that feel a bit the same. I do like a bunch of his stuff, but sometimes the history around him annoys me (his relationship with Phoebe Bridgers and the fact that the Strokes hate him for turning their guitar player into a junkie) My funny story with him is that I actually saw him live just as I moved to SF Bay, at the Berkeley Greek Theater. I actually saw Steve Wozniak there, and thought about taking a picture, but I felt a bit embarrassed as I had a Samsung phone... (fwiw, I switched for an iPhone last month)
Talented song writer, sounds like he has heavy influences from Bob Dylan, among others. Channels them well, though the album felt very long.
Weak 3
Decent but long
This is a pretty chill album that doesn't have much new to offer. It is very early 2000's mom music. I did like it overall but there wasn't any standout songs. I think the singer has a great voice and this is exactly the type of music I'd enjoy hearing live at a restaurant but I wouldnt want to go to a concert for it.
Some great songs
Fully expected to hate this album. And then I didn’t.
I missed out on so many years of being bullied by not discovering this back in school. Why's the cover upside-down?
Never heard any of these songs before, but it's a pretty good listen. Straightforward Americana, sort of in the direction of Tom Petty or The Band.
Not bad, a few good songs. Marking 3/5 for now as I only had time for a single listen.
Guy is a creep Album is decent Run of songs at the end is strong
Sylvia Plath: lives a short, tragic, yet ultimately influential life Ryan Adams: would that I could fuck her
Too many albums like this on this list. I'm not a fan of soft rock to be fair
Better than expected
Best Song: Answering Bell. The maximum permissible quantity of indie vocal warble. Worst Song: Wild Flowers. Horribly overwrought singing. I cannot believe you're this close to tears for the song's entire runtime. Overall: "Hey babe, pour yourself a lukewarm beer, crank that stereo to 5, and throw on that Ryan Adams records: we're about to have a real medium time."
Optimistic Americana that in retrospect feels like tarnished glory both nationally (9/11) and personally (#MeToo). Cannot deny the beauty to Ryan Adams’ voice when he loses the Johnny Cash-affected growl and sings purely. It’s strange to me to consider Ryan Adams alongside Elliott Smith - both had similar tortured misogynistic womanising facades. Interesting that one would die the year this album was released.
2.5 exactly in the middle. thought it was gonna be worse than it is actually, but it was overall just fine. towards the end i even considered 3 stars, but i don't think the length and the worse songs can justify that for me. not terrible but won't be listening again.
okey, neke cak fun
Boring American country-rock.
Too long. Some decent songs though
Not sure what's so special about this mellow country rock. It's ok.
Not a fan of the guy. Pretty dated, but a good album. Mix of pop and country.
Bland. I'm assuming it's more popular with the flag snagging community (American or Confederate).
Wanted to hate this but....the guy is a damn good song writer and producer
Well, way better the later Dylan albums on this list, like his voice but well, too "americana" for me. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and give 3 stars
If Steve Earle had a better childhood, he would’ve been Ryan Adams. That is intended as high praise. This record kept getting better and better; at first I dismissed it as same old alt country bs, but the songwriting managed to break through my cynicism. Excellent, will definitely listen to more
3.5 Really good sound and the songs start to grab ya after a while....
Despite not being my favorite style of music, I really enjoyed this and I was pleasantly surprised. Still relatively neutral on it.
Pas de gros défaut, j’aime juste pas le côté tristounet de sa voix
Veit ekkert um þennan mann og hafði aldrei heyrt þessa plötu. Hún á ekki heima á listanum. Hallaðist að tvisti framan af, en þegar á leið minniti tónlistin meira á snemmáttundatugs Stones og batnaði. Óeftirminnilegt, ekki leiðinlegt. Tæpur þristur.
Pretty typical sound out of Ryan Adams for me, and perhaps because this is the only album I've ever heard in the past. He has those tracks that stand out and rise above the rest which just sounds like a dull hum. Totally listenable and pleasant with a few especially useful and impactful songs-- New York etc..
Essentially a repeat of my "Heartbreaker" review here, as "Gold" is much the same with some absolutely terrific songs that I just can't fully separate from the artist who wrote and performed them. This is a four-star album. But -1 because I just can't enjoy it in the same way anymore.
This album screams America to me maybe more than almost any other on this list (sorry Bruce). It has a classic sound, a fusion of rock, country, and folk. I guess a man abusing his privilege/influence/power to prey on young women is not uniquely American though. Sigh.
Beautiful at times. Boring at times. 70 minutes is entirely too long. There was certainly a very good album in there if the best 40 minutes were chosen.
This album wasn't bad by any means and I can still appreciate it to an extent but I was honestly really bored for most of the longggg 70 minute runtime. The vocal work was good and the writing was fine but compared to Heartbreaker it just wasn't interesting to me at all. I'm assuming that this was so popular because it was a mostly slow and sad album with a couple upbeat songs that came out like two weeks after 9/11 and everyone latched onto it. Who wouldn't connect with new york, new york, or when the stars go blue in the rally around the flag patriotism post-9/11; even the album cover gives post-9/11 vibes. Unfortunately, it's been 22 years and I wasn't even born yet so the tracks probably don't hit quite the same. Tina Toledo's... was the only track I even sort of engaged with.
Slows way down in the backhalf of the album, but started off very well. I think Ryan has the elements of a revolutionary singer/songwriter and he puts together some exceptional songs. However, this is quickly balanced out with passionless blueprints that span genres and lack the conceptual integrity of a good song. Coupled with his troubling background, Ryan will only ever be a mildly successful act. He tried way too hard to fit a mold, instead of being authentic. I’ll keep the classics for the occasional folk-exposure, but the rest can fade to obscurity with him when he’s gone.
Didn’t excite me
I thought this was pretty good, but I didn’t love it. It was a little poppy for my taste and honestly, I thought some lyrics were a little overly clever.
It’s good Ryan, it’s good.
Ryan Adams is quite clearly a talented songwriter and puts some good depth into his musical stylings here. However, I think it's unfortunate that he can't seem to find a genre identity. He oscillates between country and rock (along with other genres like blues and some funk), never quite merging the sound in an effective manner and therefore leaving us with a relatively long but disjointed album. I genuinely feel bad that I had no idea "When The Stars Go Blue" was his song, only knowing the numerous covers prior to listening to Gold. Overall, I feel like I would revisit individual songs on this album, but never the full album in one sitting again. I'm also feeling relatively generous today, so I'll bump him up a star considering I will likely listen to other albums of his and think they are worse - I need some way to piece through these after it's all said and done.
B New York, New York 3 Firecracker 3 Answering Bell 3 La Cienega Just Smiled 3 The Rescue Blues 3 Somehow, Someday 3 When the Stars Go Blue 3 Nobody Girl 4 Sylvia Plath 3 Enemy Fire 3 Gonna Make You Love Me 3 Wild Flowers 3 Harder Now That It's Over 3 Touch, Feel & Lose 4 Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues 3 Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd. 5 Ryan Adams, I was not familiar with your game. Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd was one of my favorite songs of the whole jenny.
Too long and samey, but it wasn't that bad.
A bit formulaic for my liking. Generic light country rock stuff.
So... why is this one of the albums I needed to hear? I found nothing on it that was truly remarkable. One song ("Nobody Girl") would have been good with better lyrics, I think. Another song ("Somehow, Someday") that had an intro that reminded me of "Can't Find My Way Home". And I would have been happy with it being a clone of that song, but it wasn't. It all just seemed like middling songwriter fare. Seriously, am I missing something here? It was okay, but I just found nothing in it that wowed me.
I gotta say I'm digging Ryan Adams. I'm not sure what makes his albums so monumental that they need to be listened to before you die, but they are cool folk rocking pieces. Can I keep giving him a 4? That's where I sat after listening once and restarting the album. On multiple listens, I felt like half the album was just okay. I didn't really care for Tina Toledo's Street Walking Blues or Nobody Girl and When the Stars Go Blue is overrated in my opinion. Maybe there was just too much material - he wanted a double album but it was still a bit bloated even with the record company cuts. However, I really freakin' enjoyed New York New York, Firecracker, Answering Bell, and Gonna Make You Love Me (all rocking pieces) and La Cienega Just Smiled, The Rescue Blues, Sylvia Plath, and my favorite Harder Now that It's Over (all beautiful softer pieces). And I liked how Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd trailed out but I didn't love the opening of it as much. I also liked how his vocal style or pitch changes on certain songs (see Somehow Someday for verses, where his vocals sound different than in the chorus and most other songs). Except for the fact that he's a bit of an ahole and a womanizer, he's sort of the new millennium's version of Bruce Springsteen. Not quite as good a lyricist, but he has that Americana sound and musical dexterity. So maybe I get why he's on this list a few times. And I will definitely go look for more of his music (even though my sister will hate me for supporting him). But I still think this album is too up and down and too long to rise above 3.5.
This album was not as bad as the cover suggests. Not a huge Ryan Adams fan, but this old navy looking ass with the upside down flag album coming out two weeks after 9/11 just screams counter culture. Again, if I saw this album on the shelves two weeks after the towers fell, I'd have said, or more likely heard my parents say "This is why we are boycotting the movies". It's in that way that this album is deceiving. I'm not arguing this is some sort of masterpiece or even a 4 star type of album, but it's just comical to me that this is what was chosen. I'd love to know if they pivoted on the album cover after the plane crashes (there were 27 planes? or was it 79? (Portlandia joke for anyone reading this outside of our family group)) or if this was always the plan. Ryan just said, "I'm getting sick and tired of America" but then everything happened and he thought "this could work" as he reflected back on when his mom bought him that shirt a few days before the 4th off the Kohls rack. I could keep going....and I will. He's also really rocking the multi-holed belt that has almost as many circles as those around his wrist with those bands. Look, I'm not saying I didn't wear a few back in that time, but I def didn't wear that belt, nor did I put my hands on my hips in both fashions like he is trying. To his credit, he didn't do the one thumb in the pocket, or all fingers but the thumb in the pocket. He did, however, inadvertently inspire Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and many others with the died black hair. There's a small part of me that wonders if they shot this as an above shot where he was actually just putting his pants on as he laid on the flag and they made the decision to go with it looking like he was standing up, sacrificing the position of the flag so that it didn't look like he was a vampire hanging from the ceiling since that would be too believable and might ruin his All/Anti American look. On top of all of that, he has songs called New York, New York (DID HE KNOW?? COULD HE HAVE PREVENTED IT??), Firecracker, THE RESCUE BLUES??? As in the first responders??? When The Stars Go Blue (another boys in blue reference, but also a good song that I first heard I guess as a cover from Tim McGraw who did it better, sorry). Enemy Fire (are you freaking kidding me). And there's one more song that mentions blue but doesn't really work with this theme. All I'm saying is this album might have been an inside job.