Ryan Adams
by Ryan Adams

From HoldenM TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/11/2017 03:49 | #192359 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Yes, I've been on a huge Ryan Adams kick today.

Whereas 1989 and Prisoner have more of a Springsteen bent to them, this self-titled effort reminds me a lot more of Foreigner, or Icehouse, or mid-to-late-period Yes. Yet, whatever form Adams takes, his bona fides for emotive songwriting and performance always comes first. Seriously though. Given how low this ranks, even for its year, this is so slept on. I love it.

From buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/25/2016 15:58 | #180972 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Although Ryan Adams--as you can tell from even a cursory look at my charts--is one of my favorite recording artists of the new century, I don't always love his aesthetic choices. One of the weirdest of all these was his decision to cast Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. vampish horror hostess Elvira, in his video for "Gimme Something Good." As one of my friends remarked of the 63-year-old Elvira's cleavage-heavy performance in the video, "Good for her?" So Ryan's pop culture tastes can be, er, questionable. As for the songs on this album, this is about as close as Ryan Adams gets to a straight-ahead rock-and-roll album that isn't merely a nod to his influences. It's a driving collection of solidly written, energetically performed songs, catchy as hell and ideally suited for the Red Rocks Amphitheater performance I saw where Ryan and his band had their performances punctuated, and ultimately truncated, by one of the fiercest thunderstorms I've ever witnessed.

A return to a more rock sound after the acoustic leanings of the excellent, ashes and fire. This self titled album is a good record full of competent songs, but nothing really stands out as spectacular. Opening track, gimme something good, is probably the best track on the album, with, Kim, and, let go, also decent. Good then, but not great.

I have no history of liking Ryan's material but caught him on Jools Holland playing a few of these tracks and was blown away. The album is great.

early 80s AOR in the vein of Tom Petty, 38 Special, etc w/ a big sentimental streak . Immaculately produced & constructed (if you're into that kind of thing). Good fun! I can see Romanelli getting morning wood with this one.