Rock’n Me 23: Talking About Western Music - Ryan Adams

Hey, this is Joshua and I like to talk about Western music.
In this 23rd installment, we will talk about singer/songwriter Ryan Adams. If I had to describe him in a few words, it would be “impulsive, unpredictable, overly delicate, and incredibly beautiful voice,” and he promises that he’s usually mistaken for Bryan Adams.

Ryan Adams was born and raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA in 1974. As a young boy, Ryan loved punk rock, but he gradually expanded into indie rock, alternative rock, and even country. In 1995, we saw his debut with the band Whiskeytown. Whiskeytown was based on country-rock, but they incorporated a miscellaneous musical style and became known as “alternative country,” along with Wilco and the Jayhawks, who shared a common direction. Whiskeytown produced three albums, which were well received by critics. However, after a series of member changes and commercial troubles, the band ceased to exist when Ryan went solo.

Ryan's solo debut album was Heartbreaker in 2000. With a delicate voice that’s reminiscent of Gram Parsons, the original country rock singer, and Emmylou Harris (vo), who supported Gram's musical career, in the chorus, Ryan contributed to the hype of the album. Although the album didn’t generate much commercial success, it continued to receive high praise from critics. My personal favorite is the ninth ballad titled, “Come Pick Me Up”.

■ Come Pick Me Up

The follow-up album, Gold (2001), took a more commercial route, earning a Grammy nomination and becoming the best-selling album of all time. “When the Stars Go Blue” was picked up by numerous artists, including Ireland's The Coors, who recorded a duet version of the song with Bono (vo) from U2 on their album. The single “New York, New York,” as the title suggests, is about New York City, and the promotional video was shot on September 7, 2001, with the World Trade Center and other New York City skyscrapers in the background. However, four days later, on the 11th, the terrorist attacks happened in New York City, and the World Trade Center collapsed from the attacks. Under these circumstances, the video took on a new meaning for the citizens of New York City.

■ New York, New York

Adams’ prolific output since then has been nothing short of astonishing. Gold was originally a four-disc set of songs, but the record company was reluctant to release it. He put out an album called Demolition, which combined them into one album, but it was not as successful as Gold. Just when you thought he had made an album of ballads, he puts out an album of rock and roll and metal, and he became so busy that even his fans could not keep track. Ironically, his cover of Oasis' “Wonderwall” was nominated for a Grammy, even though the record company initially decided not to release it. The result was so poignant and delicate that the ever-critical Noel Gallagher of Oasis (at the time) praised it.

■ Wonderwall

In 2005, Adams formed his own band, The Cardinals, and released a monthly single and an album that featured a cover of Taylor Swift's “1989”. In 2009, he married actress and singer Mandy Moore and seemed to have settled down, but they divorced in 2016. In 2020, the band resumed their activities and played a live show in May of this year, which sold out instantly. Three (!) albums had to be put on hold due to the turmoil that was also released. The song “I'm Sorry and I Love You,” from the album Wednesday, is a song that sounds as if he is apologizing to women. With a sensitive voice reminiscent of Neil Young's, I was glad to hear that this work has seen the light of day, and I hope that the reformed artist will continue to produce good work.

■ I’m Sorry and I Love You

I am modestly proud to say that I have seen Ryan in concert four times, both domestically and internationally (Detroit in October 2002, Washington DC in 2003, Fuji Rock Festival in 2005, and Vancouver in 2014). (Detroit in October 2002, Washington DC in 2003, Fuji Rock Festival in 2005, and Vancouver in 2014). There is nothing more harrowing than his concerts. As I wrote at the beginning of this article, his voice is “impulsive, unpredictable, overly delicate, and incredibly beautiful,” and you can never quite predict what will happen next. I have attended many concerts of many artists, but Ryan in 2003 was one of the finest. At the concert at the 9:30 Club, he played the same song three times in the middle of the show. It must have been his own idea, and the band members rushed to keep up with him, but both he and the audience were thrilled, and it was a true live experience. On the other hand, at Fuji Rock 2005. The first time Ryan came to Japan, his eager fans were waiting for him in the pouring rain. However, Ryan was in a bad mood and left the stage in the middle of the show. Many in the audience, including myself, had no choice but to stand there in the heavy rain, stunned. But that was 17 years ago, and he went on to perform at Fuji Rock in 2015 and a solo show in 2016 without a hitch. I hope to see Ryan again soon, after all the trouble he has been through.

Ryan Adams（October 13, 2002, Detroit State Theatre)

Ryan Adams, (October 7, 2014, Vancouver Orpheum Theatre)

The “sound & person” column is made up of contributions from you.
For details about contributing, click here.