Turns out that sometimes drugs are a really, really good idea.
Ive spent the morning listening to Ryan Adams' new album Easy Tiger. After two listens Im thinking its more like his Gold/Love is Hell works - very very good, but also maybe a little bit safe?
I was a big fan of his 2006 series of three albums in one year. In fact I would go as far as to say Jacksonville City Nights is probably my favourite album by him, but it was also the most difficult to get my head around. It is way more country than it is rock n roll, and till then my country roots has mostly consisted of the Byrds.
After listening to Jacksonville a lot recently I guess I was hoping for something along those lines again - that pushed the comfort boundaries a little. Im not sure that Easy Tiger does that.
Don't get me wrong I think its a very good album, and there are some stand out tracks - Halloweenhead, with his call for a "guitar solo" is fantastic. And there are moments that remind you of parts of 29 and the guitar work in Tears of Gold does draw on Jacksonville, but for me it mostly harks back to his earlier works.
This is probably an album that could have slotted in between Cold Roses and Love is Hell. Which is where the drugs come in. It turns out he was off is nut during the 2006 series - for all intents and purposes it sounds like he wasnt far from being a junky.
But this raises the question - do people make better music when they're out of their minds?
2 comments:
I think we must be Ryan Adam's fans at different ends of the spectrum. I'm a Gold/Heartbraker, and now, Easy Tiger kinda guy. I like his other stuff too of course, just not quite as much.
TOTALLY agree on the "guitar solo" call he does though, when I first heard it I was like "fuck yeah!"
'Two' is a great track too
Its not bad, his other stuff was just more interesting
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