Ryan Adams

As many of you know, Ryan Adams is my favorite musician. I decided a well overdue post was needed to express my love for his music, writing and art. I have been listening to Ryan Adams for many years now but I would say within the past 6 years I have grown even closer to his music. Mr. Adams is an inspiration to my daily life and helps me get through the emotional roller coaster we all call life. Ryan initially started out in an Alt Country band called Whiskeytown and got huge recognition. Whiskeytown had a huge following and really boost started his career. There have been rumors of a possible reunion to which its neither been denied or confirmed. Ryan channels a lot of his motivation from his prior substance abuse and of course love. His albums clearly show what state of mind he was in when he wrote them. I would say my favorite album would be Easy Tiger. This album does not have one bad song in my opinion. I remember listening this this album dozens of times throughout the year of 2008 which was right around the time my husband and I started dating. Ryan Adams did help me get through the long distance relationship I had with Tim. Also when I was going through an intense depression phase I listened to Love Is Hell endlessly. That album can be utterly depressing as it refers to his addictions he struggled with and overcame. It comes across so raw but yet delicate. Along with a handful of solo albums, Ryan also started working with The Cardinals and released 5 albums with them. The Cardinals helped produce some of his more popular albums such as Jacksonville City Nights and Cold Roses. He eventually left The Cardinals in 2009 due to Meniere's disease which is an internal ear disorder that can cause permanent deafness. There has been rumors of a possible reunion but it has never been confirmed. After splitting from The Cardinals he took some time to himself, got married, moved to LA, got a cat and eventually started his own record label in LA. Ryan started up PAX AM and opened a studio in a house on Sunset Blvd. I have yet to see it but Tim stumbled upon it a month ago and I was so jealous! After starting PAX AM Ryan confirmed he was working on a new album. In 2011, Ryan released a new album called Ashes & Fire and also announced he would go on a solo acoustic tour. I was lucky enough to catch him twice on his tour and he looks healthier than ever.  This year he released a 15 vinyl set of his European tour and made a very limited amount. I managed to get one and was so happy! They actually crashed both sites when it went on sale so they had to reschedule the sale date. Ryan is still in the studio pretty much everyday of the week(I know this because I am constantly on his Twitter....creepy, I know). Below I have included his discography and a few notes about my favorite songs on each album, these are listed in chronological order.

Whiskeytown

Faithless Street:

"Midway Park" I love the guitar in this song so much!!

"Black Arrow, Bleeding Heart" No specific reason as to why I like this song, I just do.

Strangers Almanac;

"Everything I Do" The imperfections in this song make it so beautiful.

"Losering" It doesn't say much which can make a song so much more than overly complicated lyrically songs.

Pneumonia:

"Sit & Listen to the Rain" I love his voice in comparison to the music. The simplicity in this song makes me feel so peaceful.

"Mirror, Mirror" This song makes me kind of laugh, it just has a silly aspect to it.

Solo albums

Heartbreaker:

"Come Pick Me Up" I have to admit, not my favorite song. It is a huge song by him though, a must listen!

"Oh My Sweet Carolina" A song I just feel so passionate about. This song is the best off this album hands down.

Gold:

"New York, New York" Ryan got massive recognition for this song because he shot the music video right before 9/11. It is a true homage to a city he loves so much.

"Harder Now That It's Over" This song is so sad but beautiful. If you are going through a break up, you probably shouldn't listen to this song.

Demolition:

I have to be honest, this is one of the Ryan Adams albums I don't care for so I don't really know what to recommend when it comes to the songs.

"Nuclear" because its the single off this album

Rock N Roll:

"So Alive" This is one of those song where I sing out loud in my car. Amazing chorus!

"Anybody Want To Take Me Home" A slightly sad song but I feel like the upbeat music makes up for it. Another fun song to sing in your car!

Love Is Hell:

"This House Is Not For Sale" I was hoping he would play this live and he did once. Tim and I love this song and vocally he kills it.

"Wonderwall" This is the cover of Oasis's Wonderwall and Noel Gallagher said it was the best cover he has heard. He also got nominated for a Grammy because of this song. Its so haunting but amazing.

"Hotel Chelsea Nights" This song is very powerful and you can tell it has references to his drug addiction.

29:

"Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play The Part" This song is about his close friend having a miscarriage and it shows his compassion and sympathy toward the situation.

Easy Tiger:

This seems so ridiculous but EVERY song on this album. This is one of those albums you must listen to start to finish because it is that amazing to me. It is probably my second favorite album of all time. Trust me, listen to it and you will see.

Ashes & Fire:

"Lucky Now" The single from this album. It has a strong message and the acoustic guitar and minimal music makes it that much more powerful.

"Dirty Rain" I love the lyrics in this song and is a great opening track.

Ryan Adams and The Cardinals

Cold Roses:

Disc One

"Magnolia Mountain" I don't this I can really express how much I love this song. It pulls out so many emotions for me and it is simply beautiful.

"Sweet Illusions" I love love love this song. I sing along to it and it makes me feel sadly happy. I can't really explain it.

Disc Two

"Let It Ride" I think musically this is an amazing song. The guitar, drums, lyrics...everything.

"If I Am A Stranger" This is another popular song by his and I see why. Its so great on so many levels.

Jacksonville City Nights:

"The End" Another song dedicated to a city close to his heart. This is one of my favorite songs by him.

"Dear John" This is a collaboration with Norah Jones. It is terribly sad as it is about a widow who is trying to live her life without her spouse. Still incredibly fantastic across the board.

Follow The Lights:

"Dear John" & "If I Am A Stranger" an EP with a handful of songs and this consist of these two great songs...again.

Cardinology:

"Fix It" This song is simple but I feel like Ryan comes across to aggressive in the right ways.

"Cobwebs" It is another simple one but the message of the song is what I connect with.

That is Ryan Adams discography. I did leave out a few bootlegs and bonus albums. Overall he has released 13 albums but I have around 20 including the bootlegs and bonus albums. Okay, so I think you get the picture by now. I love Ryan Adams and I plan on growing as a person along with his music. I hope everyone will listen to him and appreciate the music he has produced and that gives you an understanding of what he loves to do. Alright, my fingers are tired and I have killed about 50% of this laptops battery. Thats my post dedicated to Ryan Adams and maybe one day he will see this and not think I am some crazy stalker.

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