Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger, Cardinology, Etc.

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HeartlandGirl said:


:drool:

Agreed. Ryan may not take Rock N Roll seriously, but I do, and I love that album. Listened to it last week to get ready for today!

I'll be buying the new record on my way home from yoga class tonight. Can't wait! :hyper:

Rock N' Roll is like his version of Pop. He's trying to disown it, but it's too late; the fans dig it. :wink:

Easy Tiger is a killer, for sure. Heartbreaker fans will swoon. Actually, I like it more than Heartbreaker so far. :shrug:
 
Bonochick said:
Another date:

Thur Aug 2nd '07
Fox Theatre
Boulder, CO
Tickets on sale 6/30

Crap. TWO Denver dates that I can't make. He needs to get his ass to NM already. He hasn't played here since 1998 and I'm getting a little annoyed. :grumpy:
 
Is it too early for me to brand this the most disappointing album of the year?
 
joyfulgirl said:


I guess it takes two when it used to take only one. :shrug:



:wink:

Niiiiiice. High five.


Actually Ryan is one of those musicans that many albums grow on me with time, Jacksonville is a big example of that, I shelved it for awhile after I bought it and now it's one of my faves...
 
BonoVoxSupastar said:
Yes. It's already changed drastically on my second listen...

I'm liking it more with each listen.

Here's my song-by-song opinion:

“Goodnight Rose”

My first listen of this song made me nervous for the whole album. The vocals were just not doing it for me. I think it just caught me off guard though, because a few more listens has me not even really thinking about it. It’s really bright and uplifting, an interesting way to start.

“Two”

I love this song, and I knew I would because I’d already been obsessing over it on MySpace (hello, profile song!). The lines “I’ve got a really good heart/I just can’t catch a break” stand out to me, one of my favorite album moments. It’s been pushed so much that this song features Sheryl Crow, but, no offense to her, I don’t feel like she adds anything to it. I kind of wish it was just Ryan. It’s a beautiful song though, one of my favorites.

“Everybody Knows”

I was also familiar with this song because I heard it on a Paste sampler, so I already knew I liked it. It’s another gorgeous track, strong but gentle. I think it fits perfectly with “Two”, and I think the vocals on both tracks are lovely.

“Halloweenhead”

The one rocker on the album! It’s kind of nice to have a little change of pace. This was one of the highlights of the show I saw in Detroit, so I was hoping it would be just as awesome on the album. I’m not disappointed. I think some people are turned off by the title, they think it’s stupid, but the song is not throwaway. There are some cool lyrics, and Ryan announcing, “Guitar solo!” is always entertaining.

“Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.”

Another song that made people roll their eyes when hearing the title. I was actually really surprised by this song, I was expecting something totally different. It’s very tender and quiet.

“Tears Of Gold”

It’s got sort of an old school country vibe, kind of a Jacksonville City Nights sound. It’s about death, and I can’t decide whether it makes me sad or makes me smile from comfort. I was kind of torn on this song, but I think the last verse makes it for me.

“The Sun Also Sets”

Pretty sure this one is my favorite, at least for now. This one really made me cry. The beginning killed me:

When you get the time
Sit down and write me a letter
When you're feeling better
Drop me a line
I wanna know how it all works out
I had a feeling we were fading out
I didn't know that people faded out so fast

Ryan, stop doing this to me.

“Off Broadway”

I am disappointed. This is my least favorite track. This song is old, it was played live once back in 2001. A studio version on the Suicide Handbook recording that circulates. I always liked that. Ryan’s vocals on that one were very delicate and smooth. On this new version, his voice just sounds strained. I wish he had just left this song alone. I also wonder if I’d feel differently about this song if I’d never heard the original. :shrug:

“Pearls On A String”

I feel like this is the triplet of “Goodnight Rose” and “Tears Of Gold”. This is the most folk sounding song. The chorus reminds me of a hymn.

“Rip Off”

He’s basically saying that if you aren’t happy with him, he’s being genuine, so at least you got the real thing…you didn’t get ripped off. The lyrics are just so good, these especially struck me on the first listen: “I can see the tears so long before they know your face/I can almost draw the lines/But when you smile it spins me like a ferris wheel/Washed out to sea in your eyes”. Wow.

“Two Hearts”

It’s sort of mid-tempo country flavor. Once again, there are some awesome lyrics. I’m always big on lyrics, and this album is clearly a winner in that department. This song is just so Ryan, as hard as he is to pin down.

“These Girls”

AHHHH!!!!!!! I’m torn!!!!!!! This is the new version of “Hey There, Mrs. Lovely”, a song that he first performed live back in 1999. I’ve heard it on bootlegs, including a studio version on Destroyer. It was also played at the first Ryan show I saw in 2002. This has always ranked as one of my favorite unreleased Ryan songs. The sound is still the same, but the lyrics have been tweaked…sometimes for the better, sometimes not. He replaced “I'm the plastic three inch armies you destroyed” with “Like Matchbox cars you buy and burn in your backyard”. Noooooooo! That was one of the best lines! However, he also adds the line “These girls are better off in my head”, and that’s pretty awesome. There are lots of other changes too, but those are the most noteworthy to me. In conclusion, gold star for this song…but I still love the original too.

“I Taught Myself How To Grow Old”

This song kicks off with the most desperate, sad sounding harmonica ever. Wow. Prelude to a heartbreak. It’s painful and sad, and you know how well Ryan works that angle.
 
So far, 'Two', 'OMG, W/e, Etc.', 'Sun Also Sets', and 'Pearls on a String' are my faves, of course that will probably change by tonite.

The more I listen to 'Two' the more I think it's about him getting over his addicitons, whereas I just thought it to be a love song of sorts at first...

The only thing that's really disappointed me about this album so far is the artwork, although the ironic 420 on his calculater watch was a nice touch...
 
After 4 listens, I'm kind of lukewarm on it. It has some good songs, but I'm not crazy in love with anything yet. Kind of how I feel about Wilco's Sky Blue Sky. Good, not great. I liked Two and Sun Also Sets right away.
 
Berkeley, CA has been added.

Berkeley Community Theater 7/24


Onsale to General Public:
Sun, 07/01/07 10:00 AM PDT

PRODUCED BY LIVE NATION
RYAN ADAMS
& THE CARDINALS
BERKELEY COMMUNITY THTR.
MILVIA AT ALLSTON WAY
TUE JUL 24 2007 8:00 PM
 
I enjoyed your review, BC. :) I'm in agreement with you about Sheryl Crow. I had made it through the entire album before I saw her name in the credits and thought, "Oh yeah! She's supposed to be on here..." But I didn't notice her at all and had no clue which song she sang on. I'm not a fan of hers, so the less I notice her, the better, I suppose.

I'm really liking this album too and agree with a lot of your takes on the songs. Some fine, fine lyrics on this album.

Loving Halloweenhead and I Taught Myself... right now. :heart:
 
Australian dates!

Thursday 16 August Auckland
Bruce Mason Centre
Ticketek Auckland · 09 308 5000

$75
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Saturday 18 August Brisbane
The Tivoli
Ticketek · 132 849

SHOW TYPE: TBA

Monday 20 August Melbourne
Palais Theatre
Ticketmaster · 136 100

SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Wednesday 22 August Adelaide
Her Majesty's Theatre
BASS · 131 246

SHOW TYPE: TBA

Thursday 23 August Sydney
Enmore Theatre
Ticketek · 132 849
Enmore Box Office · 02 9550 3666

SHOW TYPE: All Ages
 
this may be my other Sam's Town, the album everyone seemed to hate but with every lsiten I give it, it only seems to get better like fine, bum wine. OMG, Sun, Silence, Tears, Pearls, Girls, Broadway, Hearts ..these are some nice fucking songs, short and sweet. Is it his best album? Of course not, but for those who want that, well he has much time ahead of him and I doubt he'll be slowing down with the music.

After seeing his Letterman performance last night, Two is starting to grow on me,
as is Halloweeen, I came to the conclusion that the song that really sticks out and is hard for me to like is Rip Off...
 
elevation2u said:
this may be my other Sam's Town, the album everyone seemed to hate but with every lsiten I give it, it only seems to get better like fine, bum wine.

Well, Sam's Town is completely useless. :wink: Who here hates Easy Tiger? I think it's great. :shrug:
 
Goodnight Rose - The most Cold Roses-ish song on the album, so I like it.

Two - Decent, but vintage Ryan. I feel like I've heard this one from his twenty times before.

Everybody Knows - I actually like this one. Nice chorus.

Halloweenhead - Stupid as hell, but still one of my favorites on the album. A big dumb fun song.

OMG - Pretty little song. Not bad by any means.

Tears of Gold - I don't care for this song at all.

The Sun Also Sets - The best song on the album, despite the verses (musically) being terrible.

Off Broadway - I loathe this song. By far the worst song on the album and one of his worst ever.

Pearls on a String - Not my cup of tea.

Rip Off - Unremarkable.

Two Hearts - Unremarkable

These Girls - Just okay.

Taught Myself - A waste of a beautiful, sad harmonica part. The way he delivers "I taught myself how to grow" is grating and unimaginative.


By my estimation, the first half of the album is exponentially better than the second, but I've always found Ryan albums a bit top heavy. I just don't think there are that many good songs on the album and the whole thing feels kind of mailed in.

Goodnight Rose, Everybody Knows, Halloweenhead, and The Sun Also Sets are pretty good, so the album does have a few redeeming qualities. After about 6 listens, though, I'm ready to crown this the biggest disappointment of 2007.
 
LemonMelon said:


Well, Sam's Town is completely useless. :wink: Who here hates Easy Tiger? I think it's great. :shrug:

Most of the later critics seemed to loathe it, or loathe Ryan himself, half the time it's hard to tell if they're even reviewing the album or whining about Ryan being too whiny and bitchy. From what I've gathered at Ryan forums and here, nobody seems to like Off Broadway, which for some reason I really do. To me, the song really embodies the feeling of longing without it feeling contrived or forced, It would've easily fit in Love is Hell.
I suppose a great fault of the album is just that, nothing smacks you in the face with creativity or freshness, the songs are like "oh, it's ryan adams", I've already grown to like them because they're easy going and pretty, really reminds me of what it means to be a singer/songwriter.

Personally, the biggest fault of this album is that the lyrics are mediocre. I don't know how other people feel about his lyrics in general, but I've always thought them to be top notch, artistic, genuine, brilliant, heartfelt, simple, beautiful, haunting and whatever other adjective comes to mind when I think of all the great shit he's been putting out since Whiskeytown.
Easy Tiger lyrics are just there, they're good but not great, they don't stay and torture my mind like any one song from his brilliantly crafted 2005 releases. The music itself didn't really grow, it probably took a few steps back. I suppose of it where up to me he would be doing something more in vein of Cold Roses, even 29, something loose, wandering yet beautiful. But I suppose that's Ryan Adams, he just does what he wants (or is in t his case...his record label?)..

But still, I'm enamored by his music, It's too late, I'm hooked. He's one of those handful of artists that I somehow always come around to like even their lesser stuff. Flaming Lips, Springsteen, Wilco, Radiohead, U2, Waits, Dylan, Sad Dracula and uhh....recently...Babyshambles

it's like :drool: and :reject: at the same time
 
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elevation2u, I couldn't agree more with that post. Well everything except I've never heard of Sad Dracula(but probably will check them out now).

There are some great lines there, just not great entire lyrics...

The only other complaint I have is that the songs are just too damn short...



I read an interview, I can't remember if it's one of the ones posted in this thread or not, about how the band picked which songs went on the album. It would have been interesting to see what kind of album we would have gotten if it wasn't for the Cardinals, I'm actually kind of sad he wants to go that direction rather than just solo...
 
Ok, I just looked up Sad Dracula, and now know who it is... :reject:

Was it just on his website, or is there anyplace where I can get some of that sad dracula stuff?
 
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