RA/Cards III/!V - what do you think?

['Scratch]

I just DL'd it a couple days ago so I haven't listened to it enough to have any solid impressions. So far I'm liking the crunchy tracks and just okay with the creamy.

What do you cats and kittens think?

[Zip City]

wish there was more country influence. It's better than Cardinalogy, but it mostly sounds like RockNRoll era stuff

[shuffle]

I seem to be the only one on this forum who actually really likes it. kinda different on another parts of the internets...it's a good album, his best since jcn and yes, it's pretty much rock 'n' roll. except it's a lot better and he's actually writing songs, and not just re-writing someone else's stuff. plus I think he's had several albums that are worse than rock 'n' roll.

[pearlysnaps]

I wish I had more thumbs so I could give even more thumbs down. To me, the writing is crappy at best and there are no hooks. That's not to mention this style of singing he has taken on in the past couple of albums...ugh. And that's also not to mention that the recording sounds awful. I know the dude is capable of brilliance, but this (and Crapinology) aren't revealing any of that to these ears. I doubt I'll even give this album another listen. Nothing I heard warrants it.

[Iowan]

Not impressed thus far. Was this supposed to be Easy Tiger outtakes? Because I like that album a lot more. Cardinology has a couple songs I like, but for the most part it bores me. This is has bored me so far.

[Smitty]

That's not to mention this style of singing he has taken on in the past couple of albums...ugh.

glad to see someone else notices that - I haven't heard III/IV - don't really even plan on listening to it, unless I just get bored enough - I used to love everything he put out, but his "artistic progression" has gotta be one of the worst that I know of.

['Scratch]

wish there was more country influence. It's better than Cardinalogy, but it mostly sounds like RockNRoll era stuff

Being a Whiskeytown fan first and a RA/Cards fan second I hear you, but I wasn't expecting any either.

I read an interview when he was talking about the making of Strangers Almanac. He referred to writing and recording those songs as "going out back and taking a piss". I think he should start drinking again. Lots. Water is fine, just as long as he starts taking more pisses like he did back in the day.

How many great bands were started when guys who:

1) grew up listening to country and rock
2) decided to rebel and started playing punk and metal
3) went back and started playing country?

With any luck we're starting the whole lather, rinse, repeat cycle over again.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Durham's Independent Weekly did an expanded feature on Strangers Almanac when it was reissued, I was surprised to learn that neither Ryan or Caitlin think all that much of it. Personally, it's my favorite Whiskeytown album.

Ryan has been on an artistic downward spiral since Easy Tiger. I don't think that's a bad album, just a bit too polished to my ears. I bought Cardinology but never revisit it. I know he was just having fun at the expense of his critics but I believe all the joke material he put online backfired on him and has damaged his career in the long run. You would be hard pressed to find a bigger Ryan Adams fan than myself just a few years ago but I don't have any intention of buying III/IV. I'd like to hear it to make up my own mind but I'm certainly not going to waste my money on what so many have deemed a mediocre record. I do hope he's able to find his groove again, even if it's with Mandy Moore but for now I have next to no interest in him.

['Scratch]

Durham's Independent Weekly did an expanded feature on Strangers Almanac when it was reissued, I was surprised to learn that neither Ryan or Caitlin think all that much of it. Personally, it's my favorite Whiskeytown album.

Thanks for the link KG, and I agree - especially the Deluxe edition which has some interesting liner notes. I was really surprised to hear that many of the great acoustic tracks on SA were recorded using a pawn shop bought Alvarez. Not that there aren't great Alvarez guitars, but still.

I have about half of his post WT albums and there are usually a few good songs on each, but I agree that his lack of self editing has diluted his work.
Just because you can, doesn't always mean you should. Still though, I don't regret buying III/IV. He's made so much great music, songs that stay with me for days, I'm okay with supporting him by buying his work. Although snowballs have better chances in hell, the longer he sticks around the better the chance of some kind of Whiskeytown reunion. Ha!

[shuffle]

I didn't think I'd say this a year ago, but I'm actually quite hopeful for the next ryan adams album. he sent a demo song out to the people on his mail list that is actually really good.

plus there's these two partial videos of him rehearsing two new songs, maybe called "ashes of fire" and "dirty rain", and they're both actually pretty great. give 'em a shot if you've lost faith in ryan (like you should've considering 29, easy tiger and cardinology).

http://deathonholiday.blogspot.com/2010/12/partial-new-ryan-adams-song-from-826la.html
http://deathonholiday.blogspot.com/2010/12/one-more-new-ryan-adams-happy-holidays.html

(this isn't rock-ryan. soundwise it's closest to heartbreaker of his solo albums)

['Scratch]

That first partial sounded a little like Sweet Carolina. Thanks Shuffle.

And I have to admit, the first track off III/IV has been playing in my head all night.

[pearlysnaps]

Thanks shuffle! This is more like it to my ears. Mama! Dirty Rain is the shiz.

[shuffle]

supposedly you can get a new ryan adams song from his website by entering 1 2 3 6 6 6 into the keypad at the bottom of the page, but it won't load for me. supposedly it's good too http://www.paxamrecords.com/

[Zip City]

I'm sitting down with it for a 3rd time and some of it is growing on me. My first reactions to it were that many of the songs simply didn't sound like Ryan, and though that's still true for some tracks, I think overall it's settling in for me.

And to be fair, these ARE outtakes from previous sessions, so I wasn't really expecting 21 tracks of genius

[shuffle]

And to be fair, these ARE outtakes from previous sessions, so I wasn't really expecting 21 tracks of genius

actually they aren't outtakes per se. it's a full album recorded at the same time as easy tiger, but they never even sent it to the label because the label wouldn't want a "rock" record.

[Zip City]

And to be fair, these ARE outtakes from previous sessions, so I wasn't really expecting 21 tracks of genius

actually they aren't outtakes per se. it's a full album recorded at the same time as easy tiger, but they never even sent it to the label because the label wouldn't want a "rock" record.

fine, "unreleased" then. It doesn't feel terribly cohesive as an album, though

[shuffle]

And to be fair, these ARE outtakes from previous sessions, so I wasn't really expecting 21 tracks of genius

actually they aren't outtakes per se. it's a full album recorded at the same time as easy tiger, but they never even sent it to the label because the label wouldn't want a "rock" record.

fine, "unreleased" then. It doesn't feel terribly cohesive as an album, though

yeah. well, to me it feels like an album, but one that would've benefited from a bit of editing...as every ryan adams record since heartbreaker has been.

the new song I was posting about earlier is called so lost (finally got it, although I couldn't get the bloody site to work, but a friend sent me the direct link). it's also really good. I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking that the new songs we've heard so far are the only good ones and the rest of the album(s) will be crap, because ryan hasn't exactly been delivering lately (except for orion and III/IV, but both are from '06 originally).

[olwiggum]

I was initially let down by III/IV. I guess I misinterpreted what I read about when they were recorded. I was thinking it would sound more like "Easy Tiger", which I thought was a really good album.

But once I got over the fact that it didn't sound similar, I think it's pretty good. I wouldn't say it's fantastic, but I've listened to it several times this week and haven't gotten tired of it yet. Normally, if an album doesn't grab me immediately, I won't listen to it again until a few months later. After listening to these songs, I can see where "Halloween Head" probably comes from. It never really fit on ET and most everybody I know hates that song, but I still dig it for some reason.

[shuffle]

yeah, halloween head usually gets lots shit, but imo it's just a fun rock tune. not all music have to be deathly serious, and part of what I love about ryan is how he's capable of a lot of different moods and types of music. many times it doesn't work, but it all adds to the picture. plus it's the kinda stuff I might've done if I was actually of any use as a musician (and had too much spare time).

[Smitty]

yeah, halloween head usually gets lots shit, but imo it's just a fun rock tune. not all music have to be deathly serious, and part of what I love about ryan is how he's capable of a lot of different moods and types of music. many times it doesn't work, but it all adds to the picture. plus it's the kinda stuff I might've done if I was actually of any use as a musician (and had too much spare time).

I love Halloweenhead.
guitar solo!

[Teiz]

Four spins so far. Nice rock album. I like it a lot so far, but there's not much in his discography that I don't like. Still, I prefer his country based stuff. This is no Strangers Almanac for sure.

[dee dee]

I want something I like as much as Faithless Street or Stranger's Almanac or Heartbreaker. At the very least as much as Jacksonville City Nights. This is not even close.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I want something I like as much as Faithless Street or Stranger's Almanac or Faithless Street. At the very least as much as Jacksonville City Nights. This is not even close.

Those new songs (snippets though they are) he debuted during the recent benefit in LA are promising but given Ryan's recent track record he's just as likely to release more of his joke material. As long as he continues to shoot himself in the foot artistically the longer I'm going to pass on buying his latest records. At this point there's a bigger chance I'd buy a Mandy Moore record that he'd penned the songs for than one of his own.

[Iowan]

Halloween Head (and the rest of Easy Tiger) is awesome.

This, is not awesome. Ryan hasn't been consistently awesome for a long time (Easy Tiger and Cold Roses were pretty damn good). Dude needs to get back on the sauce.