Triple A Septembe ?:. ?00: R&R 83 JOHN SCHOENBERGER jschoenberger@rronl ine. com
If my instincts are correct, Ryan Adams will soon be
a household name, and his new solo album, Gold, will be heralded by music lovers everywhere as the Ryan Adams Strikes Gold album of the decade. A new age of singer- songwriters is upon us
By Nicole Sandler
The Says All oyou know Nicole Sandler, you know that she's passionate - about radio, about music and, this guy would either become a super- Music It of course, about her daughter, Alison. Over the past year or so she's gotten to know Ryan star or drink himself to death. So what is it about Gold that has me - Adams well and has become enamored of his music. This week I asked her to give us some After the club cleared out, I encoun- so excited? What makes it so special? i tered him sitting at the bar, nursing a Why do I call it classic rock? If you've insight into this enigmatic, talented new recording artist. cocktail, and introduced myself. After I listened, you likely already understand. admitted my love for the album. he told Though it's all undeniably Ryan Ad- Instant Classic Frank Callan, Adams' manager and to wonder if, perhaps, the singer Both me I had to hear his early stuff, walked ams, there are definite nods to some of Sr. VP/A&R, says, protest too much. me over to the merchandise comer and A few weeks ago I received what has Lost Highway "You our rock 'n' roll heroes. quickly become my favorite new album can't slow him down even if you try. When I ask Stacey about that procla- gave me a copy of a two-single set of If I were Rip Van Winkle awaken- since, perhaps, The Counting Crows' Why interrupt such a creative flow? If mation, he says, "You can't be this good records that predated Strangers Alma- ing after 25 years and someone played August and Everything After. It's by an he's not recording, he's writing songs and not become famous. I would as- nac. He said something to the effect that me "Answering Bell," I might think I artist with whom I'm already intimate- or, at the moment, a play and a book. If sume that Ryan would be OK with fame he had to stop giving this shit away. or was listening to an outtake from Van ly familiar (in a musical sort of way), he's not writing something, he's on tout as long as he achieves it credibly." he'd never make any money, but he Morrison 's Moondance. Upon hearing but, if my instincts are correct. Ryan Ad- He's like a shark that has to keep mov- Callan answers along the same lines: wanted me to have it. So much for the "Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues" ams will soon be a household name, and ing to survive." "I don't think he has any interest in be- "asshole" reputation I'd heard so much (an amazing song about a girl who his new solo album, Gold. will be her- ing famous for fame's sake. He main- about. moonlights as a hooker to make ends alded by music lovers everywhere as the tains an integrity level toward his work. Apparently, though, all the attention meet), I'd be convinced that I was hear- album of the decade. He has a high standard of artistic qual- paid to him during the months that fol- ing Exile -era Stones. When you listen to the great classic ity that will inevitably make him famous lowed did take its toll. Turmoil brewed rock albums of all time, they all have a because he's that talented. If there's within the band. and. at the end of the certain timeless quality. That indiscern- fame in his future, that's how he'd like Strangers Almanac tour, the only two ible, indescribable something is present to achieve it." original members remaining were Ad- ams and fiddle player and singer Cait- in great abundance on Adams' Lost Bad Reputation One most lin of the Highway debut. Gold is a perfect name Carey. That did little to change Ad- I've had numerous opportunities for erratic behavior. for the album, which, though brand - ams' reputation unusual things about over the past few months to speak with new. is a classic record in just about From There To Here Adams at length, and I guess I've be- Ryan Adams as every sense of the term. an artist Ryan Adams come something of an expert on him. Whiskeytown returned to the studio One of the most unusual things about is his chameleonlike If I had to pick an artist with whom to to record what would be their final al- Adams as an artist is his chameleonlike In a recent interview I conducted be aligned. he'd be at the top of the list. bum. The band, however, was history quality: He changes styles, and even with Adams regarding the release of quality: He changes I've been known to be quite passion- long before the album was ever re- voices, the way many of us change Gold, he protested quite loudly the no- ate about music I love, and I've been a leased. Outpost Records got swallowed styles, and even voices, clothing. And he does it all with an tion that this record could bring him the Ryan Adams fan since first listen. I tru- up in the Universal -Polygram merger, amazing amount of credibility. He's same type of frenzied attention and ac- the way many of us ly believe that he's an artist who will be and Whiskeytown and Pneumonia transitioned from the alt-country he con- colades that accompanied the release of with us for the long term. But I didn't were homeless. centrated on with Whiskeytown to clas- Whiskeytown's major-label debut, change clothing. always feel that way. In the three years that Pneumonia sat sic rock as a solo artist. Strangers Almanac. on a shelf, Adams moved to New York In addition, he already has two more Fact is, he's already been dubbed the and out of the limelight. When I next completed albums in the can: a raucous "It" guy by both the New York Times Weekly. met up with him. I was both happy that rock record done with his Nashville - and Entertainment In addition. to he was still standing and surprised to based band, The Pink Hearts, and a self - he's been called alt -country's answer see that he was incredibly lucid. Bob Dylan is certainly represented described "Eagles -ish" album called 48 Kurt Cobain and Paul Westerberg. While Ryan Adams is He had just remixed Pneumonia on "Nobody Girl," while "Somehow. rburs (for the amount of time it took Clearly. the buzz has been growing with the release of each successive album. with Ethan Johns. and the two of them Someday" is somewhat reminiscent of .. '. record it!). able to evoke the feel of Gold will likely take him over the top. were back in the studio, recording Gold. some of the best Eagles music. You'll nror _ _s says he wants to do a some I spent a few hours with both of them also hear a hint of Neil Young on "Wild- ountry album, and one of the finest Into The Limelight in that studio, recording an interview to flowers." and echoes of The Band, The about outer space. Talk about variety. Adams' first solo album, Heart- musicians in rock's short be used on the world -premiere broad- Who and others from our libraries make Creative Flow breaker, was released on the indie label history, he's doing it cast of Pneumonia. It seemed that appearances throughout this very listen - Prolific is certainly a word that de- Bloodshot to great critical acclaim, and Adams had come to terms with the cre- able record.
scribes Adams. Gold was originally it sold more than anyone expected. Ad- with originality. ative process, gotten his drinking When I told Adams that I heard ear- conceived as a double album. Howev- ams then found a new home with Lost under control and (though he doesn't ly Leon Russell in "The Rescue Blues" er, in the end it was decided that 16 Highway, which chose to release the like to admit it) grown up a bit. and "Sylvia Plath," he responded with songs would be contained on a single long -finished, oft- bootlegged but nev- Adams' erratic behavior is still an is- an excited, "Leon Russell - that's right disc and that a limited-edition EP would er- released Whiskeytown swan song, sue with some of his critics. "I don't on! I was sort of going for a Leon Rus- accompany the first pressing. Pneumonia. The first time I saw Adams perform think he is going out making a bunch sell and The Shelter People kind of vibe "Ryan wanted to offer his die -hard Immediately following the final mix- was at the Mint, a tiny L.A. club that of apologies for the things he did when for 'Rescue Blues.' But it also reminds fans something special, so the first fans ing of that album, Adams went back was packed to the gills on the Whiskey - he was younger, but I do think that he me of The Faces and the Stones." to buy this record will have music that into the studio with producer Ethan town buzz. It was 1997. Strangers Al- would handle situations differently It's an interesting thing, though: you can't get anywhere else," explains Johns to record the album that I'm sure manac had just been released and had now," Stacey says. While Adams is able to evoke the feel Lost Highway Sr. VP/Promotion & Art- won't be the last of Adams' to be called already become one of my all -time fa- "He said to me one time, 'Chris, I'll of some of the finest musicians in ist Development Chris Stacey. "Ryan a masterpiece, Gold. vorite albums. I'd heard about Adams' bet when you were in college at age rock's short history, he's doing it with creates so much that you just sort of let To hear Adams declare, "I do not drinking and legendarily unpredictable 19 or 20 you were doing keg stands originality. "Five years from now I him do his thing, then go around be- want to be in the limelight, and I do not live shows, and he didn't disappoint on and puking at some frat party. It's just hope that Ryan is viewed as one of the hind him and collect whatever he has want to be a star. I will not fucking be a any level. The show was musically bril- that when I was doing crazy stuff, I people who brought real rock 'n' roll created. Then the record-company guys star. It will not happen, because I don't liant, but he was a mess. It was during got written about.' I thought that was and real songwriting back to the main- like me get to do our thing." want it to," as he recently did, one has that performance that I told myself that a great point." stream," Stacey says.