Ryan Adams & The Cardinals...

Well, in his usual excessive self Ryan Adams has released his 2 disc album Cold Roses under the name Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. He's a big star now, a far cry from the broken hearted weeper that I thought could do no wrong back when I picked up a copy of Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac. That record sheperded me through a break up, my first experience living by myself and the masochistic world of single speed mountain biking. Of course things have changed. Mr. Adams no longer is a poster boy for alt-country. He's a star, he's much maligned, he's hated, he's admired and he really hasn't released a good album in awhile. But Ryan Adams for me is a lot like REM. Even if I don't pay attention much anymore the sentimental side of me always makes me pick up the records. It's like I just want to stay in touch, though not hang out every night anymore. As far as Adams goes, I loved Heartbreaker, didn't care much for Gold, liked Rock And Roll a lot more than most people, and can take or leave Love is Hell (both parts). I wasn't expecting much out of this record. But I like certain songs more than I thought I would. But it seems calculated. Very much an attempt to recreate the sound that put him on the map back in the Whiskeytown days. That doesn't mean all the songs are bad. If nothing else Adams is a literate songwriter who can hit it out of the park when he does it right. And he does hit a homerun or two with The Cardinals. That's more than many songwriters can say.

One from Disc 1 today. 1 from disc 2 tomorrow. It's always kinda nice to see old friends.

from Cold Roses disc 1:

When Will You Come Back Home