Demolition

by

Ryan Adams

Edit

This is the long-rumored "best of" CD of various recording sessions Ryan collected during 2001, and while it is a mixed bag, and certainly not up to par to either "Heartbreaker" or "Gold", it contains enough good stuff to tie us over to the proper follow-up to "Gold", due Spring 2003.

At 45 min. (compared to the sprawling "Gold"), this is a more focused serving of Ryan's wandering mind and music. "Nuclear" (issued as a single in Europe) is a great start. The Ethan Johns-produced and influenced tracks (3 of them) are great and could have fitted nicely on "Gold", particularly "Hallelujah". The best track on the album is the intimate "Reason to Cry". Haunting also is the sad "Tomorrow" (co-written by Carrie Hamilton (Caroll Burnett's daughter), then Ryan's significant other, who subsequently passed away and to whom the album is dedicated). Other great tracks are "Dear Chicago" and "Chin Up Cheer Up". Not good at all is "Starting to Hurt", with Ryan sounding like a Bryan Adams clone (urrghh), raspy voice and all.

I am really looking forward to the next "real" Ryan album. Meanwhile we will do with this.

Despite Ryan Adams' contentions that he's not big into country or folk music, it's definitely what he's best at. Heartbreaker and Gold had this beautiful threadbare denim cowboy undertone, and his Whiskeytown stuff was straight alt-country class. Demolition definitely resembles what it is, a polished collection of demos, on which he tries some new tacks. In some cases, like "Nuclear," it works. In other cases, like "Starting to Hurt," he sounds like a Goo Goo Dolls out-take. The lyrics aren't his best either...if you buy the album, just skip "She Wants to Play Hearts" and spare yourself some ugly cliches. That said, it's still Ryan Adams. "Hallelujah," "Chin Up, Cheer Up" and "Tomorrow" are wonderful, and pretty much worth it if you get the album with Super Saver Shipping. If I could give this 3 and a half stars, I would. But it doesn't deserve a fourth.