.. but bless his heart, apart from releasing an album every other month, you can now have this for free.
His version of Swift’s 1989 was top notch and he has oft quoted Nebraska as a continuing inspiration (and, to be fair, there’s usually at least one track of each his albums that could have been lifted from the original).
Bless him.
You may not like him that much …
by 44 Comments
And I used the bloody box!
https://www.musicradar.com/news/ryan-adams-bruce-springsteen-nebraska
“Bless his heart” – he has one?
I only recently discovered that Nebraska was partly inspired by Suicide. I bet that goes down well with Bruce-heads, eh?
A classic example of an artist whose songwriting and playing chops were fatally undermined by zero concept of quality control.
I thought his take on 1989 was pretty good, but this doesn’t add anything to Springsteen’s song for my money. I lost interest in Ryan Adams some time ago. Too many undistinguished releases with poor songs on them.
Acted like a knobhead many times in the past. The grooming/ control freak allegations seem to have faded away (out of court settlement for all I know) but he still has made, at least, a handful of very, very fine records
I rather admire his incessant never-ending output. Turkeys here, turkeys there and (struggling for avian comparison now) golden eagles up above.
Not many artists would say “Have this, it’s free.”
All power to his tortured soul
…and his tortured victims
You verging on libel/slander here. I’m not defending him 100%, he is a knobhead after all, but the allegations seem to have gone quiet and if you believe half of what he says on his site, he has definitely tried to change his behaviour.
*sigh* OK. Not sure why you’re so angry but hey.
Somewhere Rolf Harris is thinking “If only I’d made better records”
Not angry in slightest, old chum. You made two remarks about the allegations against Mr Adams none of which, as far as I know, have been “proved”. He will always be a knobhead but perhaps these days not quite so knobby
But if you look back everyone thought Rolf was great and Too Little Boys was a brilliant record. Heppo and Ellen were big fans. I was always a doubter. Now no one speaks of the antipodean colossus of culture.
TLB *is* a brilliant record.
Not just his records…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-25/wheatbelt-wa-council-to-retain-rolf-harris-painting/101685100
Can you tell it is yet?
Not proven.
Actually if you read his latest posts he is off the sauce which I believe was a serious contributor to his behaviour
Yes he has been a knob but I agree with Lodes he has done plenty of very good stuff and has been a huge talent.
Aiofe O’Donovan did a not bad cover of the whole of Nebraska last year. Available on Bandcamp.
https://www.covermesongs.com/2021/09/review-aoife-odonovans-aoife-plays-nebraska.html
I’ll just leave this here, for those unsure of what’s being referred to
http://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/13/arts/music/ryan-adams-women-sex.amp.html
I’d never seen Michael Moore without that baseball cap on!
Not claiming he’s a saint and three years ago that article came as an almighty shock to fans and non-fans alike. He does seem to have sought help, he does seem to be off the booze (always a big problem for him, just ask Beth Orton) and the allegations remain, as far as I can tell, largely not proven. (There is a fair chance some of these unfortunate women have accepted money in return for silence, who knows?). He is also a knobhead. A knobhead who appears to be trying to make amends and a knobhead who is giving away an LP for Christmas
What I don’t understand is why liking someone’s records leads anyone to try and minimise, contextualise, explain or undermine allegations of appalling behaviour. Can’t anyone live with “Yes, if this is true, he sounds like a monster. I still like his work”? At least that’s honest. It’s also the only conscionable way to approach this stuff, IMO. Seeing someone scrabbling around in the muck going “he’s changed! Nothing was proven! He’s a complicated man! The drink!” in order to give themselves permission to like a Ryan Adams record (!) is… weird. Personal goodness has fuck-all to do with creative quality, never has done, and I don’t know why any grown adult in 2022 still acts like an 11-year-old Bros fan when they learn something sticky about their fave.
You wouldn’t bother with any of this if you didn’t like some songs he’s recorded.
He’s basically calling you a little girlie, Lodes. And quite right too. Be a man and separate the art from the artist! And also vice-versa. Like I did when voting for Jedward to win Celebrity Big Brother despite considering ‘Victory’ an unworthy follow up to ‘Planet Jedward’.
You really like the work of an artist. Then it’s discovered he’s not just a knobhead (there is a whole ocean of artists out there who are knobheads) but he’s actually been engaged in some very unsavoury activities.
Does that change your opinion of the artist? Yes, of course – he’s worse than a knobhead. Does that change your view of the artist’s work? More difficult – especially if one considers the artist, IYHO, has recorded some of the best tunes of the past thirty years.
Am I looking for an excuse to go on playing Ryan Adams? Quite possibly. When the allegations first surfaced I didn’t feel right playing any of his stuff, his behaviour appeared to be obnoxious and exploitative particularly towards young female artists hoping to break into the business. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Where do you draw the line? If he had barbecued babies is it ok to still say “I really like Sweet Carolina”? I don’t think so.
I’m personally glad Ryan appears to be getting himself together, atoning if you will. If it turns out it’s all a sham and he really did barbecue babies I will stop listening again.
He’s basically saying you’re no better than a Lostprophets fanboy, H’pig. And quite right too. Grow a conscience and judge artists by their art! Like I did when I burnt all my Jedward records after they misbehaved on Celebrity Big Brother All Stars (deservedly losing out to Coleen Nolan).
Lodestone & Hedgepig glare at each other, fists raised. A voice is heard “Go on, hit ‘im!” They turn to see Gary.
Lodestone & Hedgepig nod to each other. As one, they turn and beat the living shit out of Gary.
Damn, I didn’t see that coming! And me The Afterword’s answer to the UN and everything. Now I know how Yoko felt.
John Martyn: Cunt of the highest order.
John Martyn: His discs will be amongst the first I save come the house fire. As I go through my current travails, he brings me great peace.
I do not find these two positions to be at odds with one another.
See also
Eric Gill: Monster.
Eric Gill: Artist, sculptor, typographer (Gill Sans, Perpetua, Joanna)
Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I read about Eric Gill in Simon Garfield’s (excellent) book about fonts, “Just My Type”.
Yet no amount of villainy can compare with the invention
of Comic Sans.
@hedgepig you are of course right on this but conversely there are people who suggest we shouldn’t like an artist because of their behaviour.
Can’t have it both ways.
Agree, Steve. Would never moralise about *listening* to a record you like by a person you don’t, though I’d personally not want to give someone horrible too much of my cash.
The part that’s weird to me is trying to excuse a shitty human in order to create a permission structure to enjoy their work. I don’t need one, either way. Fortunately I don’t have a huge dog in the fight when it comes to Lostprophets, Rolf Harris or Gary Glitter, but in Ryan A’s case even if every word is true, that won’t affect my enjoyment of Desire, or my dislike of his stupid Taylor Swift thing, one whit.
I dunno if doing books for a living informs my view on this or what, but since almost every great writer in history seems to have been an ocean-going cunt in some way, I think maybe I’ve never had much difficulty separating the person from the work. Otherwise I’d never have enjoyed any of the stuff that gets me out of bed in the morning, and that would be a rubbish old life.
Yesterday I was at the eye hospital in Hull. They’ve got Larkin’s glasses – three pairs – in a case on the wall. Thought you’d like that.
(speaking of talented cunts)
Eye surgery occurs
in Hull’s infirmary
(which is rather far for me)
Between the end of Spring Bank
And the A63.
👏👏👏
They fuck you up, Dollund and Aitchison
Did they originally write and record In The Army Now?
Kudos for the use of “ocean-going”, always makes me smile, that.
Depends on the degree of the crime though. I’m not a fan of Ryan Adams music anyway but I’d still listen to it, he was a dick etc. but he’s not a grade 1 sex offender.
The idea of listening to the Lost Prophets music now though seems incomprehensible
Completely accept an awful lot of artists we admire are cunts but surely it’s entirely justifiable to extol the work of , say, Van Morrison (grumpy old git with weird views on COVID) and abhor the repulsive guy from Lost Prophets? The allegations against Ryan Adams were disturbing in nature and made me question my own appreciation of his output. I see nothing wrong with that stance. To completely separate character from finished work doesn’t work for me (especially if barbecued babies are involved)
Different somehow with singers. You’ve got to listen to the actual person’s voice. It can be hard to stomach listening after knowing who they are, depending on how bad. That’s my experience at least. Not necessarily rational.
It “dropped” (into my inbox) today. And pretty damned good it is too.
I forgive him for whatever he did and to whom. He has said sorry and bribed me with this downloaded able treat
Blimey! He’s only gone and done Blood On The Tracks!!! Released today and, again, it’s free! Does the guy ever sleep?
Merry Christmas Everyone