Ryan Adams: Gold
I have spent the last while pretty conflicted about this record and this guy. I looked forward to the follow-up to Heartbreaker greatly, and as such, this record is a real disappointment. Gone from the picture are the delicacy, the poetry and the blue mood: Gold is stuffed full of hooks and cliches and radio-ready bar-band rock that seems more in the spirit of J. Cougar Mellencamp or Tom Cochrane than of Van Morrison (as the accolades proclaim).Ryan Adams' seemingly sudden burst onto the pages of Rolling Stone, the pretty photos of Adams in bed listening to vinyl and smoking, the butt-wiggling cover, and the zillions of over-stated reviews (the subtext of all of which was We feel stupid because we ignored Heartbreaker) - all of these elements scream sell out, especially when combined with the slimmed substance of the Gold material (here's a lyric: "There ain't no way I'll ever stop from lovin' you" ("Somehow, Someday"). Boo.
On the other hand, the songs are good. Not fantastic or mind-blowing, but still better than most everything else on the radio. Ryan Adams is a gifted songwriter, and could sing a fart nicely. If radio in general needs to be shot dead, maybe some medicine (even watered-down medicine) is worth a try before we do it. Maybe. On the other other hand (this is three hands now, by the way), it might it's a waste of medicine.
Gold is not what I wanted. It may be good for another audience, but I'm not going to listen to it much. I will, however, continue to keep an eye on Ryan Adams. MOJO reported recently that he's threatened to release a full five records next year. One of them might be for me. He can do better than this.
Ryan Adams: Gold. Lost Highway, 2001.
Review by Jeff Clayton. 5th issue, March 2002.