Music Collection #3: Ryan Adams, Gold and Bonus Disc

Artist: Ryan Adams
Album: Gold
Favorite Song: New York, New York
Origin: Birthday/Christmas/Hanukkah Gift (I think)

Ah, Gold, named for the title track Gold to Me. Er, no wait ... that's Ben Harper.

Silver and Gold? U2.

After the Goldrush? Neil Young.

Well, then maybe it's just named after Adams' ambition that the record would go gold. And I think it did. And I'm pretty sure it's the only one his albums that has. In a way, that's because probably got the most publicity - the lead single was New York, New York which just happened to be released right around September 11th. I remember my brother complaining once that it was a little unseemly that Adams had rushed out a New York City tribute single so quickly. I had to tell him that it was actually recorded well before 9/11 - the video, in fact, features the Twin Towers in the background. But that song was the first by Ryan Adams I ever heard, and it was enough to get me to put the album on my holiday wishlist. (The only sour part of the song - the weird sax outro, which one review I saw mentioned as the highlight of the track. No. Saxes in rock music is a definite no.)

The real strength of the album, though, is its variety of style. Most of Adams' albums are genre exercises, and each has a different feel to it. This one, I think, does the best job of melding his various styles and influences. Now, maybe it's just because I got this album first, but this, to me, is what Adams sounds like. One common thread through the album is the heavy use of the organ. When The Stars Go Blue, for instance, contains one of my favorite musical moments ever - a little 2-second organ riff about a minute in. (Touch, Feel & Lose is another organ-heavy track, made more sublime/ridiculous by the scene in Ryan Adams: Live in Jamaica where he performs it with a gaggle of Jamaican schoolchildren singing backing vocals. "Cry, cry, cry.")

Artist: Ryan Adams
Album: Gold Bonus Disc
Favorite Song: Cannonball Days
Origin: Birthday gift from my parents

I got this last year for my birthday. When I opened it Annie was like "Doesn't your mom know you already own that?" Well, yes, but not the 21-track, 2-disc version! I've actually not bothered to get all of Adams singles, b-sides, rarities, etc. as, frankly, he puts out enough music already - 8 albums since 2000. But this was easy enough to get, and a 5-song bonus disc seemed to make it worth the extra few bucks (I've always hated paying $12.95 for import singles with 2 extra lousy tracks, or even asking for such things as gifts.) Problem is, the first time I listened to this, I didn't like it, which is odd for Adams music. But I gave it a few more spins, and I certainly warmed up to it. Sweet Black Magic and Cannonball Days are good enough that they probably should have made it onto the album. Only The Bar Is A Beautiful Place, unnecessarily long and string-laden, is a clunker.

One of the first times I remember listening to this and really digging it was shortly after Jamie was born. He was probably 3 months old or so, and I was dancing in front of the large window in our living room (he enjoys looking out at the front yard and the cars in the street). There I was, dancing with my infant son and singing along with lyrics about shooting up.