Now, I’m a fan of Ryan Adams. I think he’s done some great work, a mix of country, rock, and heartbreak. He has a fantastic amount of work done which is something no one can take away. He’s been in two bands which have also released material. He’s been through some shit too and come out on top, so you can’t knock the guy. He’s used those experiences to great effect, writing some fantastic stuff. Here, he takes on Taylor Swifts hugely successful album ‘1989‘ which won her a Grammy. So when Adams came along, and you looked at his previous work, in what way was he going to do this? The Ryan Adams way is the answer.
So, we all know the hits off this record. The album was massive for Taylor Swift with hits such as ‘Shake It Off’, ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Wildest Dreams’ clogging up our airwaves for what seemed like a lifetime. The album also delivered a few more singles, but those ones stand out most. As for Ryan Adams, what would he do with them. Pop standards in 2014/15, heard everywhere you go, associated with happy faces and love. Adams is known for a perhaps more downbeat approach and kind of maintaining one particular formula, which only he can do. I mean that only Ryan Adams can do Ryan Adams. There’s about 167 artists out there trying to do Beyonce.
I’m writing this having not heard Swifts original album. So I’m not 100% sure what the originals are like. However, with his cover album, he does very well to make songs such as ‘Wildest Dreams’, ‘Welcome To New York’, ‘Out Of The Woods’ and ‘Blank Space’ sound like his own. Is that a good thing? Perhaps not, maybe he should have been bold and done something unexpected. A track like ‘Bad Blood’ just doesn’t do it for me. I know Swifts version obviously because it was everywhere, but Adams version sounds like it caused him trouble, maybe even that he was out of ideas by the time he came to it. The final track ‘Clean’ is another I do like. I haven’t heard Swifts version but Adams must have done it justice.
‘I Wish You Would’, ‘Style’ and ‘All You Had To Do Was Stay’ are all enjoyable too. The album works for me because as a whole you can listen to it straight through. There are some dips but it passes. Remember, this is the view of someone who hasn’t heard the original record. So maybe he made total shite of it, I dunno. It’s a great album to listen to when you’re cruising around or taking a road trip and I think that’s because it’s Taylor Swifts lyrics and not Ryan Adams, which makes it that bit easier to listen to. It’s still a love story, but from a 20 something pop girl and not a 40 something moody rock dude. I’m out.
G.M
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
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