Love Is Hell - Ryan Adams

Advantages: Ryan at his best
Disadvantages: There's an Oasis track on the album

...album. Heartbreaks, tales of lost love and friendships ended. This is the album that Ryan Adams wanted to release originally in 2004, but his record company made him record and release the throwaway yet un-missable Rock 'n' Roll. What were those people on?? While I am glad that Rock 'n' Roll was released, as it is another Ryan Adams record for my collection, it really is hard to understand why "Love is Hell" was not released originally as Adams ...
...though. Love is Hell was released shortly after Rock 'n' Roll as two seperate albums and later put together as one as its popularity grew. Love is Hell is essentially just Ryan with a guitar, piano and songs with so much emotion that you do start to believe that love is actually hell. Songs like the title track just have you mesmerised by there sincerity and the pain in Adams' voice. Others like "This house is not for sale" have you almost feeling ... Read review

Advantages: Every track a winner.
Disadvantages: Shame is wasn't released as one album with Vol. 1.

...Ironic, isn't it, that the album that heralds Ryan Adams return to genuis is the very one that his record company tried so hard to bury. Not commercial enough? Too depressing? How wrong could they have been? With the heart-wrenching, thought provoking lyrics, the near perfect melodies, this was bound to be a winner on all accounts. Criticisms? Not many, other than it should have been released as one album with Vol. 1. A money making tactic on behalf of his record company, I suspect. The advantages are numerous. Almost every track. Please Do Not Let Me Go is painfully beautiful, I See Monsters leaves me speechless, English Girls makes me smile, and Thank You Louise is storytelling at its very best. Would I recommend it? You bet! A near perfect album, I say!!!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Great songs from ex-Whiskeytown member
Disadvantages: Maybe a little too polished and/or girly in places

...Finding a good way to start a review is always the hardest part... lets see... Many of you will have heard of Ryan Adams, of ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Love Is Hell’ fame, but how many have heard of Caitlin Cary? Back in the ‘90s she was Adams’ band mate in the (almost) famous alt-country group Whiskeytown. During the band’s three albums (‘Faithless Street’, ‘Stranger’s Almanac’ and ‘Pneumonia’), she acted mainly as backup, singing backing vocals and adding some beautiful violin wherever it was needed. ‘While You Weren’t Looking’ is her first full-length solo album. At first, even though the reviews were very positive, I wasn’t totally sure whether I’d like this album or not, so I decided to try out the ‘Waltzie’ EP that was released previously. This isn’t a review of that, so I won’t say much about it, but it turned out to be... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: More mainstream than previous
Disadvantages: not his best

...Ryan Adams didn't want to make this album, but I for one am glad he did. The story goes that Ryan wanted to release the "Love is Hell" album (which did eventually get released anyway later that year) but his record company didn't think it was mainstream enough and told him to record another album. This is it! "This is it" is in fact also the title of the first track, which is a play on words of The Strokes' "Is this it?", and is basically a variation of The Strokes song. The song also sends a blunt and straightforward message to his record company - up ypurs!. The majority of this record are songs with direct influences coming through from bands such as Oasis, U2. The Smiths and even Nirvana, as Ryan took these bands to be "mainstream" and basically used their style of music to give the record company what they wanted and to stick... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful