Ryan Adams | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 8, 2014 | |||
Recorded | PAX AM Studios, California | |||
Genre | Rock, indie rock | |||
Length | 42:33 | |||
Label | Pax AM | |||
Producer | Ryan Adams, Mike Viola, Charlie Stavish | |||
Ryan Adams chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Ryan Adams | ||||
|
Ryan Adams is the 14th studio album by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released on 9 September 2014 on PAX AM. The album features an atmospheric rock-based aesthetic, in comparison to its primarily acoustic predecessor, Ashes & Fire (2011).
Self-produced by Adams, and his recording partner Mike Viola, the album was preceded by the single, "Gimme Something Good", and was recorded following the completion of a now-abandoned studio album, recorded by Adams' Ashes & Fire collaborator, Glyn Johns. The album earned two nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in Best Rock Song for "Gimme Something Good" and Best Rock Album.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 77/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
The Line of Best Fit | 7/10 [2] |
AllMusic | |
The Guardian | |
Slant Magazine |
Following the release of Ashes & Fire (2011), and its successful accompanying tour, Adams returned to the studio in 2012 to record its follow-up with producer Glyn Johns. The planned album was set to include "more orchestral flourishes" than its primarily stripped-back predecessor. [6] In March 2013, Adams debuted two new songs, “Where I Meet You In My Mind” and “In The Shadows”, at a one-off live performance. The concert was Adams' first with a backing band since the dissolution of The Cardinals in 2009. The band included Ashes & Fire session musicians, Benmont Tench (keyboards) and Jeremy Stacey (drums); former Cardinals member Cindy Cashdollar (pedal steel); Adams' regular collaborator Ethan Johns (guitar) and Don Was (bass). This performing line-up were reported to be the musicians performing on Adams' forthcoming studio album. [6]
News of the album's recording and eventual release began to fade, with Adams recording albums for other artists at his studio, PAX AM. During this time, Adams produced [7] Fall Out Boy's PAX AM Days (2013), Ethan Johns' The Reckoning (2014), and Jenny Lewis's The Voyager (2014). In 2013, Adams also formed a punk rock band entitled Pornography, releasing a limited edition EP, 7 Minutes in Heaven, for Record Store Day 2013.
In 2014, it was revealed that Adams had scrapped the Glyn Johns-produced successor to Ashes & Fire, and had started afresh at his studios, PAX AM, with his recording partner Mike Viola, [8] and bass guitarist Tal Wilkenfeld. [9] The planned album had been greatly influenced by the death of Adams' grandmother, and reportedly cost $100,000 to produce. [10] Regarding his decision to halt the album's release, Adams noted, "We were recording it in the same a way as Ashes & Fire. It just didn’t feel to me the way Ashes & Fire did, and it didn’t feel like I was exploring or getting anywhere. By the time it was done, I had this impression like, this is a record that sounds like it was produced by somebody. Like another record. Someone else’s vision of my songs." [11]
Ryan Adams was recorded at Adams' home analogue studio, PAX AM, which he described as "like the Millennium Falcon . So many possibilities." [9] The decision to record at PAX AM was a major factor in the album's creation, with Adams' stating that Glyn Johns had preferred not to use Adams' studio: "[He] didn’t want to use my studio because his favorite room to record in, according to him, in the entire world, is Sunset Sound Studio B. The difference is, that’s right next door to my studio, and four days in that studio next door at Sunset Sound is equal to my rent at my studio once a month. So I really didn’t feel like making that record, but I wanted to give Glyn and myself the benefit of the doubt to try another record." [11]
After working with producers on each of his previous studio albums, Ryan Adams is the first full studio album to be self-produced by Ryan Adams. Upon the album's release he noted, "I don’t know why it took me so long to just fucking — I guess maybe because I have PAX-AM now, my studio — but I don’t know why it took so long to basically be like: You know what, I’m going to do this my way, and even if it’s fucking weird I’m going to do it my way. [...] There was always somebody somewhere with some fucking idea that I should work with some producer, or there was always some producer that I was working with who I knew. People felt like they could frame my music in a certain way that somehow shined the correct amount of light." [11] Adams recorded the album with his PAX AM recording partner and now bandmate Mike Viola: "Mike is a co-producer. It’s collaborative, but Mike and I were already on that train anyway. Mike was more like a partner in crime toward a sound he knew would work for me. We recorded in my studio all week, every week, every fucking day. I view it as a job. I want to come here, you know?" [11]
After scrapping the Glyn Johns-produced studio album, which featured "entirely different songs" than those that appear on Ryan Adams, [11] Adams began working on compositions that he felt reflected his true personality, stating, "I’m too old to pretend like I give a shit about doing something that’s not what I am." [11] Adams was inspired by the rock and punk musicians he grew up admiring: "The music that really, really mattered to me, that was emotional music that was fraught with electric guitar — nothing’s ever going to be more important to me than The Wipers, Hüsker Dü, The Replacements. Guys you could just tell they’re grabbing a guitar, they’re just lost in a moment that’s urgent and they’re finding chords that reflect that urgency. And maybe finding pop elements, but also maybe finding discordant elements. I think there’s a simplicity to that stuff that’s always kind of been there, and kind of been hiding out in my music, and waiting to be revealed." [11]
Regarding the album's lyrical content, he noted, "[I would] go in with a couple bros at seven o'clock and just jam. We would, like, smoke a bowl and drink some tea – and the words came free-flowing out of me. It gives me chills just talking about it." [9]
Comparing the album to his past work, Adams noted: "I personally think it sounds more like Cold Roses , some of Love is Hell and a little of Easy Tiger – but not the sound of it, more the chords and the way it came together organically. [...] The songs are ends in themselves and records are their own sort of book or movie." [12]
Regarding his decision to release a self-titled album, Adams stated: "I could not think of a name for this record. Everything I came up with sounded so stupid. Everything sounded like a King Crimson album title, some convoluted shit. [...] I was like, I can’t call this Shadows or something, I just can’t do it." [11]
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard's Top Rock Album, making this Adams' first No. 1 on that chart. It was his highest yet debut on Billboard 200 at No. 4, with 45,000 copies sold in its debut week. [13] The album has sold 118,000 copies in the US as of October 2015. [14]
All tracks are written by Ryan Adams.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Gimme Something Good" | 3:55 |
2. | "Kim" | 3:26 |
3. | "Trouble" | 3:47 |
4. | "Am I Safe" | 4:32 |
5. | "My Wrecking Ball" | 3:08 |
6. | "Stay with Me" | 3:06 |
7. | "Shadows" | 5:22 |
8. | "Feels Like Fire" | 4:25 |
9. | "I Just Might" | 3:29 |
10. | "Tired of Giving Up" | 3:40 |
11. | "Let Go" | 3:43 |
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [16] | 10 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [17] | 7 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [18] | 7 |
UK Albums (OCC) [19] | 6 |
US Billboard 200 [20] | 4 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [21] | 1 |
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [22] | 1 |
Chart (2014) | Position |
---|---|
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [23] | 8 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [24] | 55 |
Glyn Thomas Johns is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer.
David Ryan Adams is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and poet. He has released 16 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of rock/alt-country band Whiskeytown.
Aerosmith is the eponymous debut studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on January 5, 1973 by Columbia Records. "Dream On", originally released as a single in 1973, became an American top ten hit when re-released in December 1975. The album peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard 200 album chart in 1976.
On the Border is the third studio album by American rock group the Eagles, released in 1974. Apart from two songs produced by Glyn Johns, it was produced by Bill Szymczyk because the group wanted a more rock‑oriented sound instead of the country-rock feel of the first two albums. It is the first Eagles album to feature guitarist Don Felder. On the Border reached number 17 on the Billboard album chart and has sold two million copies.
All 'n All is the eighth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1977 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. All 'n All has also been certified Triple Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in Canada by Music Canada and Silver in the UK by the BPI.
The Lady's Not For Sale is a 1972 album by Rita Coolidge, and was released on the A&M Records label, AMLH 64370. It was later reissued on the Music For Pleasure label, MFP-50500. The inner gatefold photo was shot on location by Terry Paul at Stonehenge in the English county of Wiltshire.
Cardinology is the tenth studio album by Ryan Adams, and fourth album with his backing band The Cardinals, released on October 28, 2008. The album completed Adams' contract with Lost Highway Records, and marks his final recording session with The Cardinals. Following the album's release and subsequent tour, Adams disbanded the band and entered a self-imposed hiatus until the release of Ashes & Fire, in 2011.
Out of Ashes is the only studio album by American rock band Dead by Sunrise, which consisted of Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington and Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck, Anthony 'Fu' Valcic, Brandon Belsky, and Elias Andra of Julien-K. It was released on October 13, 2009 through Warner Bros. Records, to mixed to positive reception. The album was produced by Howard Benson. The album charted on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 29. The album spawned three singles, "Crawl Back In", "Let Down", and "Fire". The album achieved moderate success in the US charts.
Orion is the 11th studio album by singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released on May 18, 2010, on Adams' own record label PAX AM. Described as Adams' first "fully-realized sci-fi metal concept album," Orion was released on a limited vinyl run, and could only be purchased from the PAX AM online store. There are no plans for a wide release, but as of November 4, 2010, Adams' new site paxamrecords.com is offering a standard edition vinyl that will also include the download card of the entire album. Those who purchased the album in its limited run also received a bonus 7" single.
Pax Americana Recording Company, also known as PAX-AM, is a record label founded by Ryan Adams. Established in 2004, the label released certain of Adams’ then-unpublished demo recordings. Following Adams' fulfillment of a recording contract with Lost Highway Records in 2008, the PAX-AM label became the artist's exclusive venue for musical releases. In early November 2010, the label re-launched its webpage and announced platforms for retail and the release of music by additional artists.
III/IV is the 12th studio album by alt-country singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released on December 14, 2010 through PAX AM. The album is his fifth with backing band The Cardinals, and was recorded in 2006 during the same sessions that yielded Easy Tiger. A double album, III/IV was recorded prior to bassist Catherine Popper's departure, and also marks guitarist and backing vocalist Neal Casal's recording debut for the band. According to Adams, the album remained unreleased until 2010, as his former label, Lost Highway, had previously rejected it.
Ashes & Fire is the 13th studio album by Ryan Adams, released on October 11, 2011, on PAX AM and Capitol. Recorded with producer Glyn Johns, Ashes & Fire marks Adams' return to recording following the disbandment of his band the Cardinals in 2009. Regarding the album, Adams noted, "The record is obsessed with time. I believe that there is a kinder view of the self. I'm passing through my own life as a ghost, and looking at these pieces and places in my life. I'm looking at California, and the idea of being lost and found at the same time."
"Lucky Now" is a song by alt country singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, and the lead single from his studio album Ashes & Fire. According to Adams, the single is based upon "my time in New York in my twenties."
Ryan Greene is an American record producer, sound engineer, former owner of Crush Recording Studios in Scottsdale, Arizona and founder of Area 52 Entertainment in Los Angeles, California. In an over 25-year-long career he has worked with many artists including Jay-Z, Lita Ford, Tonic, Mr. Big, Wilson Phillips, Megadeth, NOFX, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Usher, Patti LaBelle, Dishwalla and Gladys Knight. He has worked on over 250 musical projects and has been described as an "A-list producer".
PAX AM Days is an EP by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on October 15, 2013 by Island Records and PAX AM. It consists of hardcore punk and punk rock influenced tracks recorded during a two-day "marathon" session with producer Ryan Adams and the band in July 2013 at PAX AM Studios. The EP was released on CD, digitally and on double 7" vinyl as a stand-alone EP, and also on a limited Save Rock and Roll PAX AM Edition (2013) double-disc reissue. The double 7" vinyl pressing was limited to 3,000, and released on November 29 as part of Record Store Day - Back to Black Friday. Each copy came with a code for a bonus song download, a cover of "New Dreams" by Naked Raygun. The code was found stamped into the dead wax of the 7". On September 30, Fall Out Boy announced the EP and its release date, as well as premiered the first digital single "Love, Sex, Death" with its accompanying video. PAX AM Days was the band's second release in 2013 after the comeback album Save Rock and Roll, and marks a return to their hardcore musical roots with aggressive guitar work, the "antithesis" to the polished Save Rock and Roll.
The Voyager is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis. The album was released on July 29, 2014 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was primarily produced by Ryan Adams at his studio, PAX AM.
1984 is an EP by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released in August 2014 on PAX AM. Initially the second release in Adams' "PAX AM Single Series", the EP was released digitally on August 28, 2014.
Afraid of Ghosts is the seventh full-length studio album from Butch Walker, and was released on Lojinx records in Europe on 2 February 2015 and Dangerbird Records in North America on February 3, 2015. The album was announced on October 6, 2014, with the release of its first single, "Chrissie Hynde". The album's title track premiered on October 20, 2014.
1989 is the 15th studio album by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released digitally through his own PAX AM record label on September 21, 2015. The album is a track-by-track cover of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's album of the same name. It debuted at number 7 on the US Billboard 200 chart, one position ahead of Swift's 1989, which was in its 48th week on the chart.
The Shining were an American rock band that were formed in 2014 by singer-songwriter Ryan Adams. Although the band had played a few shows together previously, they made their first performance under the Shining moniker on August 13, 2014 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The Shining also performed as one of the final musical acts on Late Show with David Letterman.