Rock n Roll / Love is Hell pt. 1

Got these new ones from Ryan Adams yesterday after much anticipation. I was all set to love the hell out of Rock n Roll with what I had heard about it, ready to have Ryan finally show other bands how to be the next Exile on Main St-era Stones, ready for him to be on record what he was when I saw him live at SXSW right before Gold was released. After a few listens, I just don’t know what my problem is.

It rocks out all right, but also ends up sounding like part Pete Yorn collaboration, part Replacements/U2/Echo & the Bunnymen/Jackson Browne rehashing. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are some instant connections with songs like Burning Photographs, but for the most part I felt his emotion was lost in the channeling of his influences. Supposedly he rushed this one through after Love is Hell was rejected by his record company (Lost Highway) as a follow-up to Gold, and that shows a bit. Maybe his punk band side project The Finger and annoying girlfriend Parker Posey are to blame. Who knows. I’m sure it will grow on me. Just wanted something more assured I guess.

Assurance that he’s still Got It actually comes with the companion EP Love is Hell pt.1. Seven great slow, melancholy, reflective songs with a nice cover of Oasis’ Wonderwall thrown in for good measure. I have to question what LH’s alleged problems were with this disc, it’s not another odds and ends project like Demolition, all of these songs stand on their own. Maybe I’m getting old, I kind of prefer this to rocking out at the moment.

Posted by k-pho at December 5, 2003 10:05 AM