Beginnings - Week Eleven!

[The Curmudgeon]

Here's an example of something I don't often do, and I'm not really sure what you'd call it. If you buy a DVD without having seen the film the first time, only going on word of mouth or a strong review, it can be called a "Blind Buy." So what's the term for buying an album without hearing a note before? Deaf Buy?

Anyway, Ryan Adams "Gold" was one such buy. I'd read rave reviews in NME and, this being the days before I had the net, decided to risk it and buy the album, plus the quote on the front cover "once it comes to the end of its 70 minutes, you'll feel like you've been abandoned by a close friend" had me sold.

And I'd be lying if I said I loved the album straight away. In fact, it took me several months to listen to the whole thing. At over an hour, it's a beast of a record, and one that was hard to love at first. But when I did listen to it all the way through, it became one of those albums that is almost always in your CD player.

Adams is now one of those artists I try and get everything of, and what I love about him is his desire to try new things. From the country sounds of Gold and Heartbreaker to the pop rock of Rock n Roll to the baffling noise of punk side project We Are Fuck You, every one of his records is different. They're not all cast iron classics, of course.. but Gold sure is.

And here's the main single from that album, with an eerily timed video. Lucky he didn't take a few days off..

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmHgY_J63Ik

[trashcanman]

We Are Fuck You is the ultimate punk band name. Adams folksy stuff does not ring my bell, though. In fact, if he's been nearby when I heard his acoustic emo cover of Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown" I'd have smashed his face with any blunt object I could find. I don't really hate New York, but it doesn't do a whole lot for me either. It's just too safe and standard for me. And considering just how hard this guy screams about his punk cred, that's just not an acceptable combination.

[The Curmudgeon]

Ha, yeah, I can't imagine an acoustic "emo" take on Black Flag would please many people. Haven't seen that one.

My fault with a typo there; the punk band was actually called The Finger (still a great name), and the one album was two vinyl only EP's joined together - We Are Fuck You and Punk's Dead Let's Fuck. Don't expect to hear any Simon Cowell cover versions any time soon. It's hilarious; thirty tracks, some not even a minute long. It'd make your ears bleed. Adams doesn't take any credit for it, you see him on the sleeve with one of those western bank robber face mask things, and he's calling himself "Warren Peace." And you got to love the artwork..



Speaking of Adams, did you know he's married to Mandy Moore? Unreal. How does



get to hit



Where's the damn justice??

[trashcanman]

Women loooooooove musicians. That would explain why a guy who drops Black Flag and Minor Threat into every interview is playing like he's John Mayer.

[The Curmudgeon]

Yeah, good point. It does make his more recent emo wailings a little hard to swallow, though. You're a millionaire, you tour the world and you get to bang THAT every night. What the fuck are you whining about???