Tears of Gold March 1, 2009

A while back, I posted about how I had never been crazy about “Two Hearts.”  I wasn’t surprised that other people had similar feelings towards the song, but the attitudes towards “Tears of Gold” definitely came as a shock.  I have a friend who is a Ryan Adams fan, but he also says he feels like this song is one of his weakest.  But, in the song’s defense, my friend isn’t really into the country stuff.  Personally, I’ve always felt like this is a song that’s truly by The Cardinals.  There are the great harmonies throughout the song (especially in the “Bring the band around…” part), and a great performance by Jon Graboff. 

I just can’t really see what people could dislike about the song.  I understand that it doesn’t fit that well with the rest of the songs on Easy Tiger, but it’s not like the rest of the album has a consistent sound or anything…

Everybody Knows February 18, 2009

At my school, we get a channel called MTV-U.  It’s basically a raggedy-ass version of MTV that is exclusive to college campuses.  I get it in my room, but never watch by choice.  However, it’s a different situation when you’re walking through the lobby of another building or eating in one of the dining halls.  The televisions in there are constantly showing the shitty MTV-U videos (they show the same ones ALL THE TIME) and we have no other options.  So while they’re typically showing crappy “indie” videos, every now and then they show something that’s really good.  Like last October, when they had the video for “Everybody Knows” in constant rotation. 

Needless to say, it was the happiest that channel has ever made me.  Honestly, where else (you know, besides the internet) can you see Ryan Adams videos?  Not regular MTV…  Not VH1…  CMT?  Readers, please! 

Another fond memory of mine was when I worked at the university radio station.  The station manager got some new CDs in, (I got an advance copy of Easy Tiger) and just happened to have the single.  So I now had that to add to my Ryan Adams collection.

Anyway, the song has always felt unfinished to me.  Part of it could very well be the fact that it’s pretty short, but there’s also the omission of a bridge, solo or anything similar.  Lyrically, I think it’s one of his smoothest songs.  You get the impression that these lyrics are exactly how he would say these words in an everyday conversation.

Two Hearts February 7, 2009

A lot of people felt like Easy Tiger was too safe of an album, especially considering the fact that it was coming from an artist who was known for being prolific (not that he would admit to it) and bold with his stylistic choices.  He had been an alt-country pioneer…  A rough ‘n’ ready garage rocker…  A brooding hipster…  And with the release of the album, it seemed like he was just putting out what people were expecting from him.  While I think there are some incredibly strong songs on the album, I can definitely see what people might not like about it.  There’s only one song on the album that never did anything for me, and it was “Two Hearts.” 

I don’t think it’s a bad song at all, it just never stood out compared to the rest of the work.  There’s an abundance of emotion in “The Sun Also Sets” and “I Taught Myself How To Grow Old”, lovely folksy charm in ‘These Girls” and “Pearls On A String”, and some new ground being covered with “Rip Off.”  Still, there’s nothing that’s impressing about “Two Hearts.”  It’s a good vocal performance, with my highlight being when he wails “just three wo-o-o-ords.”  Still, that isn’t enough to keep it from being my least favorite track on the album.

The Sun Also Sets January 31, 2009

I’d like to add something to the list of “Oh shit” moments. (See: “Shakedown On 9th Street”)  I would challenge anyone to find a musical moment that comes close to having the same amount of emotion as the second verse in “The Sun Also Sets”, when Ryan yells out “Oh be sure/You’re gonna tear someone apart.”  The rest of the songs snakes along at a comfortable pace with airy falsetto vocals and stop breaks, but that part gives the song a feeling of aggression, intensity, and bitterness that can’t be replicated. 

While I’m a big fan of the album version, I really dig the bluesier performances from the Cardinology tour.  Hearing Neal bang it out on that Rhodes creates a funkier vibe that I didn’t even realize was possible with the song in the first place!

I’ll go ahead and say it…  This is, without a doubt, my favorite song on Easy Tiger and quite possibly any Ryan Adams (and the Cardinals) release since Cold Roses. 

Two January 14, 2009

“Two” never really seemed like a Ryan Adams song to me.  Obviously it’s one he (and the band) enjoy, since it’s been performed at just about every show since its release; but I just never took it as seriously as the rest of the material on Easy Tiger.  While there are powerful, moving songs like “I Taught Myself How To Grow Old” and “Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.” on the album, I always just got the feeling that “Two” was written to be a single.  I mean, why else would Sheryl Crow do backing vocals?  (Was there any history between her and Ryan?  I never heard anything and was curious as to how this collaboration happened…)

One thing I have noticed about the song that makes it stand out is the fact that it’s rarely expanded upon when they play it live.  At several of the shows I’ve been at, friends have commented to me about how it seemed like he was hurrying through the song.  Maybe that’s the case.  Maybe he’s only playing it because it did OK as a single, or because the album it was released on was incredibly accessible.  Either way, I feel like it’s a strange and unworthy choice for a concert standard.

Halloweenhead January 4, 2009

On his old website, Ryan Adams had a section that explained what different Cardinals terms meant.  There was one that I hadn’t seen before: Halloween Head.  The definition, according to the website, is:

“A fan of The Cardinals music. stoner. outcast. someone who doesn’t know what kind of mood they are in. Not sponsored by Bud Lite or collecting girls or guys numbers during a quiet breakdown. usually are laid back and engage in mellow conversation with band members when seen in arcades or getting food. Don’t ask for shit when people are eating. not gravity challenged but reality challenged. also known as Bed-Heads, or Chandler Bings.”

That makes enough sense to me.  There are Dead Heads and Parrot Heads…  Why not Halloween Heads?

The song is an anthem of sorts to these people by saying “I’m one of you.”  That person who doesn’t know what kind of mood they’re in also happens to be the person singing the song.  It’s a sledgehammer of a song with a churning guitar rhythm and a steady piano part in the background.  It has the swagger of 1970s glam rock with dismissive lyrics (“it’s all the same old shit again”) and a synth line announced as a “Guitar solo!”  While it may sound like one of his joke songs, Halloweenhead is a welcome addition to Easy Tiger in my opinion.  It’s a massive rocker by someone who is probably the biggest fan of the Cardinals…

These Girls December 19, 2008

While looking at this song, I’m going to have to compare it to the lyrics in the first version of the song that appeared on the Destroyer Sessions collection of demos.  This song was the same structurally and instrumentally, but there is quite the difference in the lyrics.  Before I get started, I’d like to say I’m more than just a little disappointed that the only time it was performed live (as far as I know) was the hard rock version shot in the room full of Christmas lights around the time of the Easy Tiger release. (note: I know “Hey There, Mrs. Lovely”, as the song was previously known, made some appearances live back in the day)

With the differences, let’s start with the first verse.  In the officially released version, he sings “I’m the Matchbox Cars you buy and burn in your backyard”, but in HTML the line is: “I’m the plastic three-inch armies you destroy.”  They’re both followed with the awesome line “I’m the monster underneath your bed you ain’t afraid of yet.”  It’s like he’s saying that he’s going to cause problems for this girl, but right now she only sees the good in him.  That’ll change, though…  For the better first verse, I’m going with “Hey There, Mrs. Lovely.”

The second verse differs quite a bit.  “Hey There, Mrs. Lovely” goes like this:

You used to only want your two front teeth
Yeah, Christmastime, It came, It went
And you ended up with me
We started playing Twister with our tonuges
We probably should’ve scrapped the game and gave ourselves some hugs

“These Girls” is entirely different.

I used to pick up shells cast off the reef
One Christmas I got a funeral
And they handed me the receipt
How many lies I tell without my tongue
Get twisted into memories ’til I believe in some

This one isn’t so easy.  The line about “playing Twister with our tongues” is pretty weak, but I prefer the first half of the second verse from “Hey There, Mrs. Lovely.”  They’re both enjoyable songs, but I can only imagine how amazing it would be if the highlights from each were combined into one.  While there are some other differences between the two, like the chorus  (“Dry your eyes with cinnamon and pears” confuses the hell out of me…  Seriously…)  I’ll stay absolutely content with having both versions.  After all, you can never have too much Ryan Adams…

Oh My God, Whatever, Etc. December 12, 2008

This is probably one of the saddest sex songs I’ve ever heard.  I guess the song itself isn’t really about sex, but the song mentions it several times.  As a matter of fact, the songs begins with the narrator in his room alone listening to the sounds of the people in the room next to his having intercourse.  The headboard of their bed is beating against his wall while he can hear them moaning each other’s names.  However, he’s still awake, just sitting up by himself.  The fact that the narrator’s only human interaction is staying up listening to his neighbor having sex makes it obvious just how sad and lonely this person is. 

I think the verse that starts with: “If I could, I’d fold myself away…” is about him trying to go to sleep.  But he’s too busy thinking to take the time to get some rest.  If he could just sleep, he could take a break from all of the expectations and pressures that are on him.  The “customers” are his thoughts, which keep him up late at night by himself while other people are out having fun and being with each other.  It could be that he is intentionally keeping himself isolated, or maybe he’s alone for a reason and that’s what he’s thinking about so late at night.

The chorus is interesting:
“And the light of the moon leads the way towards the morning
And the sun, the sun’s well on the way, too soon to know
And oh, oh my god, whatever, etc.”

This is the ultimate expression of how disillusioned he is with everything in his life.  He’s talking about day and night, two great contrasts, and neither one means anything to him.  He’s watching the sun come up, which is considered by many to be a beautiful thing, but it doesn’t do anything for him.  You can’t deny that this song is one of Ryan Adams’ loneliest.