Magnolia Mountain February 25, 2009

I got into Ryan Adams in 2006, and started going after his back catalog like it was nobody’s business.  I was nuts about “Gold” and “Demolition”, found pleasure in listening to “Rock n Roll”, and connected with “Love Is Hell” more than I should have.  When I finally hit “Cold Roses”, I didn’t know what to think.  I could tell by the artwork that this album was just going to be…  you know… different… 

So when I put in that first disc and heard this start up, I really didn’t know what to think.  After the first listen, I could get into “Beautiful Sorta” and a few other obvious ones, but it wasn’t until a few more spins that I realized how great of a song “Magnolia Mountain” is.  What I like about the album is the fact that it’s set in its own little world.  There’s Magnolia Mountain, the Easy Plateau, Cherry Lane, Meadowlake Street…  I’m not sure if all of the geographical titles were intentional or not, but I’m a big fan of them. 

What I really like about this song is the way they manged to really capture the soft/loud dynamics without sounding like Nirvana or something.  Really, this is probably the most live-sounding recording the band has.  Sure, they tried to achieve it on Cardinology, but there’s a certain freedom I hear on “Magnolia Mountain” that hasn’t been matched by any other studio recording I’ve ever heard.

Cherry Lane February 12, 2009

When I listened to Cold Roses for the first time, I was really enjoying it.  I mean, how could you not like an album that starts off with a track as awesome as “Magnolia Mountain” and covers everything from rowdy garage rock to country/jam rock?  So, I’m truckin’ through the album, having myself a good time, and then “Cherry Lane” starts up.  The guitar intro sounds great…  Then comes one of the strangest sounds I’ve ever heard come out of a human being.  EVER.  It’s supposed to be “Every night”, but it comes out like someone stepping up some creaky steps. 

Once you get past the opening line, though, it’s a totally kick-ass song.  Really, it doesn’t fall into that “jam rock” category that well, and has a very original sound.  There’s a country influence, but not a whole lot of alternative edge.  Well, with the exception of the word “fuck” appearing.  That one doesn’t find its way into a whole lot of country songs…

Like Yesterday February 8, 2009

I’ve always really enjoyed “Like Yesterday” more than most people seem to.  I feel like it is the best reflection of who the Cardinals are on the album.  When they hit that instrumental break at 1:15, it sounds like something that could have come from a 1960s country rock record, before the harmony laden chorus falls into place.  Really, it seems like it should be one of their best live songs, since it’s so open-ended.  I expected Cardinology to feature a lot of the jams and space that you get when you see them in concert, but felt a little disappointed.  Sure, there are some cool instrumental breaks, but it’s different when they’re written in as a bridge. 

While “Like Yesterday” has the right sound, I feel like the band could have launched right into the stratosphere.  There’s just so much sonic ground to cover following the pre-chorus…  I’m not sure why they didn’t extend it, since it seems like they can’t help themselves from doing it during live performances of other songs.  Still, even without the potential for awesome jams, “Like Yesterday” is a favorite of mine from the album.

Easy Plateau January 7, 2009

I mentioned in my post about “If I Am A Stranger” that I felt like it didn’t fit with the rest of the tracks on Cold Roses.  Well, if you made me pick what I thought was the quintessential Cold Roses song, I’d go with “Easy Plateau.”  It’s relaxed, natural, and has a really nice jammy quality to it.  Of course, the band tends to destroy that peacefulness when take off into a distortion-laden space when they perform it live… 

This song is about the kind of joy everyone finds in something.  Maybe that thing is writing a song, reading, performing…  The narrator is looking forward to finding his easy plateau, where everything feels right.  Of course, the plateau doesn’t last forever, so you can only rest your head “for a little while.”  Still, it’s nice to have the opportunity to enjoy yourself while you can.  I love the line “Bad nights lead to better days/It never happens/But I think about it anyway.”  Real life is a drag…  But things are all good on the plateau! 

Even with the space that adds a whole new emotion to the song, I feel like a live performance of this song is waaaaaaaaaaay better than the studio version.  (which is still pretty great)  You can tell that performing is a plateau for the Cardinals, which is really cool.  You know they mean it… 

So my verdict on Easy Plateua: It’s really nice and loose, which is a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of real life.

Enemy Fire December 31, 2008

“Enemy Fire” is another one of those songs about a dysfunctional relationship. (A recurring theme in the music of Ryan Adams)  While many of these songs are slow and relfective, “Enemy Fire” is aggressive and gritty.  The conflict between them is likened to a war, with enemy tanks and planes. (Also, ”enemy-colored roses” for that special lady in your life)  He keeps making it clear to hear that it’s over, but then decides to give her a second chance.  The narrator is making his ultimatum, saying “Learn how to change/And maybe I could stay.”  Still, if it’s reached this point, the odds are slim that she’ll change.  That’s why the final line of the song is “Um… No…”

“Enemy Fire” has some killer classic rock-style guitar riffs and cymbal crashes, making it a nice throwback to the 1970s.  With it’s dramatic music and potential to be a major highlight during a show, it’s really disappointing to know it’s only been played live seven times.  I feel like this song should be seeing a lot of action with the Cardinals, so maybe it’ll appear in a setlist soon.  There’s a lot of potential for jams in there, I hope the band sees it.

It’s aggressive, it could be amazing live, and should definitely be revisited soon.

Cold Roses December 23, 2008

There are a lot of songs in Ryan Adams’ catalog that deal with questionable decisions.  Some of them are about enjoying these decisions, others are about the damage they do…  This one, “Cold Roses”, features a narrator looking at a female acquaintance and how these decisions impact her life.  Whatever it is she’s doing is causing some serious physical and emotional damage to her, and he’s watching it all.

The opening verse is “Mirrors in the room go black and blue/On a Sunday morning in her Saturday shoes/We don’t choose who we love/We don’t choose.”  This friend (?) of his went out and did some things (or people…) she didn’t want to.  Maybe her judgment was a little clouded from drugs/alcohol the night before.  She’s had a rough night and when she looks in the mirror, she sees just how damaged she is.  ”Sunday morning in her Saturday shoes” means she hasn’t caught up with real-life yet, which is really troubling.  I love this line the most, just because I think it’s really, really clever.

The second verse is more of the same, really.  He sings “Lights over the Midway melt on the street/In her Sunday shoes on her Saturday feet/She don’t choose who she love/She don’t need what she use.”  She’s out and about on Sunday even though she’s still coming down from whatever she was doing the night before.  My guess is that she isn’t feeling too well and realizes that whatever she does isn’t good for her, but feels like she doesn’t control it.  Then comes the chorus: “Daylight comes and exposes/Saturday’s bruises and cold roses.”  She realizes how bad things are when she’s sober, which is the day after she goes out and raises all kinds of hell.  That’s when she can see “Saturday’s bruises.” 

 The narrator says “Nothing but the sunlight can help you grow/From underneath your bed, you can’t see the window.”  She has to realize she has a problem before she can grow out of it.  If she doesn’t recognize this by lying to herself (hiding “underneath [her] bed”), she’s doing herself a disservice by keeping herself from getting healthy.  He says she’s “Fortunate and angry, just like a child/All this money buys you medicine it can’t buy you time”, which is a pretty harsh truth.  Maybe by calling her out like this, he’ll make her realize something’s wrong.

You never find out what happens, so you can go ahead and make your own ending.  I like to think she sees her mistakes and recovers, but that’s just me…