La Cienega Just Smiled March 6, 2009

One thing I’ve always really appreciated about “La Cienega Just Smiled” is how casual the imagery is.  It all starts with the one of the first lines: “It’s on with the jeans, a jacket, and a shirt.”  You also get the impression that this relationship isn’t necessarily as serious as the one found in some other songs.  There’s still a level of uncertainty that comes with a young relationship, and when he sings “I’m too scared to know how I feel about you now”, it’s all painfully obvious.  This whole song is about not being able to understand someone.  He’s going through all of this trouble to figure her out, and she acts like it’s all no big deal.  She just smiles and waves goodbye…

This is one I think most listeners can relate to pretty easily.  At one point or another, we’ve all been attracted to a person who sometimes seems like they’re more work than they’re worth.  I think it’s really great that the song doesn’t provide any closure as to how he ends up feeling about her.  She just says she’ll see him around. (Whatever that means…)

Voices February 17, 2009

I feel like the album’s artwork is a visual presentation of today’s song: “Voices.”  The lyrics quite obviously deal with someone dying, and the cover (drawn by Ryan himself) shows a cloaked figure with a scythe walking towards a house with some other shadowy people walking behind him. 

It’s interesting to see all of these songs about the same topic on 29.  I mean, death is found pretty frequently in music and other forms of art; but there are references to people trying to resist death.  Look at “The Sadness”, which is truly a battle over whether or not the main character gets to live.  This song isn’t as violent or action packed, but much more somber.  Really, the resistance towards death is over, and it’s just a lot of begging. 

“Voices” is one of the songs I find hardest to listen to.  I feel like there’s too much emotion and intensity sometimes, and I seriously have to end it early.  I’m just a big baby, though…

Dear Chicago February 11, 2009

I’d put this one in my top three Ryan Adams songs.  I love the heavy reverb on the guitar and vocals, the way he hammers-on the third fret of the high E string during the “I’m sorry about the every kiss” part…  I just feel this recording perfectly captured the moment.  Everything about it is so open and empty, it’s stirring to hear it.  Just the way he sounds weak when he’s admitting all of these things to someone who has left him is enough to move you.  And you get the impression that she either:

A) Isn’t listening
or
B) Isn’t there at all

He tries to make it sound like he’s moving on, seeing other girls, etc.  But eventually just gives in and admits to her that he’s been thinking about suicide and how desperate he really is.  Of course, at the end he goes back to being defensive by saying “I think I’m falling out of love with you.”  Whether or not he really means it is up for debate, though. 

Such a brilliant, haunting song…

Oh My Sweet Carolina February 5, 2009

This was one of the first Ryan Adams songs I liked, and I’m really happy to see that he’s been playing it live again.  Maybe I’ll get to hear it when I go down to Nashville and catch him on March 15.  It’s so different from his other songs, though.  It’s not a bad difference, though.  While some may argue that it sounds like he’s holding himself back, that’s definitely not the case.  This is one of those songs that needs to be simple to get its message across, and that’s exactly what he did with it. 

Really, the backing vocals courtesy of Emmylou Harris are better than any big budget choir, and that simple guitar part says more than any experienced orchestra could.  There are some great live performances featuring harmonica that really add to the song, but it was unfortunately left off of the recording.  I’m a big fan of when he busts out the harp, mostly because it’s like the poor man’s woodwind section.  It can really add a lot of emotion to a song when used properly, and it really takes this song to the next level. 

This song is so lonely and remorseful, looking back at how he runs away from everything.  He misses his home, but feels like he can’t go back on his own.  The final verse is the saddest, where he sings about missing his family, and saying “Up here in the city, it feels like things are closing in/The sunset’s just my lightbulb burning out.”  Damn…

Wonderwall January 21, 2009

I figured I’d get this one out of the way.  I mean, it’s not a Ryan Adams song, so I was going back and forth about whether or not I should do it.  (As you can see, I decided to) 

I’ve never really been an Oasis fan, but I really enjoyed this cover.  Maybe it’s because there was just more emotion…  Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for really empty-sounding acoustic songs…  Maybe it’s just because I really like Ryan Adams (and Love Is Hell)…  I’m not sure.  I will say that I could have done without it on the most recent tour, however.  I mean, yeah, it was kinda cool to hear it that first night, but I couldn’t help but think “I wish he was doing “This House Is Not For Sale” or “Anybody Wanna Take Me Home?” 

So, in this rambling post, I guess I feel like this song is just kind of eh.  I feel like Ryan really made the song his own, but I still don’t feel that strongly about it.