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Rating: The Canadian rocker, not satisfied with the release of the successful album "MTV Unplugged" in 1997 as a diversification of his repertoire in an intimate direction, tried again in 2010 with an even more radical choice for this "Bare Bones," programmatic from its title "Nude Bones": an entire intercontinental tour performed as a duo with a pianist, without a rhythm section, without an orchestra, without the loyal and talented guitarist and alter ego Keith Scott, wearing only a simple Martin acoustic guitar and occasionally a harmonica.
The live album in question is the result of that tour, with songs taken from here and there around America and Europe; as many as twenty episodes, carefully chosen from the now copious discography, alternating the better-known ones, the classics of the repertoire, with some more off-track things.
He's aging well, the Vancouver Canadian (born in 1959). Well past fifty, thanks also and perhaps especially to the vegan diet, he manages to maintain a slender and lean physique like in his youth. Much of his blonde hair is still in place, not even too gray... only a few wrinkles around the mouth and eyes do minimal justice to the accumulated years. And the voice is still all there, despite thousands of concerts without sparing it and despite the very hoarse and throat-tearing style adopted by our man, so characteristic, so penetrating.
This talented rocker/songwriter has received a lot from life, also being a successful photographer. Some have called him a sycophant... why not? Sure, he has never sought difficult things, but the art of putting together five or six chords and singing something impactful and compelling over them is not for everyone, and he has done it very well. On closer inspection, thanks to the right partners too... just scroll through the booklet notes of this little album to get the idea: no song bears his solo signature; his successes all arise from collaborations (with ex-friend and bandmate Jim Vallance, with producer "Mutt" Lange primarily, and then others).
Adams is an organized, savvy, talented, essential, clear-headed, and determined rocker; a kind of Bruce Springsteen but with a clearer and lighter tone, with less extroverted and torrential commitment and sociality. He has done his things with conviction since day one, he has achieved great success from it, made a ton of money, but he goes around in jeans and white T-shirt and with these he even goes on stage, doesn't need to act cool, and it’s evident how much he still enjoys himself, given that he does not slow down. It's nice to hear him in this more intimate and simple dimension compared to the usual rock arena in which he is more accustomed to being seen, armed almost only with his voice. Bryan is certainly not a virtuoso instrumentalist but solid and reliable: he has done concerts playing rhythm guitar supported by another guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer; he then strapped a bass guitar around his neck and went on other trio tours, assisted only by the faithful Scott and the equally reliable drummer Mickey Curry.
Here, as already mentioned, he wanted to have with him only pianist Gary Breit, who fills out most of the songs a little, not even all, which thus stripped down and simple rely totally on the interpretative warmth of the protagonist, on the safe clanking of his Martin, as well as, naturally, on the precious melodic and harmonic consistency of their structure: they appeared simple originally and arranged with the band, they remain simple without more choruses, solos, pounding drums, organ gurgles, and keyboard landscapes.
Even in this guise, some of his pearls stand out, such as "I'm Ready" (from his third album "Cuts Like A Knife" from 1983) which remains a grand and touching love song, or the country rock of "Cloud Number Nine" (this one from "On A Day Like Today" from 1998), which seems born to be freeze-dried with only acoustic accompaniment, or as a final mention the surprising "You'd Been A Friend To Me", taken from the soundtrack of a still recent (and modest) Disney film starring John Travolta and Robin Williams.
Take it or leave it with Bryan Adams. It's pop rock, but so was Chuck Berry's, the father of all these rockers with round and catchy sounds, and no one can say anything against him, I hope.
I therefore take it, and I recommend the album. If someone turns up their nose because Adams seems sugary or too melodic, there's no danger here: there’s just a somewhat sidelined pianist and then him, joking with the audience, having fun, relaxing, and then starting again to strum up and down and fervently pour out his songs in folk version onto the audience and into the ears of those listening, without superstructures, without tricks, without deceptions, direct and straightforward.Tracklist and Lyrics
02 Here I Am (03:47)
Here I am - this is me
There's no where else on earth i'd rather be
Here I am - its just me and you
Tonight we'll make our dreams come true
CHORUS
It's a new world - it's a new start
It's alive with the beating of young hearts
It's a new day - its a new plan
I've been waiting for you - here I am
here we are - we've just began
And after all this time our time has come
ya here we are - still goin' strong
right here in the place where we belong
(chorus)
Here I am - next to you
And suddenly the world is all brand new
Here I am - where I'm gonna stay
Now there's nothin standin in our way
Here I am - this is me
(chorus)repeat
03 I'm Ready (04:02)
I'd like to see you - Thought I'd let you know,
I wanna be with you everyday,
'Cause I've got a feeling that's beginning to grow,
And there's only one thing I can say.
I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
I'm ready as I'm gonna be.
You left me a long note - When you left me here,
Told me that love was hard to find,
But baby it's easy and I'll make it clear,
There's only one thing on my mind.
I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
Baby I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
I'm ready as I'm gonna be.
06 (Everything I Do) I Do It for You (05:21)
Look into my eyes
You will see, what you mean to me
Search your heart , search your soul
And when you find me there, you'll search no more
Don't tell me it's not worth trying for
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for
You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you
Look into your heart , you will find
There's nothing there to hide
so, take me as I am, take my life
I would give it all, I would sacrifice
Don't tell me it's not worth fightin for
I can't help it, There's nothin I want more
You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you
Ohhhh
There's no love, like your love
And no other, could give more love
There's nowhere, unless you're there
All the time, all the way
Look into your heart, babe.
Ohh, you can't tell me it's not worth tryin for
I can't help it, there's nothin I want more...
Yea, I'd fight for you, I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you, yeah I'd die for you...
You know it's true
Everything I do
ooooh
I do it for you
07 Cuts Like a Knife (04:43)
Drivin' home this evening,
I could've sworn we had it all worked out,
You had this boy believin',
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt.
I heard it on the street,
I heard you might've found somebody new,
Well who is he baby - Who is he,
And tell me what he means to you.
I took it all for granted,
But how was I to know,
That you'd be letting go.
Now it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right,
It cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right.
There's times I'd been mistaken,
There's times I thought I'd been misunderstood,
So wait a minute darlin',
Can't you see we did the best we could.
This wouldn't be the first time,
Things have gone astray,
Now you've thrown it all away.
And it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right,
It cuts like a knife,
Yeah but it feels so right.
I took it all for granted,
But how was I to know,
That you'd be letting go.
Now it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right,
Now it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right.
08 Please Forgive Me (03:48)
Still feels like our first night together
Feels like the first kiss and it's gettin' better baby
No one can better this
Still holdin' on, you're still the one
First time our eyes met - the same feeling I get
Only feels much stronger - I wanna love you longer
You still turn the fire on
So if you're feelin' lonely don't
You're the only one I ever want
I only wanna make it good
So if I love ya a little more than I should
Please forgive me - I know not what I do
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Don't deny me - this pain I'm going through
Please forgive me - if I need ya like I do
Please believe me - every word I say is true
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Still feels like our best times are together
Feels like the first touch
We're still gettin' closer baby
Can't get close enough
I'm still holdin' on - you're still number one
I remember the smell of your skin
I remember everything
I remember all your moves - I remember you yeah
I remember the night - you know I still do
So if you're feelin' lonely don't
You're the only one I ever want
I only wanna make it good
So if I love you a little more than I should
Please forgive me - I know not what I do
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Don't deny me - this pain I'm going through
Please forgive me - if I need ya like I do
Oh believe me - every word I say is true
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
One thing I'm sure of - is the way we make love
The one thing I depend on
Is for us to stay strong
With every word and every breath I'm prayin'
That's why I'm sayin'
Please forgive me - I know not what I do
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Don't deny me - this pain I'm going through
Please forgive me - if I need you like I do
Babe believe me - every word I say is true
Please forgive me - If I can't stop loving you
Never leave me - I don't know what I do
Please forgive me - I Can't stop loving you
Can't stop loving you
11 Cloud Number Nine (03:48)
Clue number one was when you knocked on my door.
Clue number two was the look that you wore.
And that's when i knew, it was a pretty good sign,
That something was wrong up on cloud number nine
Well it's along way up and we won't come down tonight
Well it may be wrong but baby it sure feels right
Chrous
And the moon is out and the stars are bright
And whatever comes s'gonna be alright
'Cause tonight you will be mine - up on cloud number nine
And there ain't no place that I'd rather be
And we can't go back but you're here with me
Yeah, the weather is really fine - up on cloud number nine
Now he hurt you, and you hurt me
And that wasn't the way it was supposed to be
So, baby tonight let's leave the world behind
And spend some time up on cloud number nine
Well it's along way up and we won't come down tonight
Well it may be wrong but baby it sure feels right
Well we won't come down tonight
Ya we won't come down tonight
No we won't come down tonight
Chrous
and the moon is out and the stars are bright
and what ever comes gona be alright
coz tonight you will be mine on cloud -number nine
and there int no place i rather be
and we can go back but you here with me
yeh the weather is really fine- up on cloud number nine.
We can watch the world go by - up on cloud number nine...
13 Heaven (04:44)
Oh - thinkin' about our younger years,
There was only you and me,
We were young and wild and free.
Now nothin' can take you away from me,
We've been down that road before,
But that's over now,
You keep me comin' back for more.
Baby you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart,
It isn't too hard to see,
We're in heaven.
Oh - once in your life you find someone,
Who will turn your world around,
Bring you up when you're feelin' down.
Ya - nothin' could change what you mean to me,
There's lots that I could say,
But just hold me now,
'Cause our love will light the way.
Baby you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
Ya - love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart,
It isn't too hard to see,
We're in heaven.
I've been waitin' for so long,
For somethin' to arrive,
For love to come along.
Now our dreams are comin' true,
Through the good times and the bad,
Ya - I'll be standin' there by you.
And baby you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart,
It isn't too hard to see,
We're in heaven - heaven.
You're all that I want,
You're all that I need.
18 Straight From the Heart (03:24)
I could start dreaming but it never ends,
as long as your gone we may as well pretend.
I've been dreaming,
straight from the heart.
You say its easy but whos to say,
that we'd be able to keep it this way.
But its easier,
commin' straight from the heart.
(CHORUS)
Ohhhh, give it to me straight from the heart,
tell me we can make, another start.
You know i'd never go,
but as long as I know its commin straight from the heart.
I see you on the streets from other time,
and all the words would just fall out of line,while we dreaming.
Straight from the heart.
(CHORUS)
Ohhhh, give it to me straight from the heart,
tell me we can make, one more start.
You know i'd never go,
but as long as I know, its commin straight from the heart.
Ohhhhh,
Go and leave me darling.
Ohhhhh,straight from the heart,
tell me we can make, one more start
You know i never go, as long as i know....GIVE IT TO ME NOW.
Straight from the heart,
tell me we can make one more start.
You know i' never go as long as i know it commin straight from the heart
GIVE IT TO ME...ohhhhh, nooo
Ohhhh, nooo
Straight from the heart,
You know I'd never go as long as I know,
It's commin striaght from the heart.
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