El Guevo

For me too, Barry.

Yes, he is the weakest and also the most boring.

Well, you’re not wrong about Adams; let’s just say we define him differently, but I agree with what you said, at least since Whiskeytown disbanded. As for Arthur, I wouldn’t call him alternative country; he also spans many genres, perhaps he's closer to folk, but in some ways he's very close to pop as well. For example, his latest album *Our Shadow Will Remain* contains some delightful pop songs. It’s true that Adams has covered Oasis live (Wonderwall was recorded on *Love Is Hell* and is a beautiful cover, by the way, stripped of all the so-called "pop" arrangements), Arthur also doesn’t shy away from covering other English bands; his version of “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths is spine-tingling. The Smiths could be a common thread between these two young American songwriters, and let’s not forget that Adams's favorite band is indeed Morrissey’s.

Furthermore, an important point is that country as a genre also has a commercial side, and in certain states, it sells much more than pop or hip hop music. However, this is not the case for Adams, who is still part of an alternative landscape of American music. But we must remember that Adams was the last to shake up a genre (COUNTRY) that by then was stalled, with Faithless Street by Whiskeytown. The other famous revolutionary jolts in this genre were Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Gram Parsons with Sweetheart of the Rodeo by the Byrds, and later with the Flying Burrito Brothers.

When I talk about country training, I’m not referring to the band that plays with him; it’s Ryan Adams who has a country background, meaning he developed as an artist by listening to country music, and the structure of his songs proves it.

One who takes from everywhere and then doesn't condense it, and you think that's pop, then do you also think John Zorn is pop?

You misunderstood everything I said. I really like pop (some so-called pop records are among my absolute favorites). This is an Alternative Country album, like all the ones he made with Whiskeytown. I know Avalanche well and all the songs Adams has written; I know what I'm talking about, and it's not pop as you say. Even Gold is not really pop; it's an album that has its foundations in blues, folk, country, and rock, but it leans towards pop in terms of atmosphere and immediacy. Listen to Heartbreaker, this album Cold Roses, those with Whiskeytown, listen to the 4th side of Gold, or the demo compilation released with Demolition, and then we'll talk about it again.

Love Is Hell, on the other hand, is a hybrid; it's as if Morrissey were born between Austin and Nashville. While the controversial Rock'n'Roll clearly has nothing to do with country at all.

No, not this, if we talk about Gold it's true that it has a pop vibe, but Adams's background is country. Whiskeytown revolutionized the country movement, the most popular genre in certain states of the U.S. (that's why Ryan enjoys a lot of success; Heartbreaker is an album that has absolutely nothing to do with pop, it's a traditional folk-country album). Gold is indeed pop-rock. As I've already explained in the review, Adams often shifts styles, but his background is country. This album has nothing to do with pop.

Who knows, with all the stuff he has to publish, sooner or later something will win you over. Never say never.