Ryan Adams
Gold

THE REVIEW

Here is the new talent of American ROCK. Ryan Adams (not to be confused with namesake Bryan), former leader of the country-rock group Whiskeytown, is undoubtedly the most complete songwriter of the new generation. 27 years old, with 3 solo albums to his credit (Heartbreaker, Gold, and the very recent Demolition), Adams exudes talent and evokes emotions through his music.

Gold is an unmissable album, damn beautiful, and certainly for refined tastes. It starts with the sparkling POP of "New York, New York" (the first single and repeatedly aired by MTV in 2001), moving to the country-rock of "Firecracker"; from ballads of rare beauty like "La Cienega Just Smiled," "When the Stars Go Blue" (later reinterpreted by the Corrs with Bono from U2), to legendary suites like "Nobody Girl," up to the Stones-style ROCK of "Enemy Fire." "Gold" is a masterpiece of 16 songs (a full 25 in the Special Edition) meant to be listened to in one go. The album, voted "Rock Album" of the year in 2001, features meticulously crafted arrangements by trusted Ethan Johns and collaborations with Adam Duritz (lead singer of Counting Crows) and Chris Stills. Needless to say, Adams breaks the mold of today's music, aiming for a highly elaborate album rather than a purely commercial work, even though in America he has had extraordinary success in sales and criticism. In Italy, he performed in 2002 at the Alcatraz in Milan and various reviews have spoken of a fabulous concert in which Adams, accompanied by a more than competent band, performed the entire "Gold" and the previous album "Heartbreaker," as well as the splendid cover of the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar." To crown a fantastic evening, an exhilarating impersonation of His Majesty Bob Dylan, of whom he is considered the heir. Recently published is this genius's latest work, "29," following "Cold Roses" and "Jacksonville City Nights," released in 2005.

KEY SONGS: "New York, New York," "La Cienega Just Smiled," "When the Stars Go Blue," "Nobody Girl," "SYLVIA PLATH," "Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues."
SPECIAL GUESTS: Adam Duritz, background vocals in "Answering Bell," "The Rescue Blues," "Touch, Feel & Lose"; Chris Stills, background vocals, bass, acoustic and electric guitar in various songs.