Better Music On A Throwaway EP Than Most Bands Produce On An
Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 11/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'll openly admit to being a voracious fan of Ryan Adams superb and prolific song writing. And his band The Cardinals seem to play a blinder on everything they touch. So I legged it into my local HMV this a.m. in London (19 Nov 2007) - day of release - and bought this EP with the grin of a child let loose in a candy factory. And I'm pleased to say - it's a little peach - a quiet and gorgeous gem of a thing. In fact, I suspect, this limited edition 8-Track CD EP will garnish cult collectability almost immediately.
"Everybody Knows" is from the "Easy Tiger" album of earlier this year and is the same as the album track - so no surprises there. It's a beautiful tune and hopefully will get airplay for the great album it came from. But then we get 7 bonuses, two new songs and five more 'live in the studio' versions of older songs.
"Follow The Lights" and "My Love For You Is Real" are the `new' songs. "Follow" is good, but hardly great, while "Real" is just gorgeous - brilliant - I'll be playing it to buggery for days!
On to the five 'live'. "Blue Hotel" first appeared on Willie Nelson's CD of 2006 called "Songbird" (after the Fleetwood Mac track on Rumours which he covers). Adams wrote the song for Nelson, produced the CD and The Cardinals were the backing band on the entire album. It's probably his best 'outside' song not available until now on any of his albums or singles. Adams also featured "Blue Hotel" to spectacular effect on the recently aired BBC 4 Sessions program here in the UK - where the audience cheer was loud and heartfelt. So it's fantastic to hear his version of it at last - and graced with Jon Graboff's beautiful pedal steel guitar work throughout. I can't make up my mind which version I prefer actually, both are superb - Willie Nelson's voice ideal for the tune.
Next follows a cover version and a great choice it is too. "Down In the Hole" is on 1992's "Dirt", the second album from Alice In Chains (written by Jerry Cantrell). It's rockin' in that Cardinals countrified kind of way - a definite highlight on this disc.
"This Is It" is co-written with Johnny T and first appeared on the Ryan Adams "Rock N Roll" album from 2003. The version here is a softer `unplugged' take on the song and is actually a cool reworking of the hard rocking original. "If I Am A Stranger" originally appeared on the first of the 2005 trilogy, the 2CD set "Cold Roses" (May 2005). Again the pace is slowed down and given a softer more acoustic treatment - bringing out the lovely melody buried in the original. Actually in this case, I think the original is better.
"Dear John" originally turned on up "Jacksonville City Nights" (Sept 2005), the second in his trilogy of 2005 releases. The original version featured NORAH JONES to superb effect on duet vocals (it's also co-written with her), but this version is just Ryan on his own. It's a great song and one that probably got unfairly lost on that album, hence I suspect why he's returning to it here - and why he features it so much in the live sets. It's a good way to end the EP - on a high note - with a real song.
It's not all genius of course, but even his second best turns me on more than most of the crap I'm told is good. The bottom line for me is that Ryan Adams and his fantastic band The Cardinals have produced better quality music on a throwaway end-of-year EP than most bands do on an entire album. And that's cause to celebrate.
Buy this now - while you can. I envy you the journey."
Just so you know. Essential for Fans
Mitchell Howard | Havelock North, NZ | 06/03/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Please don't dismiss this as an irrelevant, EP!, outside of his main body of work. Nothing could be further from the truth. This EP features several tunes which Adams has seen fit to re-work, so much so that the music is fresh and vibrant in the same vein as his most recent great work (Cold Roses, Easy Tiger)Highlights include the new, track 3 "My Love for you is real" as good as previous outstanding ballads, Magnolia St & Stars go Blue. This followed by one of Adam's best compositions ever, its Adams/Cardinals, debut here (Blue Hotel). Previously recorded by Willie Nelson, the Cardinals give it death. The pedal steel and lead guitars counterplay is sensational. Down in a Hole is a cover version from Alice in Chains, which the Band make their own.
Its brilliant, from the opening title track, OK the Dire Straits chug of Follow the Lights ain't that great, but the rest is. Eight tracks all classic Adams/Cardinals.
Incidentally!! get this rather than the more widely available Follow the Lights (EP) as this has the same track list + 1 (Everybody Knows) any fan can't have enough of this song n.b. (it also appears on Easy Tiger)
More proof that Adams is the most consistently brilliant Artist of the now (2000's)"
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1