1989

1989

Ryan Adams


Featured image from Rolling Stone magazine, Jim Dyson/WireImage/Getty; Sascha Steinbach/Getty

Ever heard Taylor Swift and Ryan Adams in the same sentence? Unlikely, unless you are talking about great song-writers of their time. However now Ryan Adams has gone and done it by recording Taylor’s latest all conquering ‘1989’ album, titled on the year she was born!!

Now I’m very familiar with Taylor Swift, in a father of two young girls way! Without saying it in public, I think ‘1989’ 1989, Ryan Adamsis a huge triumph of pop music and is a magnificent album. Taylor deserves all the credit and coin she gets. We have two copies; one each for the girls, we may need to have three soon! My copy of 1989 may well be this one by Ryan Adams. I am a huge Ryan Adams fan anyway! Gold and the live ‘Life after Deaf’ recordings particularly are pure song writing and performance gold dust.

So to see, on Spotify no less, 1989 by Ryan Adams available is too good to miss. My usual ratings are at the end but the album as a whole is genius and the outcome is Taylor Swift meets ‘Americana’. Adams talks in Rolling Stone magazine about his Springsteen ‘Nebraska’ moment and it is near there in terms of commitment, production, delivery and song writing.

I think Ryan Adams should have done this whole album acoustically, the best track is the wonderful acoustic version of ‘Blank Space’ with a beautiful arrangement behind it. ‘Out of the Woods’ is also re-arranged beautifully. ‘Shake It Off’ is so mind-blowingly different it could have been written by Adams himself, ‘Bad Blood is treated the same way and is a triumph. My other highlight is ‘How You Get the Girl’.
Most of the rest of 1989 is Adams’ rambling Americana that is so familiar to us all. Really because it is so good, it serves to point to the quality of Taylor Swift’s song writing. ‘Style’ is a let down; it is possibly my favourite 1989 Track but it sounds like Bono has clubbed Adams over the head to make sure he gets in on the action.

I’m not sure how Taylor feels about this album but it has her blessing. Adams was recording it for himself mainly a cathartic reaction apparently after his marriage breakup to keep himself sane (if you know how creative and prolific Adams is you’ll understand this need). She heard it first, everyone said get it out there and here we are. 1

1989, a great Ryan Adams album, penned by Taylor Swift, crazy! Great music, but you always need the song writing.

Welcome to New York ***
Blank Space *****
Style **
Out of the Woods ****
All you had to do was Stay ***
Shake It Off ****
I Wish You Would ****
Bad Blood ****
Wildest Dreams ***
How You Get the Girl ****
This Love *****
I Know Places ***
Clean ****

 

Released, this week, download only at the moment.

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