Ryan Adams' Music Now

[Hooper]

...

[brucewayne]

I'm not a big poster here, but I'm a bigtime lurker.

I'm not sure how to react to the news. I still think his music is brilliant. I also still like Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and a few others who've been caught doing things they shouldn't. It's just, in 2019 it's different; and I'm different too.

For now, it's hard to listen to his music; but I'm almost positive that eventually I'll come back. One thing I know that will bother me, when I eventually come back to him, is Big Colors. I pre-ordered a copy (which hasn't been canceled for me yet, but I'm sure it will be)--but I avoided downloading Fuck the Rain because I was waiting for the actual album to be released. Now I can't download it at all.

Dumb thing to be concerned about, considering the news (which I find abhorrent), but it is what it is.

[seatakestheship]

With Big Colors being pulled, I now expect it and Wednesdays to be leaked within a few weeks or months. I'm sure those with copies probably have zero allegiance now.
Just a guess.

[Knotnow]

Originally Posted by brucewayne

I'm not a big poster here, but I'm a bigtime lurker.

I'm not sure how to react to the news. I still think his music is brilliant. I also still like Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and a few others who've been caught doing things they shouldn't. It's just, in 2019 it's different; and I'm different too.

For now, it's hard to listen to his music; but I'm almost positive that eventually I'll come back. One thing I know that will bother me, when I eventually come back to him, is Big Colors. I pre-ordered a copy (which hasn't been canceled for me yet, but I'm sure it will be)--but I avoided downloading Fuck the Rain because I was waiting for the actual album to be released. Now I can't download it at all.

Dumb thing to be concerned about, considering the news (which I find abhorrent), but it is what it is.

I have Amazon unlimited and had downloaded Fuck the Rain to my library. It was still there as of yesterday. I just went back to check after reading this and it’s gone now and says “song not found”. I figured that would happen though.

[Hooper]

From when I happened upon him in '02 through to '10-11, 95% of what I listened to was Ryan Adams. His solo work, Whiskeytown, unreleased albums, live recordings etc. Something in his writing, his voice, his words, his sounds, his phrasing (musical and lyrical) just clicked for me as with no other artist (that's just rhetoric - two others have conjured similar spells, but not to the extent). There was a world there, a picture to be engrossed in - to live in, even. He soundtracked so much, was a crutch through some hard, dark times and enhanced some good ones, moments where I was just glad to be alive. I got my ex sister in law into him and, to a lesser extent, my ex. My ex-SIL and I saw him three times in '07, '08. '11.

My interest declined around/after Ashes & Fire. Well, album wise, with Easy Tiger (Love Is Hell to 29 being my favourite/peak RA run, the three Whiskeytown albums a close second), but until his marriage/semi-retirement there was the excellent (if at times too jammy) live work with The Cardinals, where those songs were given a much better airing. In part his direction post-'09, and in part my own circumstances. Which, really, was mostly just growing up. There comes a point where another album wallowing in lovelorn misery is superfluous, and the earlier stuff just wasn't working for me as it did.

I'd picked up the self-titled and Prisoners mostly out of habit. Didn't give them more than a few spins, cherry picked some favourite songs to go back to now and then. I'd been out of the loop. I learned about the three planned albums from my ex-SIL, and for the first time in a long time, was excited about new music from Adams. Maybe it was just being reminded of '05, but I was looking forward to seeing what he could do.

And now this. It's just so fucking skeevy. I form associations quite strongly, and anytime I hear his music, all I'll really be able to think is SKEEVY BASTARD. It's not that the old associations and memories won't be there - more's the pity, they always will - but that SKEEVY BASTARD is and will be unavoidable. I've deleted his solo work from my phone, from where I do most of my listening. Whiskeytown are still on there - maybe I think I'll be able to listen to them at some point. I don't know.

A particular example: I always took Cobwebs to be about Leah Hayes. I can't square listening to that with his treatment of her. Multiply that across any number of songs. He clearly is not shy about self-pity, but there's a difference between he said/she said and his POS behaviour.

[BadMustard]

Originally Posted by seatakestheship

With Big Colors being pulled, I now expect it and Wednesdays to be leaked within a few weeks or months. I'm sure those with copies probably have zero allegiance now.
Just a guess.

Yeah this should happen soon. Going to be strange to listen. Doylestown Girl was creepy as hell to begin with.

[WreckTangle]

I'm definitely not getting rid of any of his music - but I also have no desire to listen to it. That might change. His music has gotten me through the toughest times of my life and I feel like some of his music now "belongs" to me as it's become part of the soundtrack to my life. I don't know if I can simply chuck it all away. That said - it's going to take time for me to assess how I feel about listening to his music going forward. I honestly don't have an answer right now.

[WreckTangle]

I do have a big issue with the critics who are all over social media today crowing about how they "never really liked him that much" and how they never "thought he was that talented" and so on. I'm calling BS on them and a lot of other people today. Pure revisionism in many cases because he's now been disgraced.

[DRG]

I definitely can't listen to the music for the time being anyway. I have muted him on Spotify, and can't see myself undoing it soon.

Been debating with some friends as to where the line is drawn separating the artist from their art and I'm still not sure, but what I do know is that for the forseeable future, I'll not be listening to his stuff. The strong emotional attachment which I have to his music (which has literally saved my life on more than one occasion) has left me drained and dirty.

Regardless of how the Bridgers, Moore etc stories can be construed (I believe and am with them, FYI), the underager thing is not on regardless of how you look at it.

[Shadowlands96]

I'll listen to his music again at some point (probably in a different way), but not now. His music has been a fixture of my music listening for my adult life, which makes the NYT article and other subsequent responses from other women all the more disappointing.

Conversely, because I've internalized/personalized so many of his songs, I suspect I'll be able to separate the art from the artist to some degree eventually because when I'm listening to his music (or anyone else's for that matter), I'm connecting it to my life and experiences. That said, I do think separating art from artist is perhaps more challenging in his case because a) he's never been shy about the autobiographical nature of his music and b) his songs are largely about relationships and his reprehensible behavior falls squarely into that category.

[baptizedpotato]

Originally Posted by seatakestheship

With Big Colors being pulled, I now expect it and Wednesdays to be leaked within a few weeks or months. I'm sure those with copies probably have zero allegiance now.
Just a guess.

hadn't thought of that but that be great imo. still love the man's music and i for one am sad for all the great stuff that's gonna be in the vault for a long long time now...

[ericshead]

Been following along on here since the news broke; really not sure what to post or what to say. Complicated, for sure. Like others, I never assumed Ryan was some sort of saintly figure; an artist dancing along the line of genius and crazy in his own way, battling addiction and personal issues as well. Tragic to hear the specific details about his past adult relationships (which I believe); terrifying and unforgivable to hear about the underage one.

I'm not really a "lyrics" person when it comes to music generally, but Ryan's words would usually sink in, and his songs are so often personal in nature, making this all much harder.

I appreciate those who have been able to better articulate what it is that I'm feeling (which has changed a number of times over the last 48+ hours) and just the general community feeling that is here at the moment. Like a funeral, it's unfortunate that this is why we're all back together... but nice to know we're not alone.

[bluenoir]

Originally Posted by heitrel

I can't see myself wanting to return to his songs for a long time. I believe it's possible to separate the man from his music, but right now, I can't listen to his love songs or his pining, sad-sack ballads without thinking of them as an expression of his narcissism. Just to pick out a recent example:

"I swear I wasn't lonely when I met you, girl.
But I was just bored; I was so bored;
I don't know anything anymore."

Like, Jesus... how much of a dick move is it to tell someone your interest in them was because of your own boredom? I might not have read that line that way before... but now I can't not read it that way.

I don't know.

Yeah I never listened to that song because of that line. But you know, he's a "genius" because he's being "honest".

I can't listen to his music at the moment. Maybe in years' time I will be able to find something good about it. His music helped me write a book. But it also made me realize it did because he, like one of the characters, is a complete piece of shit in need of redeeming himself.

[TimbrH2001]

No Big Colors, ugh

[baptizedpotato]

If you take me back
Back to your place
I'll try not to bother you
I promise

[ViolaGal]

Originally Posted by baptizedpotato

If you take me back
Back to your place
I'll try not to bother you
I promise

yeah it reads differently now.

[TimbrH2001]

Originally Posted by ViolaGal

yeah it reads differently now.

That 'place' now appears to be a rusty ol Ice Cream Truck 😂

[TimbrH2001]

I think the next step should be for Ryan to form a punk band where fans definitely don't mind degenerate swine (probably embrace it) and pick up writing songs where 1984 left off and focus on playing small 500 person venues across the country. That would be rad.

[sleigher]

i got rid of his music over a yr ago

but - i bet itll be strange to listen to career suicide handbook and the pornography seven minutes in heaven ep now

[OhMySweetCumbria]

I was so looking forward to Big Colors and the rest of the releases we were getting this year, but I totally understand why they have (and will likely be) pulled.
I hadn’t listened to him in a while and will probably not listen to him for a while. I too am hoping that the two albums released to the press are leaked, I was looking forward to them too much to accept that I’ll never get to hear them.

Any word on the U.K. tour? I imagine that’ll also be cancelled.

[Space Pirate]

It’s been rough. At first, I decided a break was in order. But then a photographer I have known for over a decade posted about Ryan assaulting her and how he threatened to destroy her career if she told. It’s just too close to home now so I’m officially done for a long long time.

It sucks because I am also a musician and essentially learned songwriting from Heartbreaker and Gold. Have made over ten records now, many of which were inspired directly by his music, so now even my own songs are going to have a weird vibe for a while.

[JackStark211]

Originally Posted by TimbrH2001

No Big Colors, ugh

Sucks. Was looking forward to that album more than any of his in a while.

[bluenoir]

Originally Posted by Space Pirate

It’s been rough. At first, I decided a break was in order. But then a photographer I have known for over a decade posted about Ryan assaulting her and how he threatened to destroy her career if she told. It’s just too close to home now so I’m officially done for a long long time.

It sucks because I am also a musician and essentially learned songwriting from Heartbreaker and Gold. Have made over ten records now, many of which were inspired directly by his music, so now even my own songs are going to have a weird vibe for a while.

Oh God. I am so sorry, for your friend/associate and you. Can you say what he did? Just plain assault or sexual assault? Everyone here seems to be poopooing him throwing stuff around, but if he's throwing items around, it's not long before him being a woman beater comes out.

[ViolaGal]

Not everyone here is poopoo-ing him throwing items around.

[BigColors]

God I hope both albums leak. He's a disgusting human being if all of this is true, but I would be lying to you in saying I refuse to listen to his new records.

What do you guys think the odds are of someone getting a leak anytime soon?