Ryan Adams - OPO

For a guy that attracts so much spite and aggression (maybe deservedly, but that's not at issue here), let's try to focus on the good stuff for once. Pick your favourite everybody.

My pick: Oh My Sweet Carolina. This should be a standard.

Are you including Whiskeytown? If so, "Houses On The Hill." If solo Ryan, I pick "Winding Wheel."

Wonder if anyone will pick anything post Heartbreaker. Demolition is underrated.

Yeah, Whiskeytown's in. He's always worked with a bunch of people that have had a big influence on him, so why not include his old band.

Post Heartbreaker, I think I would have gone for La Cienega or The End..

This is tough, right now I'm feeling "Come Pick Me Up".

Let It Ride. I love the entire Cold Roses record.

I know dude is well hated on this board (and others), and I know he needs an editor and is an egomaniac and gets sorta Mellencamp-y sometimes and blah blah blah, but Whiskeytown is pretty unfuckwithable (and holds up especially well for some reason) and I've found myself missing him lately in light of all this Cults / Civil Wars / Sleigh Bells / Fleet Foxes horseshit.

Not sure exactly what Cults and Sleigh Bells have to do with Ryan Adams.

I just mean at the height of Ryan Adams' popularity, my gut reaction was sorta 'ugh, enough already.' But now I look at the stuff being hyped and I'm all "come on back, Ryan, all is forgiven, even if you sing in your Alanis voice."

I'm with "Assholes" on this one. And I'm not really an Adams fan, either.. Cults and Sleigh Bells don't have shit to do with Adams, and I assume that was sort of the point..

absolutely nothing after 'heartbreaker'

i loved whiskeytown in hs, initially because i was introduced to them by my insanely attractive 12th grade english teacher (she lent me the CD!!!). totally agree that 'oh my sweet carolina' should be a standard, and 'houses on the hill' has been my shower song since the day i heard it

Burning Photographs -- great Echo and the Bunnymen rip off and his only song that I play repeatedly

Whiskeytown is pretty unfuckwithable

Cosign. "Strangers Almanac" is chock full of great tunes. If I had to pick one from Ryan, it'd be "Turn Around". It really nails that desperation-meets-hopefulness vibe that I love so much.

Oh, and I've collected an additional 31 Whiskeytown demos that range from solid to outstanding. The guy really could crank out the tunes when he was in a groove.

But I jumped ship after he decided to worship at the altar of the Grateful Dead with his Cardinals.

come pick me up

unless we're counting voicemail rants, of course

I like his G.P. cover.

OPO? More like OP0, amirite?

The House Is Not for Sale (or whatever its name is).

Can't pick one. Maybe one album, but it wouldn't be Heartbreaker.

i could see it being "dear chicago" or "shakedown on 9th st" or "jesus don't touch my baby" or "PS"

I mostly listened to that first Whiskeytown disc, Faithless Street. He gets the rock + country violin sound just right on lots of tunes. I'll go with "If He Can't Have You."

Can't pick 1 so here's 3

1. 'Come Pick Me Up'
2. 'Faker'
3. 'Let It Ride'

"Call Me On Your Way Back Home"

Can't pick one, but these three are pretty great: Magnolia Mountain, Silver Bullets and To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)

thirding 'let it ride' but some of the jacksonville city nights cuts are on a real close 2nd

But I jumped ship after he decided to worship at the altar of the Grateful Dead with his Cardinals.

Oh man that album is pretty good!

srsly "Magnolia Mountain" is a contender here

should do a post-Gold (or Demolition?) poll. i'm not sure i've heard a note of his music since.

It's a common misconception that Adams has been terrible post-"Heartbreaker."

In fact, some of his strongest work has come in the past 10 years. Granted, it sits alongside throwaways, but that's just Ryan Adams at this point. Anything post-"Pneumonia," I say, you're going to have to go through and separate the good from the bad. Best if you just accept that and deal with it.

You could make a pretty incredible comp from post-"Gold" stuff: "Let It Ride," "Dance All Night," "A Kiss Before I Go," "Pearls on a String," "Magnolia Mountain," "Hallelujah," "Chin Up," "Two Hearts," "These Girls," "The Hardest Part" ... "Cobwebs" is a bit silly but I'd include it. Never mind that there are a bunch of catchy pop-rock songs on "Rock N Roll" and "III/IV."

Bottom line: Dude's a genius, if somewhat erratic and (obvs) in need of an editor. But you shouldn't fall into the line of thought that he started sucking in 2001 or 2002.

All that said, if Whiskeytown songs are allowed in this discussion, then I will have to stick with "Factory Girl." Post-Whiskeytown, I would probably go with "Let it Ride."