There's nothing singer/songwriter Ryan Adams hates more than Bryan Adams jokes. When a concert-goer yelled out a request for Bryan's classic "Summer of '69" at a show in 2002, Ryan hardly adopted a grin-and-bear-it position. Rather, in true volatile-rock-star form he stopped the concert, demanded that the house lights be turned on, and proceeded to locate the heckler. Adams gave the man $30 as a refund for his ticket and ordered that the fellow leave the venue, refusing to play again until he had departed.
The incident surely proved that at a Ryan Adams concert, one never knows what to expect. Sometimes the singer is in chipper spirits (at one concert in 2002 he gave away multiple guitars and an engraved toaster to lucky audience members), and sometimes he kicks people out of shows.
Rock N Roll, Adams' fifth full-length album, is the artist's musical attempt to spite his record company, Lost Highway. The original group of songs Adams proffered to Lost Highway was deemed to be too "gloomy." Therefore, to satisfy the company and perhaps to make a statement, the album Adams ultimately created is a soulless, insincere addition to his heretofore critically acclaimed collection of tunes.
Adams opens with "This Is It", probably an allusion to The Strokes' hit album Is This It. True to The Strokes' style, "This Is It" is a fast, tight, guitar driven track. However, Adams's take on this brand of rock is tiring. The sneering, kitsch vocals will frustrate listeners who know Adams as a moving, capable singer. The song's cacophonous halt, with screeching guitar effects, proves that the artist who charms listeners with his refreshing alt-country tunes is absent from this album.
"This Is It" sums up Rock N Roll both in title and in form. Regrettably, this is it; the album will never offer the poetic lyrics and charming tracks Adams's fans enjoyed on previous records such as Gold and Heartbreaker. Each song seems to be as unfortunate and uninspired as the last. The only reprieve from this is the fourth track, "Wish You Were Here," which is bearable only because it provides a break from the frantic pace of the opening tracks. Still, this song is hardly a reflection of the affable postcard signoff it references, with edgy lyrics such as "It's totally f-cked up/I'm totally f-cked up" and "If I could have my way/We'd take some drugs."
Luckily, the songs Adams originally proposed to Lost Highway made their way on to two EPs, titled Love is Hell Parts I and II. These were unobtrusively released at the same time as Rock N Roll as a sort of compromise between artist and record company. With these EPs Adams hands his listeners a musical equivalent to the engraved toaster. While he kicked the music industry out of his concert and gave them the finger with Rock N Roll, Adams proves he cares about his fans with the more satisfying tracks of Love is Hell.
The first half of the 8-track long Part I is nothing special, but on the fifth song Adams makes the album come alive with his striking rendition of Oasis's "Wonderwall". His minimalist approach to the song, with imploring, echoing vocals and a hushed acoustic guitar, is truly affecting. He brings the song back from Top Forty overplay and creates a perfect blend of nostalgia and emotion.
The listener is hooked, and the remaining tracks on the EP are equally stirring. "Shadowlands" begins with an unassuming style reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. The finale of the song is an impressive instrumental crescendo that (refreshingly) doesn't exist for the sake of sounding artistic, but instead manages to continue with the storyline of the lyrics to paint a conclusion to the sullen song.
"World War 24" and "Avalanche" close out the first EP with the simplicity and passion that was remarkably lacking throughout Rock N Roll. The piano and violins of "Avalanche," along with a surprisingly fitting electric guitar, ushers the album out on a relaxing note.
Love is Hell Part 2 begins with "My Blue Manhattan," an unhurried ode that is in subject the same but in style quite different from Adams's biggest hit, "New York, New York." Its Nick Drake-like vocals and sultry piano help the singer perfectly personify the city's comfort and cruelty.
Again, the EP peaks with track five, this time with the lover's tale "English Girls Approximately." The song, probably a reflection on Adams's relationship with singer Leona Naess, is more upbeat than most of the tracks on the EP. In fact, its style seems more fitting of the previous release Gold, but its presence in Part 2 is nonetheless fitting and welcomed.
Rock N Roll, with its uncharacteristic edginess and lack of creativity makes listeners wonder what happened to the alt-country rocker they expected. Or, if they are simply too broken after listening to the tedious album, it just makes them wonder what happened to their $14 and whether a Bryan Adams joke will bring their poorly spent money back.
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