Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

Ryan Adams possibly the hardest working in the recording industry, released a 2 disc package “Cold Roses” featuring his new band The Cardinals on Tuesday May 3rdwith a new solo effort in the works being produced by his former producer of past successful records, scheduled for release later this year. As one of his musicians added “After the May 7th show at the Tennessee Theater, this North Carolina native has plans for yet another record to be released this year.” Tennessee’s a brother to my sister Carolina, where they gonna bury me. Adam’s lyric asked in the already popular track on disc 2 where he answers with the title “Let it Ride” along with the other 17 tracks inadvertently announces at least a tempory return to his country roots. Sounding more like 2003’s Released Lovels Hell part 1&2 and as opposed to the other 2003 release Rock n Roll in which the title is self explanatory. An audience member at the Knoxville show occasionally would shout, “Rock n Roll” in a demanding matter, but the new songs poured out one after another with an occasional stop to on memory lane, until finally satisfying the audience member by playing her other request for the song “Tennessee Sucks.” Adams wide range of musical influences allows him very diverse acts and songs, and in the year 05 there’s enough rock n roll and country to learn from. Aside from the country and rock n roll show there was the opportunity to see RCA recording artist Rachel Yamagata, whom played the piano and sang beautifully with a mellower tone for the opener. I spoke with her after her opening act and discovered a very humble and very respectable person. She claimed that she was feeling under the weather but her voice carried emotion throughout her act without detection of the slightest flaw. After the concert fans had the chance to meet Adam’s band members and even Ryan himself. And even with mixed reviews and talk of Adams controversial stage antics in the past, he proved that night something less talked about by taking pictures, signing autographs and talking to everyone until the very last person or at least until his personal security told him to enter the bus. One fan had a banjo for Adams to play and play he did, saying that he knows a song on the banjo pretty well, and stood there propped against the bus barefooted and bearded and picked away and sang The Rolling Stones hit “Brown Sugar.” For most fans that night a musical memory was created and even for some they’ll just see him again in Ashville (two nights later.) Ryan Adams “Cold Roses” CD proves that he is still just as inventive and that we can always expect to hear a variety of music from him in the future.