Ryan Adams Interview with Pitchfork
I think its a fair claim that we hipster types will occasionally find ourselves neck deep in interest in and passion for a given artist or film or piece of music, and suddenly get we'll get really self-concious. Its like that quiet kid in 8th grade history class you finds himself completely out of character shouting out the answer to a teachers question. My, how we've forgotten ourselves.
The next step beyond the hasty yet quiet retreat from unironical fandom is to extend our self-loathing to the previous object of our affection. Think this isn't the case? Just wait, its only a matter of time before hipsters start bagging on "Hey Ya." It'll start with something like "well, its' not as good as 'Bombs over Baghdad' or 'Stankonia'".
I think the same thing happened with Ryan Adams. Don't get me wrong, some of his shennanigans were quite wanktankerous and a bit of critical ire was deserved, what wasn't deserved was the utter lack of loyalty from his fans. Not that it wasn't undestandable. I found myself questioning my allegiances the first time I saw "Sweet Carolina" covered by some wannabe carhart wearing hippie who never had a construction job in his life. Thing is, Adams is still out there doing is best to crank out good enjoyable music.
None y'all can tell me you don't like his cover of "wonderwall." Just don't expect to find yourself enjoying any future Adams' albums with the same unironic abandon you in which you engaged "Heartbreaker" or Whisketown's "Pneumonia." You were young, idealistic, and still under the misguided notion that PBR is good beer.
Anyways, the article that got me thinking about all this is here. It's Pitchfork's interview a week or so again with Adams.
Josiah Q. Roe | By Josiah Roe | 10:22 AM
Comments
I really like this quote from Adams:
Some of the stuff was so mean that I was laughing out loud. Because it was just really super awesome. The kind of conversations I used to have in school. You know, "Did you get Daydream Nation?" "Yeah! John Cougar Mellencamp sucks!"
That just about summarizes the Pitchfork mood. But with taste, you've got to admit.
And for what it's worth, I don't really like the new Ryan Adams records (which you still have my copies of, by the way), not because he's sold out or something, but because they aren't as pretty as the old stuff. I mean, the biggest knock on Heartbreaker was that it was musically simplistic, but that's what I love about it. It makes me cry. And the Love is Hell EPs don't do anything for me. They have great production, but no tunes. Oh, well. I'm holding out hope. Whenever Ryan Adams wants to come home to the south and make some back-porch music again, I'll be waiting.
Posted by: mesh at March 23, 2004 11:06 AM
I've got one Ryan Adams album, and I feel the same way. I felt like it fell short of the mark somehow. Wasn't he in Whiskeytown?
Posted by: scott cunningham at March 23, 2004 12:53 PM
What's wrong with PBR?
Posted by: Skip at March 23, 2004 01:25 PM
i'd love to see a "super badass" Mr. Rogers documentary.
Posted by: gosey at March 23, 2004 08:16 PM
Me too.
Posted by: mesh at March 24, 2004 12:03 AM
You can check my record, my stance on the Adams issue has always been that Ryan Adams is a giant ass, always has been, always will be. He is narcissistic and actually uncool despite the occasional mistake of releasing a good song. I feel sorry for him sometimes.
Posted by: John Totten at March 24, 2004 11:14 AM
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