Ryan Adams used to blame his prolific writing & recording on the demons of drug and alcohol addiction. Fortunately for all of us, Adams has found sobriety, and in so doing he'll need to find something new to blame for his almost unbelievable output of music (nine solo albums, a forthcoming 5 disc box set, this 4th release with the Cardinals, plus a handful of recordings released under various identities). "Follow The Lights" could easily be titled "Follow Easy Tiger" as the first three tracks sound like they could have fit anywhere on that brilliant CD, which came out just three months ago. The remainder of this seven song EP is made up of three excellent remakes of tracks from earlier Ryan Adams releases - and one incredible cover of an Alice In Chains tune (honestly) "Down In A Hole." The first remake, "This Is It" was originally on "Rock N' Roll" - the new version with the Cardinals shows there was a soaring lyric that was unfortunately lost in its earlier rendition. "If I Am A Stranger" is a stripped stark naked version of the song that was originally recorded with the Cardinals on "Cold Roses" - and it's just gorgeous done with a pair of acoustic guitars, a peddle steel, and a barely audible percussion. Also stripped down is the track "Dear John." Originally recorded with Norah Jones on "Jacksonville City Nights" this version without her is just amazing - guitarist Neal Casal takes over the second vocal, and simply soars with it. Those fortunate enough to see the band on its last tour will recognize this version of the song. Hands down, my favorite from the seven song set is the Alice In Chains cover. Turning Jerry Cantrell's grunge anthem into an aching alt-country, broken man bar room prayer was no small feat. To me it shows how far out on the edge Adams will take his adaptations of not just his own songs, but those of others others as well. This release can be had for $5.98 from amazon.com, or for the almost sinful price of $4.52 as an mp3 download. For Adams fans, it's a must have - and for new followers - it aint a bad place to start! http://WWW.REVOLVERFM.COM
Source: www.articlebiz.com
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