Music Arcades: Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker

I can't remember how I came across this. Not via the radio; but possibly from reviews. I do remember that I fell for it immediately. It sounded like all good songs interspersed with a handful of great ones — those great country songs that sound like they've been with us forever and someone has just rediscovered them carved into the wall of some prehistoric cave.

I was so taken with the album that I started giving it to others. Hilary and Tim got a copy, along with Laura Cantrell's debut, probably for their 34th birthdays, because I know Hilary likes a bit of New Country (specifically Mary Chapin Carpenter). I don't think that was a big success, to be honest: the only time it was mentioned was when a friend of theirs visited and was over the moon to find a Ryan Adams album in their collection. Kathy L also got a copy for her 40th birthday.

The real purple patch of the album runs from track 3 through track 9 — 26 special minutes.

Have you heard Gold, the follow-up album? I understand that's supposed to be very good, too. Though received opinion is that the quality of Ryan Adams' work has been erratic since then. Despite how I feel about this album, I've never bought or even listened to another of his. Sometimes you just get that hunch that anything else would be live in the shadow of this one and probably dilute my enjoyment of it.