Jeg satt egentlig og skrev masteroppgave, men så leste jeg heller musikknyheter, og kom over denne artikkelen om et av mine favorittalbum fra gæmle daggær. Og jeg ble veldig glad for å se en slik honnør til slikt et undervurdert album, som jeg alltid har vært uforholdsmessig glad i (har ikke hørt mye på Ryan Adams ellers altså, men fjorårets selvtitulerte plate var skikkelig bra). Men lista var jo helt riv ruskende feil! Slående feil, faktisk, ifølge meg. Jeg har ikke hørt på plata på årevis, og husket ikke en gang hvilke alle sangene på dette mini-dobbeltalbumet var, men det at to lyttere som begge liker plata kjempemye kan ha så ulike meninger må jo være en styrke.
Artikkelen spør "And now, I ask you a very important question: What’s your ranking? Let us know in the comments." Derfor brukte jeg litt dyrebar masterskrivetid på å lage denne lista, og jeg ble ganske fornøyd med den. Kommentarene er korte, for sangene er gjennomgått i (litt dårlig) detalj i artikkelen, så dette er jo beregna for folk som kan Adams inn og ut. De er mer ment som begrunnelse for hvorfor plasseringen ble som den ble.
Så, fra kjipest til best:
17 Dance all night - The harmonica riff is lovely, but the song is too simple and standard, and doesn't go anywhere. The first 10 seconds are the best.
16 Friends - It's pretty, and touching in my weak moments, but it doesn't have much going for it beside that.
15 Meadowlake street - The dynamics change works well, but not a very interesting song. Feels a bit skippable, especially waiting for Beautiful Sorta.
14 Cherry Lane - A bit too straight-forward for me. The verses (but iiII lie down on a pillow...) are nice. But the riff, bridge, chorus and structure generally get boring. Sorry. The coda is pleasant, but doesn't save the song...
13 Now that you're gone - I get the slow-n-boring accusations, but it's really quite beautiful, a very heartfelt performance.
12 Beautiful Sorta - Superfun, and well made for a tounge-in-cheek track. The two drum hits before the last choruses get me every time.
11 Mockingbird - It's pretty neat and unconventional. Interesting and cool. The build-ups are awesome, and I like the quiet coda.
10 Cold Roses - A great song, with loads of cool elements and lyrics, but I agree, it's not as delicate and goosebumps-inducing as the best songs here.
9 Sweet Illusions - The arrangement is a bit boring, I've always felt like this excellent song has even more potential in it.
8 Blossom - Totally beautiful, the guitar solo at the end really brings out the best in the song.
7 If I am a stranger - an all-round amazing song. The slow version is also beautiful, but this one suits the melody much better. Love the arrangement.
6 Let it ride - Sounds like it's written with a flick of the wrist. So effortlessly excellent.
5 Magnolia Mountain - Fantastic song, like the author writes, the use of the human-nature bond is really powerful.
4 Easy Plateau - Great theme, there are some lyrical gems. The crescendo and jammy feel towards the end really suit the song.
3 Life is beautiful - Yes it's cheesy, but it's so much fun! A true highlight.
2 Rosebud - Such goosebumps, every single time. It's one of those takes where every single note is laid down perfectly. From the electric solo to the acoustic plucking to the pronunciation of the words. I love it.
1 How do you keep love alive? - How do you even write a song like this??
