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Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights Audio CD

A fair review of the Ryan Adams & the Cardinals "Jacksonville City Nights" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Ryan Adams & the Cardinals reviews here, or go back to the Ryan Adams & the Cardinals tabs.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Band: Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Title: Jacksonville City Nights
Rating:
Release Date: 2005-10-03
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Kiss Before I Go 2: End 3: Hard Way to Fall 4: Dear John 5: Hardest Part 6: Games 7: Silver Bullets 8: Peaceful Valley 9: September 10: My Heart Is Broken 11: Trains 12: PA 13: Withering Heights 14: Don't Fail Me Now 15: Jeane [*] 16: Always on My Mind [*] 17: What Sin Replaces Love [Remonstration Recording][*]

This album feels like home
The first Ryan Adams album I purchased was Gold, and I absolutely loved it. I've never written a review on here before, however after hearing this album and having some Wild Turkey Rye to drink, I feel very compelled. Years later I purchased Jacksonville City Limits and Easy Tiger. I love them both. Jacksonville City limits has a sound that takes me back home with its first few tracks, slow guitars, pianos that cry, and violins that weep, its very comforting- all you need is a glass of bourbon to enjoy.
I've read several reviews on here that mention country music, and I have to agree with several of them. I am a huge "country" fan. However the country music being played today doesn't cut it. Ryan Adams reminds us of what "country" music wants to be in today's music. If your from the South, buy this. If your not from the South, buy this and see what your missing.


Jacksonville City Nights


"Dear John"- The duet with Norah Jones that seems to be about a person coping with the death of their lover, with lyrics like:

"Because your always mine,
to keep when your gone. This album is fantastic from start to finish. . .
Two silver rings, ones on my finger
and the other ones gone. .
It went underground with you, Oh John. . "

Is worth the price of the record itself. . If you are a fan of Adams and you do not have this record already, do yourself a favor and order now.


Great Album
The Cardinals add depth to Ryan Adams in a way that is hard to quantify. I was really hooked on his solo stuff until I heard this album. Listen to the album and you will appreciate this quality right away. .


Worth it!
Here followeth a track-by-track breakdown:

1. This is a truly excellent record, essentially an homage to old 1960s honky-tonk country records, right down to the fancy lettering and listing off all the songs on the CD cover. A Kiss Before I Go--short and sweet, clocking in at just over two minutes, this barroom tune full of regret is offset by a toe-tapping beat, tinkly piano and mournful pedal steel. It contains one of my favorite lyrics, "He can't see tomorrow with yesterday's eyes"

2. The End--an ode to Jacksonville, NC, Adams's hometown. The pedal steel gets a very interesting part on this song. It's in 3/4 time, so if you feel like waltzing, this is a good track for it.

3. Hard Way to Fall--a personal favorite of mine. It's a song about the girl who was in your life who's now found someone else, and the process of trying to let her go. It makes me think of my exes (even though none of them drank Scotch)

4. Dear John--a duet with Norah Jones, based around the piano. Slow, mournful, also about a broken relationship (something Adams writes about frequently)

5. The Hardest Part--contains themes similar to "Hard Way to Fall. " It talks about how it's hard to love someone who cares for you. I've found this to be true plenty of times.

6. Games--another barely 2-minute track, about love and pain and the title character flaw. Don't you just hate it when people play games?

7. Silver Bullets--one of the weaker songs on the album. It's very quiet, and doesn't really hold my attetion too much. I just end up thinking about werewolves for some reason. Try reading the lyrics while you're listening to it.

8. Peaceful Valley--a cool track about Heaven (though I don't feel it's very accurate) and trying to get through life. Adams explore similar territory on the song "Magnolia Mountain" from "Cold Roses. "

9. September--a quiet brooding track about a woman who dies (presumably from cancer). One of my favorite tracks. There's also an alternate, more country version that is available on Rhapsody.

10. My Heart Is Broken--an old tune from the days of Whiskeytown. It's about cheating (following the typical country formula)

11. Trains--a fun track, it moves along at an appropriate speed. "Feels like I'm always moving. "

12. Pa--this is a mini-story song, done in sparse acoustic style. You're either really like or really hate it (I really like it).

13. Withering Heights--a truly sad song, about failing in life (and love, consequently). The chorus is very haunting.

14. Don't Fail Me Now--a last, desperate attempt to patch up a failing relationship. Repeats the refrain, "You don't do me right. " It has a good fiddle part as well, though at a slow tempo. .


Mellow and nice
The lyrics are nice and the melodies are comforting. Ryan and the Cardinals play the kind of music adults wish their kids liked.


You can see a complete list of all Ryan Adams & the Cardinals discography, or go back to the Ryan Adams & the Cardinals tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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