Ryan Adams has worked hard to cultivate his reputation as the new “bad boy” of rock. But to listen to his 2001 release, Gold, he sounds more like a careful student of classic rock, a pedagogue of a truly golden era of rock music. Gold is the equivalent of his Master’s thesis in classic rock. The fact that it earned him as much acclaim as it did is a testament to his ability to learn the lessons of rock music’s past, and reconstitute them into something timelessly appealing.
The album was released on the ominous date of Sept. 11, 2001, and the album opener “New York, New York” became an instant anthem for the trauma of post-9/11 America, thanks to its exuberant chorus: “I’ll always love you New York.” But at its heart, it’s a breakup song, expressing the difficulty of divorcing person from place. Its popularity wasn’t hurt by the fact that the song is a study in the kind of catchy -yet-grounded ‘70s rock that simply isn’t made anymore, sounding as rhythmically appealing as Stephen Stills’s “Love the One You’re With”.
“Firecracker” continues the study in catchy ‘70s classicism. With its infectious harmonica and peppy vocal harmonies, it could as easily be a lost track from Bruce Springsteen‘s early catalog. “Answering Bell” is an irresistible ode to a sound pioneered by Van Morrison, rife with a Hammond B3 organ that instantly charms. It features harmony vocals by Adam Duritz, another Morrison devotee, and is easily one of the highlights of an album full of highlights. “La Cienega Just Smiled” is warm and slow, and would sound as comfortable on an early Elton John record as it does here.
“Rescue Blues” is pure early Rod Stewart, reaching back as far as his Faces days - in fact the guitar lick that repeats throughout the song is borrowed almost verbatim from the Faces hit “Ooh La La”. Yet the song doesn’t sound rehashed or sycophantic. It is imminently likeable, reverent of the roots it borrows from as Adams passionately wails the chorus with obvious emotion.
On “Somehow, Someday,” Adams reveals influences of Robbie Robertson and the Band in his country-tinged rock warble. The minor-chord verses open up into the triumphant major-chord chorus and sound like nothing short of a victory.
“When the Stars Go Blue” is a sweet duet that was covered shortly after this release by Irish pop band the Corrs - Adams’s own version is grittier and more authentic. That is a theme throughout the album - “Nobody Girl”, “Sylvia Plath”, and “Enemy Fire” continue the trend of organic songs with grit - the kind of songs that were ubiquitous in the ‘70s, confessional, lonely and yet somehow warm. “Gonna Make You Love Me” lovingly apes the early albums of the Rolling Stones (you can actually picture Mick Jagger banging his tambourine when the drums begin their strong Boom, Boom-Boom, Boom-Boom.)
“Wild Flowers” and “Harder Now that It’s Over” bring Neil Young’s signature sound into the mix - Adams’s vocal tone actually transforms into a breathy, Neil Young-like tenor to accommodate the style. “Touch, Feel and Lose” is a nod to the soul ballads of the era, but the electric guitar and Hammond organ sustain the rock sound of the album, maintaining the continuity nicely. “Tina Toledo’s Street Walkin’ Blues” mixes straight-ahead Southern rock with mid-era Rolling Stones rock-blues, to excellent effect. The stride piano flourishes are impossibly irresistible. And album closer “Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard” inspires immediate parallels to Billy Joel both in subject matter (“Say Goodbye to Hollywood” ) and in its predominantly piano-based sound.
The really astonishing thing is that for all this studied imitation, Adams never once sounds derivative. In paying homage to all of the great songwriters of the 1970s, he forges his own style at the same time, one that is based very much in rock history but looks forward as well, so that ultimately Gold achieves a timelessness, a brilliance apart from trend or era that most music never achieves. (It’s also extremely important to credit the contribution made to this album by Chris Stills, son of rock legend Stephen Stills. Almost to a song, the most successful tracks on this album feature his influence in some way.)
Gold is a testament to the power of idolatry, showcasing both Adams’s talent and his appreciation for the music of the album-oriented 1970s. This album sounds fresh and passionate precisely because it so thoroughly absorbs the lessons of a era gone by - and through absorbing, creates new art steeped in quality, history and brilliance.
"Gold" is on sale September 25, 2001 from Lost Highway Records.
