Customer Reviews

Love Is Hell

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I, as I imagine most Ryan Adams fans, bought the Love is Hell e.p's seperately. I must say I was a bit surprised to see this in the stores yesterday (along with a bonus track!!!).
Well Lost Highway, what gives? Initially, you guys felt that this album wasn't worth releasing. Since then you've broken it in half and forced the fans to purchase each seperately and now you are releasing it as a whole and cohesive album (as it should of been in the first place) and trying to intice the fans to give you more of their hard earned money by placing an extra track on there... and this is what really kills me...Lost Highway has put a sticker on the CD that says, "...as the artist originally intended...". Are they serious??? If that is indeed how they truly feel then why the "Hell" wasn't it released this way to begin with?
Lost Highway should be ashamed of themselves.
Hey, this is a GREAT album and I would recommend it to anyone, but I still feel cheated. I shouldn't have to buy this album three times!!

I am sad to say that I LOVE this album. The reason why is because I cannot find any other Ryan Adams CDs that are even comparable to this masterpiece. I have spent little over a year listening and absorbing so much from these recordings.

I do find the CD to be somewhat depressing but there is an overwhelming uplifting aspect to the entire CD. For instance in `Shadowlands,' the beginning of the song really does sound like Adam is in the abyss crowded amongst tragedy and sorrow. Then, slowly his voice begins to shed the reverb, it sounds as though Adams is lifted and startlingly enough right here with us, which the music supports as well. He transcends his suffering into something so much greater and ultimately enjoyable for a listener.

I could go on about each one of his songs in such a way that is inescapable once you sit down and listen. Of course it still has all the enjoyable aspects of just pleasant music that don't require a listener to analyze every song. But if a listener would just take on the task of trying to figure out what the hell happened to Adams before/while writing this record then this record would become so much more than just a compilation of well crafted songs.

I mentioned this before, this album is completely different from his others and Adam's fans generally don't understand it. I find that extremely disappointing since his most skilfully crafted piece of work is but more than a cold murmur to them. There are some similarities to 29 but it doesn't feel as natural (I don't mean to suggest either improvised or planned) and sincere as `Love is Hell.'

I suggest if you are unfamiliar with it, get this record, start it on track six, once the CD is over start from track 1 and just let it unfold for you. A timeless masterpiece and personal favourite trust me.

-Friend

I purchased this album in the two parts. Part 1 came out the same day as Rock n Roll and Part 2 came out a month later. After listening to both Rock n Roll and Love is Hell, I like Love is Hell more. There's a great deal of thought and soul that went into Love is Hell that is lacking on Rock n Roll. The second half of the album is not as strong, but as a whole Love Is Hell is a classic.

While the gold standard for Ryan Adams fans is his first album Heartbreaker, Love Is Hell is much more accomplished in its technical songwriting. Ryan Adams in an amazing talent and is on the verge of establishing himself as one of the great songwriters of our time.

If you're a fan of Heartbreaker and Gold, this may not be for you. This album is not like his alt. country predecesors. Instead, Love is Hell is an album with lush electric arrangements and unforgettable melodies. Ryan Adams is the master of making memorable melodies. This album is where he peaked. The opener, Political Scientist is (I hate saying this) like a lost Jeff Buckley song. Much of the album hints at Buckleyesque and Beatlesque type arrangements. At times Adams is quiet, other times he screaming...a very emotional album from start to finish. The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars is because the album gets too long. There are 16 songs on here with a tune that's also on Rock n Roll...it fits well on this collection, but did you really need to make the album one more song longer? Other than that, I love this album.

Lately, one doesn't know what to expect from the increasingly unpredictable rock n'roll problem child Ryan Adams. Luckily, his wounded heart and fractured psyche have produced one fine grab-bag of songs on LOVE IS HELL. The mood here is often cloudy and desolate, yet emotionally exuberant at times. "Political Scientist" comes on like a late night fog, while "This House Is Not For Sale" sounds like the best of his yearning, booze-lacquered early solo work. Then there's the naked, vulnerable retreading of Oasis' "Wonderwall" with it's fingerpicked delicacy and intimate caterwauling. Adams is not one to be bashful with channeling his inspirations as he unabashedly visits his Smiths influence with the dynamic "Does Anybody Want To Take Me Home?" and the enthralling title track "Love Is Hell." For all his misguided behavior, you can't deny the guy his songwriting cred as he seems capable of spitting out quality songs in his sleep. "City Rain, City Streets" and the jazzy, smokey "Hotel Chelsea Nights" serve as reminders to his considerable talent and penchant for heart on the sleeve expressionism. For all the heartache and self-loathing, this collection sure makes for a heavenly listen.

One of the most solid songwriters/lyrists on the current music scene. These are songs that grab you in the gut and compel you to listen. This album features what had been two parts now showcasing Adams at his acostic best since Heartbreaker. His voice is emotive, delicate and strained as he spouts his brutal poetry to the sounds of his guitar.

'My Blue Manhatten' sounds like an old standard made new by it's simple production.

Adams cover of the Oasis standard 'Wonderwall' makes that song all it was meant to be - and this from someone that loved the original.

My favorite has continued to be 'I See Monsters'. The lyrics are stunning:
Baby, I know you cannot hear me now
`Cause you're fast asleep
But I love you now
Colors inside your head go spinning around
Like a ferris wheel
Exploding and falling to the ground
Oh, people are screaming, people are screaming
My baby, she's dreaming
Oh, people are shouting, people are freaking
I'm staring at the ceiling
Waiting for the feeling
Oh, oh but when she comes
I that know she's the one
Makes me want it harder
Makes me want to be a little stronger
Still I see monsters
Still I see monsters

The man is brilliant.

Ryan Adams... what can I say. To all you people that still ask me: "Don't you mean Bryan Adams?" when I mention his name should have their music listening priviliges revoked. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to take anything away from Bryan Adams, but please, get educated. If you don't know about Ryan Adams, get to.

This album, as all his other ones apart from "Revolver" should be in every self-respecting album collector's posession. The guitar riff on "Monsters" is something to be marvelled at. I have been playing guitar for 15 years, and I find that Ryan Adams writes guitar riffs that are so natural to play, it's almost as if they already existed, Ryan just discovered them.

"Love is Hell" and "Shadowlands" deserve an honourary mention just due to the brilliant mastering, and "Wonderwall", in my opinion, is played better than Oasis, a feat not easily done.

I am slightly biased towards this album due to my complete awe for Ryan Adams' work, but please, do not rob yourself of this album. If you don't have it, buy it. If you have it, play it. If you don't like it, play it 100 more times, because eventually you will like it, and love it. When that time comes, you will see that Ryan Adams, when understood, is the moody Cat Stevens of our generation.

Jonny_Panic

This is the true follow up to Ryan Adams' 2001 album GOLD. This was intended to be released last year (and it was as two EPs) but Lost Highway wanted a more commercial sounding album, more upbeat, and thus ROCK N ROLL was born. I thought that one was fine, but this album blew me away. They released this originally as two EPs, in late 2003. It's a bit of a slap in the face to fans, and Ryan Adams, that they are now releasing this as a complete album. Nevertheless, it's great music, and it's good to have it all on one CD. There is a bonus track, "Anybody Wanna Take Me Home", a live version of the song from his ROCK N ROLL album.

The music on here is pretty dreary and reminiscent of his HEARTBREAKER album in some respects. It's some of the best music he's made. Instant highlights are the title track, "This House Is Not For Sale", "Avalanche", "I See Monsters", "City Rain, City Streets" and "My Blue Manhattan". There really isn't one song that is bad on here.

I highly recommend this to anyone curious about Ryan Adams. It's a good insight to his soul, and the kind of music he makes. However, if you bought the EPs, you may not want to buy this as there is only one bonus track. Then again, if you are a big fan, you might want to put out the cash for the bonus track, or just for the sake of having the album on one CD.

This is probably the darkest album Ryan Adams has made to date and definitely the most well produced. Nothing is happy or rocking here; it's an album you want to give your undivided attention to in order to fully appreciate. It's not unlike Heartbreaker only with a thicker more polished sound. I would also equate it somewhat to Big Star's Third. If you love that, you will at least like this too.

This is a funny kind of story. Shelved because of it's lack of commercial appeal, it re-surfaced as two EPs. Both were excellent. Along with a full length album: Rock 'n Roll. Now we see what Ryan's real plan was for the follow up to Gold, some four albums later.
The album is top notch. Everything Ryan writes is golden, this album included. I believe that he's even getting better. Each album shows world of progression, making him almost Beatles-esque. The maturation he's shown since his early days with Whiskeytown is remarkalbe and this is (the songs that is) a major leap forward.
The songs are old news if you have the two EPs and the inclusion of Anybody Wanna Take Me Home? is interesting considering it was on Rock 'n Roll. But this was Ryan's vision and for a songwriter as prolific as he is, I'm going to trust that.
The songs have a dark, New York City vibe so it's not one to be compared to his jaw-dropping solo debut Heartbreaker, this isn't a country album, but there are elements of that in there. The album is also home to some great rock songs: Love Is Hell, Anybody Wanna Take Me Home? and English Girls Approximately show that Ryan learned a lot throughout Gold and Rock 'n Roll.
The album is one full of highlights, so I'm not gonna waste your time if you could be spending it going out and getting this record. It misses a star because the EP idea was goofy. But the album is near perfect!