Ryan Adams (Paperback)

~ Michael Heatley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ryan adams is American roots music's first superstar of the new century. First finding cult fame with alternative country band Whiskeytown, his rebellious image and photogenic street urchin looks have won a wide fan following that includes Elton John and Noel Gallagher.

In this first account of his life, Michael Heatley traces Adams' progress from small town North Carolina to trysts with actress Winona Ryder, the broken romances and personal demons that have fuelled his most affecting work and his dedication to legendary country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons. Still in his mid twenties, Adams has the world at his feet. If, unlike Parsons, he opts for self-preservation rather that the self-destructive image he often portrays. This book assesses the past, present and future of a performer with the potential and the eclecticism to be 'the new Neil Young'.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Omnibus Press; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0711994358
• ISBN-13: 978-0711994355
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,200,366 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, November 16, 2003

By	Jake Z "holden84" (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This is the first book about Ryan Adams. I found it incredibly interesting. It starts out by talking about his early life and his musical influences now and then, many of which are the same. It goes into great detail about Whiskeytown, his band with Caitlin Cary and Mike Daly, and their tumultuous times together. Then onto his solo career and how he became one of today's most unique stars that has been praised by the likes of Elton John and others. It glossed over briefly his relationships with Winona Ryder and Alanis Morissette, and others. I especially enjoyed the discussion about the songs, and what he thinks about them, what they are about, etc. Overall if you are a Ryan Adams fan this is the book to read.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Michael Heatley's Book-writing Blues, July 9, 2004

By	D. McGuire (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

I don't generally make a habit of reading band/artist biographies but in this case I don't really think it matters since I thought that Michael Heatley's entire writing style was crap and the content not much better.
I have to admit that there were a few interesting facts I didn't know and it might be good as a beginner's guide to Ryan Adams & Whiskeytown but overall it was awful.
It is apparent that this book was never an authorized study because of the way the facts are presented in a secondary manner and the fact that space is filled up with a song by song account for each and every album that Ryan Adams has ever been involved with. What a waste... I don't need to hear each song evaluated for its merits as if Michael Heatley is personally reviewing the albums. I can go and listen to them and make the jdugements for myself. I wish that there had been more background information on Ryan Adams as a person rather than secondhand accounts of his antics, which really don't get inside his head or even within shooting range. I guess this is the kind of rubbish you get when your subject refuses to authorize such a book because he knows you are a crap writer.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but certainly not as great as its subject matter., December 16, 2007

By	John McManus (Media, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this biography when it was first released, I found out interesting things about Ryan. What I learned most was about Whiskeytown. I didn't know anything about them---I first heard of Ryan when Gold came out in 2001. It's an OK read---not the best biography I have read by a long shot---but the primary reason I would urge people NOT to read it is because it is out of date. There has been a lot going on in Ryan's life and career since 2003.

Hopefully someone else will write a biography on Ryan and give a more up-to-date view of his artistic career.