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When "Heartbreaker" was released in September 2000 as his debut solo album after three albums with the fab alt country rockers Whiskeytown - Ryan Adams was special with a capital 'shall'. I've been a huge fan ever since (had a chat with once when he visited Reckless in Berwick Street where he was buying Punk singles before his gig that night in the near Palladium in Argyll Street).
So I had been looking forward to this 2016 'Deluxe Edition' upgrade with a sense of knee-trembling excitement. But while it's brilliant in places and delivers on the promise that has always surrounded Ryan's output that there's ten more studio albums in them dar unreleased hills - some of the un-issued stuff should have stayed that way and the DVD is little more than a fan bootleg (does at least have exclusive renders of the Oasis hit "Wonderwall" and the fantastic "Gimme Sunshine" - a huge hole in that it's missing from CD2).
But, as always with Adams, some of these songs and takes are fabulous and equal to the released stuff. Let's get bartering and derailed...
UK released 1 April 2016 - "Heartbreaker: Deluxe Edition" by RYAN ADAMS on Pax-Am Records PAX-AM 056 (Barcode 600753642917) is a 2CD + 1DVD Reissue and Remaster with Previously Unreleased Audio and Video that plays out as follows:
CD1 - Original Album (51:53 minutes):
1. (Argument with David Rawlings concerning Morrissey) - Side 1
2. To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)
3. My Winding Wheel
4. AMY
5. Oh My Sweet Carolina
6. Bartering Lines
7. Call Me On Your Way Back Home
8. Damn, Sam (I Love A Woman That Rains) - Side 2
9. Come Pick Me Up
10. To Be The One
11. Why Do They Leave?
12. Shakedown On 9th Street
13. Don't Ask For Water
14. In My Time Of Need
15. Sweet Lil Gal (23rd/1st)
CD2 - Bonus Tracks (77:02 minutes):
Heartbreaker Sessions
1. Hairdresser On Fire Jam
2. To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)
3. Petal In A Rainstorm
4. War Horse
5. Oh My Sweet Carolina
6. Come Pick Me Up
7. Punk Jam
8. When The Rope Gets Tight (Alternate, 0:44 minutes)
9. When The Rope Gets Tight (1:44 minutes)
10. Goodbye Honey
11. In My Time Of Need
Pre-Album Demos
12. Bartering Lines
13. Come Pick Me Up
14. To Be The One
15. Don't Ask For The Water
16. In My Time Of Need
17. Goodbye Honey
18. Petal In A Rainstorm
19. War Horse
20. Locked Away
DVD
1. Oh My Sweet Carolina
2. Gimme Sunshine
3. To Be Young (is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)
4. AMY
5. Call Me On Your Way Back Home
6. Just Like A Whore
7. Wonderwall
8. Damn, Sam (I Love A Woman That Rains)
9. Sweet Lil Gal (23rd/1st)
10. Come Pick Me Up
11. My Winning Wheel
RYAN ADAMS – Guitars, Banjo, Piano, Harmonica, all Lead Vocals
ETHAN JOHNS – Drums, Bass, Chamberlin, Glockenspiel, B-3, Vibes
DAVID RAWLINGS – Guitars, Banjo, Tambourine, Backing Vocals
GILLIAN WELCH – Acoustic Guitar, Electric Bass, Banjo, Vocals
Guests:
PAT SANSONE – Piano on "Oh My Sweet Carolina", "Come Pick Me Up" and "Why Do They Leave" – Chamberlin on "Bartering Lines" – Backing Vocals with Ethan Johns on "My Winding Wheel"
EMMYLOU HARRIS – Duet Vocals on "Oh My Sweet Carolina"
KIM RICHEY – Vocals on "Come Pick Me Up" and "When The Rope Gets Tight"
ALLISON PIERCE – Vocals on "Why Do They Leave"
The Hardback Book looks the absolute part – three pouches for the CDs and DVD and new liner notes from Ethan Johns who explains about the pressure on a young RA to produce the Solo goods. There was no guarantee of success, but between "Heartbreaker" and the stunning "Gold" that followed – I and everyone else was hooked.
The new ETHAN JOHNS and GAVIN LURSSEN Remaster of the original album is truly beautiful. Let's get this straight - the original UK CD I had was issued in September 2000 (Cooking Records COOKCD 205) and this kind of album sounded glorious on that original digital. But what appears to be here in 2015 is a lift in clarity that is subtle but beautifully effective, a little like what Paul Buchanan and Calum Malcolm did to the Blue Nile 2CD Deluxe Editions of "A Walk Across The Rooftops" and "Hats" on Virgin/Linn (see separate reviews). The drum shuffles in "My Winding Wheel" - that lonesome organ - or when the band kicks in for that f-me-up chorus in "Come Pick Me Up" - it's thrilling stuff. And is there a more astonishing moment than when Emmylou Harris comes sailing out of the speakers in "Oh My Sweet Carolina" (what compels me to go) - the doubled-vocals on "AMY" too - the shimmering tambourine shakes and banjo plucks back-grounding "Bartering Lines" - the intimacy of his voice and acoustic on "Call Me On Your Way Back Home" - all gorgeous.
CD2 is split into two parts - eleven 'Heartbreaker Sessions' and nine of his own 'Pre-Album Demos'. I guess for many the biggest disappointment is going to be the alternate take of "Come Pick Me Up" - a song that has filled films with heartache at opportune moments. For a while, the alternate take feels like an equivalent to the magisterial LP version, but then he goes into a trashing Rock race to the end and ruins the vibe. "Punk Jam" is just rubbish - far better is his chat with Emmylou about Martin guitars before they launch into a magical "Oh My Sweet Carolina". But surely the great prize is "Petal In A Rainstorm" - how was this gem left off 'any' LP. It gets a false start, but after that, the band smashes it. It's the tune I most return too.
CD2 opens with a vocal piss-take of Morrissey's "Hairdresser On Fire" where the band are having a hoot - it's also the full version of the opening track on Side 1 - the argument with David Rawlings about their fave English singer - Morrissey of The Smiths. That's followed by a lively run-through of "To Be Young..." that feels like the band is on fire even when trying out a tune. Giving it a 'real gas' - "Petals In A Rainstorm" starts but needs another go where they get it right and what a fantastic find it is. I love this - surely worth the price of admission alone (Adams clearly thought it was a go for the album as it has a Demo of it over on CD2). Another gem comes in the Acoustic "War Horse" - could easily have made a superb B-side - and again with gorgeous sound quality. There is vocal fun goofing off between Adams and Caitlin Cary on "When The Rope Gets Tight (Alternate)" - itself followed by a quieter and more subdued seven-minute version sounding like it should be used in some future episode of 'Yellowstone'. And again towards the end of the outtakes, another nugget crops up – the plaintive and lovely "Goodbye Honey" – a hopeful break-up song.
I was not expecting the Demos to include multiple instruments, but they do. The piano and acoustic Demo of "To Be The One" – all done up like Cinderella – feels epic even in this form – and lovely production – another that will show in some TV show coming your way real soon (out here wandering about without you – the empty bottle talking). The near six minutes of "Don't Ask For The Water" is live-in-your-living-room and hissy, but again there’s a fantastic feel to it – like eavesdropping on the cusp of greatness (lyrics from it title this review). Back to clean audio with the acoustic guitar and lonesome vocal of "In My Time Of Need" – as powerful a version as the album cut (if not better). Dead interesting to me is a band rendition of "Goodbye Honey" which might just pip it for me over the solo ache of the Track 10 version. I also like the stripped down acoustic only "Petal In A Rainstorm" and the very Beatles/Beach Boys make up of "War Horse" with a weird vocal floating across both speakers. CD2 ends on a lovely "Locked Away" – a very Big Star or Jayhawks moment of musicality.
The DVD filmed in 20 October 2000 in The Mercury Lounge in London is bootleg quality, but the listen if fabulous and makes you wish there had been a better document of show. You get goodies not on the album like "Just Like A Whore", the Oasis cover version that blew everyone away "Wonderwall" and especially "Gimme Sunshine" – damn shame there was not an audio of this to replace the wasteful Punk Jam on CD2 – but alas.
OK the DVD does let the DE side down somewhat, but the Ethan Johns and Gavin Lurssen Remaster of the album combined with genuine finds on CD2 makes the present nine-pound price tag (2023) seem like a serious deal. Sing a song – give it up – I have always thought that Ryan Adams half-cocked is better than most trying too hard to hit a Bullseye. There is fantastic stuff here – fans and the curious need to derail for this one...
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