Ryan Adams has always taken a beating from the press: he releases too many albums, he always changes his style, he is wildly inconsistent, etc. And while this may be irritating from the standpoint that it takes more effort to wade through his catalog, it makes finding those hidden gems much more special.
The song posted below is a prime example. Perhaps the best track on Gold, “When the Stars Go Blue” was unfortunately heard by most people in the wrong context: a disgustingly-inadequate live cover by The Corrs and Bono.
Now everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but Ryan Adams’ vocals on the original are mind-blowing. No one can do them justice, especially not Bono. And while “When the Stars Go Blue” may cast a giant shadow over the rest of Gold, I’m okay with that. The song is just that damn good.
Florence wrote:August 23, 2008
I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m one of the many who have lived with the misconception that Tim McGraw or The Corrs wrote the song. Gross misconception. Adams’s original version is so beautiful in its simplicity alone. Thanks for posting this!