Date Jacksonville

Jacksonville City Nights

Description

International version features one bonus track, a beautiful version of Elvis Presley's 'Always on My Mind' that features a string section conducted by Bergen White. Ryan & the Cardinals return again in 2005 with another studio album, 'Jacksonville City Nights'. 15 tracks in total including 'Kiss Before I Go', 'Hard Way To Fall' and 'Dear John'. Lost Highway. 2005.

Arguably the most eclectically prolific artist since Prince, Ryan Adams continues his chameleon revivalism with his most straightforward country music to date. Having evoked the inspiration of bands ranging from T. Rex to the Grateful Dead on previous solo releases, the former Whiskeytown frontman here channels the likes of Faron Young on "My Heart Is Broken," while framing the shot-and-a-beer opener, "A Kiss Before I Go," with honky-tonk piano and pedal steel. "Seems like I'm always movin'," he sings amid the rockabilly kick of "Trains," as the album finds his restless muse ranging from a dreamy duet with Norah Jones on "Dear John" to naked vulnerability reminiscent of John Lennon on "Silver Bullets." Only Adams would cut a track titled "The End" and sequence it second on the CD, or a song called "Peaceful Valley" and inject it with so much emotion. --Don McLeese

Recommended Ryan Adams Discography

Heartbreaker	Gold	Love Is Hell
Whiskeytown, Pneumonia	Whiskeytown, Stranger's Almanac	Whiskeytown, Faithless Street

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-01-19
Summary: "dark night at the highway motel"

Do they come any more polarizing than Ryan Adams, he of the open spigot album release policy and shaky voice? I thought the Whiskytown album "Strangers Almanac" was a hard-rocking alt-country smash, focused and crisp and full of emotion. Ryan Adams' solo work, though, has had the quality of a guy trying on a lot of clothes in a big store that, while some looked good never quite fit right. There were some fine songs, but others that had the look and feel of fine songs that just did not stand up to closer examination. They were approximations of good songs and the Adams "sound" could only carry them so far. "Jacksonville City Nights" is another Adams guise, but he rose to the challenge mightily here and created a lonely night classic. It's as if Graham Parsons, George Jones and George Dickel fell apart in a motel room together, such is the quality of the suffering. Over two vinyl discs, the mood is sustained beautifully and the songwriting feels more substantial than anything Adams has done as a solo artist, even if the melodies at times sound woefully unsure of themselves. There is a late'60's, early 70's quality about this, a southern soul, a little something Memphis, a little something Glen Campbell, a rock 'n roll heart. I know there are a lot of people out there who think Adams is a bit of a fraud, but my gut keeps telling me this is a great album.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-04-26
Summary: "This album feels like home"

I've never written a review on here before, however after hearing this album and having some Wild Turkey Rye to drink, I feel very compelled. The first Ryan Adams album I purchased was Gold, and I absolutely loved it. Years later I purchased Jacksonville City Limits and Easy Tiger. I love them both. Jacksonville City limits has a sound that takes me back home with its first few tracks, slow guitars, pianos that cry, and violins that weep, its very comforting- all you need is a glass of bourbon to enjoy.
I've read several reviews on here that mention country music, and I have to agree with several of them. I am a huge "country" fan. However the country music being played today doesn't cut it. Ryan Adams reminds us of what "country" music wants to be in today's music. If your from the South, buy this. If your not from the South, buy this and see what your missing.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2008-06-22
Summary: "Jacksonville City Nights"

This album is fantastic from start to finish.

"Dear John"- The duet with Norah Jones that seems to be about a person coping with the death of their lover, with lyrics like:

"Because your always mine,
to keep when your gone...
Two silver rings, ones on my finger
and the other ones gone..
It went underground with you, Oh John.."

Is worth the price of the record itself.. If you are a fan of Adams and you do not have this record already, do yourself a favor and order now.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2008-01-13
Summary: "Great Album"

I was really hooked on his solo stuff until I heard this album. The Cardinals add depth to Ryan Adams in a way that is hard to quantify. Listen to the album and you will appreciate this quality right away.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2007-11-30
Summary: "Worth it!"

This is a truly excellent record, essentially an homage to old 1960s honky-tonk country records, right down to the fancy lettering and listing off all the songs on the CD cover. Here followeth a track-by-track breakdown:

1. A Kiss Before I Go--short and sweet, clocking in at just over two minutes, this barroom tune full of regret is offset by a toe-tapping beat, tinkly piano and mournful pedal steel. It contains one of my favorite lyrics, "He can't see tomorrow with yesterday's eyes"

2. The End--an ode to Jacksonville, NC, Adams's hometown. The pedal steel gets a very interesting part on this song. It's in 3/4 time, so if you feel like waltzing, this is a good track for it.

3. Hard Way to Fall--a personal favorite of mine. It's a song about the girl who was in your life who's now found someone else, and the process of trying to let her go. It makes me think of my exes (even though none of them drank Scotch)

4. Dear John--a duet with Norah Jones, based around the piano. Slow, mournful, also about a broken relationship (something Adams writes about frequently)

5. The Hardest Part--contains themes similar to "Hard Way to Fall." It talks about how it's hard to love someone who cares for you. I've found this to be true plenty of times.

6. Games--another barely 2-minute track, about love and pain and the title character flaw. Don't you just hate it when people play games?

7. Silver Bullets--one of the weaker songs on the album. It's very quiet, and doesn't really hold my attetion too much. I just end up thinking about werewolves for some reason. Try reading the lyrics while you're listening to it.

8. Peaceful Valley--a cool track about Heaven (though I don't feel it's very accurate) and trying to get through life. Adams explore similar territory on the song "Magnolia Mountain" from "Cold Roses."

9. September--a quiet brooding track about a woman who dies (presumably from cancer). One of my favorite tracks. There's also an alternate, more country version that is available on Rhapsody.

10. My Heart Is Broken--an old tune from the days of Whiskeytown. It's about cheating (following the typical country formula)

11. Trains--a fun track, it moves along at an appropriate speed. "Feels like I'm always moving."

12. Pa--this is a mini-story song, done in sparse acoustic style. You're either really like or really hate it (I really like it).

13. Withering Heights--a truly sad song, about failing in life (and love, consequently). The chorus is very haunting.

14. Don't Fail Me Now--a last, desperate attempt to patch up a failing relationship. Repeats the refrain, "You don't do me right." It has a good fiddle part as well, though at a slow tempo.