Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Ryan Adams quits smoking and, oh yeah, THE MUSIC BUSINESS!

Thanks to an anonymous commenter, I received word that Ryan put up a serious post at The Cardinal Cave this morning.

"i am excited to finish this wonderful time i have had with the cardinals and whatever new adventures may come after march. atlanta will be my last venture with the band and i am grateful for the time we have had and maybe someday we will have more stories to tell together. i am however ready for quieter times as i think it is very evident i am struggling with some balance and hearing issues."

Holy Shit.

Does that mean quit forever??

Take the time to go read the whole thing, as it truly does sound like a farewell letter.

Ryan also vowed to cease work at The Cardinal Cave:

"also it is kind of ridiculous to blog as i am a musician and anything i say here just gets reprinted at some point out of context. i say NOT FAIR but it doesn’t matter what i say anymore or what is fair anymore really does it- the 21st century media has it’s own rules about what is true and what is not. it is not a life- not one i want to live anyway and i don’t really care to participate in narcissistic over-indulgent behavior anymore- that was never my intention- i just wanted to fight for my right to make music and to be given the benefit of the doubt."

Now that part is totally understandable. But just to quell any disbelief, here is how he signed off:

"maybe we will play again sometime and maybe i will work my way back into some kind of music situation but this is the time for me to step back now, to reel it in and i wish everyone peace and happiness and if music is your dream, or if just dreaming is your dream, may you find your way through the rough patch with ease and i hope you let go and it takes you all the way there-

loving kindness to all.

R"


Weezer - Say It Ain't So

Bob Dylan - Baby Please Don't Go

Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Gone, Gone, Gone

I'm honestly speechless. Please comment.

13 comments:

  1. I can see how this might speak to a total withdrawal, but the reasons he cites would also support pulling back to a more toned-down performance styles, and sticking to solo, more acoustic performance -- that is, to treat the Cardinals as the end of an era. Having recently done research on tinnitus due to my own ear troubles, I can say that many, many musicians who have "hearing issues", from Neil Young to Pete Townshend, make that decision after a while.

    Here's hoping, anyway -- though I appreciate all his styles, I love Adams' quieter, less polished stuff the best, and would be okay with that as the primary output from here on in.

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  2. My initial reaction WAS excitement as i have secretly been hoping for a dissolution of The Cardinals for many of the reasons you mentioned. But from the looks of his post, it sounds like a complete stoppage - hopefully just a hiatus, though.

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  3. Statement seems to have been taken down, with a rueful comment from RA saying the sentiment stands although he was asked to alter the message...

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  4. Good eye. I checked earlier and all it said was "i like cereal."

    I guess I'm one of the many to blame for taking things out of context, but it was a little vague.

    Either way, I think it's great news, as after Cardinology, he needed to take a step back and re-evaluate his direction. Good things will come.

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  5. He's quiting 'cause he can't shake that nagging feeling that his "creative well" has dried up. And to these ears it appears that it has. Take that break Ryan, regroup and learn to write a song that means something once more.

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  6. he has meniere's disease.

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  7. My real question is whether you are going to start reviewing poetry here now as well?!

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  8. Vaughn, I can completely agree with that.

    As for your question CPS... I can't even say that I'm qualified to review MUSIC, much less literary works. But that doesn't mean I wont try. Infinity Blues is definitely strange, but I can already see that the majority of his creative muse went towards that and not Cardinology.

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  9. My initial reaction WAS excitement as i have secretly been hoping for a dissolution of The Cardinals for many of the reasons you mentioned. But from the looks of his post, it sounds like a complete stoppage - hopefully just a hiatus, though. ...

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