Although it doesn’t quite match the frantic energy of the unfortunately prophetic “New York, New York”, this latest effort from RYAN “not Bryan” ADAMS’ magnum opus “Gold” is still pretty cool.
“Answering Bell”, typically, works via ADAMS’ NOEL GALLAGHER-esque barefaced creative breaking and entering. In this case – as MJ so cogently pointed out recently – the intro and closing figure are casually pilfered from THE BAND’S “The Weight.”
However, “Answering Bell” is pretty damn fantabulous in its’ own right. It’s got that down home, funky, mid-paced lope that’s tough to kick, whilst both ADAMS’ surprisingly neat banjo plucking and BUCKY BAXTER’S sighing pedal steel swiftly get you onside. Ryan’s star-studded address book also includes master keyboard alumnus (and HEARTBREAKER) BENMONT TENCH, whose reliably excellent Hammond organ solo shifts “Answering Bell” up a further gear.
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ADAMS himself would probably admit some of the attention he’s been getting since the release of “Gold” has gone ridiculously off the scale and this reviewer finds all the hoo-hah surrounding his alleged “covers” album of STROKES material actually quite nauseating, especially as his own material urinates over the runty New Yorkers from a very great height indeed.
However, when you strip away the bullshit and let him get on with what he does best, RYAN ADAMS delivers. “Answering Bell”, ahem, answers his detractors in fine style.
(TIM PEACOCK)
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