Everybody Knows EP [Single, EP]

I'll openly admit it - I'm a voracious fan of Ryan Adams and his superb song writing - not to mention The Cardinals who seem to play a blinder on everything they touch! So I legged it into my local HMV this a.m. 19 Nov 2007 - day of release - and bought this EP with the grin of a child let loose in a sweet factory! And I'm pleased to say - it's a quiet little peach. In fact, I suspect this limited edition will garnish cult collectability almost immediately.

"Everybody Knows" is from the "Easy Tiger" album of earlier this year and is the same as the album track - so no surprises there. It's a beautiful tune and hopefully it will get airplay for the great album it came from. But then we get 7 bonuses, two new songs and five more 'live in the studio' versions of older songs.

"Follow The Lights" and "My Love For You Is Real" are the `new' songs. "Follow" is good, but hardly great, while "Real" is just gorgeous - brilliant - I'll be playing it to buggery for days!

On to the 5 live. "Blue Hotel" first appeared on Willie Nelson's "Songbird" CD of 2006 (he covers the Fleetwood Mac track from Rumours - hence the album title). Adams wrote it for Nelson and the album project, produced the CD and The Cardinals are the backing band on the track (see my review for further details). It's probably his best `outside' song not officially on any of his own albums. Adams also featured "Blue Hotel" to spectacular effect on the recently aired BBC 4 Sessions program - where the audience cheer was loud and heartfelt. It's fantastic at last to hear his own version - and it's graced with Jon Graboff's beautiful pedal steel guitar work throughout. I can't make up my mind, which version I prefer actually, both are superb. This is a MUST OWN for any fan.

Next follows a cover version and a great choice it is too. "Down In the Hole" is on 1992's "Dirt", the second album from Alice In Chains (written by Jerry Cantrell). It's rockin' in that Cardinals countrified kind of way - a definite highlight on this disc.

"This Is It" was co-written with Johnny T and first appeared on the Ryan Adams "Rock N Roll" album from 2003. The version here is a softer `unplugged' take on the song and is actually a cool reworking of the hard rocking original. "If I Am A Stranger" originally appeared on the first of the 2005 trilogy, the 2CD set "Cold Roses" (May 2005). Again the pace is slowed down and given a softer more acoustic treatment - bringing out the lovely melody buried in the original.

"Dear John" originally turned on up "Jacksonville City Nights" (Sept 2005), the second in his trilogy of 2005 releases. The original version featured NORAH JONES to superb effect on duet vocals (it's also co-written with her), but this version is just Ryan on his own. It's a great song and one that probably got unfairly lost on that album, hence I suspect why he's returning to it here - and why he features it so much in the live sets. It's a good way to end the EP - on a high note - with a real song.

It's not all genius of course, but for me, even his second best is a better listen than most of the bilge I'm told I should like. Bluntly - Ryan Adams and The Cardinals have produced better quality on a throwaway end-of-year EP than more bands do on an entire album. And that's cause to celebrate.

Buy this now while you can. I envy you the journey.

This EP acts as a companion to this year's 'Easy Tiger', but is just as good as a stand-alone disc. In fact, it clocks in just a few minutes short of 'Easy Tiger's 40 minutes so in terms of value for money, this is definitely worth it.
The version of 'Everybody Knows' is the same as the album version so the new material starts from track two, 'Follow the Lights'. This track is light and breezy, not one of his best but it's okay. 'My Love For You is Real' too, is not going to blow you away, though it's good, with the same light feeling as 'Follow the Lights'.
Where the EP really kicks off is on the live in studio tracks. The disc really captures the feeling of the Cardinals at the moment, mellow and easy. 'Blue Hotel' is a live staple, but this is as close to a studio version as we'll get since Ryan gave the song to Willie Nelson for his 'Songbird' album. Both 'This Is It' and 'If I Am a Stranger' put a different spin on their album versions, giving a slower, more introspective and sentimental version than the upbeat album tracks. 'Down In a Hole' and 'Dear John' both highlight how good the trade-off between Ryan and Neal's vocals are, 'Dear John' especially. Their voices complement each other perfectly. 'Down In a Hole' is a nice surprise too; Alice in Chains fans are probably sceptical, but Ryan does the song justice. He puts so much emotion into his vocal performance, and though it's not better than the original, it keeps the essence of the AIC version and adds a tinge of alt-country.
The EP is excellent, both in terms of musicianship and sound quality, but I've given it a four because there's only one new track here. 'My Love For You is Real' is an old, old song, and obviously the in-studio tracks are old too. Having a recorded version of 'Blue Hotel' and 'Down In a Hole' is brilliant though. If you like your music slow and mellow then this is a fantastic disc and well worth the £5 asking price.

I have just recently started to appreciate Ryan Adams- I bought Heartbreaker last year and liked the earthy feel of that album and was reminded of Dylan. It wasn't until I saw the BBC sessions recently I realised what a great songwriter he is. He also has a great range both vocally and musically - some of the melodies are both intricate and beautiful, and he has a great stage presence too. This EP was the next step for me and its a steal at this price. Subtle melodies, great performances from the band and above all lyrics that take you someplace different. The highlights for me are If I Am a Stranger and My Love for You is Real, both of which take their time but are real growers. Dear John, also on the BBC sessions is here in a similar acoustic arrangement which is sedate - every note every chord, is played with meaning. There is not a weak track on this EP, and I can't wait to explore the rest of his music. The depth of his writing crosses genres and I'm amazed he has passed under my radar for this long.