Although Ryan Adams' record label, Lost Highway Records, originally considered it commercially unviable, there are many things that make Love Is Hell (2004) a great alternative-country album. For one thing, it features a cover of the Oasis single, "Wonderwall," which even "amazed" Noel Gallagher. As a singer-songwriter, Ryan seems to draw his inspiration from the likes of Gram Parsons and Jack Kerouac, evident throughout this brilliant album. It's curious that Adams would release an album called "Love is Hell" at a time when his love interest was actress, Parker Posie, who even sang on Rock N Roll. The album also captured the attention of Dead bassist, Phil Lesh, who invited Adams to perform with the project, Phil Lesh and Friends Complete album tracks include:

1. Political Scientist 4:31
2. Afraid Not Scared 4:13
3. This House Is Not For Sale 3:53
4. Anybody Wanna Take Me Home 5:30
5. Love Is Hell 3:19
6. Wonderwall 4:08
7. The Shadowlands 5:18
8. World War 24 4:15
9. Avalanche 5:06
10. My Blue Manhattan 2:22
11. Please Do Not Let Me Go 3:35
12. City Rain, City Streets 3:47
13. I See Monsters 3:54
14. English Girls Approximately 5:40
15. Thank You Louise 2:50
16. Hotel Chelsea Nights 5:10

G. Merritt

An album I found myself surprised appreciating. Some of the songwriting is not spectacularly original, but Adams exudes charisma and helps personify a great deal of this diverse session. What strikes me is the range of vocals he employs throughout the disc, dabbling in many of rock's sub-genres and channeling their masters with absolute ease. The title track never stopped effecting from my first encounter with that chorus.

Ryan Adams is absolutely genius in this tour de force performance of painful emotions. I love pretty much every album he's put out, but this is possibly the best with Cold Roses very close by.

Loved him with Whiskeytown ... He's closing in on the brilliance he showed in his early 20's with "Love is Hell" album ...
Best tracks are:
"House is Not for Sale"
"I See Monsters"
"Hotel Chelsea Nights"
"Anybody Want to Take me Home"
Serious REM-like guitar melodies in this effort ...
You CANNOT go wrong buying any Ryan Adams album ... the man is easily the most compelling artist of our times ... a mantle that must weigh heavy on him , but bless him for his talent , and we wish him continued success...

I have listened to (and own) all of Adams' albums. Most are great but there are two magnificent standouts that I listen to most of the time when I am listening to Adams: "Gold" and "Love is Hell." The albums have different vibes and come from slightly different times in his career arc so they are not totally comparable other than their similar level of greatness, but I would even go so far as to say that this is Adams' best album in terms of what an album should be. If you define a good album as a single entity that you can listen to from start to finish and enjoy it throughout, and also something that has a cohesive flow throughout, then I think this album not only qualifies as that but also as Adams' finest hour.