This is Ryan's best album. I agree that in time this will be looked at as his masterpiece. There isn't one bad song on here. The only thing that keeps it from being perfect is the tempo of Beautiful Sorta doesn't really fit the rest of the album. Life is Beautiful is Adam's best song ever recorded.

Best Ryan Adams album hands down. This will be the one he will be remembered by when he is long dead. Timeless stuff folks.

A really beautiful album. There's not much more to say, except that Adams delivers in a manner that I haven't heard since Whiskeytown's second LP a decade ago.

Some of the best music in rock was made in a folksy revival in the late 60's and early 70's, as artists were simultaneously celebrating the free love era and coming to terms with its limits and dark underbelly. This time of tension and introspection produced albums like Music From Big Pink, Astral Weeks, the White Album, John Wesley Harding, Sweet Baby James, and American Beauty.

What's remarkable about Cold Roses is that Ryan Adams has not just listened to this music, he has inhaled it in spirit and substance (and inhaling is a pretty appropriate image for this album!). Yes, the songs are to some extent unoriginal, in the sense that they feature the kind of mimicry that Adams sings about in "Mockingbird." But the music he's imitating is wonderful, and he's excellent at capturing not just its free-form, jamnming sound, but also its haunting ambiguities.

Those who want straight country should skip this one, and maybe get Jacksonville City Nights instead. To enjoy and fully appreciate this album, you probably have to be a fan of the late 60's music that blended country, folk, and psychedelia. There's a reason Phil Lesh loves Ryan Adams: this is probably the best Grateful Dead studio album in decades--or it would be if only the Dead had recorded it.

The music on this CD is haunting and refreshing. Ryan and the Cardinals put together a nice ensemble of songs.

I wasn't always the biggest Ryan Adams fan, but I remember years before I bought Cold Roses a couple of friends catching a concert of his - one friend thanked the other for bringing her saying "it's good I got to see him now since he'll probably drink himself to death in a couple years." Well, despite his rock and roll lifestyle, he hasn't drank himself dead just yet, and part of the reason might be that Ryan Adams seems to be writing two songs for every drink he consumes. Cold Roses, a double disc (!) of alt-country tunes, is the best of the three (!!) albums Adams put out in 2005, and that's because, on the one hand, Adams clearly has talent to burn, but also because he's willing to turn whatever idea pops into his head into a conventional song structure, and luck was with him for most of Cold Roses' 18 songs. You can hear that sense of drunken and whimsical invention on songs like, for example, "Mockingbirdsing," an infectious song that makes the most of musta-been-brilliant-at-the-time lyrics like "Sing me what the lord was singing/ on the day he made the sky the color of the blues," or a rambling coming-to-at-7-in-the-morning number like "Meadowlake Street." Then, there are songs that are plain brilliant - "Let It Ride" or "Dance All Night" or "How Do You Keep Love Alive," any of which could be classics of its genre. They sit side by side with the songs that are a little more drunken and a little more inane ("Beautiful Sorta," "Sweet Illusions," "Cherry Lane"), but if there's one failing of Cold Roses, it's not Adams' wild ways, but his predictable ones. For all of its great creativity, Cold Roses suffers from aimlessness - for an album with the running time of this double disc, it's surprising that you could not use words to describe the album such as "sprawling" or "epic" or even "exhausting." The record ends in "Friends," a great sunset song as bittersweet as any of its kind, but you may feel at the end of it as though you've gone nowhere. As a collection of good to great songs, Cold Roses is amongst Adams' best work. As an album, it seems like just another night at the bar.

Ryan Adams seems to produce two types of albums. Either you get the dark, misunderstood soul who showed-up on Love Is Hell or the melodic pop smith who showed up on Gold. Since then each record I have by Adams has danced between those two worlds with mixed results, 29 for example seemed like a rushed, unfocused effort, Rock N Roll kept things blasting but was clearly not in Adams normal wheelhouse of style.

On Cold Roses, Adams and his backing band The Cardinals stretch out comfortably in his varied styles in one of the most engaging efforts of Adams career. This album is neither too up to seem unrealistic of whom Adams is as an artist nor too down to be off-putting with melancholy laced diatribes. Instead the heartfelt, lovesick soul who has shown up before is now easy to listen to as Adams allows the Cardinals to create a lovely and rich alt-country backdrop throughout Cold Roses, which allows Adams to not veer off the path into self-indulgent territory.

Cold Roses presents 18 mostly realized efforts. Songs like Let It Ride best showcase this as richly played guitar hooks blast the song off in the right direction while Adams rides the energy into interesting places. Dance All Night is another example, with the lyrics dancing between happy and sad creating a wonderfully melodic slice of life tune that does not seem cheesy, all of a sudden the Bob Dylan comparisons that were applied to Adams can now morph into Neil Young comparisons.

Throughout Cold Roses Adams seems to be in a comfort zone that makes the record feel more complete, like a vision has been met. Each side of the record creates two different feels, but yet still remain a believable package. Sweet Illusion on the first side seems to best capture the sparseness Adams was looking to achieve, while If I Am Stranger is an example of the warmth on the second album.

With the huge number of Ryan Adams records out there one might wonder what one is the best showcase of his talent. Considering his back and forth prolific personality, Cold Roses seems like the best bet to explore as it best showcases all sides of Adams as a performer without veering into sub-standard territory. On Cold Roses, both the dark soul and merry popster appears, but with the help of The Cardinals, Adams allows both sides of himself to shine.

Ryan Adams is a truely talented artist. Every album shows his depth in a variety of musical genres. His voice has an almost chameleon quality that lets him sound like a completely different artist from song to song. Influences from all over the musical spectrum show up in his music.

However....with the newly formed Cardinals, Adams seems to be harkening back to his Whiskeytown days. This album (and it's acutally a double album) has a much more alternative country feeling. This isn't a bad thing. He even adds to repetoire of musical diversity pulling from the Eagles (Easy Plateau) and Van Morrison (Dance all Night). I just personally think that he does his best work in the haunting melodies of albums like Demolitions, Gold, and Love is Hell. This is still a pretty good album and definately worth a buy for fans. This is the first of three albums he released in 2005. The flurry of work kind of shows and takes it's toll in this first one. The first half of this double album doesn't hold a candle to the second. I almost wish Amazon let you use half stars because the first half is 3 and the second a 4. All the real standout material like Easy Plateau, Let It Ride, If I Am A Stranger, and Dance All Night come from disc two. Don't let the mixed singles put you off. This is a good album with some real gems. Just don't expect Gold of Love Is Hell. Cold Roses is a very different album.

Chameleon, charlatan, poseur, genius, prolific, derivative, alt-country poster boy, drunken fool and careerist, these and many more titles have been foisted upon singer songwriter Ryan Adams. The amazing thing is that most carry quite a bit of truth! Adams does so many things to engage, or enrage music fans, that he is fast approaching Dylan's level of being an enigmatic artist.

Say what you will about his past work, COLD ROSES is by far his best outing to date. With the luxury of the best backing band of his career, The Cardinals, Adams comes up with a solid set of tunes that stray into Deadhead territory. The album visits the spirit of Garcia, Lesh, Weir and Company's highwater marks, AMERICAN BEAUTY and WORKINGMAN'S DEAD, with surprisingly good results.

Highlights are many, including DANCE ALL NIGHT, CHERRY LANE, MAGNOLIA MOUNTAIN, EASY PLATEAU and LET IT RIDE. For an artist who throws out a ton of material, often without an eye towards overall quality, this one is very consistent. The only weak moment that I can spot is the irritating, faux NY Dolls intro to the otherwise solid BEAUTIFUL SORTA. That he was able to follow this up with two solid albums (29 and JACKSONVILLE CITY NIGHTS) in the same year is amazing.

I would not go as far as saying that COLD ROSES is a classic, but to my ears, it's the first time that Adams has hit one out of the park. Yes, it's derivative, but overall it's a well played and written set, that shows potential turning into results. I hope that it's a sign of things to come.

a great, textured collection of music. it's almost too much to take in at once. listen to it several times, let the songs live inside you and you'll find that the music will open up and engulf you.

Prior to hearing Ryan Adams music I was a country music hater. Now that I've had the opportunity to enjoy this CD and others I have seen the error of my ways throughout the years. Seriously, I cannot say I will now flush out my music collection with a comprehensive country collection, but I will be open to purchasing a CD here and there.

Cold Roses is full of emotions joy, pain, sorrow, longing, and loss. Do a little research on Ryan Adams and you'll find a good deal of knowledge comes with this effort.

If you do not buy this CD G Godon Liddy will break your kneecaps!

This album is so great. I think Ryan Adams knows what works for him, and he sticks to it. In my oppinion, he never disappoints. I can see why this is titled Cold Roses. That has got to be the best song of both discs. Some other favorites of mine are "Sweet Illusions", "Beautiful Sorta", "Dance All Night", and "Let it Ride". I don't know what it is about Ryan Adams that makes his music so infectious. He is a wonderful artist, and I couldn't possibly love this album more.

2005 was quite a year for Ryan. He recorded 3 albums, 2 of which were considered brilliant by most, 1 of which (29) got more mixed reviews. I don't understand why the world at large has failed to hail "29" as the fantastic album that I believe it is, but at least pretty much everyone can agree that Cold Roses is magnificent.

Cold Roses picks up on territory that lies somewhere in between Heartbreaker and Gold. Roots country is evident as an influence everywhere, although much of the album is not necessarily alt-country in style. Once more, Ryan has shown maturity both in his guitar style as well as his singing voice, which is in fine form.

The album boasts a number of strong cuts, notably the magnificent "Let it Ride", "Magnolia Mountain", and "Friends". There are few missteps on the album, which is uniformly enjoyable. Even the weaker tracks will have you humming along and tapping your toes. If you are a Ryan fan, this album is a must. If you are new to Ryan Adams, this is possibly one of the best albums with which to start--it has a great selection of instantly memorable tunes, good singing, and plays to his strengths.

People complain that Ryan releases too much. I say Bravo, Ryan. What a find we have in him that someone so talented will show us so many sides of himself.

As a devout Ryan Adams fan, I didn't think he could exceed the level of brilliance he hit with Heartbreaker and even Stranger's Almanac (Whiskeytown). However, the album is clearly his finest work. It is starting to rank with Wilco's Summerteeth as the finest album I have ever heard.

Sweet Illusions, When will you come back home, Easy Plateau, If I were a stranger, and Cold Roses are simply incredible songs. Sweet Illusions is a song I think we have all been at. What a treat. I can't get enough of it.

Adams has a way of putting a twist on simple lyrics to give songs a deeper meaning that you can keep coming back to and finding new things. The way he describes feelings and emotions that you have but haven't verbalized or even put into thought is simply incredible. And while he does this on all his albums, Cold Roses reflects this act perfectly. I highly, highly recommend this album.

Easy going, melodic music. Touches of old Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Eagles. It is with the Cardinals that Ryan Adams is at his best in my opinion. 2 CD's for 12 bucks is a bargain. This set is worth much more!

There are bits and pieces of everyone's reviews that I can agree with. First of all, Ryan does need an editor. I am not a detractor of Ryan's work. The music world is much better off with Ryan than without. Rock needs him and so does country. However, you do kind of wonder when he will put it all together, and come up with, dare I say, a concise album? Secondly, when an artist gets too grandiose and writes more songs than humanly possible, he is in danger of producing crap as well as the good stuff(maybe all the crap is for the sake of the good songs). And Ryan Adams is most definitely guilty of this. That being said, this is a very good double album which, when it hits the mark, hits it dead center. Songs like Magnolia Mountain, Easy Plateau, and Dance all Night are beautiful expressions. The influences are definitely there but they blend. That's when the magic happens with Ryan. At any rate, Ryan equals risk(in more ways than one), and he is well worth the misses for the hits.

Perhaps it's the glory involved with releasing a double disc set. But, sometimes, no...most of the time - less is more. I think this is the case, because there isn't any changes in theme come the second disc- more of a continuation of uncertain love songs. That having been said- the first 9 tracks are solid, with a great part in each of them, which is rare- I wouldn't be quick to dismiss any of them- often with the hook coming later than sooner. Namely- Meadowlake Street, the best track on the album. Let it Ride, If I Am A Stranger, Dance All Night, Life is Beautiful, Friends, and Tonight keep the consistency of great melodies. Overall, this isn't a overt rock album- people like the alternative country tag- fairly accurate. I really like the album- it's more lay-back and that produces a genuine delight.

There's no word on what the significance of Ryan Adams' guitar, a Valdez snowtiger custom is, but one thing is for certain: From the opening track of disc 1, he's able to squeeze a wicked imitation of that distinct Jerry Garcia sound from it.

Both CDs contain echoes of "American Beauty", both in the sound of Adams' guitar and in his voice. I read one or two reviewers who said this isn't an ode to Jerry. If you have any doubt about that, just read the lyrics to "Rosebud". For the uninitiated, "Rosebud" was Jerry's favorite guitar, and, as Adams' sings in this poignant tribute to Jerry and his guitar, Rosebud now sits behind a glass case at the Rock n roll Hall of Fame in Ohio.

Unfortunately, only about half of the songs on these two CDs have that Jerry vibe, and as someone else wrote in a review, it would have made for a more consistent album if he had left only those on the CD, even if it meant 9 or 10 songs instead of 18 or 19.

If he'd done that, I would have given it 5 enthusiastic stars. The Dead influenced songs alone make for a worthy successor to American Beauty. In spite of the fact that about half of the songs here don't really belong, "Cold roses" is still definitely well worth buying.

Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, Wiskeytown, Bright Eyes, and Ryan Adams. I have to hand it to these wonderful artists who choose to undertake the very difficult task of adding to the Folk/Country landscape of the American sound. It's hard to create a song that sounds fresh yet familiar at the same time. One that is intimate and emotional that invites you to look at the artist's soul and challenging enough to get you to look at your own. Folk, country, and blues all have very simple structure and lots of limits. Of course Adams is going to sound like a ton of others. But the nuances of difference, the variations of a common theme that is at the heart of a given genre is what make his music his own. Perhaps it's just me, but I don't expect Ryan Adams to be anyone other than himself on his albums--as schizophrenic, cheezy, or imitative the result might be. Still good music in my humble opinion.

Perhaps this is why I do not view Adams' (or his contemporaries work) as constantly missing the mark. I love this album. I also love Adams' Rock-n-roll album as well. It serves its' intended purpose--the artist's vision--and does not pander to the audience. I don't expect an artist to constantly sound the same, in fact I would prefer they challenge themselves (and my ears) with each new undertaking. (I'd even give Adams' a listen if he tried his hand at jazz or rap just to see his perspective on these genres.) Then again it's always nice to hear him come back from his journeys and incorporate what he's learned into that which he is most familiar with. That's how I view this album--a synthesis of his stretch on the Rock-n-Roll album and his previously demonstrated mastery of the alt. country sound. While others criticize this as undermining his genuineness in his work, I see it a testament to his artistic integrity. Others see his lyrics as trite or lacking finesse, but I see them as simply poetic and poignant.

As a suggestion, check out Jackie Greene if you want to hear a "modern day Dylan". Awesome young cat from the Sacramento area. Just don't blame him when he chooses to switch up and rip out some amazing blues or traditional country. (Besides, Dylan was still alive and kicking last I heard, which would technically still make him the actual modern day Dylan.)

Compare this to any folk/traditional/rock masterpiece you've ever heard:
Blonde on Blonde
Beggars Banquet
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Astral Weeks
Music from Big Pink
American Beauty
Etc...etc...etc!
This is every bit as good!!!

i just dont understand, as if wilco wasn't bad enough. this guy's gotta go and beat it into the ground with a rubber mallet.

In the closing months of 2003, one of music's most prominent young songwriters released two drastically different, highly accredited albums before falling off stage and breaking his wrist while playing a show. At the height of his fame, the continually prolific, (and self-proclaimed "firecracker") Adams withdrew from the public eye for much of 2004 in order to get healthy, both physically and mentally.
At the end of a much needed year or so of peace, Adams' began touring with his new band, The Cardinals; playing moody, jam-oriented shows to sold out crowds hungry for new songs. Word began spreading in early 2005 that Adams had completed three new studio albums during his absence that would see release before the end of the year on Lost Highway records; the first of which was to be a criminally under-promoted double album entitled Cold Roses.
Before becoming a bona fide rock star in 2003, Adams' split his time playing county songs in old bars, busting band-mates heads, and writing candidly emotional songs with the proficiency of a sixties Bob Dylan. Although he did focus on diversifying his sound as his career progressed, Adams continued to be a childish ball of fire up until his (nearly) career-ending injury. With Cold Roses, Adams' reemerges as a thoughtful, mature songwriter; and for the first time in his career, a critical underdog.
Rather than writing a batch of songs and arranging them in the studio as per his usual methods, Adams and his touring band spent exhausting amounts of time perfecting their eighteen new compositions while on the road. The result is a timeless album saturated with subtle themes ranging from the vast American landscape, to death, loss, and of course, old time values and beliefs. Taking a less personal, more universal approach with his writing than usual, Adams and his band pay musical tribute to the distinct sounds of The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, ,and The Band while still maintaining their own brand of sun-drenched folk rock.
Spanning nearly eighty minutes over two discs, nearly all of Cold Roses is indispensable. From the dark epic of the highly visual "Magnolia Mountain," to the catchy (yet uncommonly eloquent) Carolina-country swagger of "Let It Ride," Adams has found more modes than ever to utilize his natural propensity for old-time rock music. "Easy Plateau," "If I Am A Stranger," "Dance All Night," and at least half a dozen more are all high points in Adams' ever-swelling catalog, thus making Roses conceivably his most accomplished compilation of songs to date.
With each new album he releases, you can always expect to also see a new manifestation of Ryan Adams: the ever-morphing rock n' roll eccentric. For allegiant fans who have long put up with him despite years of humiliating stunts and scandals, Roses is the ultimate pay-off. Seemingly matured and (finally) responsible for his tremendous talent, Adams has at long last released a complete masterpiece.
An album with peaks as high as Cold Roses only hits a few times in any given decade. Ryan Adams is right where he needs to be artistically; commercially underrated, yet without doubt, a top notch songwriter at the top of his game. While Roses might lose a chunk of the younger audience his last few albums have established, it should do it's part in winning back original fans and finally convince a good number of his older, skeptical critics that he's the real deal. Give Cold Roses a few unbiased listens-it might help you remember why you love music so much. I recommend this album over anything I've come across since Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album.

This is one of the best albums of this time period. It portrays one of the greatest stories of any cd I have ever listened to and that is alot. The lyrics are magnificent especially on Meadowlake Street. If you do not like this album I would like for you to sit down for about an hour and listen to the cd while you read the lyrics. If you still don't like it then do it again, and if you don't like it after that then you are probably just an idiot or musically challenged.

Bob Dylan is a hack, please stop comparing Ryan Adams to him before I puke all over. This album may suck, but it's no bob dylan . . . the one dylan cd I own doesn't even make a decent coaster.

I have ALL of Ryan Adams' music, including Whiskeytown. I've really liked (loved) some CDs and songs and rated him as one of my favorite artists. I was anticipating this CD and am very, very disappointed. It meanders all over the place, like how Ryan himself meanders all through a performance. I've seen Ryan perform live twice. Each time, I wonder if he even knows where he is. He reminds me very much of a friend of mine who has ADD. I often wonder if Ryan has ADD, but it's probably just the booze and drugs.

Ryan Adams is/was/might be a good song writer, good musician, or good singer. However, one CD after another simply meanders across a range of styles and emotions. I bought this CD, but will NOT buy Jacksonville City Nights or any others. After experiencing how he treats (mistreats) his fans at his concerts, I'd rather give my money to better musicians and better people. Check out Neil Young's Prairie Wind for a far superior artist and a much better person!!!

Ryan Adams is an engaging singer, an adequate lyricist and an obscenely talented crafter and arranger of music. The Cardinals are an excellent backing band. When they hit on all four of those cylinders ("Let It Ride", "When Will You Come Back Home","Meadowlake Street") the results are just wonderful. Overall the sound continues Adams' return to the alt.country of Whiskeytown from his early, poppier solo stuff. This is where Adams belongs in my opinion, writing music perfectly suited to his vaguely yearning lyrics and mournful voice. Which is not to say it's a perfect record. The Grateful Dead references sound suspiciously, almost commercially, tacked-on. Adams may like the Dead, but their inclusion seems more the product of artistic ego than creative voice. Also, the record's a bit long and samey; it would have been better with a couple of the less affecting ballads cut out. Still, it's the best thing he's done in a few years.

If you're looking for more upbeat Ryan Adams' songs like New York, New York....well, look elsewhere. This album is so mellow it's depressing.

So what in the world is Ryan Adams up to now? His albums have been all over the place musically and he practically changes identities with each and every release. There's the solo-singer songwriter-Bob Dylan-folky sounding "Heartbreaker", his most classic rock / alt country album "Gold", the 80's rock alt inspired "Rock and Roll" and the almost British sounding "Love is Hell", need I go on...... He continues to mimic new influences in "Cold Roses." Upon listening I wanted to immediately dislike this album. After listening time and time again I began to enjoy this collection getting past the initial shock. There are some knockout songs on this disc which no doubt is most definitely inspired by the Dead. To prove it, "Rosebud", a song on the second disc is a song about J. Garcia's guitar. "Magnolia Mountain", the opening song, is by far the most "Dead" influenced song on the album and jams on for a little too long. However, he strays from this GD theme and delivers tunes that sound more of the RA we all know. My favorites include the likes of "Friends", "Sweet Illusions", and "When will you come back home", all of which I could listen to repeatedly. This album is killer and totally proves that Ryan Adams is the most versatile and well rounded musician in today's society. People may state that this album is a "Grateful Dead" rip off, but I believe they are too quickly dismissing this amazing effort. He is totally capable of switching genres and styles and does it with so much ease it is truly remarkable. I hope the critics can look past the initial shock as I have and take this album for what it truly is, a collection of great songs backed by a great band. Way to go Ryan!! I can't give 5 stars but I would give 4.5 if possible.

Album crosses over quite a few genres. Not a country fan by any stretch of the imagination but this alt-country stuff is good. I have read numerous reviews about Ryan Adams concerts and concluded I am not a fan of him but love this album.

With everything else that is out there that I can't relate too
it was nice to hear a collection of songs that reminded me of time that died with the passing of Jerry Garcia. I can't offer a critique about how this stands up to Dylan , or what the "real" intentions are to all the Dead references that flower the album; all I know is I bought it because it sounded like something I just might be able to relate to and I am glad I did. Cold Roses has become my favorite CD and it gets a lot of air play around my house.My advice: If you are a Dead Head thirsty for something new , you just might like this album.

The Editorial review from Amazon...

Is that guy an intern who just finished High School or College and discovered he liked music a few years ago?

1. Dumb to compare contemeraries, unless they too are comparing themselves. Bright Eyes? Who cares what he does in relationship to Ryan Adams, save they are both marketable commodities that comparing them might improve sales. I don't personally see the comparrison.

2. Dylan got big in his own time too... Not a sell out though, but I agree with others, Dylan is Dylan, Adams is Adams... Why are we always doing that, "The next Hendrix", "The Next Dylan"? But to risk comparing, Dylan borrowed, emulated, and paid homage to his contemporaries and predicessors and so did most of the great musicians we remember (especially the "innovators"), and he was Dylan. So why is it suddenly a bad thing.

3. Most reviews I've read are really short-sighted and lack musical history. Something, that despite rumors of his ego, or whatever (since we aren't friends, and I only know that I like his music, I don't actually care about), Ryan Adams does not lack a sense of musical history. He can innovate and entertain (which is largely what music is about) and still play music with a sense of history.

This Album, to me shows off flavors of the Grateful Dead, early Neil Young, Roy Orbison, Graham Parsons, and many, many others (mentioned above and not). Innovators in country infused, bluegrass infused, American traditional or folk infused rock. It's new and certainly Ryan Adams' while being a bit of a "hats-off" to some great music. Some of the songs could be straight out of, for example a Grateful Dead songbook, while others could not be anything but Ryan Adams, and the Album as a whole certainly bears his calling card.

I think it's a great album, I have liked it very much as traveling music. But, I don't think it is retro, and I don't know about innovative, but it's certainly different from the last albums (as is his norm), and what else I know of going on in music, so I think that in itself is innovative (these days), not that it needs to be, to be good.

I certainly would recommend this album, and look forward to whatever he does next.

Ryan Adams is an overblown egomaniac. Ryan Adams is an underrated musical genius. Most listeners of his music fall into those camps, and the debate lives on. But one thing cannot be denied: Adams is a very good musician, and his brand of whiskey-soaked alt-country is in good form in "Cold Roses."

The two-disc album not terribly new territory, with echoes of "Heartbreaker," albeit more subdued. And as the first of three scheduled albums this year, with his new band the Cardinals, hopefully "Cold Roses" representative of what Adams is going to stick to in future. It's certainly what he's good at.

The songs here tend towards bluesy, midtempo rock, with countryish guitars and solid drums. The Cardinals are definitely a band that suit Adams' style, and they have a comfortable feel, as if they have been playing with him a long time. Songs like the gritty country song "Cherry Lane" are among the highlights of the album. There are also some slower, softer numbers like the poignant "How Do You Keep Love Alive," which balance out the more robust songs, and show the softer side of Adams' music.

Like many other two-disc albums, "Cold Roses" does suffer a little from double-disc syndrome, wherein some of the songs feel like they were put in to flesh out the tracklist. Fortunately, this is restricted to only a couple of songs. The majority of songs are strong and solidly written, with a well-worn sound like that of a comfortable slipper.

After a few years of experimentation -- through the deeply forgettable "Rock'N'Roll" and the lovely acoustic "Love is Hell" -- now Adams is back at his roots. The Cardinals are guitarists J.P. Bowersock, Cindy Cashdollar, bassist Catherine Popper, and drummer Brad Pemberton. They all do marvelously, especially since they are an experienced band, with prior work with people like Heather Nova, Hem, and past work with Adams himself.

Adams's voice is scratchier than in his past albums, but except for a few strained vocal moments, he sounds a bit world-weary but pleasant. He also gets joined by singer-songwriter/pianist Rachael Yamagata on three songs on the second disc, playing her instrument and lending her pretty voice to Adams' older, rougher one.

Bluesy country-rock is where Ryan Adams belongs, and he does well with his new band the Cardinals. Here's looking forward to Numbers 2 and 3 this summer and fall.

I have had myriad grateful dead albums and live cds and tapes come through my possession over the years. As an indie-rock fan and musician I'm supposed to be ashamed to say that. (!) Listening to the dead was, however, years ago, my window into the world of country, folk and bluegrass. Thankfully!

I also know a thing or two about Whiskeytown and have heard a smattering of Ryan Adams' solo stuff, accidentely saw him live a few years back in Texas...

Anyway. I must say, I'm a bit baffled as to why the Dead-like artwork, the roses and dancing bears, the "Magnolia" reference. So he likes the dead? Good for him. It makes me uncomfortable from the start, though, that he's appropriated bits of their iconography for "Cold Roses". It makes me highly suspicious. Yes, it gives me the creeps.

This is, however, clearly an "alt-country" album. There are a few songs (soloing in "Easy Plateau", "Rosebud", some whole-band riffs in "Magnolia Mtn.", the "High Time" & "Wharf Rat" references in "Cold Roses" for instance) that seem to bear any MUSICAL resemblance to the dead, and it's strange because they seem grafted artificially onto Adams' alt-country sound, like, oh, i dunno, like a 12-year-old kid in 2005 trying to look casual wearing a Led Zeppelin 1972 tour t-shirt.

LYRICALLY? I'm not sure, I find it difficult to dip my toe into that pool when lyrics like
"She rattles my cage like a thuderstorm"
cloyingly jump out at me. There may, conceivably, be some tributes to Robert Hunter in there but the water's too cold for me. Why, I wonder. Why?

Think about Elvis Costello's "King of America" album. In it he paid tribute to all that was "Americana" in music to him. "Costello does America" made a lot more sense than "Adams does The Dead." You're much better off not thinking too much with this record, though. It seems to beg to be part of your cross-country car trip.

Looking through these reviews I was surprised how long it took before I saw that someone wrote this:
"It's like someone sucked all the spooky ethos out of Chris Isaac and shoved a lap steel player into the studio with him."

Funny! I was playing this album and my girlfriend walked into the room and, after listening for a spell, said "Is this Chris Isaak?" And on at least half the songs, boy do I hear Isaak's voice! Is that how Adams sounds on his other albums? I hadn't noticed it before.

I want to like this album, and I'd agree with many that it should be a single-disc, ~12 song album. It could be pretty strong. The playing is solid and effective throughout. I disagree with those who say it's overproduced.

Is Ryan Adams one of those good-looking confident guys from high school who write terrible poetry but deliver it with such earnestness that all the girls swoon? Discuss.

i don't know how he does it. great album after great album. he's got two more coming out this year, does he sleep. he writes so many songs though he would come out with more than three every year if his label would let him. this one could please any of the people's paticular style of ryan. all of his albums are mixed together in one on this one and i love it. i love the fact that he's so diverse ans has different styles. that's part of what makes him great. he's all the types of music i like- rock, folk, punk, country , and blues.

Will the real Ryan Adams please stand up. This might just be the album alot of people have been waiting for. Past efforts of his have been fairly different and rather spotty, but "Cold Roses" is no doubt alt-country, and is very consistent. In fact, I don't know how obvious it is, but I detect a huge Grateful Dead influence on this album, on everything from the song titles, to the artwork, and of course the music. Actually when I saw him recently I think he admitted that. I also think the Cardinals are a great band, and I hope they can tolerate him for awhile. Not every track here is a winner, but this is well worth it for "Magnolia Mountain", "Sweet Illusions", "When Will You Come Back Home?", "Cold Roses", and the great "Let It Ride". It's all good though. With this album, a cup of coffee, and a cool fall morning, it's clear that "Life Is Beautiful".