This is an amazing album. Ryan Adams, one of the most prolific songwriters of our generation, and dare I say a musical genius has some great tracks on this album, including "Two", "Tears of Gold", "The Sun Also Sets", and "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old". The entire album flows incredibly well, and I love that unlike many mainstream artists that stack their best songs at the begininning of the album, Adams clearly puts a lot of thought into song order, and making a cohesive album to begin with, making the entire album a joy to listen to.

Buy "Easy Tiger" and "Follow the Lights" .. these two works go together perfectly ... Enjoy!
Ryan is Americana music personified ... Bravo !

This album has some great tracks--"Two," "Everybody Knows." and "Halloween Head" offer many different sounds of Adams in back-to-back-to-back songs. The rest of the album is so-so.

I still think Heartbreaker, Gold, and Cold Roses are the three best Adams albums.

Tracks Two and Three are amazing. The rest is just pretty good. I guess this is why people prefer itunes?

Love this album. I love Ryan Adams. The only song that disappointed me was "These Girls" which is a remake/redo of "Here there Mrs. Lovely" which i prefer(it's a few years old). The new lyrics just caught me off guard. Some gems on this album, much more commercial than say, rock-n-roll and even Heartbreaker, but a nice collection of music, reflecting Mr. Ryan Adams today.

Perhaps I was a little too harsh when I gave Ryan Adams and the Cardinals' album Cold Roses a three-star rating. The problem I had with that album was that Ryan's voice sounded completely different on every track. And his vocals sound a bit different on Easy Tiger as well, but fortunately he keeps things consistent.

This is another one of those albums that features songs that are short and sweet, as most of them barely pass the three-minute mark. Still, there are highlights aplenty, like "The Sun Also Sets", "These Girls" and "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old". Breakup songs also impress, like "Two Hearts" and "Rip Off". "Tears of Gold" and "Two" are also pretty decent.

If it weren't for the questionable two-in-a-row of "Halloweenhead" and "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc", I could have given this album five stars. This also isn't as hard as previous efforts, so don't expect to find another "New York, New York" on here. But it should still be easy for listeners to capture this tiger.

Anthony Rupert

In spite of personnel and style changes, Ryan Adams continues to impress on this release. Have a few cold ones, turn it up loud and have fun Tiger.

Good but I think it misses Ryan on his real talents.
Marvelous songwriter, but don't see much of it here..come on...
"guitar solo!"
Marvelous guitar player but I miss the guitar licks like on Love is Hell.
So it feels kinda poppy, feels a little bit country, feels kinda rock...but
Nothing edgy, just a good listen.

Be careful of what you ask for is an age-old word of wisdom, and I think it applies to the career of Ryan Adams. For years I have hoped that the uber-productive Adams would bear down and focus on a single CD that would bring all his many talents to the fore. Well, that seems to be what has happened with his latest release, EASY TIGER. He has delivered a lean album of songs playing to his many, strengths, but once again one is left with a feeling of better luck next time.

That being said, EASY TIGER is a pretty good album when you get down to it. It's just not what I had hoped would be the result. At first in fact, I was greatly disappointed when I gave it a listen. It seemed too polished and very little stood out, unlike his previous work, which contains a classic or two each. Extra time however revealed a solid album that featured a more mature, emotional version of songwriting from Adams. The big highlight is the thumping HALLOWEEN HEAD, a simple rocker that I dare anyone to play just once. It's one of those songs that get stuck in your head and just won't come out. Other highlights include the gentle PEARLS ON A STRING, a timeless sounding TEARS OF GOLD, OFF BROADWAY, EVERYBODY KNOWS and the opener GOODBYE ROSE. His backing band the Cardinals provide solid, low-key backing throughout. I have a feeling some of these songs would really soar in a live setting

So until the next year (or next month, Ryan is a very prolific guy), EASY TIGER will have to do. Overall this does not measure up to what I think are his best works, COLD ROSE or HEARTBREAKER. This would not be a bad place for someone beginning to explore the music of Ryan Adams, though I would strongly point anyone to the previous records mentioned. I do recommend giving this several listens before making a judgment, as it slowly unfolds to share its wealth.

I bought this CD after reading many favorable reviews.
There are 2 songs that I really like and every other song to me sounds funky and some of the songs sound like country music to me. I am very disappointed in this purchase.

Lot of good songs on this release - fairly mellow, and Ryan Adams voice is really soothing on most cuts. Would recommend this along with Cold Roses and Love is Hell - sort of reminds me of mid-70's Poco or Pure Prairie League. Good stuff.

I think I've stumbled onto something here.

Like most people who have adored the masterpiece that is "Steve McQueen" by the UK's PREFAB SPROUT for over 20 years, the re-issued "Legacy Edition" Remaster of April 2007 has been squarely lodged in my CD player for months now. And like most people, Paddy McAloon's nine beautiful acoustic reinterpretations on CD2 have been working their magic on me to a point where I'm raving about them to any fool who'll listen!

Then I bought the above - the new album from the mighty Ryan Adams - "Easy Tiger" - and it's a little gem too. The reason I mention these two things together is because I've made up a playlist of the best tracks from both albums - and mother of God! - is it a gorgeous listen! I'm not sure why, but it 'so' works.

I've placed the run of tracks as follows:

1. Appetite (Acoustic Version)
2. Two
3. Bonny (Acoustic Version)
4. Everybody Knows
5. Desire As (Acoustic Version)
6. Halloweenhead
7. When Love Breaks Down (Acoustic Version)
8. Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
9. Faron Young (Acoustic Version)
10. The Sun Always Sets
11. Moving The River (Acoustic Version)
12. Two Hearts
13. When The Angels (Acoustic Version)
14. These Girls

Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 are PREFAB SPROUT
Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 are RYAN ADAMS [Track 2 has backing vocals by SHERYL CROW]

Try this playlist on your PC/Mac database, if you've got both albums on there - or buy the tracks via download. I swear, but it's just the best listen I've heard in years. The polish of the newly recorded Acoustic Versions matches beautifully the live feel Adams gets on his recordings - the UK meets the USA in a stunning songwriters showcase.

Not exactly a review I know, but try it!

Because I have tried. Part of my brain knows that this album should be a 4 star album, in no small part because it contains the only Ryan Adams song that completely rubs me the wrong way, "Everybody Knows." But damned if I didn't hear it come on the radio the other say and have to listen to it all the way through. And damned if that line "everything's changing so how am I to know/how I'm going to hold on to you when I'm spinning out of control" didn't pierce me. Likewise, I know that "Rip Off" is not a well written song, but his performance of it sells me in a way that Steve Earle couldn't on the equally lackluster "Sparkle and Shine." And I know that there should not possibly be a way for someone to pull off a song where the chorus is literally the line "Oh my God, whatever, et cetera," but Ryan makes it one of the most beautiful and compelling songs of the year. Ryan is less an artist and more a force of nature in which the laws of music, seemingly, do not apply.

One word: AMAZING.
Buy this CD. You will listen to it over and over and over again.

This album is his best work yet.
I played it over and over and it never ceases to amaze me.
Way to "pony up" Ryan! I am astounded and blown away which is not easy.

This is on balance my favorite Adams cd, not because it has his best individual songs---those can be found mixed in on 3 or 4 other cds, but because it is easily his most consistent. This is an album of 3 grade A songs and most of the rest A- with perhaps 1 or 2 B+. In other words, you will not skip a song to get to another. I'm reminded of The Beatles consistency on Rubber Soul. Very pleasurable and extra credit for him saying "guitar solo" before the guitar solo on Halloween Head. Production is not nearly as good as on "Gold" (Ethan Johns) which was almost as real as vinyl, as the highs here can be a little screechy and prominent, but not enough to detract from the very solid songs.

I became a fan of Adam's music in 2006 with my initial exposure being to his Cold Roses album. I liked it so much I bought all of his other albums as well. The only one I don't care for is "Gold", but beyond that I have a ton of his material on my iPOD. Easy Tiger is initially bland but as you continue to expose your ears to the album there are subtle elements in the music and lyrics which really grab you. "These Girls" is a great song sounding Dylanesque in it's simplicity and personally one of my all time favorite Ryan Adam's songs. Other good songs include "Two", "I Taught Myself to Grow Old", "Halloween Head", "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.", "The Sun Also Sets", and "Rip Off". For the record: With somebody like Ryan Adam's with so much potential, people often set lofty and unrealistic expectations. For those who complain this is not up to par with this album or that album I'd say IF you take each album as it is without any expectation of it sounding like another it is easy to like this album. Ryan likes to experiment and I personally very much appreciate that about him. Bob Dylan also was the subject of great criticism in his day too.

Ryan Adams is obviously one of if not the best songwriter around. I love this CD and recommend it highly as it has good variety, good dynamics, interesting lyrics and all you could want for a good listen that gets better with time.

Not his best, but still good. The whole album meshes well, with particular songs standing out. Don't hesitate to buy. If you like Ryan Adams then you will like this album, nothing groundbreaking but vintage Adams.

This is a great album. I wasn't a huge fan of "29", which was creative but not really what my ears wanted to hear. "Cold Roses" was my favorite of the latest releases and this seems to draw back to that style with a few Whiskeytown hints. Anyone who is an alt-country fan also needs to take a listen to The Everybodyfields. Some of the best harmonies I have heard!

Much has been made of Ryan Adams' recently found sobriety. Whether he's really sober, and if so, whether that has anything to do with his and the Cardinals' rock solid, much more consistent, and massively jamming live shows over the past 6 months, is anyone's guess.

He's given the Easy Tiger songs a real workout live. Many sound like they were written around the "Cold Roses" sessions. In both the studio versions of these songs, as well as live, Adams continues to channel Jerry Garcia and Neil Young. Like those two mentors, Adams also relies heavily on the hippie country music of Gram Parsons (trivia: Parsons and Adams share a birthday). On "Easy tiger", he also outcroons Bono.

Several critics have acclaimed this as his best and most consistent album yet. There's one or two duds here (halloween head?), but with Easy Tiger, he's one step closer to that five star classic record.

For me, this is the album that it sounds like a complete band making really good songs.....yeah, there's Magnolia Mountain off of Cold Roses and that's an awesome song (one of my favorites), but my favorite off his old albums is I See Monsters off of "Love is Hell"...just Ryan by himself....I guess it's like I'll be into acouple of the full band songs off of older albums, , but on this album I'm really into ALL the full band songs, .....and this album has a really fun one, "Halloweenhead"...I always smile when I listen to this song, because it just has good memories for me.....I got this album the week it came out and have listened to it pretty much straight to the present.....really good....live on songs like Goodnight Rose they really outdo the studio version and the studio version is really good....if you've never bought a Ryan Adams cd before I must recommend this one....it's easily worth the 9.99 they're selling it for off of amazon......just really good music

Generally a strong album, although not very cohesive IMO. Does that equate to diverse? Maybe...

One pet peeve... On Track 5, Oh My God, Whatever, Etc...

Listen closely. He mispronounces et as eck... Was his producer sleeping, or did they bring this pronunciation foible to his attention, and he decided to leave as is??? Some would say this adds "character" to the song. To me it's like nails on a chalkboard.

Halloweenhead's a great tune though...

2005 was a crazy year. It just doesn't seem sane to put out 4 albums (Cold Roses was a double) in 12 months. Some of the material was great but some showed the effects on quality of such a prodigious year. 2007 is the exact opposite. One mid-year album of well written, played, and produced material. Easy Tiger doesn't contain the greatest songs Adams has ever done. You'll find brighter jewels on Gold or Cold Roses. But this is the most consistent, well produced, and well polished album he's ever done. For fans this is great. For the rest of you, give it a try. This isn't a hard rockin' anthem album or a slow twangy county record. It's a well paced and well put together musical journey by one of the best and still most underrated artists in music today. Turn it on in the car or sit back on the couch with a good drink and soak it all in.

Here's the track by track breakdown:

1. Goodnight Rose: Solid intro. This track exemplifies the merger of styles from Ryan Adams' past into a new unclassified sound.
2. Two: This is the best song he's written in quite a while. The experiences, pain, and self-loathing going into this track are evident in every line. The only problem is that at 2:38 it's way too short, which is my main complaint for the whole album!
3. Everybody Knows: Great slow tune exploring the emotions of onesided relationships when everyone knows, including you.
4. Halloweenhead: This is a nice rockin' tune. I just can't get over the title/chorus. I get what he's saying and it's great symbolism but it just doesn't fit. At least to me.
5. Oh My God, Whatever, etc.: Another tune of women, wanting, and whatever. As a romantic at heart I can really appreciate it.
6. Tears of Gold: Nice and twangy. Country-haters beware. Music lovers, enjoy.
7. The Sun Also Sets: Not as much vocal range on this ablum but this track take's Adams' amazingly dynamic voice in an interesting direction.
8. Off Broadway: Not my favorite.
9. Pearls on a String: Bluegrass from heaven!
10. Rip Off: Another wistful and wanting melody that I could do without.
11. Two Hearts: This could have come right off of Love is Hell. A nice heartfelt pop tune.
12. These Girls: A great "cold roses-esque sound".
13. I Taught Myself How To Grow Old: I love a song that starts out with a good harmonica. Tom Petty, John Mellancamp and Springsteen can all do it well and so can Ryan Adams. This track gives a window into what the last two years toward sobriety have been like. Adams continues to wear his soul on his sleeve.

Recommendation: A little something for everyone.

I LOVE this cd! I have to admit though, it took a couple of listens to really reel me in. Once it hooked me, man it hooked me! There is just something about Ryan Adams...I know he's a bit kooky sometimes, but he is one amazing singer/songwriter - by far one of the best of our time. Do yourself a favor and get this cd!

I bought Ryan Adam's older cd, "Gold", I liked that one, but it just didn't catch me the way this one does. It seems like he really found his musical calling on this one. The first song, "Goodnigt Rose" shows off his wonderful old country sounding voice, but yet his music still isn't really country. It's hard to categorize him and that, I think, is his appeal. Of course the radio single "Two" is a great song too, and followed by many more. I love it.

When I first listened to Easy Tiger, I though it was over-produced and, as a fellow reviewer noted, awesome by normal radio standards but average for Ryan Adams. Then, I did two things to gain some perspective on the album. I went to see Ryan live in promotion of this album and I read the one page expose on Easy Tiger's production in Rolling Stone. Ryan belted out a number of tunes form this album at the show and they sounded incredible. I popped the album back into my player and gave it a few more listens. Just like with JCN, this album grew on me immensely. It -is- a bit over-produced, but Ryan's vocal phrasings and the Cardinals' melodic hooks put it leagues above any other 'heavily produced' top 40/rock album. The lyrics are incredible (as always) and seem more interesting after hearing about the singer's travails in the RS story. This album is definitely not as loose at the last three, but it is still the Cardinals and still has that seventies acoustic rock vibe. As to a previous reviewer's comment that listeners wouldn't find themselves humming any tunes off this album, I can't get the cheesy, butt-rock influenced, drug rocker Halloween Head out of my head. It is really becoming a problem... :)

I love Ryan Adams, this guy is a genius and his work with The Cardinals is beyond impressive, especially live. So, it's a wonder that on his current tour, he's only playing about two tracks from this album - why Ryan?? This is a great album. My favourtie tracks are Halloween Head and Two as well as Oh My God, Whatever, Etc. This album is a bit darker, and a little less country than Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights. Adams seems to be reassessing life in the wake of his kicking his drug addiction, and I guess life might seem a bit darker without artificial help - but at least Ryan is alive. Who needs another "almost legendary" rock'n'roll singer die before his prime? Let's hope Ryan Adams sticks around to truly fulfill the greatness that we all know is in him. There are more than glimpses of it here - he has almost made it. I would've liked to have given him 5 stars for this, but am reserving that rating for the truly GREAT album that is in him somewhere. Take your time Ryan, there's no rush. We'll wait for you! Peace.

i am a big fan of ryan adams...however, i wasn't as pleased with this album as i had hoped. don't get me wrong - It is a good album...but honestly i only love about 3 of the songs.

A return to his country roots. A little twangy. Reminiscent of Willie Nelson. But extremely listenable. Grows on you with every listen. Best work in the last three years.

Easy Tiger is a great album. I wish Blue Hotel was on there though!!!!

loving ryan adams is like being friends with an ex. it's the right thing to do but damn what a ride. i am a RA fan so anything he does will touch me. his ability to take a ballad and rock it out is quite creative (ala jeff buckley). what's his fascicnation with "rose"? Anyone?

I like the songs "everybody knows" as well as "two hearts" and "tears of gold", but I still feel like Ryan Adams has not hit his peak yet. Whiskey vocals are there and some American back roads atmosphere that give you that lost, wandering feeling.

I first started to listen to Ryan with the CD "Whiskeytown" and have enjoyed almost every song has has done. Easy Tiger is a somewhat accessible album but at times I feel it is lacking, there is just something missing. The songs are well written, wonderful in fact but I just think that the overall sound is a little too meandering and could use a good punch somewhere.

I think it would not be career suicide if this young man got a different producer, or perhaps even brought in a famed blues or electric guitarist to cameo on a song or two. Something to mix up the monotony, because overall I feel this album kind of crawls along and at times gets a bit repetitious

the last couple albums with the cardinals didn't excite me & left me longing for his earlier sound. on this album, he's done a great job on blending the pre and post cardinals sounds and i've enjoyed the album since the first listen.

Easy Tiger is Ryan Adams at his very best. One of the criticisms people throw at Adams is his inability to deliver consistent albums, i.e. there is always the odd throwaway track, Well, no longer. This album is consistently strong all the way through. Not just strong but beautiful in a laconic, sweet, grown up way. I guess its a bit Neil Young meets Josh Rouse, but not since Cold Roses has he delivered such brilliance and I'm sorry all you Heartbreaker fans but this set is way superior, more melodic, less intense and self conscious. Its Ryan finding his happy place. (music not lyrics) Best tracks are the lovely "Tears of Gold" and the closer "I taught myself how to grow old", but in reality they are all very good. The muscianship is absolutely first rate. I'm biased because Neal Casal is in the band which immediately means the album, for me is worthy of Demi-god status.

Stylistically its a blend of his early country stuff with (Pearls on a String)reminiscent of his work with Welch & Rawlings. Also Country Rock (Two)

What gets me is his ability to deliver so much in such a stripped down framework. In terms of storytelling, guitar licks, cord changes and textures.

The key thing here is that the album has no dud tracks, we're talkin 13 fabulous tracks, compelling, clever, personal, sometimes obscure lyrically (Two and Halloween Head)but end result an amazing album. An album that for me is really defining Adams sound. It really makes you wanna go back and listen to the early albums.


Adams fans will buy it, but it should be the album which breaks him through to the next dimension, but probably won't.