Ryan Adams’ sophomore breakthrough from 2001 remains a masterwork – and this limited-edition vinyl release contains four bonus tracks.
Ryan Adams has had a career of ups and downs, both personally and professionally. Each of his records has been filled with struggle, heartache and hope – and his 2001 album, Gold, is one of the highlights of his career. It has some of Adams’ most up-tempo tracks, such as Firecracker, Gonna Make You Love Me, and New York, New York – along with the sombre When The Stars Go Blue and the hauntingly beautiful La Cienega Just Smiled.
This particular issue was a promotional-only release in the US, limited to just 1,000 numbered copies. It is pressed on red-and-blue coloured vinyl to match Old Glory, which adorns the sleeve. This version is very rarely seen, as anyone who has a copy struggles to let it go, and rightfully so. But if you do see one on the market, a mint-condition copy will cost you up to £300.
The added bonus of the vinyl copy is that you get four extra tracks that were unavailable at the time, having been left off the commercial CD release. Adams’ original intent was for Gold to be a double album, but his label, Lost Highway, had other ideas. The four tracks, including the excellent Rosalie Come And Go and Cannonball Days, were included only with initial CD pressings.
Ultimately, Gold turned Ryan Adams into the star he is today. His sound may have taken many twists and turns since, tackling heavy metal under the name Orion and releasing his own version of the Taylor Swift album, 1989, but Gold remains a touchstone of modern Americana.
Glen Bushell