Last week was the three year anniversary of the release of Cold Roses, which is among Ryan Adams' magnum opuses - an 80 minute double album packed with songs both instantly lovable and which grew more impressive over many listens. For reasons unknown to me, I've been thinking about the song Now That You're Gone a lot lately; it's one of those songs that comes to me sometimes when I haven't heard it in a long time. What struck me in re-watching the Austin City Limits performance from the fall of '05 is the restraint in the arrangement - the song could be a fist-pumping ballad with some more dramatic drumming and maybe a louder electric guitar. The chorus can sustain it - I definitely throw an arm in the air when singing it - but Ryan keeps it subdued and the song is better off for it.
As a bonus, another one that's been on my mind lately - Ryan and the Cards' cover of Alice in Chains' Down in a Hole. I was there the first time they busted it out, and it was a stunning experience - first that they were actually covering Alice in Chains, and second how well it worked. Let's just say Ryan can emotionally take on Jerry Cantrell's lyrics.
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