RYAN ADAMS AND THE CARDINALS, "Color Bars" [imagined LP]

 

According to reddit: '[YouTube user] Future posted "Heartbreaker", "Anything But No" and "Juliette" but then removed it after Ryan's management requested that it and the (amazing) Rat Classics 2 tracks be removed.' These are leftovers from 'The Complete Easy Tiger Sessions (2006-07); a few appeared in some form on Easy Tiger; most belatedly included on the 2010 release of III/IV (the band had four different albums at one point). "The Rat Classics 2 tracks are, I think, from August 06 or later in the Easy Tiger sessions," quote from reddit user Disink. Thank you to the OP, Adamamericana (no relation, lol) and graciousfew for the info! 

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

COLOR BARS  (2006)

Contains early mixes of songs
from Easy Tiger and III/IV.

1. Anything But No
2. Heartbreaker
3. Gracie+   [III / IV]
4. Roach Heaven
5. These Girls
6. Juliet (aka "Color Bars")
   
7. Typecast  (with Norah Jones)
8. The Crystal Skull 
9. Stop Playin’ with My Heart+    [III / IV]
10. Halloween Head+    (edited for Easy Tiger)    
11. Turns It Up to Ten (a.k.a. "Judy Garland")
12. Ultraviolet Lights    
13. Pussy Cat, Funny Face
14. The Sewers at the Bottom of the Wishing Well  
15. Oh My God, Whatever, Etc. (acoustic)  

Have you heard me?
In the fall of 2022, a since deleted YouTube account leaked several tracks from various unreleased sessions; including "HEAVEN", "A Wish", "Rollin' with the Punches", "Party Clown", "24/7", "Temples of God"  and "Oh My God Whatever, Etc. (alt. take)" from RATT CLASSICS, VOL. II.

A snippet of "Kim" from the HAYWIRE (rumored title to Glyn Johns's second record with DRA that was shelved in 2013) LP sessions also leaked; "Two Hearts" (acoustic demo for EASY TIGER)" and a Sad Dracula version of "Two"; plus CARDINOLOGY era demos, BLACKHOLE demos, etc. Most of them have been wiped but some of us grabbed it up, haha. There's an album worth of songs leftover (not including the ones re-recorded for III/IV with the Cardinals) from the sessions for 'WAR & PEACE' (Ryan's post-'Darkbreaker' sober 2xLP that was shelved by Lost Highway in 2006). Improved versions of "Maps" and "Who Were We?" are a highlight.

RYAN ADAMS, Destroyer [imagined LP]

 

Credits for the cover art I guess are by this guy.

Ryan Adams 

DESTROYER  (2000)

You didn't think I forgot about this one, did you?  I played Heartbreaker; Love is Hell; Suicide Handbook, 48 Hours, all the leaked 2000-01 sessions and Pinkhearts (THANK YOU, LOST HIGHWAY...but also..NO 20/20. WHAT A CATCH 22?! I hate numbers. There's too many of them); Cold Roses, JCN and 29; Gold, Demolition and RNR---and yes, even Easy Tiger--I mean played them front to back the FUCK out. Whiskeytown, too. OF COURSE. I got a little weary of Cardinology and his post-2010 output; that's WHY I started this blog in the first place, lol. Well that and lack of anything else to do, constructively or creative wise. I personally didn't care for much of Destroyer; too slow...weird versions of Heartbreaker tunes, etc. THIS is just MY own personal tastes. I found Heartbreaker a little inconsistent for the 'big breakup record' it is. I think my reconstructed version of THAT one flows better. The remaining songs were far from shite. I just didn't have anywhere to put them; then it hit me. So I combined and re-sequenced them to fit between Heartbreaker and Suicide Handbook. 

Maybe Bloodshot could've put this out as a second album? I think Ryan decided to scrap the Destroyer demos and start over; good decision. The excuse then was "Geffen/Interscope wants to claim the recordings" (though I'm pretty sure Interscope would've kept him if THEY wanted to)---he had previously almost signed with A&M after the band broke-up the first time (he and Phil W. were the first two members to sign with Outpost...then, Caitlin came back---Skillet got 'demoted', lol). The alt-country 'fad' didn't become the big cheese the industry thought grunge was; Outpost Recordings folded. Whiskeytown's last album was shelved (the 20 song double LP that later was remixed by RA and Ethan Johns--Pneumonia). 

THE FELLAS, "Loving You Has Been So Wonderful" [imagined LP]

THE FELLAS

Loving You Has Been So Wonderful   (1972)

Make My Water Boil (Loving You Has Been So Wonderful)     [The Motown Solo Albums, vol. 2]
I Feel Like I'm Falling in Love Again     [Motown Unreleased 1967]
Once You Had a Heart     [One by One: The Best of Their Solo Years]
Lullaby of Love    [Anthology: The Best of The Temptations]

I'll Turn to Stone     [Motown Rarities 1965-1968]
Mountain of Memories      [The Unreleased Album]
Feel Like Giving Up      [One by One: The Best of Their Solo Years]
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)     [I Am My Brother's Keeper]
I'd Rather Forget*
Heaven Help Us All       [The Unreleased Album]
Give it Up      [Gettin' Ready CD re-issue]
Since I Don't Have You      [Motown Unreleased 1967]
What's So Good About Goodbye     [Motown Rarities 1965-1968]

I Need You More Than Ever     [A Cellarful of Motown Vol 4.]
------

In 1968, David Ruffin was fired by The Temptations and replaced with ex-Contours frontman Dennis Edwards. Ruffin sought to be released from his contract with Motown but the company would not let him go. Instead, Motown would retain Ruffin's original contract he signed as a solo artist (along with his brother Jimmy Ruffin years before) and release his 1969 debut LP 'My Whole World Ended'. This arrangement would prove detrimental to Ruffin's career; his would-be smash 1971 LP  'David' was shelved for seemingly no reason. Ruffin also teamed up with Stevie Wonder for what could've been a big hit single. "Make My Water Boil (Loving You Has Been So Wonderful)" was written, produced and recorded by Wonder himself with Ruffin delivering the vocal only he could. Despite its completion in 1972, Motown once again sat on it and David Ruffin's solo career was cooled considerably.

As early as 1970, Ruffin had expressed his desire to put together a new group called The Fellas with his brother Jimmy, Dennis Edwards and the other two soon-to-be ex-Temptations, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. Though this move would have ended Kendricks's solo career before it started and probably The Temptations, as well. Paul Williams would retire from the Tempts due to health issues. He would team up with Kendricks again to record "Feel Like Giving Up" b/w "Once You Had a Heart". The 45 was shelved due to Williams's untimely death in 1973. Other recordings made by Williams exist ("I Need You More Than Ever" closes out this collection) and I found this along with other Motown outtakes like "I'd Rather Forget" and "Lullaby of Love" (sung by Kendricks and the Tempts left over from album sessions) and covers of  "What's So Good About Goodbye" and "I'll Turn to Stone" recorded by Dennis Edwards prior to joining the Tempts. I fill the rest out with songs from Ruffin's David LP ("Heaven Help Us All" and the demo "Mountain of Memories"), some cuts from the Motown Unreleased 1967 CD compilation ("Since I Don't Have You" by Ruffin with the Tempts; a Jimmy Ruffin 45 of "Feel Like I'm Falling in Love Again") and the Ruffin brothers covering the Delfonics (taken from their own LP, I Am My Brother's Keeper).

This LP would not have been allowed to be. It's fun to make believe, though. 

R.I.P. Paul Williams, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Dennis Edwards.

GENE CLARK, 'Yesterday Am I Right' [LP imagined]

GENE CLARK 

Yesterday Am I Right  (1967)

Back Street Mirror*       

Don't Let It Fall Through*

Yesterday, Am I Right*

The French Girl      [Gene Clark with The Gosdin Brothers]

Only Colombe  (stereo)    [Echoes]

She Told Me*

-------

Echoes       [Echoes]

Doctor Doctor

Past Tense

One Way Road

Down on the Pier

7:30 Mode

*Taken from Back Street Mirror vinyl E.P. 

All other tracks taken from Gene Clark Sings For You  (2018).

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, 'As I Come of Age' [LP imagined]

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

As I Come of Age   (1986)

1. As I Come of Age     [CSN Box Set]
2. Drive My Car+     [alternate mix available on Voyage ,Crosby box set]
3. Raise a Voice    [Reflections, Nash box set]
4. Feel Your Love (a.k.a. You Might Be Loved)        [Daylight Again - deluxe edition]
5. Distances*    [Might As Well Have a Good Time, Crosby bootleg]
6. Try to Find Me+    [Reflections, Nash box set]
7. Tomorrow is Another Day     [Daylight Again - deluxe edition]
8. Clear Blue Skies   [Reflections, Nash box set]
9. Melody*     [Might As Well Have a Good Time, Crosby bootleg]
10. Dear Mr. Fantasy     [Carry On, Stills box set]
11. Lonely Man (live, 1985)*     [CSN Rarities - bootleg / studio version on Reflection s box set]

The original artwork (that I changed the title only on) comes from The Albums That Should Exist blogspot. Awesome projects he does (as Yoda'd say). Thanks, 

for the artwork cos I couldn't do it better mah self!

"Believe it or not, there was to be a CSN album in early 1986 to be titled As I Come Of Age, and of course it included that song. The album was a grab bag of mostly leftovers going back to 1978 and a few new tunes. It was going to have "Distances" (Crosby), "Drive My Car" (Crosby), "Feed The People"(Stills), "Lonely Man" (Nash - played live in 1985), "You Might Be Loved" (Stills), "Dear Mr. Fantasy" (arr. Stills), "Melody" (Crosby), and "Clear Blue Skies" (Nash, played live in 1985)." 

(This blurb of info I found on the Hoffman forum discussion boards RE: CSN album thread)

Keep that link handy (to Albums That Should Exist--right below the tracklist) and you can probably build this yourself (wink).

NEIL YOUNG, "A Country Store Plays Old Changes" [imagined live 2xLP]

Neil Young 

A COUNTRY STORE PLAYS OLD CHANGES   (1971)

I Am A Child    [Live at The Cellar Door]

Expecting To Fly   [Live at The Cellar Door]

Flying On The Ground Is Wrong   [Live at The Cellar Door]

Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing  (aborted)   [Live at Carnegie Hall 1970 - bootleg*]

Cowgirl In The Sand   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Ohio   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Old Man   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Dance Dance Dance   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Sugar Mountain   [Live at Carnegie Hall 1970 --bootleg*]

See The Sky About To Rain    [Live at the Cellar Door]

The Needle and The Damage Done    [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Bad Fog Of Loneliness    [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Down By The River   [Live at The Fillmore East 1970] Wonderin'     [Live at The Fillmore East 1970] Everybody Knows This is Nowhere  [Live at The Fillmore East 1970]

A double live album based on a 12/4/70 solo performance from Carnegie Hall in New York, three shows at the Cellar Door in Washington D.C. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and 2 1970, and four shows with Crazy Horse at the Fillmore East on March 6 and 7, 1970. This album was announced on January 27th, 1971 and was scheduled for a March 1971 release; supposedly, all left to be completed for the album was some of the mixing. Nothing was ever heard of the album again. Jef Piehler writes: I've read more than once that the album was put together by Reprise to capitalize on the success of After The Gold Rush AND the fact that with Neil's slipped disk problems, the company did not expect much from him in the next 12 months. As it turned out, Neil recorded many songs during 1971, and would deliver the Harvest album to Reprise in late 1971, cancelling the release of the live album.

RYAN ADAMS AND THE CARDINALS, 'Class Mythology' [LP re-imagined]

Includes the best of the tracks (IMHO) from the album;plus some b-sides and alternate versions thrown in. 

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

CLASS MYTHOLOGY  (2011)

Born into a Light
Go Easy
Fix It 

Cobwebs*    [2008 AOL Sessions]
Memory Lane*   [import bonus track]
Future Sparrow

------------------

Your Name is on Fire

Like Yesterday

Invisible Red

Crossed Out Name*    [2008 AOL Sessions]

Go Ahead and Rain (45 version)+

In the Meadow+   [Romeo & Juliet]

 

Titles in bold are the album versions except*. Titles in plain are E.P. tracks.  ** = unreleased

   This is my 'fix' for the Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 2008 album, Cardinology. Aside from a handful of tracks, the album drifts into country rock MOR territory--IMO. Ryan's singing on the album is also mostly unpolished and strained. Despite this, he insists on singing in a high whiny range on too many songs. The backing harmony vocals creates a nice blend that I feel gets muddled in the album's production. The album has some cringe moments in its songwriting, too (see "Magick" and "Sink Ships"). I also am not a fan of the rehab ballad "Stop" (just my own taste). 

The album is not irredeemable, however. The 2011 double vinyl E.P. release Class Mythology offered four great tracks leftover from the Cardinology sessions that would've saved that album--for my ears, anyway. The vocal harmony blend is on display here, especially on "Future Sparrow" with its acapella breaks. The album's bonus tracks also trump the material that ended up on the album. "Memory Lane" and the exclusive 45 single "Heavy Orange" / "Asteroid" (included with more expensive copies along with a comic book?), and some demo recordings Ryan Adams had released through his blog at the time--Foggy. "Jessica" was one of these--written for his ex-girlfriend Jessica Joffe--but never released in any official form. The band's live performances of "Cobwebs" and "Crossed Out Name" on AOL Sessions are also different from their album counterparts. Too many songs on the original album were a bit sleepy i.e. "Evergreen" or "Let Us Down Easy" (with its rather crusty vocal by Ryan)--and the rather slick, clean production didn't help. I felt the album cover and title of the 2011 vinyl double-E.P. release fit better than 'Cardinology'...the title itself was misleading. There's still a double album (possibly) of material RA hinted at that was recorded between Easy Tiger and Cardinology more in the vein of the songs they left on the cutting room floor. The aforementioned 2xLP was to be supposedly split evenly between RA and Neal Casal sharing lead vocals with shared songwriting by the band--all credited to The Cardinals. Needless to say, some folks were disappointed with what we got instead. After recording an album worth of demos for a planned follow-up titled 'Dear Impossible'--Ryan Adams subsequently announced he was taking a break from music in 2009 and the end of The Cardinals following the tour. 

As of March 2023, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals have released a new single, "Dreams of the Working Class", and announced a tour with a new line-up including guitarist-singer-songwriter Chris Stills (son of Stephen Stills and collaborator of Ryan's from the Gold-era); keyboardist Daniel Clarke (Ryan's former backing group, The Shining); producer / bassist Don Was (Was/Not Was). Ryan and drummer Brad Pembertion return from the original line-up.