Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Cardinology-GOLD! December 28, 2008
King of pain (Hereford, England)
Well what can i say, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals have possibly produced their best work yet. This is a fantastic album that from the first listen your aware is good, but played again and again the songs really grow on you! It has everything you've come to expect from Ryan & co. Little bit country, little bit rock, little bit blusey, little bit folky. The man can do no wrong, if your a fan buy! you won't be dissapointed...
Genuis at work..... December 24, 2008
Barca 82 (UK)
About halfway through this album Ryan sings "Some of us are strong....but the rest of us are weak". The track is Let Us Down Easy and the moment would serve as a worthy abstract for this latest offering. Ryan is writing some of the strongest material of his career (no small feat) and is singing with real sensitivity and a soulfulness that lends his songs a hushed meaning. Live, these songs sound harder and louder, yet even there the message gets through. Songs about people who are haunted, wounded and riddled with doubt. Fix it, sounds as great on the record as it does live. It's been labelled the 'radio-friendly single' - for me thats harsh - the song has subtleties and nuances as well as drive and energy. The band sound great and as ever there are some sweet melodies with some inventive twists and changes of pace. The album is similar in feel to Easy Tiger but the tone is more even and the recording is more natural. Its worth buying for anyone who listens to themselves as much as they do music. Ryan is a genuine talent, a quiet innovator who sings from the heart about the things that matter; love, relationships, and the light and dark that is around us and within us. Stop, the closer is evidence enough for that alone.
 The tortured artist finds peace November 22, 2008
The Outsider (London)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ryan Adams is a rarity - a genuine tortured artist. He writes with heartfelt angst and sometimes, cynically delivers parodies of his favourite styles. I saw him play at the Academy this week, and compared to any other performance of his that I've seen, he was damned near perfect. Off drugs, booze, etc. he and his band sounded great. Cardinology is his first real rock recording - live, it is ear splitting. On record, it is brief, nice on the ears. Live, it is passionate, driving and convincing. The ballads are the best, of course, but Go Easy, Fix it and even the parody of U2 - Magic are dynamic. I like Crossed Out Name, Natural Ghost and Cobwebs. No five stars, I'm afraid - it has few valleys and no real peaks, just the most consistent record out since his last one. Ryan will never be a star - despite his cleaned up act, greatly improved guitar and singing (its all better) - he clearly still hates himself, and performs like he is ashamed to be in front of a crowd. In 2 hours plus, you could not see his face until the last 10 minutes. Remarkable.
 Ryan makes me go Blue November 12, 2008
Mr. D. TAYLOR (its grimm up north)
6 out of 12 found this review helpful
As a hugh Ryan/Whiskeytown fan since the beginings this new full length release makes me want to shed tears of disbelief. This is surely a demo album of poor unreleased FILLER tracks ? I cannot believe that this is the same Ryan Adams that has written so many classics in the past. His writing has become mundane and formulatic and has lost it's power to make you feel happy and sad in one fell swoop. Even after several listens this is not sticking to my memory like most albums Ryan has made (bar Rock n roll). The guy wants to get out more and feel the vibe from his fans.
best cardinals yes? November 8, 2008
Philip R. Brittain (wolftown)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
another year has given us another ryan adams album following up from easy tiger,this see's ryan and the cardinals at there best yet,its a very rewarding album to listen to and take a good few listens to fully appreciate,forgot some of the negative reviews this has recieved this is classic ryan no doubt,a 5 star buy.
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