go listen to Ryan Adams’s entire Cold Roses album, all the way through, and tell me you don’t think he’s a musical genius.

Sister is easily one of Sonic Youth’s grandest achievements, as is Evol. Simply gorgeous. So if this guy was inspired by that album, I HAVE to check him out, right? Well I did. It’s like someone being inspired by BMW and building a Yugo. Trite beats and trite sentiments ensue. Further gumming up music with more disposable garbage. And he trash talks REM? I’m no REM fan but seriously, they are far more talented.

@ mike - did you read the article? these are NOT cool admissions. some are “in” records, and some most definitely are not!

I’m still in love with the GOLD album. I can’t get over “ROCK ‘N ROLL”…which the critics kinda claimed he rehashed old sounds we’d heard before, but, RYAN geniously retooled and reinvented some great Rock riffs and churned out an exceptionally refreshing album there. There are only so many chords and musicians must reuse them to their advantage. I was a teen in the 70’s, and Mr. Adams simply makes awesome music remniscent of the era, but with a new redefining edge. Ryan is brilliant.

He does a great cover of “Nervous Breakdown”

My guesss is these are his “cool” admissions. I’m surprised he didn’t list any “guilty pleasures” such as Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt & Co., possibly Abba. After all, his music is at times as sugary sweet as saccharine, but, never short of outstanding. I once read in RollingStone that the lead singer of Iron Maiden admitted listening to [and being a huge fan of Abba] for inspiration as he’d set out to compose material for a new album.