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Written by Tracy Farnsworth
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Jul 02, 2008 at 10:47 AM |
Artist: Bryan Adams
Album: 11
Release: May 2008
Label: Badman Limited
Rating: 6 out of 10
Gritty and seductive. Two words that always came to mind when I put on a Bryan Adams LP. Of course, a lot has changed since I was a teen. LPs have come and gone, tried to return, but never caught on the same as they were in the 70s and 80s. I still own each of my Bryan Adams LPs, however. I've added to that collection a number of his CDs over the years.
My children think I have a tendency to remain stuck in the 80s, but, hey, that’s the music I grew up with. Bryan Adams was always one of my favorites. Like many teen girls at the time, daydreams of marriage to the handsome singer were many. I remained a fan for years.
Then came the song "When You Really Love A Woman." My apologies to Adams, but that one always made me gag. How many times must the word "really" appear in a song? After that atrocity, I stopped listening to his music. I couldn't quite get past that song that seemed very unlike his former songs.
The release of 11 marks a new age. I'm no longer the starry-eyed teenager I was then. My music tastes have widened to cover a number of genres and artists. Yet, I wondered if Adams could return to the music that put shivers up my spine some moments and had me singing along most of the time. I wanted to hear him return to haunting melodies like "The Best Was Yet To Come," or "No One Makes It Right." Tunes off Reckless proved to be grittier than his early work and to date; I still think it is his greatest album.
11 isn't bad. One thing seemed apparent to me; Adams simply lacks the vocal power he once had or, perhaps, he no longer feels he needs to. I found myself expecting him to belt things out, but his vocals stayed level.
Listening to 11 did take me back to his earlier music. There were no horrible, sappy love songs thankfully. After a few turns on my stereo, many of the songs off 11 had me singing along just like the old days.
There were obvious problems with 11. First, many of the songs shared titles of other songs. I realize you cannot copyright a song title, but with so many similarities, I first wondered if he was doing an album of remakes. "Worse, We Found What We Were Looking For," seemed slightly reminiscent at times of the music in U2's "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Other tracks that first made me wonder if they were going to be remakes: Broken Wings (Mr. Mister), Somethin' To Believe In (Poison), Mysterious Ways (U2), and She's Got A Way (Billy Joel.) I can now state the songs are original and nothing like their namesakes.
One of the largest issues that some might have with 11 is that you are going to have to head to Walmart if you want a copy. Like many artists, Adams agreed to a deal with Walmart that they are going to be the only store selling 11. You can buy it online at Walmart.com. Otherwise, you'll need to head to your area Walmart, which for me is almost 40 miles away. I remember the Eagles taking a lot of flack for this and expect Adams will face similar negativity.
Adams teams up with his old buddy Jim Vallance for some (Tonight We Have The Stars, Flower Grown Wild and Walk On By.) He also joins Robert "Mutt" Lange (AC/DC or Shania Twain for those who listen to country) on a few songs (I Thought I'd Seen Everything, I Ain't Losin' The Fight, Oxygen, and We Found What We Were Looking For.)
I love I Ain't Losin' The Fight, but one of the standout tracks is Mysterious Ways. Recorded in a hotel room in Dublin, the song is rather haunting and features the work of Maire Breatnach, a popular fiddler from Ireland whose work has been featured in many movies, including Rob Roy. Breatnach also plays on Walk On By, another favorite track off 11.
In the end, we all grow up. Adams' music has evolved, but he seems to have found himself with this latest effort. I'll definitely be listening, but I still long for the power of Reckless.
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