Ryan Adams unreleased recordings (lost albums; 2000-2007)
Ryan Adams
Status: Lost
Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams) is an alternative country singer-songwriter from the 2000s. He's the former frontman of alternative country band Whiskeytown, where he released 3 studio albums. He now mostly works with The Cardinals. His albums are critically acclaimed for their depth, unique style, and emotion.
Adams is known for working excessively. In 2005 alone he released 3 studio albums, all of which his label, Lost Highway Records almost didn't release. A lot of additional material was left unaccounted for out of the surplus. The final Whiskeytown album, Pneumonia, has over 100 unreleased tracks.[1] There are also many of his side-projects of unreleased albums, demos, and EPs, some of which have been bootlegged. His 2004 album, Love Is Hell, was almost shelved by the studio for its difficult style until he convinced them to release it in 2 EPs (and, eventually, album form).[2]
Unreleased Projects
Adams revealed in 2007 that he's had multiple rejected solo studio albums. Out of his countless rejected projects, 5 albums were ones he specifically "really wanted to be records".[3] The albums were named The Suicide Handbook, 48 Hours, Pinkhearts, Darkbreaker, and Black Hole. The Suicide Handbook was intended to be Adams' true follow-up to his 2000 debut, Heartbreaker. Darkbreaker was written by Adams at his "most fucked up". Black Hole meant to portray that Adams was "really dying".
Status
Adams was supposed to release the 5 albums as the 20:20 Boxset in 2007.[4] Its insert was written and finished by Stephen King (making this a lost work of his as well).[5] The box set was canceled for unknown reasons (possibly due to fears of it failing to sell). Except for a handful of tracks from some of the sessions (most notably 48 Hours), these albums remain unheard.
Many unreleased albums have appeared online on bootleg or music archive sites, and distributed among Adams' fans. However, several albums have not surfaced and therefore remain missing.
Unreleased Whiskeytown Albums
| # | Recorded | Album Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early 1996 | The Freightwhaler Sessions | Side Project 'Freight Whaler' |
| 2 | 1996 | Those Weren't the Days | Included on 'Strangers Almanac' Deluxe Edition |
| 3 | Late 1996 | Pre-Strangers Almanac Sessions | Included on 'Strangers Almanac' Deluxe Edition |
| 4 | Late 1997 | Forever Valentine | |
| 5 | 1998 | Fucker Demos | |
| 6 | 1998/1999 | LP3 | Early Variations of 'Pneumonia' |
Unreleased Solo Albums
| # | Recorded | Album Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spring 2000 | Exile on Franklin Street | |
| 2 | Summer 2000 | Destroyer | |
| 3 | 2000 | Four Track Mind | Lost |
| 4 | December 2000 | Pink Heart Sessions I | Partially on 'Demolition' |
| 5 | January 2001 | The Suicide Handbook | Partially on 'Demolition' |
| 6 | June 2001 | 48 Hours | Partially on 'Demolition' |
| 7 | July 2001 | Pink Heart Sessions II | Partially on 'Demolition' |
| 8 | October 2001 | The Stockholm Sessions | aka 'The Swedish Sessions', Partially on 'Demolition' |
| 9 | Spring 2002 | The Strokes 'Is This It' Covers Album | Lost |
| 10 | August 2005 | Darkbreaker | aka 'The Elizabethtown Sessions' |
| 11 | 2006 | Fasterpiece | Side Project 'Sad Dracula' |
| 12 | 2006 | War and Peace | Side Project 'Warren Peace' |
| 13 | 2007 | Blackhole | Lost |
| 14 | 2008 | Dear Impossible | Lost |
| 15 | 2013 | Haywire | Lost |
| 16 | 2016 | Prisoner Parts 2 & 3 | Possibly Surfaced in Later Albums |
| 17 | 2000s | Rat Classics | Fan-Made Compilation |
| 18 | 2000s | Color Bars | Fan-Made Compilation |
These lists are likely incomplete.
References
- ↑ http://www.losthighwayrecords.com/whiskeytown/about
- ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/love-is-hell-part-1-193876/
- ↑ https://www.avclub.com/content/interview/ryan_adams
- ↑ Q Magazine Sep 2007 pg.64
- ↑ http://www.americansongwriter.com/2007/07/ryan-adams-grows-up-pulls-air-moves-forward-with-the-cardinals-and-respects-his-muse/2/