Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times / Lifestyle

Music Review: Prisoner, Ryan Adams

By Steve Scott
NZME. regionals·
22 Mar, 2017 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

I have to admit one of my favourite Ryan Adams albums is Heartbreaker (2000), and last year's deluxe treatment inspired me to absorb it once again.

On his 16th solo album, Ryan Adams has indeed suffered a broken heart over his divorce from singer/actor Mandy Moore in 2015.

Prisoner is fuelled by very personal songs concerning his emotive state and feelings over the years leading up to the divorce and how it feels to be on his own once more.

The album begins in power-hungry style via Do You Still Love Me?.

With its staggered guitar riffs and Hammond organ flowing, this rocker cries out for a live airing. We won't have too long to wait as Adams is on stage in Auckland in May.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The track Doomsday has Bruce Springsteen all over it with the rueful harmonica sound and is the first of a combination of doom-laden ballads where he pours his heart out, especially Haunted House.

Later, To Be Without You features the line I am singing from a storm inside my ribs. With a cool phase effect on the guitar it creates a sense of longing.

Over the years Adams' imagery in his songs has spoken volumes. On Prisoner he tells it like it feels ... Crush it up into a paper ball, let it go/Anything I ever had to say, it's all gone (Anything I Say To You Now).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

With the addition of earthy saxophone tones, Tightrope aches with intensity while acceptance is finally reached on We Disappear.

On Prisoner, Ryan Adams' muse was fuelled by sadness but he grabbed it and made this album sound a winner.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

'New perspective on life': Alone: Australia's first Kiwi winner on what got him through

10 Jun 04:31 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

"I don't want to go to a restaurant and have pea foam. I just want the pea."

08 Jun 07:00 AM
Premium
Bay of Plenty Times

Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

02 Jun 03:00 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

'New perspective on life': Alone: Australia's first Kiwi winner on what got him through

'New perspective on life': Alone: Australia's first Kiwi winner on what got him through

10 Jun 04:31 AM

Shay Williamson also reveals what he plans to do with the $270,000 prize.

"I don't want to go to a restaurant and have pea foam. I just want the pea."

"I don't want to go to a restaurant and have pea foam. I just want the pea."

08 Jun 07:00 AM
Premium
Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

02 Jun 03:00 AM
Region's top school rockers crowned

Region's top school rockers crowned

26 May 10:00 PM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP