Ryan Adams “Tina Toledo’s Street Walkin’ Blues”

I really thought that this was the direction Ryan Adams was going to go.

In 2001, he had put out “Gold,” seemly to leave behind the more straightforward Americana of his band Whiskeytown, and his first solo record “Heartbreaker.”

“Gold” hinted at his ability to work in familiar styles, sound like Van Morrison, Neil Young, or in this case, The Rolling Stones.

It’s got all the things that make a song “Stonesy,” including the riffy guitar part, the New York City references, the promiscuous lead character, the cocksure vocal delivery, the African-American female back-up singer vocal solo.

Garage rock was “in” around that time. The Strokes, The Hives, etc. But Ryan Adams could really write, and could do more than just the guitar swagger. He could craft the solid tunes the way The Glimmer Twins did.

He even did a cover of “Dead Flowers” with Willie Nelson around this time.

So who would’ve thunk that he’d end up embracing The Dead, instead, as he has done on his last several albums.

I’m ready for the Rock N Roll from Ryan, because I think he does it better than most.