"Ryan Adams: Losering, a Story of Whiskeytown" by David Menconi

I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in the late 1990's, when Whiskeytown and Ryan Adams were on their way out, one way or another. During my first two years in the area, I worked part time at a now defunct CD superstore and had occasion to listen to co-workers who knew of Ryan Adams and, outside of his music, had nothing positive to say about him. Hearing about Adams, who is originally from Jacksonville, NC, but moved to Raleigh, where his career as a musician took off, made me curious to listen to his material to see what all of the fuss was about. Unfortunately, I listened to his solo albums first, Heartbreaker and Gold, which I did enjoy, especially the aching "Oh My Sweet Carolina," but not enough to delve into his earlier work. After reading David Menconi's new book, Ryan Adams: Losering, a Story of Whiskeytown (University of Texas Press), I plan to rectify that oversight.

Menconi, the long time music critic for the Raleigh News & Observer, paints a sometimes loving portrait of an artist who is clearly a musical prodigy, but often allows his personal demons to get the better of him. Or does he? Menconi, through the use of interviews, articles, first hand accounts and Adams's own online postings, provides readers with enough background information to question whether Adams really is a tortured artist, in the same vein as Jim Morrison or perhaps Axl Rose, or if he is just putting people on as a way of bringing attention to himself. The stories of his sometimes outrageous behavior during concerts, whether the result of being heckled by fans or perhaps feeling that he was not receiving adequate attention, are eye-opening. Of course, alcohol consumption can greatly influence moods and, according to various first hand accounts, Adams rarely appeared restrained while imbibing.

The author also spends much time discussing and analyzing the music of Ryan Adams, particularly his early days with various bands, including Patty Duke Syndrome and Whiskeytown. A selected discography is included at the end of the book, which I am inclined to fully utilize. The author is clearly a fan and while he heaps praise on Adams, he also maintains a strong degree of objectivity, which is much to his credit. His criticism appears balanced and he refrains from casting any personal judgements, but the same cannot be said of some of his interviewees, who are not as restrained. Considering some of Ryan Adams's bad boy behavior occurred many years ago, it is telling that a few people still have less than flattering recollections of their encounters with the musician.

I appreciated reading the anecdotes about the various clubs that Whiskeytown used to frequent and of other Raleigh landmarks that are mentioned throughout the book and I suspect local residents will too. The 200 plus page book, which is part of the American Music Series, is a relatively quick read and one that music fans will likely appreciate, especially with a complicated and sometimes self destructive musician playing an integral role in this fascinating, often shocking and never boring story. While genius and madness oftentimes go hand in hand, it is up to readers to decide if both apply to Ryan Adams.