Sessions:  

The Blank Label Sessions
Date: October 1991
Location:   Fastrack Studios -- Verona, North Carolina
Personnel:

Shane Duhe (guitar, vocals); Ryan Adams (drums); Michelle Horn (bass);  Jere 

McIlwean (guitar); J.V.S. (backing vocals).
Tracks:   
  1. Non-Existence
  2. Sonic Issue
  3. JLW
Notes: See Blank Label 7".
See this letter from Shane Duhe..
The Patty Duke Syndrome Sessions
Date: August 28, 1993
Location:   North Carolina
Personnel:

Ryan Adams (vocals, guitar); Jere McIlwean (bass); Brian Walsby (drums).

Tracks:   
  1. Texas
  2. History
Notes: See Texas/History Split 7".  Several sessions are likely.  In addition to this, the Patty Duke Syndrome reportedly produced (1) a 21 song demo album, "Raise The Titanic" reportedly recorded 8/23/93; (2) a 10 song studio album; and (3) and the "4-Track Demos" containing 4 songs reportedly recorded 2/93.

Brian Walsby, as relayed by J. Holdren to whiskeytownavenues

"I do have a mastered cassete version of our studio tape. We did the studio tape on 8-28-93. I hope that eventually that tape can come out because its still (years later) very good.  I seem to remember that besides the studio tape that we made, there is also another earlier basement demo that we did when Ryan, Jere & myself got together.  Its kind of rough but still pretty good. I also have a live tape of the band playing that has a lot of the more recent songs before the band imploded. (Brewery 2-4-94).  I think we must have done the basement tapes (yuk yuk), I would say, maybe six to eight months earlier (than the studio tape). That was how we three got together, to record some of Ryan's songs & give Ryan & Jere a chance to play together, & to rope me in to the thing as well.  We didn't even know the songs or rehearse. Pretty raw. The Patty Duke Syndrome (at least the one that recorded stuff & played shows) were always Jere, Ryan & me.  We broke up like five times cause Ryan was..uhh..(difficult). At least that's what I thought at the time. We are friends again. Jere, as you probably know, passed away a few years ago, sad to say.  I gotta say, since Ryan has become famous, I don't think I have seen a band written about so much that no one actually ever heard. Its kind of funny.  All three of us loved the band, & after it was all over, Ryan started to delve into country music more. The rest is history. I guess that is it. " -- Brian Walsby, drummer,music critic, and other stuff Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Space Madness Sessions
Date: March 1994
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams  (guitar, vocals, drums); Thompson King (bass); Tristan Andreas (vocals, guitar, drums).
Tracks:   
  1. Lost Highway
  2. If I Had A Reason
  3. Snowflakes Dancing
  4. Lonesomeville
  5. Fifth Of Liquor
  6. Zebra Room
  7. Found A Job Today
  8. Hazel Country Scarecrow
  9. Gold Stratocaster
  10. Industry Town
Notes: See notes for  The Space Madness Demos.  
The Lazy Stars Sessions 
Date: 1994?
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitar, vocals); Tom Cushman (bass); John Douglas (drums).
Tracks:   
  1. Brand New Shoes
  2. Withering Heights
  3. Blue Door
  4. Pack Of Smokes
  5. Old Stereo
  6. The Birds
  7. Burnt Bed
  8. Hill
  9. Brand New Shoes 2
  10. Blue Door 2
  11. Withering Heights 2
Notes: See Exile On Daisy Street.
The Ryan Adams Solo Records At Franklin Street
Date: April 1994
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams.  
Tracks:   
  1. Poor Southern Girl
  2. See notes for The Space Madness Demos
The Skylarks Sessions
Date: May 2, 1994
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Tristan Andreas; Caspar Lee
Tracks:   
  1. Lucky Star (on Drunken Confessions)
  2. Texas (on Drunken Confessions)
  3. Public Static
  4. Death On The Road
Notes: Tristan Andreas to AnsweringBell.com:  "The Skylarks recordings were done 5/2/94 and include only 4 songs:  public static, lucky star, texas, death on the road." 
The Angels EP / Rural Free Delivery Sessions
Date: 1994
Location:   Sonic Wave Studios -- Raleigh, North Carolina
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitar, vocals); Caitlin Cary (violin, vocals); Skillet Gilmore (drums); 
Steve Grothman (bass); Phil Wandscher (guitar, harmonica, vocals). 
Tracks:   
  1. Take Your Guns To Town
  2. Nervous Breakdown
  3. Tennessee Square
  4. Captain Smith
  5. Macon, Georgia County Line
  6. Pawnshop Ain't No Place For A Wedding Ring
  7. Oklahoma
  8. Angels Are Messengers From God
Notes: Whiskeytown interview:  "A previous album, Rural Free Delivery- an embarrassing secret that the band tries to hide - was recorded in the first year of the band's forming. Caitlin Cary laments, "We had to sell those master tapes to [indie label] Mood Food in order to get out of that contract."
No Depression review:  "Rural Free Delivery consists of demos predating the band’s 1995 debut Faithless Street, including two songs that later showed up on that album ("Oklahoma" and the statement-of-purpose manifesto "Angels"). The band had only been together a couple of months at the time. But, rough edges and all, Adams’ raw ability was apparent even then."
The Faithless Street Sessions
Date: July 1995
Location:   The Funny Farm -- Apex, North Carolina
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitar, vocals); Caitlin Cary (violin, vocals); Skillet Gilmore (drums); 
Steve Grothman (bass); Phil Wandscher (guitar, vocals); Bob Ricker (pedal steel).
Tracks:   
  1. Midway Park
  2. Drank Like A River
  3. Too Drunk To Dream
  4. What May Seem Like Love
  5. Faithless Street
  6. Mining Town
  7. If He Can't Have You
  8. Black Arrow, Bleeding Heart
  9. Matrimony
  10. Hard Luck Story
  11. Top Dollar
  12. Oklahoma
  13. Revenge
  14. Lo-Fi Tennessee Mountain Angel
  15. Desperate Ain't Lonely
  16. Tennessee Square (Re-Issue Version)
  17. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight (Country Version)
Notes: See Faithless Street.  
The Freightwhaler Sessions
Date: Early 1996
Location:   North Carolina
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitar, vocals); Chris Laney (bass); Sloane Doggett (guitar);  Nicholas Petti
(pedal steel); Skillet Gilmore (drums).  Recorded by Wes Lachot.
Tracks:   
  1. At The Drive In
  2. Bar Lights
  3. The Ghosts Are Out Tonight
  4. Sometimes That's Hard To Do
  5. Picture Of Jesus On The Dashboard
Notes: See The Freightwhaler Demos.  Chris Laney to AnsweringBell:  "The Freight Whaler stuff was recorded with Wesley Show.  We didn't do much to the Freight Whaler stuff.  We purposely didn't want to record something that a record company would want to release.  That was Wes' logic not ours.  We were stoned and drunk, enjoying the songs, in fact on "The Ghost are Out tonight" I believe?  Ryan had to pitch a fit to get Wes to record a second vocal track.  Wes was cutting ESD a deal on the demos, under the condition that if we signed a deal (as Freight Whaler) he would get to record the album.  Shame that didn't happen . . . . Of course Ryan didn't want to sign with ESD.  And ESD wasn't interested in
Freight Whaler, they wanted Whiskeytown.  But we turned it down and went on with life . . . . Also, an interesting fact.  During the recording of FreightWhaler demos.  Skillet had a broken collarbone.  He had taken the trucks off of a skateboard to skate on the snow.  He wrecked on the campus of NC State.  At the end of "The Ghost are out Tonight", you can hear the band fall apart.  Skillet couldn't play anymore.  That's why we recorded "I'll Try" aka. "That's hard to do".  And Picture of Jesus.  They were not in the plans until Skillet couldn't play rock anymore."
The "Those Weren't The Days" Sessions
Date: 1996 ("6 months after Faithless Street" according to Ryan)
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitar, vocals); Caitlin Cary (violin, vocals); Skillet Gilmore (drums); 
Steve Grothman (bass); Phil Wandscher (guitar, vocals).
Tracks:    Unknown.  This clearly overlaps with The Baseball Park Sessions and the Pre-Strangers Almanac Sessions, below.  Songs not accounted for in those sessions include:
  1. Hipshake
  2. San Antone
  3. New York Angel
  4. Only To Lose
Notes: See Stranger's Almanac Promo.  Ryan Adams: "Plus there's another record that is called 
Those Weren't The Days, that's what I'm calling it now.  I don't know if that will change.  But when they re-issue Faithless Street, that will come as well.  I don't know if it will all come on one CD or if it will come as two CDs, but it's coming out.  It was done about 6 months after Faithless Street.  It's fairly similar."
The Baseball Park Sessions
Date: 1996
Location:   Captured Live! -- Durham, North Carolina
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitar, vocals); Caitlin Cary (violin, vocals); Skillet Gilmore (drums); 
Steve Grothman (bass); Phil Wandscher (guitar, vocals); Nicholas Petti (pedal steel; 
accordion; banjo).
Tracks:   
  1. Empty Baseball Park
  2. Here's To The Rest Of The World
  3. 16 Days
  4. Yesterday's News
  5. Factory Girl
Notes: Whiskeytown member Phil Wandscher to AnsweringBell:  "Chris Stamey made a recording of Trading Glances when me and Ryan did "Factory Girl" and some other stuff in his living room."
The Pre-Strangers Almanac Sessions
Date: December 1996
Location:   Captured Live! -- Durham, North Carolina
Modern Recording Service -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitar, vocals); Caitlin Cary (violin, vocals); Steve Terry (drums); Chris
Stamey (bass); Phil Wandscher (guitar); Bill Ladd (pedal steel). 
Tracks:   
  1. Ticket Time
  2. Breathe (a/k/a Believe)
  3. Wither, I'm A Flower
  4. Barns On Fire
  5. Street With Sirens (a/k/a Things I Heard)
  6. Ten Seconds To The End Of The World
  7. Turn Around
  8. Everything I Do
  9. Losering
  10. Theme For A Trucker
  11. Dancing With The Women At The Bar
  12. Dreams
  13. My Heart Is Broken
  14. Luxury Liner
  15. Houses On The Hill
  16. All You Can Feel
  17. Further Down The Road (a/k/a Indian Gown)
  18. Kiss & Make Up
  19. The Rain Won't Help You When It's Over
  20. Busted
Notes: See Theme For A Trucker Double 7" and A Stranger Is Born:  Pre-SA Demos.
From the whiskeytownavenues list -- "These sessions produced the double sided 7 inch that was released on Bloodshot and sold at the 1997 WT shows. Its just that this tape represents the working mixes of the songs just as they came off the mixing board. No mastering has been done except that I put a standard EQ on the copy I have when I took it to cd.  Being a rough mix, the levels on certain songs are different than others, and you can hear starts and stops between, where songs were put down to tape, and there's some analog hiss . . . but all in all it's a marvelous find! Much closer in feel to Faithless St. than the Strangers record ended up being .........some nuances in arrangement from the final record as well. Notice "Turn Around" especially...it may be my fave.  It is imperfect, but gives us something to look forward to when an "official" version of these sessions see the light of day (if they ever do)."
The Strangers Almanac Sessions
Date: February 1997
Location:   Woodland Studios -- Nashville, Tennessee
Ocean Way Studios -- Hollywood, California
Personnel: See Strangers Almanac.
Tracks:   
  1. Inn Town
  2. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight
  3. Yesterday's News
  4. 16 Days
  5. Everything I Do
  6. Houses On The Hill
  7. Turn Around
  8. Dancing With The Women At The Bar
  9. Waiting To Derail
  10. Avenues
  11. Losering
  12. Somebody Remembers The Rose
  13. Not Home Anymore
Notes: No Depression Review:  "[Whiskeytown] entered a Nashville studio in February ’97 with producer Jim Scott and emerged a month later with an astounding 36 songs recorded; 13 of those eventually made the final cut for Strangers Almanac."
The Highway 145 Sessions
Date: Late Summer 1997
Location:   Sonic Wave Studios (Greg Elkins); Raleigh, North Carolina
Personnel: Ryan Adams (guitars, vocals); Caitlin Cary (fiddle); Phil Wandscher (guitar); Mike Daly 
(keyboards); Chris Laney (bass); Steve Terry (drums).
Tracks:   
  1. Highway 145
  2. Think About Me
  3. Set Your Fires
  4. It's Gonna Rain
Notes: Whiskeytown member Chris Laney to AnsweringBell.com: "The recording was in Raleigh @ Greg Elkin's studio. . . .  I can't really tell you when the recording was done month wise.  Of course the summer of 97.  I believe late summer.  We recorded those songs to do a split 7" with the Volebeats.  We were given a theme.  It had to be about cars.  Highway 145 and Set Your Fires were written about cars for that very purpose.  The line can't smoke in her car [from Think About Me], was also for this purpose."
The Forever Valentine Sessions
Date: Scores / Slackmates / Modern -- Raleigh, North Carolina
Location:   December 1997
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Caitlin Cary; Mike Daly; Ed Crawford; Skillet Gilmore; Chris Stamey;  
Ben Folds.
Tracks:   
  1. Anyone But Me (a/k/a Dial Tone)
  2. Don't Wanna Know Why
  3. Easy Hearts
  4. Sittin' Around
  5. Rays Of Burning Light (a/k/a Rays Of Light)
  6. Ghost Without Memory
  7. Runnin' Out Of Road
  8. Can't Take A Lover (a/k/a Talkin' In My Sleep)
  9. Think About Me (a/k/a (What You) Think About Me)
  10. Crazy Lonesome (a/k/a A Memory Away)
  11. Caroline
Notes: Chris Stamey -- "Skillet played drums, I played bass. Recorded in Raleigh at 
Scores/Slackmates, and at Modern, my place."  "Addendum: I forgot to add that the 
piano player on the Forever Valentine Whiskeytown sessions was Ben Folds. My 
memory was jogged by his smashing show this Saturday at the Cradle."
Skillet Gilmore -- "Forever Valentine was recorded around Xmas '97. The band at the 
time (for the purposes of recording) was Ryan, Caitlin, Mike Daly, Ed Crawford on guit, 
Chris Stamey on bass and me."  "Although the record was made in about a week, the 
challenge was actually that Ryan wanted to make a record without the label knowing
about it. And so we did."  (Thanks to Jonathan Lee for the information).
Fucker:  The Bug Sessions
Date:
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Tommy Stinson; others.
Tracks:   
  1. Bar Lights
  2. Win
  3. All I Wanted (a/k/a Comfortable Only At Night)
  4. Out Of Time
  5. Sit And Listen To The Rain
Notes: All songs reportedly co-written by Tommy Stinson, but this seems unlikely given that 
Freightwhaler performed Bar Lights back in '96 and Stinson is not credited at all on 
Pneumonia.
Fucker:  The Hoboken Sessions
Date:
Location:   Hoboken, New Jersey
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Mike Daly; others.
Tracks:   
  1. Night Lights (a/k/a Leave The Lights Off)
  2. Probably Gonna Happen (a/k/a Bound To Happen)
  3. West NY Serenade (a/k/a What Makes The World Like This)
  4. Lil' Girls (a/k/a Hurts Sometimes)
  5. In The World (a/k/a Tearing Me Up Inside)
  6. Medicine
Notes:
The Pneumonia Sessions
Date: 1998-1999
Location:   Dreamland Studios -- Woodstock, New York 
House Of Blues Studios -- ??
Capitol Studios (Mirror, Mirror) -- ??
Personnel: See Pneumonia.
Tracks:   
  1. The Ballad Of Carol Lynn

  2. Don't Wanna Know Why

  3. Jacksonville Skyline

  4. Reason To Lie

  5. Don't Be Sad

  6. Sit And Listen To The Rain

  7. Under Your Breath

  8. Mirror, Mirror

  9. Paper Moon

  10. What The Devil Wanted

  11. Crazy About You

  12. My Hometown

  13. Easy Hearts

  14. Bar Lights

  15. To Be Evil 

  16. Tilt-A-Whirl

  17. Choked Up

  18. A Song For You

  19. Tell Me What Else I Can Do Wrong Tonight

  20. Bring Me Down

  21. Listen To The Radio

  22. Many others (Ethan Johns: "I think I had over 80 songs at one point.)

  23. Ryan:  "We're always recording. I think we've got something like probably 150 songs that we've delivered, or close to a 100 maybe, to Outpost, either in demo or finished form or songs that I've just done by myself."

Notes: "James Iha Records With Whiskeytown -- Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha recently spent a week in the studio with Americana rock torchbearers Whiskeytown in Hoboken, N.J., where they worked on tracks for the band's follow-up to 1997's Strangers Almanac.
Iha helped out with arrangements and pre-production on five or six songs for the album, according to a spokesperson from Outpost Recordings. The rest of the album, which is tentatively titled Go Bye Bye Music, is being recorded at Dreamland Studios in Woodstock, N.Y. and is reportedly more piano-heavy than past efforts. The band is recording somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 songs, from which they will cull the album's final tracks. Go Bye Bye Music is being produced by Ethan Johns (Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt) and is due in late summer 1999 on Outpost."
The Snow Kobra Sessions
Date: Summer 1999
Location:   New York, New York
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Jesse Malin; others.
Tracks:    Unknown
Notes: J. Holdren reported to the whiskeytownavenues list in October 1999:  "There's also a Snow Kobra CD, with a big fangy cobra stenciled on the front .........[Ryan Adams] wouldn't let me hear it though ... said it wasn't finished ... bummer ... but he just said that is was very angry music, especially once he got to hear it again in the bucolic surroundings of Raleigh."
The Exile On Franklin Street Sessions
Date: Spring / Early Summer 2000
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams
Tracks:   
  1. Faker
  2. California (Mix 1)
  3. California (Mix 2)
  4. Tractor Beam (n/k/a Do You Wanna Get High)
  5. Come Pick Me Up
  6. Goodbye Honey
  7. All My Fault (Mix 1)
  8. Lash Out
  9. All My Fault (Mix 2)
  10. Personal Hygiene Zero
  11. Chinese Porno Srappy
  12. The Rescue Blues
  13. Supermarket Air Raid
  14. The Last Dance
  15. I Know Where I live
  16. Why You Wanna Lemme Down
  17. Listen To The Radio
  18. Secret Powers
  19. Blankets Of Booze
  20. Waves Crashing
  21. Choked Up
  22. Don't Ask For The Water
  23. Tell Me How You Want Me (f/k/a Tell Me Why)
  24. Rosalie Come & Go
  25. Enemy Blanks
  26. How Ya Doin'?
Notes: Van Alston to AnsweringBell.com:  "I did do the Exile On Franklin Street record, though, but I gave that over to Lost Highway and a lot of that I think is going to be on the forthcoming Demolition series, or at least was when it was going to be four discs.  I don't know what will happen to the other three discs, now."
The Four Track Mind Sessions
Date: Pre-Heartbreaker
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams
Tracks:   
Notes: Ryan Message Board post:  "i destroyed the four track mind masters in a guinness/painkillers accident that was actually worth it for the laughs."
The Destroyer Sessions
Date: Pre-Heartbreaker
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams / David Rawlings / Gillian Welch
Tracks:   
  1. Born Yesterday
  2. Dreaming's Free (f/k/a I'm Alright Today)
  3. The Poison And The Pain
  4. No Disguise
  5. Rainy Days
  6. Statuettes With Wounds
  7. The String And The Wire
  8. Hey There, Mrs. Lovely
  9. Nighttime Gals
  10. In My Time Of Need
  11. Bartering Lines
  12. Memories Of You
  13. Revelator
Notes: Ryan Message Board post:  "geffen/interscope are claiming righnts to destroyer"
The Heartbreaker Sessions
Date: Summer 2000 (it took 14 days)
Location:   Woodland Studios -- Nashville, Tennessee
Personnel: See Heartbreaker.
Tracks:   
  1. (Argument With David Rawlings Concerning Morrissey)
  2. To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) (2 versions)
  3. My Winding Wheel
  4. AMY
  5. Oh My Sweet Carolina
  6. Bartering Lines
  7. Call Me On Your Way Back Home
  8. Damn, Sam (I Love A Woman That Rains)
  9. Come Pick Me Up
  10. To Be The One
  11. Why Do They Leave?
  12. Shakedown On 9th Street
  13. Don't Ask For The Water
  14. In My Time Of Need
  15. Sweet Lil' Gal (23rd/1st)
  16. Goodbye Honey
  17. Dear Chicago (early version; reportedly intended to be the final song)
  18. Oh My Sweet Valentine (RA:  “This is one of those songs that I really like and was pulling teeth not to put on Heartbreaker.”)
  19. Pa (see www.ryanadamsmusic.com interview with Ethan Johns)
Notes:
The Q Division Sessions
Date: September 29, 2000
Location:   Q Division -- Boston, MA
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Miranda Brown (backup vocals).  Produced by Van Alston.
Tracks:  
  1. Abigail
  2. Gimme Sunshine
  3. The Rescue Blues
  4. Just Like A Whore
  5. Idiots Rule The World
Notes: See Q Division Demos.  Miranda Brown's post to the NoDepression board:  "I guess Van and Cathy are leaving it up to me to fill you all in on Friday...Ryan played the Kendall Cafe in Cambridge. It was dreamy.  That place is the size of my bedroom, so I was uncomfortably wedged into a place on the side of the stage where I could not move, but the sound was really good and everyone was very, very quiet while he was playing. He played a lot of new stuff and no Whiskeytown, as he threatened us with having to sing any Whiskeytown song that we wanted to hear (ŕ la that guy in Chicago). After the show (and a High Life on tap! yeah! that is my new favorite bar) Van told me and Cathy and a handful of people that Ryan was going to cut some tracks at a studio if we wanted to go. We followed them out there and we all hung out while Ryan recorded six new songs- four on guitar and two on piano.  They all sounded really good, particularly this song he had just written that night called "Abigail". He asked me to sing back-up la-las on the last one called "Idiots Rule the World" (gee-whiz, Richard Buckner and Ryan Adams in the same week). It was a real treat to hear that stuff. We were there until 5 A.M. or so but they didn't get a chance to mix the songs because everyone was just too fucking tired. I think they were going to try to do it after Sat.'s show or just take the tape with them. Van and Ryan graciously let me crash at their hotel as I had a two hour drive home and was fully exhausted at that point. Saturday I had a lovely, tired day hanging out with Ryan in the hotel room talking about what-have-you. It was really a nice time. Did I forget anything, Cathy? Miranda"
The First Pink Heart Sessions
Date: December 2000
Location:   Woodland Studios -- Nashville, Tennessee
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Billy Mercer; John Paul Keith; Brad Pemberton; Bucky Baxter
Tracks:  
  1. Starting To Hurt
  2. Mega-Superior Gold
  3. Gimme A Sign (f/k/a Waiting For A Sign)
  4. Win
  5. Red Red Red Red Wine
  6. Candy Doll
  7. I Don't Wanna Work
  8. Charmed
  9. Enemy Fire (different than Gold version)
  10. Testy, Testy
  11. Around The World / Under The Bridge (parody)
  12. Young Winds
Notes:
The Suicide Handbook Sessions
Date: January 2001
Location:   Javelina Studios -- Nashville, Tennessee
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Bucky Baxter
Tracks:  

 

 

  1. Wild Flowers
  2. Perfect And True
  3. Tell It To My Heart
  4. She Wants To Play Hearts
  5. Pretenders (f/k/a Pretending's Fun)
  6. Famous Eyes (f/k/a Where Is My Heart, Famous Eyes?)
  7. Touch, Feel & Lose
  8. Firecracker
  9. La Cienega Just Smiled
  10. For No One (f/k/a A Long And Sad Goodbye)
  11. You Don't Know Me
  12. Bow To The Sad Lady (n/k/a Mara Lisa)
  13. Off Broadway
  14. Cracks In A Photograph
  15. I'm Waiting
  16. Cry On Demand
  17. Miss Sunflower
  18. Just Saying Hi (n/k/a Answering Bell)
  19. My California Love
  20. Idiots Rule The World
  21. Dear Chicago
Notes:
The Gold Sessions
Date: Late Spring 2001 
Location:   Los Angeles, California
Personnel: See Gold.
Tracks:  
  1. New York, New York
  2. Firecracker
  3. Answering Bell
  4. La Cienega Just Smiled
  5. The Rescue Blues
  6. Somehow, Someday
  7. When The Stars Go Blue
  8. Nobody Girl
  9. SYLVIA PLATH
  10. Enemy Fire
  11. Gonna Make You Love Me
  12. Wild Flowers
  13. Harder Now That It's Over
  14. Touch, Feel & Lose
  15. Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues
  16. Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.
  17. Rosalie Come & Go
  18. The Fools We Are As Men
  19. The Bar Is A Beautiful Place
  20. Sweet Black Magic
  21. Cannonball Days
  22. From Me To You
  23. Fool's Gold
  24. Mara Lisa
Notes:
The Cowboy Technical Services Sessions
Date: Spring 2001
Location:   Cowboy Technical Services -- New York, NY
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Eric "Roscoe" Ambel
Tracks:  
  1. Ghost
  2. My Love For You Is Real
  3. Liar
Notes: Eric "Roscoe" Ambel to AnsweringBell.com:  "In the spring of 2001 I also recorded 3 songs with Ryan at my recording studio Cowboy Technical Services.  Those songs are Ghost, My Love For You Is Real (not sure about this title) and a punk rock song I wrote with Ryan called Liar.  Those 3 were pro recorded to 2" analog with Ryan and I playing most of the instruments and Robert Becker on piano."
The 48 Hours Sessions
Date: June 2001 (made in 2 days right after Gold was completed)
Location:   Cello Studios -- Hollywood, California
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Ethan Johns; Chris Stills; Julianna Raye; Greg Leitz; Sheldon Gomberg.
Tracks:  
  1. Hallelujah
  2. Walls
  3. Desire
  4. Angelina
  5. Like The Twilight (a/k/a Memphis)
  6. Chin Up, Cheer Up
  7. Born Yesterday
  8. Blue
  9. One For The Rose
  10. Karina (false start)
  11. Karina
  12. Little Moon
Notes:
The Second Pink Heart Sessions
Date: July 2001
Location:   Javelina Studios; Nashville, TN
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Billy Mercer; Brad Rice; Brad Pemberton; Bucky Baxter; Gillian Welch; David Rawlings.  Produced by Dave Domanich.
Tracks:  
  1. Blowin' The Coug
  2. Blue And Shy
  3. Candy Doll
  4. Down At The Movies
  5. Fuck It . . . I Broke Your Cat
  6. Gimme A Sign
  7. Interstellar Collider
  8. Jesus (Don't Touch My Baby)
  9. Mega-Superior Gold
  10. My Baby's Going Home (n/k/a Tomorrow)
  11. Nuclear
  12. On My Way
  13. I Took Your Puppies To A Race Car Track
  14. Saturday Night
  15. Song For Keith
  16. Starting To Hurt
  17. Tennessee Sucks
Notes:
The Swedish Sessions
Date: October 2001
Location:   Nord Studio AB -- Stockholm, Sweden
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Beth Orton; others.
Tracks:  
  1. You Will Always Be The Same
  2. For Beth
  3. Dear Anne
  4. Poor Jimmy
  5. Madeline I
  6. Madeline II
  7. Oh, Charles (f/k/a Prison Letter)
  8. Come Monday
  9. Not In Love
  10. Friendly Fire
  11. Fool For You (a/k/a Baby, I'm A Fool For You)
Notes:
The Strokes Cover Album
Date: Spring 2002
Location:  
Personnel: Ryan Adams
Tracks:   A 4-track cover of the Strokes' Is This It?
Notes: From NME.com 9/17/02:  "Ryan Adams has said he will never release his much sought after solo cover album of  - The Strokes' Is This It but that someday would send it anonymously to Holly's Demo Hell in NME.COM for review . . . .  Earlier this year, Adams aid he had recorded [it] on a four-track recorder. The news prompted a flood of enquiries, with some fans starting a campaign to have the album released.  "I had an abscess on my tooth," explained Adams. "And I was on vicodin, out of my nut for a whole week. Swollen fucking mouth and I couldn't do anything, so I decided I was going to learn some records that I liked. So I just learned a bunch of compositions, but I learned them in a different way. So I went upstairs and started recording them on a four-track. One sounds like ragtime, some of them are like country and ballads, you know. It's on a four track, in a bag somewhere.  I told The Strokes about it because they came to me and said 'Hey, what the fuck Ryan' and I told those guys I never made a big deal out of it. I told them I would never release it because it'd be like riding their coat tails. To me that would be stealing their thunder. I won't release a cover of their record. One, because I've got my own records to do, and two because its fun for us. It's fun when I can play them their songs and they sound real weird - like bluegrass."  He added: "You know what I'll do - one day, when I have too many beers, I'm going to send it to Holly's Demo Hell. I'll send it under a pseudonym. Then I'll find out if she really does listen to all those fucking tapes. I'll put it under a crass fucking name, but once you get it you'll know what it is. But it'll be in a bag of fucking tapes. I'll send it in just like that and I'll never confirm or deny if it's me. I told that to the guys and they're like - that's genius, that'd be really funny."
The Finger Sessions -- We Are Fuck You
Date: April 2002
Location:   Peligro Studios -- New York, New York
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Jesse Malin; others.
Tracks:  
  1. Vendetta 0:36

  2. Collar 0:53

  3. Coma For $$$ 1:14

  4. Riot 0:45

  5. Inside My Brain 1:48

  6. No Roolz 0:42

  7. Snakes & Scorpions 0:53

  8. Never Ever 1:21

  9. Run It Down 0:54

  10. Wasted Hours 1:15

Notes: Sales pitch:  

"A finger-in-your-eye, boot-up-your-ass and spit-in-your-face album of Black Flag and Germs-styled hardcore from ready-for-the-apocalypse fuck-ups FINGER (aka alt-country superstar RYAN ADAMS, D-GENERATION and HEARTATTACK ripper JESSE MALIN, and a couple of drunken pals). Ten hating-you tracks recorded old-school at Peligro Studios in NYC during a four-hour session April 2002. Limited edition of 1,000 copies."

The Scott Litt Sessions -- Saturday Night Feverblister
Date: April 2002
Location:   Nashville, Tennessee
Personnel:
Tracks:   19 tracks, including:
  1. Suspicion
Notes: From MTVe.com:  April 24, 2002 -- Ryan Adams has begun laying down tracks for his forthcoming third album.  The critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter is currently nestled inside a Nashville recording studio with producer Scott Litt, of REM and Nirvana fame.  The follow-up to "Gold" is expected to see the light of day at the end of this year or in early 2003.
The Finger Sessions -- Punk's Dead Let's Fuck
Date: June 2002
Location:   Peligro Studios -- New York, New York
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Jesse Malin; others.
Tracks:  
  1. Hunger Plan

  2. Nail & Tooth

  3. No Slaves

  4. See No Skin

  5. Secret 66

  6. Too Stoopid

  7. Casper Lynch

  8. Punk's Dead Let's Fuck

  9. What Is It

  10. The Finger

  11. [Untitled Bonus Track]

The Love Is Hell Sessions -- New York
Date: September 2 to September 6, 2002
Location:  Globe Studios, New York, NY
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Marianne Faithfull
Tracks: 
  1. Political Scientist
  2. Afraid Not Scared
  3. This House Is Not For Sale
  4. Anybody Wanna Take Me Home?
  5. When The Music Don't Come
  6. Love Is Hell
  7. English Girls Approximately
  8. Caterwaul
  9. City Rain, City Streets
  10. Halloween
  11. Fuck The Universe (f/k/a Faker)
Notes: Ryan Adams Aussie Mag interview:  "It's done. We went into the studio on Monday (Sept 2) and we finished on Friday (Sept 6). I stopped for two hours on Wednesday to go to the art show, then we went back that night and cut two more tracks.  It's 11 songs, no B-sides, and it's called Love is Hell.  I can't even listen to it yet because it's so spooky.  It sounds like someone possessed.  It's like someone on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Or on the verge of a nervous breakthrough. The minute it was done I felt better. It's definitely the most intense record I've ever done."  Source:  Allie on the Ryan Adams Message Board.
The Love Is Hell Sessions -- New Orleans
Date: February 1, 2003 to February __, 2003
Location:  Piety Street Studios -- New Orleans, Louisiana
Personnel: Ryan Adams, Rickey Fataar (drums), Hutch Hutchinson (bass), Greg Leisz (guitar), Ian McLagan (keyboards), and Jon Cleary (keyboards).  Ruth & Sara too.  Production by  John Porter.
Tracks: 
  1. Twice As Bad As Love (Day 1 or 2)
  2. Thank You Louise (Day 1 or 2)
  3. My Blue Manhattan (Day 1 or 2)
  4. Not Gonna Make It Out Of This One This Time (Day 1 or 2)
  5. I See Monsters (Day 1 or 2)
  6. Please Do Not Let Me Go (Day 3)
  7. Shadowlands (Day 3)
  8. Stumblin' Through The Dark Tonight (Day 3)
  9. Hard Way To Fall (Day 3)
  10. Black Clouds (Day 4)
  11. Chelsea Nights (Day 5)
  12. Jeane (Day 5)
  13. Avalanche (Day 5)
  14. Vampire (Day 5)
  15. World War 24 (Day 6)
  16. Witch Hunt (Day 6)
  17. Gimme Sunshine (Day 6)
  18. Thank You Louise (again) (Day 7)
  19. Wonderwall (Day 7)
  20. I See Monsters (again) (Day 7)
  21. Rock N Roll 
  22. Murder, Sex, Death

Songs based on Ryan's message board posts.

The Rock N Roll Sessions
Date: Late July - Early August 2003
Location:  Stratosphere Studios, New York, NY
Personnel: Ryan Adams, Johnny T., Tony Shanahan, Billie Joe Armstrong, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Parker Posey, Jim Barber (produced), Ted Jensen (mastering)
Tracks: 
  1. This Is It
  2. Shallow
  3. 1974
  4. Wish You Were Here
  5. So Alive
  6. Luminol
  7. Burning Photographs
  8. She's Lost Total Control
  9. Note To Self: Don't Die
  10. Anybody Wanna Take Me Home?
  11. Do Miss America
  12. Boys
  13. The Drug's Not Working
  14. Political Song For People I Hate To Sing ???
  15. Hypnotixed
  16. Liar
  17. Funeral Marching
  18. I'm Coming Over
  19. Ah, Life
  20. Don't Even Know Her Name
  21. Luxury
  22. Closer When She Goes
  23. Red Lights
Ryan Adams post on ryanadams.org:  THE LAST MIX JUST WENT DOWN.  Now it's off to Ted Jensen for mastering.  Here is the track listing ..... we are trying to keep it to 12, but for now it's 14, and we're a song or two spare...(which for me is awesome because I over load my fucking albums).  Joe Levy from Rolling Stone stopped by a day ago and Lisa Robinson from Vanity Fair today.  Both were in dig mode.   Billie Joe Armstrong sings on Do Miss America.  Melissa Auf Der Maur sings on three or four things and Parker Posey sings on "Note to Self" and "Political Song"..... Jim Barber produced.  We are exhausted.  But it's finished.  Also, Luke Lewis from Lost Highway, more over the head of Mercury Records, my friend and champion, came by three days ago and was really excited.  We are shooting for Nov. 4th release, maybe sooner, but I need press advances and whatnot.  The tour stars Nov. 5th at the Beacon Theater (that's tentative but my agent and I today think we will begin and end it here).  That's all the beans I have to spill except that Johnny T. part owner of Niagara played drums (the drummer for not The Finger) and I PLAYED EVERY GUITAR ON THIS RECORD. Even a little bass.  Luckily Tony Shanahan from Patti Smith group did three songs.  All for now.  I love you guys and will destroy you with my 80s rock album.  
The 29 Sessions
Date:
Location: 
Personnel: Ryan Adams; JP Bowerstock; Ethan Johns; Jennifer Condos
Tracks:
  1. 29
  2. Strawberry Wine
  3. Nightbirds
  4. Blue Sky Blues
  5. Carolina Rain
  6. Starlite Diner
  7. The Sadness
  8. Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play The Part
  9. Voices
The Cold Roses Sessions
Date:
Location: 
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Catherine Popper; JP Bowersock; Cindy Cashdollar; Brad Pemberton; Rachel Yamagata
Tracks:
  1. Magnolia Mountain
  2. Sweet Illusions
  3. Meadowlake Street
  4. When Will You Come Back Home?
  5. Beautiful Sorta
  6. Now That You're Gone
  7. Cherry Lane
  8. Mockingbird
  9. How Do You Keep Love Alive?
  10. Easy Plateau
  11. Let It Ride
  12. Rosebud
  13. Cold Roses
  14. If I'm A Stranger
  15. Dance All Night
  16. Blossom
  17. Life Is Beautiful
  18. Friends (f/k/a For Beth)
  19. Tonight
  20. Operator, Operator
  21. So Hot, So Cold
The Jacksonville City Nights Sessions
Date: January 2005
Location:  LoHo Studios; New York, NY
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Catherine Popper; JP Bowersock; Jon Graboff; Brad Pemberton; Norah Jones; Claudio Chopek; David Gold; Bob Hoffnar; Byron Isaacs; Julia Kent; Joe McGinty; Michael Panes; Johnny T; Glenn Patscha; 
Tracks:
  1. A Kiss Before I Go
  2. The End
  3. Hard Way To Fall
  4. Dear John
  5. The Hardest Part
  6. Games
  7. Silver Bullets
  8. Peaceful Valley
  9. September
  10. My Heart Is Broken
  11. Trains
  12. PA
  13. Withering Heights
  14. When The Rope Gets Tight
  15. What Sin Replaces Love [Demonstration Recording]
  16. A Kiss Before I Go [Demonstration Recording]
  17. Always On My Mind
  18. I Still Miss Someone
  19. Shadows ?
  20. We're Doomed ?
  21. Where Dreams Go To Die ?
  22. Liar's Eve ?
  23. The Howling ?
  24. Dust and Alcohol ?
  25. Rosewood Cemetery ?
  26. Songs ?
  27. When The Wild Wind Calls ?
  28. Like The Lies She Tells To Me ?
  29. Already Going and Gone
  30. Give Up ?
  31. On My Way To Jacksonville ?
The Elizabethtown Sessions
Date: Early August 2005
Location:  Two different New York studios.
Personnel: Ryan Adams; Jon Graboff, Brad Pemberton, Catherine Popper, Tom Schick (engineer, producer)
Tracks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Cemetery Hill
  2. The Sewers At The Bottom Of The Wishing Well
  3. Clementine (possibly Madeline?)
  4. Everybody Knows
  5. When The Wild Wind Blows (or Wild Wind)
  6. Dreams Of A Working Class Clown (or Dreams Of The Working Class)
  7. Words
  8. Lions Of Broadway
  9. Who Were We?
  10. Willows
  11. Lighthouses
  12. Saturday Night
  13. Everything Dies
  14. Two
  15. Maps
  16. Don't Get Sentimental On Me
  17. Elizabeth Town
  18. Elizabeth
Studio Songs I've Been Unable To Fit Into The Above Session Schedule:
  1. Blank Generation (Steve's house, 1995)
  2. Bottom Of The Glass (see this link for Eric "Roscoe" Ambel's recording notes)
  3. Give Me Another Chance
  4. Today (from Fucker Version 1)
  5. Clearly Destroyed (from Fucker Version 1 )
  6. Breathe (a/k/a Believe) (from Fucker Version 1)
  7. Fool (from Fucker Version 1)
  8. The Battle (Westwood One version)
  9. Me & My Ticket
  10. I Hope It Rains At My Funeral
  11. Silver Wings (2 versions)
  12. Monday Night (see link for Eric "Roscoe" Ambel's recording notes)
  13. Lovesick Blues (Sunset Sound Factory -- Los Angeles, CA, 2001)
  14. Brown Sugar with Beth Orton (England, October 2001)
  15. Hey Parker, It's Christmas
  16. The Guest Work material

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