It was very interesting to listen to this album by Taylor Swift because even though I have only heard a few songs from it out in the world, I am really familiar with these songs because I have listened to the Ryan Adams recreated version dozens of times.
So even though the instrumentation is different and Ryan made them sound like Ryan Adams songs, the lyrics are the same and the melodies are similar enough to make it feel like I have heard these songs before. I found myself tapping my feet and when I compare them I realize that these are just good, well written songs in either version.
I am not a pop music kind of guy really but I have always respected Taylor Swift for being an artist who seems to really be true to her own vision and talent. I’m not likely to play this again but for what it is and the audience it is intended for, it’s as good as contemporary pop music can be.
and Ryan’s version:
To learn more about the 1001 Albums Project, I first wrote about it here.
Your thoughts?