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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Love Is Hell, Part 1 [EP]
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 16 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 12 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Lost Highway
Release Date: 04 November 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
Love Is Hell, Part 1 is one-half of the planned 'Love Is Hell' full-length that Adams had intended as his official follow-up to 2001's 'Gold' until Lost Highway refused to release it intact (instead encouraging the singer to record a more upbeat LP, 'Rock n Roll'). John Porter (The Smiths) produces.
Also By This Artist: 29 Cardinology Cold Roses Demolition Easy Tiger Gold Jacksonville City Nights Love Is Hell, Part 2 [EP] Rock'n'Roll
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Mojo
Some of the best songs he's written since Heartbreaker. [Jan 2004, p.98]
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Some of the most focused, artful, and affecting work of his career. [Review applicable to both Part 1 and Part 2]
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
The Adams of ‘Love Is Hell’ has gone out to make an album that actually is classic rock ‘n’ roll rather than one that can simply impersonate it, and sound convincing. [Review applicable to both Part 1 and Part 2]
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Shares some influences -- the Replacements, '80s English alt-pop -- with ''Rock N Roll,'' but the writing is tighter, the production cleaner, and the performances more considered.
Read Full Review >Flak Magazine
Stripped of arrangements, the songs are mostly brooding ballads, shadowy blends of folk mixed with traditional country that highlight Adams' shaky voice and caustic songwriting. [combined review of 1&2]
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Part 1's eight deluxe country rock essays all impress. [Feb 2004, p.98]
Drowned In Sound
'Love Is Hell' is proof that Ryan Adams is still on form and as splendid as ever.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
The Love Is Hell discs are far more dense and dark, making the songs a fun challenge to crack open, though it isn't difficult to determine what a no-brainer it must have been for Lost Highway to favor the brilliant Roll over the more spotty Hell discs. [Review applies to both EPs and 'Rock N Roll']
Read Full Review >Blender
The bleakness is stirring as often as it is enervating. [#23, p.100]
Dot Music
More commercial - and much better - than 'Rock'n'Roll', occasionally resembling the grandstand melancholia of Coldplay, and more frequently their antecedents The Smiths and Jeff Buckley. [Review applicable to both Part 1 and Part 2]
Read Full Review >Spin
Everything is underwritten or overwrought. [Feb 2004, p.104]
Stylus Magazine
When [Love is Hell] works, and it does so only sporadically, Adams creates songs of suffocating closeness and density.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
If Love Is Hell, Pt. 1 has the edge over Rock n Roll, it's because it's more carefully considered in its production and writing, and he manages to hide his allusions better than he does on Rock, where every title and chord progression plays like an homage.
Read Full Review >ShakingThrough.net
The songs comprising both parts of Love Is Hell constitute the worst songwriting by Adams ever stamped with a price tag.
Read Full Review >Uncut
An utterly gloomungous affair with barely a crack of light piercing the lowering clouds of misery. [Jan 2004, p.116]
Pitchfork
A collection of preposterously cheerless (and charmless) songs that try much too hard to achieve a poignancy-- or anything, really-- that might hide their complete insignificance.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Zach J gave it a10:
Wow, the Pitchfork review Of Love is Hell (parts I&2) is by far, their most misguided effort yet. This is not only Adams' best album, as a whole, but is also one of the few albums in general that I consider "perfect... Not "perfect" as in flawless, but perfect in its current state where I wouldn't change the perceived flaws. Adams eschews the alt-country and rock labels on his previous albums and conquers the 80's brit-popish, delightfully depressing vibe. Yes, it does take a few spins to fully appreciate, but man oh man, is the payoff great... Tough to even list favorite songs as the album plays best from start to finish.
Nasty R gave it a9:
Heartland rock, so charming and impassioned that i always shake like a milk. His best album (with second part together) and one of the best of new century
Leo Y gave it a9:
Fantastic album with brilliant 3 song sequence starting from Shadowlands to Avalanche
Maiken S gave it a9:
Simply love it.
J gave it a10:
Best cd of the year, best Ryan Adam's cd and best of the 2 parts of Love is hell! Astonidhing Can't believe that this cd only has an overall of 71, it's even better than Elliott Smith postume album
Joey P gave it a 9:
I can understand why his company didn't want to release it, it does not contain a song which would be a hit. But Adams is right: this is a masterpiece - beautifully crafted and emotionally played. Vunerable and tender. Brilliant!
Ben J gave it a 7:
A considerable improvement on the uneven "Rock and Roll", this record offers the nearest Adams' has come to matching "Heartbreaker". Love Is Hell Part 2 is equally enjoyable, and gives a glimpse as to what might have happened if Adams had been able to release this as a single album...the question is though, which songs would he had left off?!
