Rock'n'Roll
by Ryan Adams
User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 51
  3. Negative: 10 out of 51

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  1. JeremyS
    Nov 12, 2003
    5
    The reason that most reviews are negative, isn't because it's different than his alt-country sound. It's because most of the songs are poorly written, lack any emotion, and are soulless. I'd love to hear an album in this style if it were worth a damn.
  2. BenJ
    Nov 19, 2003
    5
    Why on earth Lost Highway chose this horrible record over the magnificent "Love Is Hell" is completely beyond me. This is probably Ryan's worse release! The songs just aren't strong enough (with one or two exceptions), the production is terribly one dimensional and (amazingly) even the vocals are pretty poor! Avoid this and buy "Love Is Hell" instead - that's the record Why on earth Lost Highway chose this horrible record over the magnificent "Love Is Hell" is completely beyond me. This is probably Ryan's worse release! The songs just aren't strong enough (with one or two exceptions), the production is terribly one dimensional and (amazingly) even the vocals are pretty poor! Avoid this and buy "Love Is Hell" instead - that's the record Ryan wanted to release, and it?s obvious why!… Expand
  3. BenJ
    Nov 19, 2003
    5
    Why on earth Lost Highway chose this horrible record over the magnificent "Love Is Hell" is completely beyond me. This is probably Ryan's worse release! The songs just aren't strong enough (with one or two exceptions), the production is terribly one dimensional and (amazingly) even the vocals are pretty poor! Avoid this and buy "Love Is Hell" instead - that's the record Why on earth Lost Highway chose this horrible record over the magnificent "Love Is Hell" is completely beyond me. This is probably Ryan's worse release! The songs just aren't strong enough (with one or two exceptions), the production is terribly one dimensional and (amazingly) even the vocals are pretty poor! Avoid this and buy "Love Is Hell" instead - that's the record Ryan wanted to release, and it?s obvious why!… Expand
  4. OlafK.
    Nov 4, 2003
    6
    I consider myself a real adams fan, as I followed him since faithless street came out. As with REM, you lose an artist at some point, which is not necessarily a bad thing. With this album, I let go of Adams. It's too derivative for me. I miss what is his biggest talent: writing superb melodies. There were still a few on Gold, I can't find one here. I suspect that Love is Hell I consider myself a real adams fan, as I followed him since faithless street came out. As with REM, you lose an artist at some point, which is not necessarily a bad thing. With this album, I let go of Adams. It's too derivative for me. I miss what is his biggest talent: writing superb melodies. There were still a few on Gold, I can't find one here. I suspect that Love is Hell will indeed please me more. I was really impressed by "The Shadowlands" live.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Most Discussed Album of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 23
  3. Negative: 5 out of 23
  1. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    An uproarious set of rock songs that audaciously ape the styles of several of his current iPod icons.
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  2. Pitchfork
    29
    It's not so much that Rock N Roll is incorrigibly written as that the record is unforgivably careless, unwilling to commit to anything including itself.
    Read full review
  3. Uncut
    30
    Perhaps the most inappropriately-titled album since The Best Of Sting. [Dec 2003, p.116]
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