When Taylor Swift dropped her album “1989” last year, it amped up her style to a whole new level, quickly becoming the number one selling album of the decade. Considering how huge of a success this album became, wouldn’t it be a great idea to make a cover album off of it and make it your own?
Ryan Adams did just that. The former Whiskeytown front man took “1989” and combined it with a Bruce Springsteen sound, changing the pace of many of the tracks and creating a sultry sound. Despite having many positive reviews on the album and sound, Adams’ version can’t be compared to Swift’s original.
Swift became a whole new artist with this CD. Each song was upbeat or very melodic and fun. Adams took apart each melody and made it his own, which is commendable. However, they all sounded similar to the point that I wouldn’t be able to tell the songs apart if I wanted to.
The opening track “Welcome to New York” was originally a pop anthem written to get people excited about the city. Adams’ rendition of this song sucked out all of the fun out of it and created a “rough around the edges” sound that didn’t fit the song whatsoever.
Everybody knows “Blank Space” from hearing it on the radio. The original song is straightforward due to the rumors about Swift being a serial dater and her wanting to make her mark in a satirical way. Adams slows it down and completely misses the message in his cover.
Despite the contrast in style, I do feel there were some songs on the album that were a better fit for Adams. With “I Wish You Would,” he slowed the tempo but didn’t stray too far from the original and the meaning was relayed through the music.
Also, Adams did more justice to “Bad Blood” than Kendrick Lamar ever did when he was featured in a remixed version of this track. The meaning behind this song was about how Katy Perry had sabotaged Swift’s tour. The edge was dimmed down in Adams version, but it didn’t completely drift away from the content of the song.
Ultimately, Adams did a great job adding his own personal touch to “1989,” but he failed to transcend the heights that the original reached. This album was by far Swift’s best work, and Adams didn’t serve it justice.
