The Rise of Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown to be Told In “Waiting To Derail”
The rise of Ryan Adams and his original band Whiskeytown amidst the burgeoning alt-country scene is the stuff of legend, or infamy depending on your perspective. And now it will be memorialized in ink in all of its debaucherous detail in a new book called Waiting to Derail: Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, Alt-Country’s Brilliant Wreck due June 26th via Skyhorse Publishing.
Waiting To Derail covers Whiskeytown during its reign from 1997 and the release of the band’s landmark major label debut Strangers Almanac, until the band’s death in 2000 at the hands of Ryan Adams’ solo career. During the period, Whiskeytown saw only one other permanent member in fiddle player Caitlin Cary, and was a revolving door for 15+ other performers Adams either fired or forced out before lighting a torch to the entire thing and going solo, including a notorious night in Kansas City when Adams fired the entire band except for Caitlin, and they finished the run as a duo.
Somewhere in there was also a legendary performance on Austin City Limits, and a lot of very influential songs that would later go on to become the stuff of alt-country legend. “Waiting To Derail” is the name of one of the tracks off of Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac.
The story is told by one of the few individuals who lived and saw it all right beside Ryan, and was sober enough to remember it. Road manager Thomas O’Keefe came on board with Whiskeytown in 1997 around the time of Strangers Almanac. He was one of the few professionals who made it through the many personnel changes, and it was his job to keep Ryan contained enough to take the stage on a nightly basis. Thomas O’Keefe is also known as the current road manager for Weezer, and the long-time bass player for the punk band ANTiSEEN. Professional writer and author Joe Oestreich is also part of the Waiting to Derail writing team.
After Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams would become a early oughts rock icon and abandon much of the alt-country sound, earning a Grammy nomination, getting married to actress and performer Mandy Moore (and eventually divorced), and covering Taylor Swift’s album 1989 cover to cover. Love him or hate him, Ryan Adams has always kept things interesting.
Waiting to Derail: Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, Alt-Country’s Brilliant Wreck will be available in Hardcover for $21.99, as well as ebook form. It can be pre-ordered now.
May 19, 2018 @ 8:08 am
I Love Ryan Adams. Sounds like an interesting read, but not for $21.99. Probably see if the library has it, and if not, wait a few months and check the discount bin.
May 19, 2018 @ 2:45 pm
I work at a library, so I think I’ll ask the librarians to purchase it…
May 19, 2018 @ 8:36 am
I have been a fan since the inception – actually like the Whiskeytown stuff better than his prolific solo output. During the 2000 South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, I saw the band perform and then ran into Ryan at a bar. I asked for his autograph, he picked up a beer coaster, turned it over and asked my name. I told him Al and without hesitation he wrote “To Al – Don’t call me Betty” Ryan Adams. I thought that was brilliant to come up with that music reference off the top of his head.
May 19, 2018 @ 12:29 pm
When he’s on, he on. And Pneumonia still stan
May 19, 2018 @ 12:30 pm
Dang it. Pneumonia still stands tall nearly 20 years later.
May 19, 2018 @ 12:31 pm
Ani’t this the guy that said he sings country ironically?
May 19, 2018 @ 12:42 pm
*sang
Ryan Adams is a mess. I think even Ryan Adams would admit that. That’s why a book like this could be interesting or important insight into his head.
May 19, 2018 @ 12:57 pm
He made a statement claiming to hate country music, but he was good at making it, regardless. I like everything he’s done from Whiskeytown through his latest album, Prisoner, so I may be in the minority here, but I think that Heartbreaker will always be fantastic, and Jacksonville City Nights is one of my top ten albums of all time.
May 19, 2018 @ 1:02 pm
Yeah for the record I called Ryan Adams to the mat for his comments on country music, and would never try to excuse them. I also thought his covering of Taylor Swift’s “1989” was dreadful. But if you get too angry at Ryan Adams, the jokes on you. He a walking piece of performance art.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/ryan-adams-i-do-not-like-fuing-country-music/
May 19, 2018 @ 4:05 pm
Yeah and I read in an interview he did with Zane Lowe that Whiskeytown could possibly get back together sometime and that he has a strange sense of humor and sarcasm, especially in print, then said that when he said he hated country music it was in a humorous sort of way, but he sort of meant it. I don’t know, I know I like him though.
May 20, 2018 @ 7:12 pm
lol, when I pointed out on Twitter that he had founded his fame & fortune on country music he blocked me
love his music but from all the stories I’ve heard he was, is, and forever will be a raging asshole
May 19, 2018 @ 6:42 pm
Agreed, JCN is such a great country album. I’m a big fan of RA music but have to say he sounds like an ass to work with. The cardinals are IMO his best backing band and would say RA is one of the best songwriters out there.
May 19, 2018 @ 1:04 pm
Incredible talent. A friend bought me Stranger’s Almanac and fell in love with the entire album(cd) even today.
May 19, 2018 @ 1:29 pm
The second to last paragraph, saying he abandoned the alt country sound after Whiskeytown, is a little misleading. The Cardinals put out a few records that definitely lean that way, and that were pretty good IMO. I also wouldn’t say he’s tried to be a rock icon. With some exception most of his solo stuff fits more into the singer-songwriter vein, and most recently some version of 80s / Springsteen / Smiths / Americana vibe. Anyway, he’s definitely eclectic and as you say has kept it “interesting,” but to me, above all, he’s one hell of a songwriter.
May 19, 2018 @ 1:52 pm
He’s a one-of-a-kind, legendary asshole. Central NC still hates him two decades later.
May 19, 2018 @ 2:38 pm
He wore me out over 10 years ago. I, like many of his bandmates, are exhausted.
May 19, 2018 @ 3:26 pm
He helped Jason Isbell get sober. Can’t be all that bad a guy. And I love Whiskeytown.
May 19, 2018 @ 3:50 pm
I saw him just as he went solo. Great, fun show. And his cover of Taylor’s “Out of the Woods” puts the original to shame.
May 20, 2018 @ 4:08 am
Whiskeytown at Liberty Lunch – ’nuff said. Adams was wasted and still pulled it through. Must have been ’98, but no interview and no photo pass! Still great show.
And I will never forget “Gold” – released on 9/11 when the Twin Towers fell – “New York, New York” still gives me chills.
May 20, 2018 @ 12:08 pm
I first saw Ryan Adams covering “A Song For You” on a Gram Parsons tribute show. I didn’t know who he was but he caught Gram’s spirit truer than any of the other countless artists whose covers of Gram’s stuff I’ve heard. Found out who he was, devoured (and still love) pretty much everything Whiskeytown ever did and have followed Adams’ highs and lows (extremes on both scores) ever since. BTW, if you love country harmonies, check out the great album Caitlin Cary did with Thad Cockrell, Begonias.
May 20, 2018 @ 1:06 pm
He’s one of those guys where you have to divorce the art from the artist because he’s such an asshole. Demolition, Heartbreaker and 1989 are my 3 favorites. I listen to something off those albums daily.
May 20, 2018 @ 1:29 pm
My favorite Adams record is 29, that one’s on my 10 all-time greatest albums list. It’s just an absolutely unique, darkly brilliant gem of a record that, I feel, is somehow tucked away out of sight of even diehard Adams fans. He released that in his annus mirabilis of 2005, when he also put out Jacksonville City Nights (probably his purest Country record) and Cold Roses, a DOUBLE album which for me would be Heartbreaker’s contender for Adams’ greatest solo record if 29 didn’t exist. That’s the thing with Adams – he’s got one of those sprawling, uncalculating, write-them-and-record-them-like-there’s-no-tomorrow talents that’s probably most akin to Neil Young, where he’ll be coming at you with another batch of brilliance (ok, not all of it is brilliant, but almost all of it is worthwhile) before you’ve had time to properly digest the previous one. That’s why, however you may feel about it musically, 1989 epitomizes the Ryan Adams spirit. Other folks, when they like a record, contend themselves with covering a favorite song or two. Not Ryan: he’s gotta cover the whole damn thing.
Caitlin Cary’s singing of harmony on “Don’t Wanna Know Why” must be what music of the spheres sounds like. Some hater of everything good turned it down too low in the final mix though.
May 20, 2018 @ 6:20 pm
29 is such a great album and is always overlooked when discussing RA. The amount of unreleased material he has and the quality of it, most songwriters would die to have that talent.
May 20, 2018 @ 9:17 pm
Best thing he ever did was “The Fine Art Of Self Destruction”
May 20, 2018 @ 11:16 pm
I’m quite the Ryan Adams fan, so I’ll definitely be seeking out this book.
I must say, it’s ironic to me that so many of the most unadorned “real” country performers have become known as “alt-country” while the crap peddled by the Nashville majors earns the “country” tag for being little more than recycled rock and pop. Hard to figure.
May 21, 2018 @ 6:30 am
I read a book a few year ago called “Ryan Adams: Losering, A Story of Whiskeytown”. I agree with most: Very talented, very weird, raging asshole.
I know he helped get Isbell sober and was slated to produce Southeastern at one point. I saw Isbell and RA play two different shows in the same week around 2010ish. It was my second of now 10+ Isbell shows, and my one and only RA show. Isbell was, and still is, so gracious and appreciative of his audience. Adams was a massive dick and couldn’t care less about his audience. At one point he said something like, “well now I’ll play the 3-4 songs that all of you came to hear”. Isbell introduced one of his roadies and said “he’s a great guy, and sometimes we let him play a rock and roll song”. The roadie sang “American Girl” while Isbell played guitar.
May 21, 2018 @ 7:10 am
I’ve seen Isbell numerous times now and Adams a couple times, and I think you’re pretty much spot-on.
The first time I saw Adams was his solo tour in 2011 when Isbell was opening for him (the tour that resulted in his sobriety), but Isbell had a prior engagement in Louisville with the 400 Unit the night the tour game through KC, so we got Butch Adams instead.
I will say, though, that I think sometimes Adams just comes across as a dick during his shows when he’s trying to joke. He cam be uproariously funny at times, but there are also moments that could be construed as him being a jerk. At the solo show, some guy wouldn’t stop yelling “SIXTEEN DAYSSSS!” so Adams finally said “Children. We must have dinner before we enjoy dessert.” It was a joke, but I think some people took it the wrong way.
May 21, 2018 @ 12:43 pm
Most people seem dickish compared to Isbell. He’s such a seemingly greatful and humble guy. That said I think RA has matured and chilled out more recently… one thing that nobody’s really hit on here. He definitely had his moments in the past. I saw him about 6 months ago and he was super appreciative of the crowd. Show I was at 10 years ago, not so much.
May 21, 2018 @ 10:23 am
I loved Strangers and Cold Roses blew me away when it arrived. To me, that was where Whiskeytown could have arrived if they stuck together. If someone could just turn him off to The Smiths all might be well again (musically). Haha!
May 21, 2018 @ 4:44 pm
Absolutely one of the greatest songwriters out there right now.
Arrogant, egotistical asshole or not, he has the chops to back it up.
May 24, 2018 @ 8:39 am
It is “Aughts,” not “oughts.”
May 24, 2018 @ 8:46 am
Eh, count me team oughts.
May 25, 2018 @ 4:12 pm
Ryan Adams threatens to break Kokomo’s nose, bro:
http://www.kokomojones.com/kokomo-forgives-ryan-adams/