All the signs are that we’ll be seeing another avalanche of material from Ryan Adams in the new year.

Adams is incredibly prolific. But unlike the steady flow of releases from, say Van Morrison (1 or 2 every year for the last 10+ years), or Tangerine Dream (120 releases if you include all their soundtrack)., Adams’ release pattern has shifted towards releasing albums as a known series of albums to multiple albums at once. Last year, we saw Chris, FM, Devolver, and Romeo and Juliet come out at once. Then, later two cover albums very close together (Nebraska, Blood on the Tracks). This year, we’ve had the Return to Carnegie Hall box set and Morning Glory.

This shift has really kicked in since Adams resurfaced after being investigated for possible criminal sexual behavior, messy divorce, and other such accusations. Which may well be linked to changes in his record label relationships. I’m not going to suggest Adams is an angel; it’s clear he is a flawed individual. But being flawed doesn’t mean he isn’t talented. Just look at Prince or Michael Jackson to see that

Despite the number of albums being released, the quality is remarkable. But I can’t help wondering if he was working within the constraints of a more conventional record company, whether we would see fewer official albums, but at a standard that equals or surpasses that of Gold or Cold Roses – considered as possibly his best work. Plus, a lot of bootleg releases with the rest of the material.