Search - Bryan Adams :: Room Service

Despite some shortcomings, his best effort since "Waking Up

L.A. Scene | Indian Trail, NC USA | 04/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Following 1998's "On a Day Like Today", Bryan Adams would embark on the longest hiatus' in his career in terms of releasing new material. With the exception of the soundtrack "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron", it would be seven years before Adams would release his next album - 2005's "Room Service". This comes more than two decades after Bryan Adams hit the apex of his career. In the 80s, Bryan did some great work on albums such as "Cuts Like a Knife", his signature album "Reckless", his deep album "Into the Fire", and his commercially successful "Waking Up The Neighbours". Following that string of 4 albums, Bryan released "18 Til I Die" and "On a Day Like Today". While these albums kept Adams' core fans happy, for the most part they did not achieve the glory of those past albums. Overall, Adams' "Room Service" is a better album than "18 Til I Die" and "On a Day Like Today", but it still doesn't reach the levels of Adams' hey-day.



Throughout his career, Adams has always surrounded himself with a top band of musicians. These musicians have included Keith Scott (guitar), Mickey Curry (drums), Dave Taylor (bass), and Tommy Mandel (keyboards). For "On a Day Like Today", Mandel would no longer be a part of the band. For "Room Service", Dave Taylor was dropped - leaving Scott and Curry as the only mainstays. Adams takes over the bass playing duties himself - along with guitar, piano, and harmonica. From a songwriting perspective, Adams brings back many of the songwriters who worked with him following his split with longtime songwriting collaborator Jim Vallance. These songwriters include Robert "Mutt" Lange, Phil Thornalley, Gretchen Peters, and Eliot Kennedy. While the Adams/Vallance combination might be one of the all-time greatest collaborations, this album might have some of the best lyrics since the days of Vallance. Finally from a production standpoint, Adams produces the album solo with minimal help from Thornalley. Normally I think a co-producer is important when an artist wants to produce himself because the co-producer will often challenge the artist to get the most out of him. However Adams still does a creditable job.



One unique thing about "Room Service" is that the vocals were recorded in hotel rooms throughout the world (thus the album's name, "Room Service"). The tracks were recorded in both concert halls and recording studios. While I think this is a great thing that Adams took an unorthodox approach to recording this album, I don't really see the difference. However I give super "mixer" Bob Clearmountain a lot of credit for helping engineer a smooth product. Overall I wouldn't view this recording approach as negative - just a non-factor. For the most part Adams plays it very safe. He doesn't venture into uncharted territory on this album. He uses a guitar-laden sound that is basically in step with the music of the mid 2000s. While Adams has always had a hard edge to his guitar sound, no doubt he is mellowing with age - and it reflects on this album. From a vocals standpoint, you still get the classic raspy style Bryan Adams vocals.



Here is a track by track review:



East Side Story: This is one of the album's underrated tracks. This song discusses the interactions of what goes on in the big city. It focuses on one interaction where Adams sees a woman from a window in a coffee shop and wonders how his life would change if he met that woman. Unfortunately as soon as he sees the woman, she gets on a bus and takes off.



This Side of Paradise: This is probably the best song on the collection. It is destined to be an classic among his fans. The world flies by and you have no control - so all you can hang on to is the constant.



Not Romeo Not Juliet: This is a song about two lost souls who won't admit that they are in love. I found this to be a very catchy song.



Flying: This is one of the weaker tracks on this collection. Although not a bad song, it didn't do much for me.



She's a Little Too Good for Me: This is a song that talks about a girl who is intimidating and presents a challenge to a man.



Open Road: This is another terrific track and easily will be up there as an Adams classic. The use of the "road" is a symbolic for making choices to go in one direction or another.



Room Service: As mentioned above, this song is symbolic for the way this album was constructed. However it discusses, all what it is like to be behind closed doors and alone.



I Was Only Dreamin: This song deals with someone who was in love with a woman who is now long gone, but still is clinging on to the memories.



Right Back Where I Started From: This song had a bit of a feel of "Back to You" when the song opens up. It also had a feel from some of Adams' older songs - thus the title.



No Where Fast: This song talks about how life passes one by so fast while taking someone you care about for granted.



Why Do You Have to Be So Hard to Love: This is a song that deals with the a person in love with someone who is difficult to love.



The liner notes contain all of the lyrics to each of the tracks. The songwriting and production credits are included. The names of the hotels, halls, and studios where this album was recorded are also listed - however there is not a track by track correlation with the locations. There is also some of Adams amateur photography included in the liner notes. Overall, despite some of the shortcomings, this is a very good album by Bryan Adams - certainly his best full studio album since "Waking Up the Neighbours". Highly recommended."

Somebody misjudged Bryan's chances for chart success...

T. LeBaron | NH | 03/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the reviwers said that the leadoff single "Open Road" wasn't the type of song that could get him back on the charts anywhere...guess no one told the Canadian audience, since MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic and five different radio formats had that single in ther #1 spot not very long after its release. The only mistake wasn't making that the leadoff single here in the US, nothing against "This Side of Paradise", but "Open Road" was a HUGE single. the rest of the album isn't too shabby either. Get the overseas version and enjoy the bonus track "Blessing in Disguise". SOLID album, and my only other question is, why wasn't the song "Diana" included on the "Anthology" double disc?"