The Holtonian

Love is Hell reflections

As mentioned in a prior post, I purchased Ryan Adams Love is Hell Part 1this weekend at Mckays. I must say its both the most depressing and
enjoyable albums I've spun in a long while. I'm not very knowledgable to the
whole Ryan Adams controversial history. I just hear bits and pieces from my
hipster friends who I think, think he's gone astray from his greatest work
or something like that. I don't know, nor care. I figure an artist can do
whatever they heck they want. I mean if you look at U2 (yes i know i'm a
dork for bringing them into this, therefore i apologize) but they went off a
tangent with Achtung, it worked, then went off a tangent from that tangent,
Zooropa, then went on another tagent Pop. Some were annoyed, others
rejoiced, some loved them more, some left their fan base. But in the end
they did what they wanted to do, they didn't play to the crowd they wanted
to make music that they enjoyed and believed in.
Don't know much about Ryan Adams, but I've never heard music with more soul
and anguish than his. Well, not true, Johny Cash, he had more anguish. And I
enjoy just listening to his tunes, both of them.
I also like how Ryan Adams redid wonderwall by oasis. I think Oasis is one of those bands that are really good, but their personalty drove away their
fans. I mean when you come out and say you're better than the Beatles,
you're just asking for people to hate you. Also they are hacks in a lot of
ways. There music borrows insane amounts from the classics, beatles for
instance. But like I say, "if you're gonna be a hack, be good hack." And in
my opinion they're great hacks. There's one song that I think is actually
Magic Carpet Ride with different words. Actually the phrase "Carpet ride"
might actually be in the song. Anyway, I'm a few years late i realize on my
broadening of the muscial tastes but i don't care. I find being trendy or
hip offensive. Its antithetical to who i am and all that i hold dear.

I started thinking about the song "Love is Hell" and thought to myself, "I'm in love, its not really hell though..." I mean its hard at times but not hell. Hell is a lot worse, and hotter. Though it can be hot here too if you know what I mean... we haven't turned the ac on yet so it can get hot in the house. But I started thinking, "if i were not a christian and didn't have the foundation of Christ's love as the basis for my understanding of my love of my wife, i could then see how love is hell." I mean it doesn't give me full understanding of the world, but if I think loving my wife is hard, which it rarely if ever is, then think about how hard it would be for Christ to love a bunch of shmucks like you and me. I mean what have I ever done for him? He died for me, and how do I repay him??? I can't. At least with my wife I can mow the lawn to start to show her how much i love her. Maybe its the Catholic deep down inside me but I'm always trying to get God back for his grace, always trying to repay the gift, granted i never do squat, but i still feel guilty for being unable to repay him. All I can do is ask for his grace all the more I guess. I ramble. I stop now.