If any of you are in a city where Bryan Adams (pictured) is stopping on his acoustic tour, go. I caught him — backed by only his guitar and harmonica — Saturday night in NYC, and it was so good that I left thinking he should release a live album recorded just like that. His 11th studio album, 11, hits Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club exclusively on May 13. Listen to the album cuts of "Oxygen," "Tonight We Have the Stars," and "I Thought I’d Seen Everything," then tell me if Adams’ intimate lyrics and raspy, echo-filled vocals aren’t almost more powerful stripped, as heard here, here, and here.
Adams played the New York Society for Ethical Culture’s 800-seat Concert Hall, a converted church (with cushioned pews) that he referred to as one of the most beautiful places he’s ever performed. Lucky for him, there’s no religious iconography left in the auditorium, because that man would have burned: If not for the fact that he wrote "Heaven," in two days (!), for the 1983 Christopher-Atkins-stripper movie A Night in Heaven, then because he sings about nothing but sex. I’m sure I’d have earned myself a ticket to his next concert in hell when I wished ill on the man seated behind me — he kept yelling "Musketeer!" because he couldn’t remember the name of the song he was desperately trying to request, "All for Love" off The Three Musketeers soundtrack. But at least those impure thoughts I had during "Run to You" (embedded below, from a March performance at St. James’s Church in London) should have scored me a VIP package:
So, which artists do you think sound even better acoustic? And, in honor of my not being able to control my volume when Adams got to the "And that’s when I met you, yeah" line of "Summer of ‘69," name one lyric you must belt out whenever you hear it.
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The one lyric I can’t just whisper…”TAKE MY HAND AND WE’LL MAKE I SWEAR!”
The one lyric I can’t just whisper…”TAKE MY HAND AND WE’LL MAKE IT SWEAR!”
This probably doesn’t count (since they always pretty much play acoustic), but I saw FOTC last night and they were great. Everyone seemed to need to shout out “Steve” from “Hiphopapotamus Vs Rhymenosorous”.
Um, well, obviously it is required by law to yell out “LEONARD BERNSTEIN” during a certain REM song…
I can play the gi-tar like a mutherf***in RIOT!!!
Even though I have a deep-rooted aversion to ’80s music, especially ’80s rock, I always have to shout out, “Smell of wine and CHEAP perfuuuume!” from Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” I don’t think I know any other lines from the song but hearing it always makes me think of how much I miss The Sopranos.
I HATE this song, but everytime I hear Love Shack everybody always yells “TIN ROOF RUSTED!” and then everybody says how much they hate doing that.
“bum bum bum” during Sweet Caroline. I even had to yell it out during little Archie’s rendition last week even though it didn’t quite fit.
Jason Mraz should not be allowed in a production studio.
oh wow there are TONS
-”I can hear your heart beat faster..!”
-”but she only comes when she’s on top”
-”I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and break it”
-”half a mil for bail ’cause I’m african”
-”josie’s on a vacation far away”
-”ahhh wham! bam! thank you ma’am!”
and there’s tons more but those are the ones I could think of. I have no idea how many saves the day fans are on (or not on) here but “I’m finally free from the ups and downs” is definitely one of those shout lyrics
To stay with the Bryan Adams thing, “SOMEBODY LIKE YOU” on “Somebody”
“You can do side bends or sit ups, but please don’t lose that butt!”
Say it’s true, it’s true, we can break through! Gotta love U2.
Mine is pretty much the entire “Jack and Diane” song – especially the chorus about how the Bibleman is gonna save my so-oh-oul!!
Lyric to sing out loud: the only one that pops in my head is “Maybe you squandered big bucks in your lifetime, now I have to pay” from Indigo Girls’ “Galileo” – that one’s always sung very loudly.
Artist that sounds better acoustic: Hanson. The awesome harmonies just shine through!
“Little old lady got mutilated late last night” from Werewolves of London
Only one song during which I cannot for the life of me reign in my lyrical Turrets:
2. The Beatles- “Hey Jude” When Paul McCartney starts wailing “Jude jude ah judey judey judey ow WOW!” during the ‘Na na na na’ finale. Don’t give me that stare, you know you all do it.
It’s “let the BIBLE BELT come down and save my soul”. There is no bibleman.
I told you once, you son of a b*tch, I’m the best that’s ever been!
“I’ve seen a million faces…and I’ve ROCKED them all.”
Erm, Bryan actually did release an Unplugged cd in the 90s.
The lyric I HAVE to belt out is from “Walking in Memphis:” “Tell me are you a Christian, child, and I said, Ma’am, I am tonight.” Just writing it out like that makes me want to channel my inner-Syesha and belt it out like I’m in it to win it.
Pearl Jam, Alive:
“Is that the question? And if so, if so, who answers, who answeeerrrrsss yeah, I, I’m still alive.”
john mayer can really play guitar but i just about die when he plays acoustically…
the lyrics that i must belt out are:
the chorus of “closer” by nine inch nails (lol)
“whoooooaaaa livin on a prayer” bon jovi (come february at penn state this song takes on a whole new meaning)
Matchbox 20 acoustic anything is amazing, but especially “Long Day”
“Oxygen” is a monster hit waiting to happen. Adams is sorely underrated.
Jason Mraz records: bland, vanilla, boring. Jason Mraz, acoustic live: thrilling, thanks to soaring vocals that somehow lose their magic in such a solid state as a record, and on the fly improvs.
I’m probably just a fan of back-up singers, but whenever I hear Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” I always sing the back-up part, which is basically the words “your eyes” a million times.
Streeeeet-lights, Peeeopu-u-u-ULLLL!!!!!!!!
It’s a newer one but: ‘Any idea where I was at your age? I was working downtown for the minimum wage’ — Antichrist Television Blues by Arcade Fire