Ryan Adams

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• get along
• breaking up
• unique
• straight forward

• single
• innovative
• boulevard
• like hell

• longing
• make an impact
• stand out
• grow on me

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

At age 29, Ryan Adams has already been part of one successful band, and gone on to record several amazing albums on his own. Adams formed his first band, Whiskeytown, in 1994. Although Whiskeytown was popular, they broke up because the bandmembers couldn’t get along.
After breaking up with a girlfriend in 2000, Ryan recorded his first solo album, Heartbreaker. The album showed the young singer’s ability to express emotion and passion in his songs. On his previous albums, Adams has played a unique mix of country music and rock&roll, but on his new album he plays straight-forward rock, which seems to be the reason the album is called Rock’n’Roll. Read on to learn more.

Dialog

1. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Rock’n’Roll is a collection of fourteen great rock songs. There isn’t a bad track on the CD. However, the music isn’t as unique as Ryan’s earlier work. It doesn’t have the innovative mix of country, rock and cool attitude that his other albums have.
One of the best songs on Rock’n’Roll is called “Wish You Were Here.” Check out some of the lyrics:
The streets that only turn to boulevards 
And houses with backyards
And it’s raining like hell on the cars
And everybody knows the way I walk
And knows the way I talk
Knows the way I feel about you
And there’s nothing to do around here
Wish you were here
In “Wish You Were Here,” Ryan sings about his feelings of loneliness and longing for a woman who has left him.

 

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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