Thursday, October 22, 2015

1989 vs 1989

Now that I've listened to Ryan Adams' version of the album a handful of times I feel compelled to make the comparison. Who did it better? Taylor Swift or Ryan Adams? I'll go song by song with a overall judgement at the end.

1) Welcome to New York (Ryan Adams) - Neither of them make this song bearable to me. But I'm giving the nod to him because he makes me think I could like this song if 1989 Bruce Springsteen covered it.

2) Blank Space (Taylor Swift) - She does crazy better. 

3) Style (Taylor Swift) - Her version is just too good. No competition.

4) Out of the Woods (Ryan Adams) - I love his guitar work in this one and his version seems a lot more heartfelt. 

5) All You Had To Do Was Stay (Taylor Swift) - Her voice was made for this song. It makes it hard for someone else to claim it--no matter how hard they try or how well they do. 

6) Shake it Off (Tie) - This was the hardest to judge. Her's is perfect for what it was meant to be. His somber twist has better purpose but not quite as great at being what it wants to be. 

7) I Wish You Would (Taylor Swift) - This is a near tie, but I'm giving it to her for writing it. 

8) Bad Blood (Ryan Adams) - Hard to judge properly. I might just be done hearing her version on the radio.

9) Wildest Dream (Taylor Swift) - Again, her version is way too good to be competed against.

10) How You Get the Girl (Taylor Swift) - The shift from female to male doesn't work as well as it does in other songs. It feels better coming from her. 

11) This Love (Ryan Adams) - Wow, he kills this song. By far the best on his record, IMO. 

12) I Know Places (Taylor Swift) - Barely. I'm not super thrilled with either version but she knows how to sing a hook like no ones business. She gets the nod for making the chorus so catchy even though the rest of the song is sort of meh.

13) Clean (Taylor Swift) - Her version of the song does 1989 better than anything else on either album. So she wins.

Overall: Taylor Swift reigns supreme (8.5 vs . 4.5). I'd say his album feels a bit more cohesive and has a more consistent sound and mood, but her highs are a lot higher and overall her version feels more like 1989 than his does, which is important for an album like this.