REVIEW: BRYAN ADAMS – LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL 2024 (2024)

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It’s amazing getting old. All the albums I grew up with are about to celebrate their 40th anniversary: “Slippery When Wet,” “New Jersey,” “Appetite for Destruction,” and “Trash.” They’re all due.

A couple have already reached that milestone: “Born in the USA” and “Reckless.” I can remember going to the library with my dad and spending my pound on a Thursday night (as we did every week, me in the records and him in the fiction) to get it out. I loved it. I still do.

And if you’re going to celebrate the 40th anniversary of an iconic album (which it is), then the Royal Albert Hall is a fine place for it.

You know the drill. He’s done it before. This is Adams’ second box set from the RAH. This year he did three albums in three nights, spanning his career.

If I hadn’t listened to the other two in a while, it’s not like I needed a refresher on “Reckless” – it has been with me since I was a kid. It is one of the great hard rock records. It all stands up perfectly. The opener, “One Night Love Affair,” proves that. But if you were expecting an “album” show, with everything in order, then that’s not the case. Instead, the title track for the album – left off the final cuts – is right next to “Run To You” and the likes, and not out of place.


It’s not just the “hits” that set this one apart. Rather, it’s fabulous stuff like “Kids Wanna Rock” that proves so irresistible. Never mind “Heaven” and the like. There’s another song that nearly made the album, the acoustic ballad “Let Me Down Easy” – and it does heartbreak pretty well.

Jim Vallance – whom Adams describes as a “co-creator” on the record – is in the crowd, and what they made, like “Only Happy When She’s Dancing,” stands up. They all do, especially when the 2023 band is playing them. “Long Gone” has more blues, and “Ain’t Gonna Cry” outdoes Chuck Berry, all because Keith Scott rules.


That leaves just one. The one about Six Strings, Five and Dimes, and bleeding fingers. It’s one of the best songs ever made. You probably know it.


Yet this isn’t just about the “best days of our lives.” The subsequent discs tell the story of later years. I was about 21 when “18 Till I Die” came out. I bought it on the day it was released. At the time, I was heavily into bands like The Wildhearts, The Quireboys, and The Almighty (not a lot has changed subsequently), but the US rock sound (which was dying in the wake of grunge) still held sway. Produced by “Mutt” Lange, the title track and the harmonica flavoured “Do To You” have that in abundance.


Perhaps because I am not blessed with any romance, some of them don’t land as well (“Let’s Make A Night To Remember” for one – although the crowd reaction says I am in a minority – likewise with the ludicrous “I Wanna Be) Your Underwear”). Much better is “It Ain’t A Party…If You Can’t Come Around” with its slide guitar-drenched riff.


As before, they aren’t played faithfully but instead structured into a set.Which means “The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You” and “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman.” One is great, one less so. I’ll leave you to guess which is which given what I’ve said about love songs…


Then disc three, right up to date. “So Happy It Hurts” is his most recent record. Let there be drums, he yells, and “Kick Ass,” the signature tune on his post-Covid record, is underway. “On The Road” and “Let’s Do This” bristle with, well, happiness.


Listening to the songs for the first time in a while, you are struck by the fact that “Just Like Me, Just Like You” and the likes sound just as they should—rooted in the classic sound but trying to recreate “Reckless.” Instead, “I’ve Been Looking For You” has a boogie.

The London Community Gospel Choir adds its incredible harmonies to “Never Gonna Rain” and the anthem of hope that is “You Lift Me Up.” The title track is the feel-good floor filler you didn’t know you needed, and it all sounds so content. “These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life,” written with Gretchen Peters, is so calm, and the symbolism is clear: moments just like these.

No gimmicks, no arrogance—just great songs. Sometimes “kick-ass rock n roll from a kick-ass rockin’ band” is all you need.

It’s bizarre, perhaps, to say Bryan Adams is underrated— but as Butch Walker said on his brilliant track “Summer Of ’89,” “Nobody told me Bryan Adams wasn’t cool, and the TV just told me he was.”

Time for a reevaluation? Bryan doesn’t care; he’s selling out venues for fun and has been on top for over 40 years. No wonder he’s happy.

Rating: 9/10

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