Ryan Adams's 1989 Cover

[Agro]

Article Reviewing/Explaining It: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/09/ryan-adams-taylor-swift-1989/406744/

 

Oft-described "Most Improved Song" off album: 

 

 

Oh, and of course there's this:

 

[.Rai]

Thought the idea was novel when I first about it a while ago. Overall pretty great.

 

I think Welcome to New York was a fairly forgettable song (my god, those Garageband synths). The only really great thing about Taylor's interpretation of that song are those characteristic Max Martin polyphonic harmonies that pop up everywhere in his songwriting (most recent example being Ellie Goulding's new single). Ryan Adams' version is therefore really forgettable.

 

Some really interesting ones though. He turns Style into a U2 anthem. All You Had to Do Was Stay into big Americana summer drive song. I Know Places becomes almost Police-esque in execution.

 

Best of the lot is Blank Space by a mile though. Where Taylor gives a pretty straight performance of it, Adams' interpretation is is vulnerable, restrained and the guitar work is gorgeous.