Creating instantly memorable, adrenaline-surging rock ‘n roll isn’t an easy
task - but if you’re one of the few with the innate knack, you’re not likely to
lose it. Bryan Adams proves that on 18 ‘Til I Die, his first all-new album in
more than five years, a release that contains a number of potential hits that
always populate Adams albums and have made him one of the most
important and largest-selling artists in the past two decades.
“This album ended up a lot simpler in its construction and arrangement, I
was looking for something more basic,” says Adams. “I’ve always thought
of myself as a second-generation white soul singer, there are influences
that range from Jagger and Steve Marriott maybe even to Lou Reed on
‘18’. “
While Adam has seen multi-platinum ballads like “Have You Ever Really
Loved A Woman?” (which is included on 18 ‘Til I Die) and “(Everything I
Do) I Do It For You” propel him to a new level of international stardom in
the ‘90’s, the stripped-down energy of his eighth and latest set lives up to
Adams’ rough characterization. From the good-natured swagger of “The
Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You” (which is accompanied by a
Matthew Rolston-directed video), to the raucously defiant energy that
imbues the punky “We’re Gonna Win”, Adams has clearly taken the
album’s title to heart.
“I wanted to make an album that would be very representative of how I
perform in concert. It has highs and lows, good energy, mid - tempo and I
think the sequence flows as if you were standing in the audience.”
That upbeat mood extends throughout 18 ‘Til I Die, from the playful
sexuality that percolates through the harmonica-fuelled juke-jump “Do To
You” and the tongue-in-cheek “(I Wanna Be) Your Underwear”, to the
unabashed romanticism instilled deep in affecting interludes like “Let’s
Make A Night To Remember”. As ever, Adams emotion-filled voice carries
the show.
Adams was ironically 18 when he signed his first contract with A&M
Records in 1978, and spent the early part of the ‘80’s in a nonstop
whirlwind of touring, often spending upwards of 250 days on the road.
Despite his chronic refusal to embrace rock-star trappings, his incendiary
live shows soon became legendary across America.
Cuts Like A Knife (1983), which took just eight months to hit platinum, gave
Adams his first stateside Top 10 smash - the anthemic “Straight From The
Heart”. Before long, the album’s thumping title track and the compelling
“This Time” likewise climbed onto the chart. With Reckless (released in
1984 on Bryan’s 25th birthday) he earned his first #1 album as well as a
Grammy nomination - appropriate recognition for an album that catapulted
several tracks into the Top 10, including the #1 single “Heaven”, “Run To
You”, and “Summer of ‘69”.
With yet another multi-platinum album to his credit - 1987’s Into The Fire -
Adams ended the decade on a high note: in his native Canada, he was
named Recording Artist of the Decade for an unprecedented string of
successes, including a dozen Juno Awards and a Diamond Sales Award
for Reckless, which went on to become the best-selling Canadian album of
all time; he also accepted the Order of Canada for his work with causes
both social (he contributed “Tears Are Not Enough” as his home country’s
contribution to LiveAid) and environmental. His ongoing work with
Greenpeace played a major role in establishing a whale sanctuary in the
Antarctic.
Then came 1991’s Waking Up The Neighbours before undertaking a
lengthy world tour that lasted nearly three years! This LP also included his
first foray into film music - “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”, from Prince
of Thieves. Abetted by producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange (with whom he
coPwrote the aforementioned song) it monopolized the #1 Billboard slot for
seven straight weeks and earned Adams a Grammy and an Academy
Award nomination. It has become an international standard and placed
Bryan’s name in (of all places) the Guinness Book Of World Records for
the longest stay at number one in England of all time.
Adams soared to #1 again in 1993, this time with Sting and Rod Stewart
with the song “All For Love” from the soundtrack to the film - The Three
Musketeers. That same year he released So Far So Good, a greatest hits
compilation, which spawned the Top 10 hit “Please Forgive Me”, and has
sold more than 13 million albums worldwide. An 18-month world tour
followed that included a concert in Vietnam in January 1994. Later that
year, a stop in Modena, Italy featured a performance with maestro Luciano
Pavarotti. Adams performed in Italian that night, and the recording was
later released on Decca Records entitled Pavarotti And Friends II. A rare
live version of “Please Forgive Me” is available on that LP.
“Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?” from the Don Juan DeMarco
soundtrack (1995), earned Adams yet another #1 hit, (a position where he
stayed for five weeks in the US), as well as another Academy Award
nomination.
So after selling over 45 million albums what does the guy do? He goes
back in and does what he loves the most - more than a year of intensive, if
lowPkey, recording, and returns with 18 ‘Til I Die, an album Adams
characterizes as one of his personal favorites - if only for the enjoyment its
creation has given him. “I’ve definitely had a great time making this record
“, he says. “It came together easily, with little stress.” As for the future?
Well, as the title implies, don’t expect Bryan Adams to stay in one place for
too long. “I’m moving around all the time and I’m interested in seeing as
much of the world as I can”, he says. “I have this burning curiosity, this
adventurous spirit.”
