Review: Bryan Adams – So Happy It Hurts (Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2024)
Bad Records (November 15th, 2024)
Reviewer: Grant Foster
Finally, the last album as part of ‘Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2024‘ – ‘So Happy It Hurts‘. I know nothing about this album so bear with me!
It starts impressively. A red spotlight picks out Bryan Adams and straight into ‘Kick Ass‘. A real rocker. Well, as real a rocker as you’ll get these days from BA. It does the job though.
‘On The Road‘ has a country twang to it, a slowed up version of ‘We’re Gonna Win‘ to these ears.
The fans lap it up, lots of smiling faces both in the audience and onstage. You can’t deny the feelgood factor on offer here.
‘Just About Gone‘ bops along and is even more country. It’s the melodies that stop this song becoming twee, but, BA has been injecting those in most of his music since the year dot.
‘Let’s Do This‘ veers into balladic territory although Pat Steward’s walloping backbeat gives it an injection. Keith Scott is all over this track with his best U2 guitar licks.
Sorry to say ‘Just Like Me, Just Like You‘ is just twee. It’s the sound of Adams on cruise control. He probably knocked it out whilst on the khazi.
Now, now, what do we have here?! ‘I’ve Been Looking For You‘ – A straight up rockabilly song complete with stand up bass front and centre stage and a shuffle a mile wide. This is more like it! It’s Happy Days all over again………
The London Community Gospel Choir, dressed all in white, takes to the stage for ‘Never Gonna Rain‘ and it has a soul vibe which is so refreshing and I don’t recall BA ever doing before. It’s an uplifting experience.
The choir remains for ‘You Lift Me Up‘, which benefits from their backing, albeit a more straight ahead slow mid tempo Adams tune.
‘Always Have, Always Will‘ has a slight reggae feel to the back beat, but again it’s another ‘knock it out in between adverts’ kinda song for me. And in my opinion, there’s enough of them already. BA leads the crowd in a call and response in the middle and arms are a lot swaying from side to side. Ho hum!
And then – rock. The AC/DC lite groove of ‘I Ain’t Worth Shit Without You’. It’s when BA does this type of song that I think he’s at his best. The energy, the drive. You can literally see the veins standing out on his neck during the chorus!
Next up a special effect, a lit up car with ‘So Happy It Hurts‘ floats around above the audience. Bryan is back on the acoustic guitar. For me with a little bit more of that drive, this song would have been……..ah well, the car wins.
BA takes the stage with his acoustic guitar for ‘These Are The Moments That Make Up My Life‘. It shows what a voice the man has. It has depth, power and precision and his delivery is always on point. Impressive stuff!
I may have reservations about some of his latter material but Bryan Adams and his band truly deliver. This box set proves it.
Now, if there was a stand alone release of ‘Reckless‘, I’d be all over it like a rash!
Tracklist:
- Kick Ass
- On the Road
- Just About Gone
- Let’s Do This
- Just Like Me, Just Like You
- I’ve Been Looking for You
- Never Gonna Rain
- You Lift Me Up
- Always Have, Always Will
- I Ain’t Worth Shit Without You
- So Happy It Hurts
- These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life
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