Love Is Hell

‘Love Is Hell’ is the fifth studio album by Ryan Adams, released on May 4, 2004. The album was originally released as two EPs, Love Is Hell pt. 1 and Love Is Hell pt. 2, at the insistence of Lost Highway, who deemed that the album was not commercially viable. A full length version of the album was released when the EPs proved to be more of a commercial success than anticipated. Adams describes the album as sounding: “a lot like Heartbreaker, but better and more severe. It’s complex and it’s damaged,” and states that it “was the record I needed to make,”

Concerning the album, president of Lost Highway, Luke Lewis, notes that:

“It was a big departure. I told him I thought he could do better, but I tell him that all the time. On a business level, I could’ve done fine with Love Is Hell. But we both knew…he was suffering from overhype. I said, ‘Are you sure this is gonna be the statement you wanna make?’… His young ass was hanging out there. If wasn’t good, he was gonna get whacked by a lot of people.”

Adams states that:

“it was, ‘This isn’t the record that Ryan should make’, but I think I should have the license to express myself however I want to. And if you have enough faith and trust in an artist to sign them to your fucking label, and you’re an ‘artists’ label’, then I think it has to be a consensual relationship. If I do make a record that totally sucks, then the public forum will take care of it. They’ll get rid of you themselves - the survival of the fittest