The Intimate Ryan Adams
"This is the photograph that kicked it all off," says Casal (left) of what gave him the inspiration to start documenting his life on the road with Adams. "We were recording a lot and it was a really intense time period — lots of ideas were going down. When I look at the picture, I see that intensity in Ryan's eye. He's got a really fierce look."
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Ryan and Willie Nelson, Loho Studios, New York, 2005
"This picture really defines the relationship with Willie and Ryan perfectly," says Casal. (Adams produced Willie Nelson's 2006 album Songbird.) "Ryan very much looked like the irreverent, cocky punk that he is. He's saying here, 'Yeah I don't care if you're Willie Nelson. Whatever.' And Willie on the other hand is looking at Ryan saying, 'Well, you gotta deal with me.' I think Willie saw a lot of his much-younger self in Ryan."
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Neal Casal and Ryan Adams, New York, 2005.
"This is the photograph that kicked it all off," says Casal (left) of what gave him the inspiration to start documenting his life on the road with Adams. "We were recording a lot and it was a really intense time period — lots of ideas were going down. When I look at the picture, I see that intensity in Ryan's eye. He's got a really fierce look."
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Anaheim, California, 2006.
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Cork, Ireland, 2006.
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Rehearsals for summer tour, New York, 2006.
"Ryan is an incessant list maker," says Casal. "Especially when it comes to preparing for a record or preparing for a tour — he just makes endless lists of hundreds and hundreds of songs. He really thinks about [what he wants to play]."
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Ryan and Henry Rollins, Los Angeles, 2006.
"Black Flag was one of Ryan's favorite bands growing up and I think he worked up the nerve to show Henry his Black Flag tattoo," says Casal.
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Ryan and Catherine Popper after sound check at the Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, New Jersey, 2006.
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Town Hall, New York, 2006.
"Ryan has been known to come to sound check with some crazy outfit but then change before going onstage at night," says Casal. "But when we played at Town Hall [in New York City], he went the distance and went onstage all three nights in those crazy Kiss boots. They were definitely awesome."
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Dublin, 2007.
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Apollo Theatre, New York, 2008.
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Ryan Adams backstage at Late Show With David Letterman, New York, 2008.
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Ryan at home, New York, 2008.
"This was Ryan's New York apartment but he doesn't live there anymore," says Casal. "It was a great place — it gave me the feeling of being in the South of France when the Stones were making Exile. It was a very grand apartment: his paintings were everywhere and he had great taste in furniture. And records were everywhere along with great book collections and instruments."
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Telluride, Colorado, 2008.
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Ryan and Mandy Moore, Sydney, Australia, 2009.
"Mandy is a totally sweet person and came into [the Cardinals'] world very easily," says Casal of Adams' wife. "She never imposed anything on us. She dropped in so naturally. She is a classy lady."