I didn't realize the music video for "When You're Ready" was released last night. As if the song itself wasn't a tearjerker enough - that vid brought out all the feels.
Yeah, when compared to something like The Horrible Crowes, it’s clear that deciding to adhere to this sparse, stripped down style kind of forced him into a corner. I very much appreciate that it’s 8 songs now, makes for a much more impactful piece of writing.
This album could have easily had another song or two or three. I think another song with 21 Days energy midway through the album, and an intro stripped down vocal intro piece with little instrumentation (like Last Rites does for Sugar but more appropriate musically to fit with When You’re Ready).
This kinda reminds me of Afraid of Ghosts, in that I get it, I appreciate it, but it'll never be the first thing I reach for when I want to listen to Brian or Butch.
"Vincent" reminds me so much of "Achin' To Be" by The Replacements (or Paul Westerberg's best storytelling songs in general) and I love it even more for that.
I actually don’t think I could decide. A lost of my top songs are spread across the many releases he’s been part of.
my only complaint about this is it went a little beyond "leave you wanting more" and gave me more of a "surprised it's already over". nothing wrong with that, not gonna police an artist on how they curate their own content, but im hoping there was some left on the floor that we get as an RSD release or something. it is beautiful and perfect in spite of its brevity though. not trying to gatekeep or whatever but its surprising to me that this is the dropping off point to anyone. tried and true Fallon touch is all over this thing. the backdrop may be a little different but this is still very much in line with what i would expect from him.
I am really, really glad this is eight songs. I think it might feel a little samey if it was much longer. Feels like it has the perfect arc.
I feel like Brian’s proven in albums that having more songs on albums hasn’t lead to the feeling of redundancy to me. Horrible Crowes’ Elsie, Painkillers and Sleepwalkers don’t feel samey. The albums lined up side by side don’t feel samey. I could imagine budget and time being a factor. I thought he expressed maybe having a few more songs written and different versions of the songs from the album. Guess we won’t k ow unless he releases a bside from Local Honey that sounds like another song. I knew before the album came out I would want the album longer, but all lot of that also is because Brian is song good and I don’t want to wait two years for another 8 songs. I guess I don’t like the “wanting more” in terms of album length. I want the entirely satisfied. 12 on Sleepwalkers did that for me.
I personally feel like Sleepwalkers is too long. But this album is also just more sonically limited than any of those records.
Yeah, drop "My Name Is The Night" and "Her Majesty's Service" for a ten-song project and I think it stands with Elsie as his best non-TGA work.
I think the songs on Painkillers are actually better, pound for pound, but I like the energy and sound of Sleepwalkers more. Painkillers feels a little tentative, where Sleepwalkers is just full-force Fallon. But yeah, I think those two songs you mentioned could be b-sides and I'd be fine with it. I might keep "Majesty's" and lose "Proof of Life," but it depends on the day.
I struggle with this whole idea all of the time, because part of me just wants to trust that the artist made the album that they wanted to make and released it the way they wanted to release it - but there are so many stories of songs just barely not making the cut for arbitrary reasons. Just looking at Brian Fallon alone he has mentioned how leaving "Blue Dahlia" of off Handwritten was the wrong call. "Have Mercy" is in my Top 3 Brain Fallon songs across all of his various musical projects. "Silver Springs" is probably my favorite Fleetwood Mac song!!! At least a few decades ago there were technological limitations like how many minutes of album could literally fit on the side of a vinyl record, but nowadays these types of limitations aren't really in play. All of that being said, I really just can't shake the fact that 8 songs simply doesn't feel like a complete album to me. Especially where these songs are just a couple of minutes each for the most part. I can objectively look at this and realize this is a very dumb way to feel, however. All 8 of these songs are fucking fantastic. I suppose that is really what matters.
I agree with the Painkillers having tentative moments. I guess first solo album as his main project (I’m considering Horrible Crowes as a side project because he had Gaslight at the time) and working with a different producer. I think the full force Fallon could be in let working with a familiar producer with Ted. This is thinking way too far ahead, but does he call Katis for the next solo album? Or is there another shift/surprise around the corner.