This is my post-wedding DJ album every weekend in the summer to give my ears a rest on the drive home.
Probably my least favourite of all his records. Just doesn't connect with me unfortunately. Elsie is still by far his best solo work (if it counts which I say it does) followed by Sleepwalkers.
sleepwalkers is easily my least favorite thing he’s done, though he still obviously has good songs on it
Took a bit for me to connect with this album but I really love it. Painkillers is still number 1 for me - I think it just hit at a perfect time in my life so I’m super attached to it. I want to like Sleepwalkers more than I do but there’s just something about that record - I think that it feels like Brian is really, really straining his voice on it - that makes it a little tough for me. That said, one of my absolute favorite songwriters.
Yep Sleepwalkers is easily my favorite of the 3, with Painkillers still being awesome. When Local Honey came out it was during COVID and it was nice to have a little something to make me happy for 30 minutes, but I can't say I've re-visited it much since then. In fact, it is probably the only Brian Fallon/Gaslight album I do not return to.
I really like this album, but it came out when I was absolutely at the peak of my pandemic bummed-out stage, and whenever I listen to it, it's still colored by that.
All of his solo albums are great. I think I listen to Local Honey the least often, but when I am in the mood to listen to it it is absolutely perfect and the only thing I want to listen to. I listen to Painkillers the most often still, plus the Georgia EP + The Blues, Mary.
I had a hard time with Painkillers because of the way it got released, with half of the album being Molly and the Zombies songs. I kinda ruined it for myself.
I had the same exact situation haha, my "first time album listening" experience was a bit less exciting knowing half the album lol By the time it was released we knew: A Wonderful Life, Smoke, Nobody Wins, Red Lights, Long Drives, Steve McQueen and I can't remember if Painkillers was pre released or not. If it was I held out until the album.
It doesn't help that the Molly & The Zombies version of "Long Drives" is MUCH better than the album one!
I definitely enjoy the M&TZ version of Long Drives a lot more. I don't hate the Painkillers version at all, but having the original version of Long Drives for years it would have been hard to change my mind on that one. My first time hearing the "new" version was actually live at Brian's (maybe? first) solo show prior to the album release and I was excited to sing along and got so thrown off when the lyrics were changed around haha
I don't mind any of the lyrical changes, but even years later it just feels like the album version has the brakes on the entire time, like the song *wants* to be faster but they're all holding it back artificially. I know it's a me problem but still.
I think my order might be the exact opposite of yours - but like all things BF I love them all. Elsie has the most songs I don't really love, I know I'm in the minority on that. Still a great album. Local Honey has really grown on me, but it always feels really short to me Sleepwalkers is incredible
I think you may be the first person on this website to not have universal praise for Elsie, which is fine, not bugging ya for it, just haven't seen it before lol