The Gaslight Anthem - History Books (October 27th 2023) Album • Page 32

just realized I don't have Sink or Swim on Vinyl, should change that prob

 

depending on the day handwritten could overtake SoS but more often than not i think im returning to SoS more

 

Get Hurt is my 2nd favorite Gaslight record, but I completely agree with your take on those two. Both are technically “better” than GH, but for some reason I get the itch to return to GH way more than either of them

 

59 Sound
American Slang
*(Elsie would go here, should've gotten ballsy and made it a TGA album)
SOS
Get Hurt
Handwritten

I still love Handwritten and totally get why some have it in the top 2. As a music listener I typically don't respond as well to heart-on-sleeve earnestness as a songwriting quality (though I'm trying not to become too much of a cynical bastard). So for me, Handwritten always hits as a bit too earnest and self-serious to me, because a lot of the more poetic window-dressing of 59Sound and American Slang had been stripped away.

To give a reductive example: I fell in love with TGA songs that felt like "I'd just die if you ever took your love away" but expressed that sentiment with a bit more mystery and romantic imagery. I guess it kinda feels like a big-budget movie version of a director's signature style; it looks (in this case sounds) better than ever, but some of what made the earlier work alluring has been dropped.


But idk, albums don't exist in a vacuum and are heavily impacted by when you listen to them --- I discovered 59 Sound as a teenager and then American Slang came out shortly after, and it felt like being dropped into a world. Even Brian's whole greaser street poet vibe at that time was intoxicating for an 18 year old who liked Springsteen and was searching for an identity. Obviously it was silly, and Brian's a real person, so eventually the band would become "normal" to me, but nothing is ever topping that 2008-2011 run and what it meant to my life at the time, teenage silliness and all.

 

If they re-recorded SoS it would do damage on my list lol

 

I will say, upon a re-listen to Handwritten, this album still absolutely fucks.

 

I really like thinking about Get Hurt and writing about it. I especially enjoyed doing those things when it had the mystique of being their swan song. But I realized recently that I just don't really like actually listening to it. I'd say there are two songs on there that I love/hold up with their best stuff: the title track and "Dark Places." There are a few others I like a fair amount, but a lot of stuff on there just makes me want to go listen to a different Gaslight/Brian Fallon album. I frankly just don't think the songs are quite there.

 

Anyway, rankings are fun!

The '59 Sound
Handwritten
American Slang
Elsie
(History Books?)
Local Honey
Sleepwalkers
Painkillers
Sink or Swim
Get Hurt

I really love the new one, but that 2008-to-2012 run is so formative for me that I'm not sure anything could break into that top 4. I love that they got as close to capturing that old magic as they did.

 

59 Sound
SOS
Handwritten
Elsie
American Slang
Pain Killers
Get Hurt
Sleepwalkers
Local Honey

 

Sink or Swim
Señor and the Queen
The '59 Sound
Handwritten
Get Hurt
American Slang

After a few listens, I'd probably slide History Books in between HW and GH, but it's too early to know for sure where it ends up on my rankings.

 

It’s really just Desire I think that keeps Handwritten outside of perfect album level for me

 

People adding Elsie and solo albums stop it, that’s not the game dammit.

 

This new album sounds more like Elsie and the solo albums than it sounds like The '59 Sound. I think it's fair to include those records.

 

Yep, that's why honestly any album on a given day is my favorite except sink or swim. They all are great in their own ways and hold a special place in my heart and encapsulate a specific time...I can already tell that's gonna happen again with History Books.

 

I think I can see what you are talking about. I personally liked the thing he was doing on 59 Sound, but kind of always knew that couldn't continue for too long. For as much as I liked it, I felt like it wasn't sustainable. I think Slang was lyrically a bridge of sorts to Handwritten. I think this is what The Menzingers are going through with their new record, in that Greg's lyrics are moving away from the specificity that often made his words relatable.

I think there is always a bit of a personal risk as an artist in not trying to push things forward and it falling flat for people. To me, Handwritten still has the feeling and the imagery that Brian captured on earlier records, but without all of the references stacked on top of each other. It seemed like the logical progression and was well executed for me.

 

By the way Brian is absolutely on one lyrically on history books.

 

i know people have a weird cult-like obsession with her but she's an unlistenable podcaster

 

yep

 

if we're including them all:
The '59 Sound
American Slang
Elsie
Sink or Swim
Local Honey
Handwritten
Painkillers
Sleepwalkers
Get Hurt

 

Yeah I have no real intention of ever re-visiting her show unfortunately

 

she also does Bandsplain and sometimes im morbidly curious when i see it's a band i like and then i see it's a two part podcast where each part is 4+ hours and i simply never listen

 

Get hurt the song has become my favorite from the band. Even thought that record overall doesn’t work for me.

 

It's so hard because they are all great and nothing deserves to be "last place" or "least favorite"

59
Slang
Handwritten
Sink or Swim
Sleepwalkers
Get Hurt
Painkillers
Elsie
Local Honey

To explain, before everyone tells me I'm a stupid fuckhead as per usual -

Local Honey is awesome but it always feels short, more like an EP to me. And it's by the far most mellow. Still great.

Elsie's highs are extremely high but it has a couple songs I don't really like.

But really everything after Sink or Swim should be "tied" or close to it.

Get Hurt gets bonus points for having 16 songs, most of which I very much enjoy and think are underrated. I still don't like Stay Vicious very much though.

Can't wait to hear BF10 and see where it slots

 

stupid fuckhead

 

HA HA HA