The Gaslight Anthem - History Books (October 27th 2023) Album • Page 104

The other bonus tracks, I'm not a huge fan of. I like the country-leaning feel of "Mama's Boys" and "Sweet Morphine," but I don't think either quite get there as songs. And "Halloween" is kind of cool, but that recording of it has always felt super sloppy and unfinished to me. Would need a different version of it for the song to fit on this album.

 

I don't really like Halloween as much as others do, and it was already a song that had been around for awhile by that point, so I never really considered it a true part of the album.

I like both Mama's and Sweet Morphine much more but you can argue they have a different sound that doesn't really fit also. Have Mercy is certainly the best of the 4.

I adore Dark Places and think it's a top 15 all time TGA song.

I don't like Stay Vicious or Stray Paper much at all.

The rest of it is solid and I think Red Violins and Poems are very underrated. They played Red Violins at my show this past week and it felt like I was the only person there who liked it - bizarre to me.

 

Really don’t like Halloween.

 

I feel crazy but I dont know what gaslight song “have mercy” is

is it on get hurt edition that’s not on Spotify?

 

Have Mercy is one of the best songs Brian has ever written, it's on Apple music, youtube etc. but check this live version out:

 

Boo

 

I also prefer the recorded version of have mercy to any of the live ones with the additional lyrics

 

Omg grimace

 

I like how the recorded version ends with the repetition of those lyrics.

 

yeah its great to have both live and recorded versions of it!

 

I still can't believe how incredible the remixed version of History Books sounds.

 

I’m a little sad that you cut Helter Skeleton…. But I do think it has a better flow + Opening with Have Mercy is perfect

 

I do as well, but it may just be the two of us haha

 

Some people like "Helter Skeleton," and I just never have. I kind of like the chorus, but something about the verse melody has always annoyed me. Again, though, a big issue with that song and "Stray Paper" for me is that they cut the album off at the knees after it goes to this bruising emotional place on the title track. Better sequencing probably could have helped those songs.

 

I think Helter is waaaaaay better than Stray Paper

stray paper is just gaslight by numbers, lazy. Not horrible but the sound of a band running on fumes - when compared to the total body of work.

 

"Stay Paper" is the worse version of "Too Much Blood," a song that doesn't seem super well-loved to begin with.

 

It’s far from their best song, and I can see how thematically it’s a weird fit…. But I just find it fun! (Even if lyrically it isn’t lol)

 

I like helter

 

I too like helter

I do not like stray paper at all though

 

I like stray paper too

 

I mostly like Get Hurt, and I think a lot of bands would love for it to be the worst thing they've done.

 

I'm always prepared to agree that Have Mercy should have been the opener and on the album.

 

they opened with it on that tour quite a bit and it made complete sense in that context

 

They used to open with Mae too so they’ve always had a penchant for the soft open. Loved it back then.