Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers (February 9, 2018) Album • Page 57

There was a drunk heckler at the Philly show too, lol. Brian handled it so well though - he ended the show with “Thank you, you guys were great except for one guy who sucked!” and then he clarified that he didn’t mind because the guy gave him practice and something to tweet about later or something along those lines, lol.

 

So Brian is doing another stint at Crossroads in Garwood NJ in December (13th, 14th, and 15th) tickets are on sale now, I've gone the past 3 years he's done this and it's always a good time. Tickets wont stick around for long so order sooner rather than later.

Links for tickets:
13th: An Intimate Night with Brian Fallon - Tickets - Crossroads - Garwood, NJ, December 13, 2018 | Ticketfly
14th: An Intimate Night with Brian Fallon - Tickets - Crossroads - Garwood, NJ, December 14, 2018 | Ticketfly
15th: An Intimate Night with Brian Fallon - Tickets - Crossroads - Garwood, NJ, December 15, 2018 | Ticketfly

 

So... I’ve been listening to a ton of Tom Petty lately and it got me thinking...

I wonder what a Jeff Lynne produced Brian Fallon record would sound like?

I would really love to see those two pair up.

 

Probably amazing haha

 

I’ve been very pleased with his work with Ted Hutt

 

Love his first two records, but I’m ready for a bare bones Brian Fallon record.

 

I want more Fallon songs with horns

Sleepwalkers is so good

 

not to overdue the springsteen comparisons, but i'm ready for fallon's "nebraska".

 

LOL! THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO SAY!

 

In a nearly 11 year stretch from 2007 - 2018 it amazes me how consistent he has been.
Sink or Swim, Senor & the Queen, 59' Sound, American Slang, Elsie, Handwritten, Get Hurt, Painkillers, Sleepwalkers.

9 solid releases. Sure Get Hurt may be considered the misfire compared to the others but I would love for Get Hurt to be my band's worst album. He has to be up there for the most consistent artist in the last decade, right?

I feel like I post this once a month just to remind myself how much I admire him.

 

There is definitely no part of Brian’s discography that I don’t listen to. I appreciate the posts Donnie.

I don’t want a slow Brian album per say. I love the variety has has on each album an project. The horns on the song Sleepwalkers. Having acoustic songs on Sink or Swim. The faster songs on Painkillers.

Ted has been part of the variety, which is why I said I’d be on board with him continuing work with Brian.

 

I don't necessarily think this is what he should do, but I cannot say I would be upset if he only had Ted Hutt produce his projects going forward. When the two of them get together in the studio magic happens.

I like his pattern so far of mixing it up a bit and finding new people to work with but also continuing to make projects with Ted Hutt as well.

I just wanna throw out there too that the Brian Fallon produced "Hustle Up Starlings" by Matthew Ryan is a gorgeously produced, amazing sounding album. And I read they made it on a tight schedule and even tighter budget. My man can produce as well.

 

I liked Brendan and Mike’s work a lot. I just think it’s less distinct Gaslight/Brian if you ask a majority. Again, love Handwritten and Get Hurt.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Butch’s work with Brian (or on Frank Turners album Positive Songs). It was fine. That’s just me. Some great songs, some I could imagine that differently moments. I do imagine that they got along great though and it would have been a learning experience since Butch is an artist and producer.

Brian has talked about how he and Matthew work well together bouncing ideas. He did a great job producing on Hustle Up and Matthew had a great influence on Brian while writing Sleepwalkers. I’d imagine that Brian could self produce, but I could see him really enjoying the producer experience.

Everything Brian’s been involved with I love. I do think working with new producers can help a band evolve. As long as artists stay true to themselves. I will say though, lots of great bands have worked with the same producers forever to great success. That producer can create a comfort level and pull out the best from people. That additional member vibe.

It’s all good though so no real complaints. Just keep the music coming.

 

I saw Matthew ryan open for the 97s in may. Holy cow that was a good album.

 

If I'm being totally honest with myself I have to admit that I was a little bit let down with Butch's work producing Painkillers, but I really do chalk that up to my being such a huge fan of both of them, and being too close to the whole process and not managing my expectations.

A small example is how the version of "Long Drives" that is on the album will never feel like the 'real' version of the song to me because I heard the Molly & The Zombies version first and vastly prefer that arrangement of the song. That's not so much a 'problem' with the album so to speak as it is a personal hangup for me, because I don't think any version of "Long Drives" is a bad song.

Looking back on it now, and considering the insanely high regard I have for both Butch Walker and Brian Fallon, I am not sure anything less than an all-time-great, absolute classic masterpiece of an album wasn't going to be slightly disappointing to me. And that's absurd. And I recognize that. Painkillers is an incredible album.

Kind of riffing on what Donnie Ruth pointed out earlier - I think Brian Fallon being so goddamn consistent and for so long had the effect on me where I didn't fully appreciate Painkillers when it was first released, almost like I was taking the fact that Brian Fallon just always slays for granted and not appreciating how hard it is to craft an album period, nevermind a good or great one, every damn time.

 

Painkillers is at the top of my Fallon list for sure.

While I think he’s always been a true to himself songwriter, I think a lot of his earlier work is very romanticized a la Springsteen.

On Painkillers I feel like Brian was finally speaking solely about himself (for the most part) and his experience as oppesed to waxing poetic about a mythical Maria.

Let me be clear, I love all Brian Fallon but Painkillers, to me, was a huge baring of the soul for Fallon and I think it was beautiful.

 

The album never struck me this way. Not in a way where I think what you are saying is wrong at all, but that whole idea just never occurred to me. I will be listening to Painkillers on my way home tonight with this thought in mind.

 

I could be way way off to be honest. I wish I was 1/4 the song writer Fallon is haha.

From what I remember of the time, Painkillers was written after his divorce and I think walks through that “grieving” process well from beginning to end.

I feel like the sequencing of the album really works well from that initial optimism after a breakup (A Wonderful Life) to the solemn reflection (most of the middle of the album)to finally understanding and acceptance (Open All Night).

Granted I had just left a relationship of 5 or so years so a lot of that album really hit home for me on a personal level.

All in all though, all Fallon is great Fallon!

 

"Open All Night" is probably the song that hits me the hardest on Painkillers. It is such a powerful song. The first time I heard it, it brought me right back to the feelings I was experiencing after one specific breakup and I would be lying if it didn't always make me think of that person. I love everything about that song on every level, but I find the perspective it takes on looking back on the relationship to be so refreshing. To nail that sentiment so exactly and get it across in a song and to have that song be so fantastic just blows me away. The guy is an incredible songwriter.

 

That kind of happened on Handwritten though. I think it has continued as well. Maybe he has dropped Maria, but there is a Here Comes My Man and Rosemary and still some character stuff. He definitely went more personal over time.

 

I agree. And the best version of Long Drives is Molly and The Zombies version. I think Brian solo wasn’t defined or fully evolved yet with Painkillers. I wonder if any of those unreleased Molly songs were demoed.

 

Plus I am a huge fan of the song "Georgia" and I just don't see how the two of them didn't think in the studio that that song deserved to make the cut. I love that we did eventually get it on an EP, but there's a pretty big drop in sound quality from Painkillers the album to the Georgia EP.

 

Agreed. Wish those songs were released in better quality digitally. I must saw Brian’s new version of his old songs were great though.

Also, wish Sleepwalkers had some new song b-sides like the Georgia EP to Painkillers

 

Yes.

 

Please no.