The Gaslight Anthem Band • Page 15

Handwritten rules

 

So is ur face

 

❤

 

I didn't come here to get hurt

 

I understand this take but I think it's just a matter of perspective. For me, the album is so cohesive that it runs together a bit and lacks some of the character that '59 Sound and Get Hurt have but the songs are so objectively strong. I think that really comes out when they play Handwritten songs live.

 

It took me a long time to get on board with American Slang, for some reason. I liked it, but that one kind of ran together for me for months after it came out. I didn't like it as much as The 59 Sound, and I still don't (though I did eventually come to love it). When Handwritten came out, I was anticipating it so heavily, and it was exactly what I wanted for a summer Gaslight record. I still think it's got Brian's best vocals and Alex's best guitarwork, and I'm not that bothered by the production. It's not an "all moods" type of record like The 59 Sound or even Painkillers is, but it's still one of the all-time great summer driving records, IMO.

For me, the variety of Get Hurt works against it. There are so many good songs, but it doesn't ever become something more than the sum of its parts for me. It's the only record that Brian's been involved with that I don't think is well put together from a track selection and sequencing standpoint (including Sink or Swim, which I'm not all that fond of).

Pretty much the same for me. That was the last summer I spent in my hometown before moving away after I graduated from college, and Handwritten and Yellowcard's Southern Air were the perfect soundtrack.

 

@ECV def a matter of perspective. That album just doesn't do it for me

@Craig Manning see I'm the other way. American slang was my first gaslight album, then i moved back and and fell in love with the older stuff, so I was anticipating handwritten really hard, and it was such a letdown. I can feel that with get hurt. I think a lot of the risks they took pulled off though, and the classic gaslight songs sound more classic gaslight to me than the handwritten ones

 

American Slang is GREAT

Blue Dahlia should have been on Handwritten, agree. So change your playlist! Easy fix. I left it after National Anthem personally but understand if others choose to resequence.

 

Yeah, we definitely disagree on that. "Get Hurt," "1,000 Years," and "Dark Places" are the only songs on Get Hurt that I think are on the level of the Handwritten material. Other than "Too Much Blood," I'd take all of Handwritten over any of the other songs on Get Hurt.

 

Let's have the "Blue Dahlia" argument again, because it's objectively their worst song not from Sink or Swim. That key change... ugh.

 

What?!

 

Blue Dahlia should've been on the regular version of Handwritten.

 

nope nope nope nope

 

Blue Dahlia is one of the best songs on that album.

 

Wow, really? Does that include Desire? Over all of these: Red Violins, Selected Poems, Underneath the Ground, Rollin and Tumblin', Helter Skeleton, Have Mercy??? Even Break Your Heart.

Pretty sure I'd take all the songs I just listed not only before Desire but before National Anthem, Blue Dahlia, Howl (and definitely Teenage Rebellion) as well. And I genuinely like those songs!

I have Get Hurt and Handwritten basically as equals, overall.

I think Have Mercy, Mama's Boys and Sweet Morphine, while they don't fit the album really, do make Get Hurt stronger.

I feel like Handwritten's first 5 songs are monsters and then it drops off a fair bit from there. While I think Mae and National Anthem are both excellent individually, I just never loved them back to back at the end of the album. Awfully slow back to back and coming after Desire which is good but one of the weaker tracks on the album.

 

Have Mercy fits the album better than most songs on the album.

 

I was fortunate enough to see them back to back on the Get Hurt tour early on, before they dumped most of the new songs (which they did pretty quickly).....and got to hear almost every new song played, including those 3 B-Sides. So good.

 

Including "Desire." The only other one I'd consider putting above the Handwritten tracks is "Break Your Heart." I like most of those just fine, but I think the Handwritten songs are just better. Better vocals, better riffs, better melodies. "Desire," those nothing really to write home about lyrically, is a great pop song.

I don't think having two slow songs to close the record is a problem when the rest of it pretty much goes full throttle. "Mae" into "National Anthem" is probably my favorite one-two punch in the catalog, to be honest.

 

Came in here to bash on Blue Dahlia, listened to song again to prepare my remarks, love the song. Thats a good song.

 

I just kind of chuckle every time the Blue Dahlia debate comes up. This site has only been around a year and it seems like that debate comes up all the time in Gaslight/Brian threads. I've stated my opinion a few times on it, so I'm just enjoying the circular debate at this point. I guess if the choice is to continue debating that song or have the band thread go inactive I will take the BD debate haha.

 

I never realized there was hate towards it, I'm really surprised right now

 

I don't know many people that hate the song per se, but I think some of the folks that really like the song are pretty vocal about saying it should be on the album. I guess my contention is that if that's how you feel, than do it. If you bought the record you have the ability to sort of do what you want.

 

Fair enough, I respect it. Anyone who loves TGA/BF I'm good with. Such an incredibly consistent songwriter and that includes the solo album. There are 2-3 songs on Horrible Crowes I don't love.....out of 7.5 albums of material that's an unreal ratio.

 

I never knew there was a Blue Dahlia debate. I'm very shocked there is?