#The gaslight anthem the 59 sound full#
Of course, it’s not just a set of demos from that era of the band, there’s a full book of photos to accompany it. Clearly, when they went into the studio to demo the songs, it was one that was worked on the most and whilst the other songs were by no means neglected, obviously the band knew they had something special on their hands. The title track is the only track to be as close to how it would feature on the album, there’s very little been changed and all the little quirks and soundscapes feature. “Film Noir” also features a filthy, pulsing bass line in it with less guitar. Songs like “High Lonesome” and “Great Expectations” had more urgency to them in this form and more of a punk edge to them before they were curtailed. The germs and ideas are all there and present, if a little rough and ready. Meanwhile, “Pleaceholder” has a pop punk vibe to it before it would transform into “Old White Lincoln” and again, the latter is the better version.Īs for the songs which made it onto the final version, it’s clear to anyone who’s spent time with the album what the songs became. Lyrically, it thematically fits the album but its presence wouldn’t have enhanced The ’59 Sound. Elsewhere, “Our Father’s Sons” features country twangings and has a chain gang lament and feel to it before the outro features the opening notes of “Great Expectations” (which is still present in this demo form). To have beefed it up to the “full” version, the soul of the song would have been lost. It’s a meaty rendition and as dark as the original and in this basic format, is a weighty beast. Half the songs which feature on the full album are here but there’s a couple of notable additions, namely the cover of Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”.
It’s rough around the edges, Fallon’s vocals are more gravelly and there’s a cynical tint to them where the final versions held more optimism. Naturally, everything on this is much more raw than the polished final versions. Recorded in a day in their native New Jersey, many of the songs found here would make their way onto the full-realised album. To celebrate their return, The Gaslight Anthem have delved into the vault and given the world The ’59 Sound Sessions. Essentially, The ’59 Sound was a slow burner for me but right now, it’s on regular rotation (a story for another day). My knowledge of this band is minimal, I’ve been aware of them for a few years but it wasn’t until Brian Fallon’s Sleepwalkers album earlier this year opened my ears and I delved into his music and The Gaslight Anthem’s. Highlights include “The ‘59 Sound,” “Film Noir,” “Miles Davis & The Cool,” “The Patient Ferris Wheel,” “Meet Me By The River’s Edge,” “Here’s Lookin’ At You, Kid.After a few years of slumber, The Gaslight Anthem have surfaced from their hiatus, namely to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their seminal album The ’59 Sound.
In true rock and roll spirit, the band believes the ultimate message is “Young boys, young girls, ain’t supposed to die on a Saturday night.” Now, that’s rock and roll. It’s a tremendously upbeat song about the moments just before one’s death. The ‘59 Sound makes it mark by the title track, which is one of the most amazing songs of the past decade. The lyrics are built more upon energy than substance, with each word matching the beat note for note. The Gaslight Anthem have a knack for creating rock and roll tunes where the words and music seem to have found each other by destiny. Their songs brought to mind the classic line in Eddie & The Cruisers when Eddie tells Frank that he’s seeking someone who can tie “words and music” together. It was as if Little Richard spawned a punk rock band. The most revolutionary aspect of the band was the way it took a retro sound like Motown and mixed it with punk rock influences. Born out of the New Brunswick music scene, the band comprised of vocalist/guitarist Brian Fallon, bassist Alex Levin, drummer Benny Horowitz, and guitarist Alex Rosamila, became New Jersey’s hottest export in years. Within two years of forming, The Gaslight Anthem found themselves touring non-stop around the world as their second full-length release became a regular on Top 10 lists. While the Billboard Top 200 was littered with rap and dance artists, this release gave notice that rock and roll’s corpse was far from cold. It was basically an upper cut right to the head of rock fans across the country the type of album that actually exceeds its hype. Every now and then an album comes out that reminds you of why you love rock and roll.
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