Handwritten: How has time affected your opinions and thoughts?

The music video was just a part of a longer Handwritten short film. Hasn't been released yet. Waiting on it.

that is nothing short of awesome, thanks for the heads up!

No problemo!

Still not a big fan. Asides from 2 or 3 tracks. Oh well, they're allowed one clunker.

This is still my favorite record of TGA. Even more, my favorite record ever. I still feel the magic I felt when i first listened to it, so much intensity it makes me cry often because this is a mix of happiness, sadness, ... lots of emotions mixed together that makes everything comes out of me.

A couple months after the release of Handwritten I said that I thought Handwritten had just edged The '59 Sound as my favourite album ever. A few months on I don't think Handwritten has replaced The '59 Sound as my all time favourite. There are a couple of reasons for this. It's hard to compare them in a way because The '59 Sound was the first Gaslight record I heard and it is that album that made me fall in love with their music. When I first listened to The '59 Sound all of the tracks seemed to blend seamlessly into one another and although initially it was hard to remember individual tracks specifically there was just such an effortless fluidity to the album and a romantic, nostalgic vibe running throughout the record.

I think Handwritten is a more a mixture of styles (as American Slang is too) and tempos that means to me the album doesn't flow as much or have such a coherent vibe that glues all the songs together like The '59 Sound. Some of my favourite Gaslight tracks are from Handwritten however unlike The '59 Sound I think Handwritten sags a bit in the middle with Keepsake and Too Much Blood.

I don't know if anyone else gets where I'm coming from but I kind of hope with their next album they make a more fluid, cohesive album like I believe The '59 Sound is. I know I'm never going to experience an album like The '59 Sound again from them as I said that was the album that made me fall in love with Gaslight, but as much as I love Handwritten, I kind of miss the nostalgic sound that I get from The '59 Sound and aspects of American Slang.

I absolutely despised Handwritten when it came out. No more Jersey references, and it was overall bland.

But time (like 4 months) and actually listening to the lyrics has made it a strong contender for my favorite Gaslight albums.

jzancan wrote:

The Last Jukebox Romeo wrote:

I was just wondering, its been a while now since Handwritten was released and i was intrigued as to how the album has grown on people since then. Now we've all digested the album and lost that "AHHH NEW GASLIGHT, ITS AWESOME" mindset, i wondered whether the album has grown on people or if they've changed their minds about anything?

I still listen to it sometimes. My feelings/opinion on the record haven't really changed. It's sonically perfect but the material didn't really grab my attention. Alex R. once said in an interview, something that I completely agree with, that the music and sound of a record is what gets a person interested, like the infatuation period when falling in love, but the material and the lyrics are what forms the bond. Handwritten and I dated for a couple months, and it was fun, we just decided it wasn't going to work out. We're still friends though...I mean I can listen to it without it getting awkward between us, so that's nice. Sometimes I think it gives the stink eye to the Hold Steady though, a little jealous about how much time I've been spending with Separation Sunday lately. It called me up the other night drunk and was like "Oh you think that Hallelujah chick is just so fucking hot, but she's not, she's a tramp," and I was like "Handwritten, come on, we said we wouldn't do this to each other...Yes, I still think Mae is beautiful...no, I...please stop cutting me off...she's nice....no, she...oh, c'mon, she went back to church at the end!!" Other than that one isolated incident, we're cool.

Haha That's awesome! Do you have a blog? I wanna read it. haha Seriously, that's great!


I still love the album, and every song for the most part. Keepsake is the only one I'm not huge on, but I still enjoy it. I just wish they'd put Blue Dahlia on the 12 inch. But, oh well... "Ya can't always get what ya want."

At first, I was rather unhappy with the album... it sounded way too "polished" I guess. I clung to their old albums like no other. But I'd listen to it a couple times a week driving to and from work and it eventually grew on me. Now nearly each of those songs have become so catchy, I love it. I prefer Sink or Swim/ 59 Sound Gaslight, but I definitely have come to enjoy Handwritten.

Keepsake was the hardest for me to like, but then I listened to the lyrics and changed my mind. I adore Mae - that's a gem of a track and one of my favorite Gaslight songs ever.

Honeymoon period is definitely over with me I think. I think there's a lot of really great moments on it, but the wishy-washy lyrics that appear at times and the general over-produced feel to it has become more and more prevalent. 45, Howl, National Anthem and Handwritten are still fantastic songs but the others feel distinctly average (apart from Mullholland which really pisses me off for some reason). It did kind of make me feel that brian had lost his touch a bit lyrically, but then I heard Making Whoopee (Halloween) and all of my faith was restored I think they probably just had a little lull, which happens to most bands at some point and that they'll be back on top form with the next record. It's still a good album, just in comparison to other 3, it feels very weak.

Quote :

(apart from Mullholland which really pisses me off for some reason

I have to know the reason!

NeverTrustAJunkie wrote:

Quote :

(apart from Mullholland which really pisses me off for some reason

I have to know the reason!

I'm really unsure! theres nothing that stands out as annoying me, but whenever i listen to it i just feel really uncomfortable! I know it sounds stupid, but i cant hlp it

I don't know why but it's hilarious to me that of all songs, and of all reactions, that's what your feelings are. To each his own!

DiamondSinatra wrote:

I absolutely despised Handwritten when it came out. No more Jersey references, and it was overall bland

I thought I'd be ok with less Jersey references but I was wrong.

FelixMA wrote:

NeverTrustAJunkie wrote:

Quote :

(apart from Mullholland which really pisses me off for some reason

I have to know the reason!

I'm really unsure! theres nothing that stands out as annoying me, but whenever i listen to it i just feel really uncomfortable! I know it sounds stupid, but i cant hlp it

Is the reason the lyrics? For me, "Oh and I would just die if you ever took your love away" is the worst that Brian's wrote. Not that i dislike the song as much as you - to the point of it actually pissing me off - but im just not a fan of some of the songs lyrics.

When I saw them play in November he'd changed the lyrics to "Were you waiting on me to say that I would just die..." I thought that was kinda cool. Gave it a little edge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKUByecBLcg around 2:45

i love mulholland drive. probably my favorite on the album. fuck tha haters

Mulholland drive, National Anthem, and Mae stand out for me, closing in on 7 months after release

I like it, but if I wasn't already a fan, I doubt I would have given more than a few listens. There are still a lot of great songs on it, though.

Favorites: Mae, Blue Dahlia, National Anthem, Howl, Mulholland Drive, Handwritten

Okay: 45, Desire, Here Comes My Man

Least Favorites: Biloxi Parish, Too Much Blood, Keepsake

TGAforLIFE wrote:

Haha That's awesome! Do you have a blog? I wanna read it. haha Seriously, that's great!


I still love the album, and every song for the most part. Keepsake is the only one I'm not huge on, but I still enjoy it. I just wish they'd put Blue Dahlia on the 12 inch. But, oh well... "Ya can't always get what ya want."

Haha, thanks. No, I don't, I tried a few times but never really stuck with it.

Handwritten wore out its welcome as a full album pretty quick for me, but I will say after listening to Elsie for the first time in a while, that album is an outright classic. A condensed HW and Elsie would've been a legendary double album IMO.

it's tough for me to listen to the other albums now that handwritten exists. it just sounds so much fuller

sandyangryjohnnyormary? wrote:

Handwritten wore out its welcome as a full album pretty quick for me, but I will say after listening to Elsie for the first time in a while, that album is an outright classic. A condensed HW and Elsie would've been a legendary double album IMO.

yep. i understand brian wanted to do another style with Elsie, a very slow and stripped down version of TGA. And i understand that he than had to do just the other kind of music, the loud and fulfilled album Handwritten.
But for me i think it would have been better for gaslight if he hadn't done Elsie, also Elsie is up there with 59 sound or even the best he has ever done i think!
But i think with doing it this way, he has divided his music into the two parts which make me love the older TGA records that much: A nostalgic, blue feeling (now mostly on Elsie) and the rock sound (now on Handwritten). It's like Handwritten has no soul because Elsie is this soul.. yeah, that's my feeling after all

anyways, Handwritten is still a good record - compared to other bands

Hanswurst wrote:

sandyangryjohnnyormary? wrote:

Handwritten wore out its welcome as a full album pretty quick for me, but I will say after listening to Elsie for the first time in a while, that album is an outright classic. A condensed HW and Elsie would've been a legendary double album IMO.

yep. i understand brian wanted to do another style with Elsie, a very slow and stripped down version of TGA. And i understand that he than had to do just the other kind of music, the loud and fulfilled album Handwritten.
But for me i think it would have been better for gaslight if he hadn't done Elsie, also Elsie is up there with 59 sound or even the best he has ever done i think!
But i think with doing it this way, he has divided his music into the two parts which make me love the older TGA records that much: A nostalgic, blue feeling (now mostly on Elsie) and the rock sound (now on Handwritten). It's like Handwritten has no soul because Elsie is this soul.. yeah, that's my feeling after all

anyways, Handwritten is still a good record - compared to other bands

We have all the songs, so it doesn't particularly matter I guess. I could mix the two on iTunes and do it myself, but I've always felt like HW should've been a huge moment in Gaslight's legacy. Like when you thought Dylan had finally peaked with Bringing It All Back Home or Highway 61, but he just kept outdoing himself over and over in the 60's. For some reason it bothers me that Gaslight put out a clunky album when Brian very easily could've added a gem to their catalogue.

I think "Handwritten" the song would be stronger without the woah-ohs.... I don't know why I just thought of this, but listening to it live, I think it'd be better without them