The Gaslight Anthem goes back to Roots (Interview with Brian)

http://tinyurl.com/bv2rx3k

Quote :

Three years ago, Brian Fallon truly believed the world was his oyster. His scruffy, Bruce Springsteen-inspired New Jersey outfit The Gaslight Anthem had received so much praise for its sophomore masterpiece “The ’59 Sound,” it caught the attention of The Boss himself, who joined the group onstage during shared English-festival bills. The band was picked to click, and the singer relocated to New York in anticpation of superstardom. But when a musically adventurous 2010 follow-up “American Slang” fizzled, Fallon was dumbfounded. After soul-searching, he returned to the Jersey shore and his punk-rock roots with the barnstorming new “Handwritten.”

Why are they disowning American Slang that much? Based on the samples Handwritten is just as musically adventurous as American Slang.
Also AS featured Stay Lucky, Orphans, Boxer and the Spirit of Jazz as faster punk rock songs.
It doesn't make any sense

[quote="Prisoner"]

Quote :

Why are they disowning American Slang that much? Based on the samples Handwritten is just as musically adventurous as American Slang.
Also AS featured Stay Lucky, Orphans, Boxer and the Spirit of Jazz as faster punk rock songs.
It doesn't make any sense

Yeah--I don't get it either. But controversial statements do get attention

I also can't understand how so many journalists are claiming Handwritten is like Sink Or Swim...from what I've heard it couldn't be anymore opposite and more of a continuation of American Slang.

Yeah they seem to say that Gaslight really slumped and that this album would have to dig them back out of a hole again. I disagree but then again the guy who got me into Gaslight didnt like American Slang, actually thought it was a bad album so I guess people have their opinions

Jerseyrain wrote:

Yeah they seem to say that Gaslight really slumped and that this album would have to dig them back out of a hole again. I disagree but then again the guy who got me into Gaslight didnt like American Slang, actually thought it was a bad album so I guess people have their opinions

Yeah --in line with the April article calling this the "Comeback:" album.

Quote :

But when a musically adventurous 2010 follow-up “American Slang” fizzled, Fallon was dumbfounded.

This doesn't make sense to me at all. I don't even remember hearing that Brian was disappointed with American Slang or anything like that. It fizzled? I think maybe this was the journalist's opinion more than how Brian actually feels. This was a very strange interview...

And I agree with Hammersmith. From what I have heard of Handwritten, it seems more like a continuation of AS (mixed with Elsie, maybe) than SOS version 2.0.

"Three years ago, Brian Fallon truly believed the world was his oyster."

-um, I don't know exactly what Brian was thinking in 2009 but this makes him sound like he was expecting T59S to top the charts or something, but I'm pretty sure they were all just shocked and thrilled they got some recognition.

"Bruce Springsteen-inspired"

-here we go again.

"the singer relocated to New York in anticpation of superstardom"

-This makes me picture Brian with some suitcases and a huge grin on his face lookin at all the pretty lights in time square like he's a 16 year old in some cheesy film who just moved to NY to start an acting career.
I'm pretty sure he said he came back from touring and had an apartment in NY.

"But when a musically adventurous 2010 follow-up “American Slang” fizzled, Fallon was dumbfounded."

-I don't recall that ever being a reaction by any member of the band. Probably because it didn't fizzle so there was no need to be dumbfounded.

I'm glad this interviewer has such insight into Brian's thoughts.

[quote="StitchesOnTheRadio"

I'm glad this interviewer has such insight into Brian's thoughts. [/quote]

Yeah--you'd think after reading this that he is an intimate of Brian's

As someone who's from the bay, not really surprised this interview is from the Examiner. The Chronicle would never have been so lazy and opinionated with this

StitchesOnTheRadio wrote:

-This makes me picture Brian with some suitcases and a huge grin on his face lookin at all the pretty lights in time square like he's a 16 year old in some cheesy film who just moved to NY to start an acting career.

I always thought that it was Holly who made the two move to New York, and Brian wasn't very thrilled by the idea.

MattL wrote:

I always thought that it was Holly who made the two move to New York, and Brian wasn't very thrilled by the idea.

Same here

MattL wrote:

StitchesOnTheRadio wrote:

-This makes me picture Brian with some suitcases and a huge grin on his face lookin at all the pretty lights in time square like he's a 16 year old in some cheesy film who just moved to NY to start an acting career.

I always thought that it was Holly who made the two move to New York, and Brian wasn't very thrilled by the idea.

Yeah that's what I said in the sentence after this. He mentioned it at the Red Bull interview, he made it sound like she just went and moved and when he came back it was like "oh btw we live in NY now" but i don't know and that's there business so i don't wanna speculate too much.

bobbyw24 wrote:

MattL wrote:

I always thought that it was Holly who made the two move to New York, and Brian wasn't very thrilled by the idea.

Same here

This interview was all-around awful. I went to the full one and there were like 3 or 4 completely unrelated questions. Did it really end after the soda bottle question, or did I miss the rest?

Yeah, it is kinda silly. I get how the band might have some criticisms of the album in retrospect, or might try to do something different with the next album, but to say American Slang "fizzled" is foolish, especially since it was really well reviewed and seemed to me like it helped gain them a lot of popularity.

I get that the guy's just trying to give this album some kind of story arc of how this is the band's "redemption," but that's pretty dumb.

MattL wrote:

bobbyw24 wrote:

MattL wrote:

I always thought that it was Holly who made the two move to New York, and Brian wasn't very thrilled by the idea.

Same here

This interview was all-around awful. I went to the full one and there were like 3 or 4 completely unrelated questions. Did it really end after the soda bottle question, or did I miss the rest?

I only saw 3 questions which seemed odd. It was kind of like why bother.

Yeah, not a great one. I kind of wish he'd have dug into the story behind "45" a little more after Brian offered it up

Jlblue wrote:

but to say American Slang "fizzled" is foolish, especially since it was really well reviewed and seemed to me like it helped gain them a lot of popularity

American Slang was the first and only time I had ever heard TGA on a really popular, really wide-spread radio station. I can't imagine it "fizzling" in the slightest. Some people here even offer it as better than Sink or Swim and T59S.

I remember that the band was just as stoked about American Slang as about Handwritten

Plus...if AS was a fizzle, why would a major label have suddenly signed them?

Maybe it didn't put them over the top, but it did pretty darn well...

njguy99 wrote:

Plus...if AS was a fizzle, why would a major label have suddenly signed them?

Maybe it didn't put them over the top, but it did pretty darn well...

I think if they did go to a major for American Slang and if they had been ready for it then I think it could have put them over the top.

was this written by Rita Skeeter?

WingsForWheels wrote:

was this written by Rita Skeeter?

njguy99 wrote:

WingsForWheels wrote:

was this written by Rita Skeeter?

omg this is perfect.

American Slang fizzled? I'm pretty sure it charted on album charts all across the world as opposed to The 59 Sound which just made it onto a couple.