'Painkillers' - first listen impressions

This is really just a nice enjoyable record. Great stuff

I need some time to write a proper review. I'm all feelings right now. I can only say I love it and I was too frightened for the new Long Drives but I actually love it, both that and Red Lights. I may like Painkillers' Red Lights more than the MATZ version.

I'll come back tomorrow when I'm not so hyped hahah

Has anyone heard Digging In The Dirt or the new version of The Blues, Mary? Just curious on their thoughts of the songs. Wish they had been available on an itunes deluxe or something.

mja271 wrote:

riversedge wrote:

I don't understand why people don't like this album version of Long Drives. It fits much more into the identity of the whole record than the MATZ version does. It's more optimistic, nostalgic and hopeful and the lyrics and instrumentation are more refined. As much as I still like the demo version, it was a pretty downbeat and bleak sounding track.

I can only speak for myself, I just disagree with everything you pointed out minus this version fitting the overall aesthetic of the record better. Lyrically the original is superior, and it just feels more cohesive to me. I also don't like the key change and the pedal steel additions. The new one is too cut and paste for me. Not to mention I think the delivery of "I could never get her to believe" is very cheesy.

But to each his own. Good thing about music is we all have our own tastes and things hit us in different ways!

Well, the key of Long Drives hasn't changed. The key of Red Lights has and I think it suffers somewhat from that. Just takes a bit of energy away from it, now being three half-steps lower. Overall the album is, to steal a term Brian was using over and over again in a recent interview, a slam dunk. When I first heard Long Drives at Home for the Holidays I turned to my brother and said, "Damn, that's the best song he's written since the '59 Sound." I'm not sure if this new version is up there but in time I'll get more used to it, I'm sure. Overall thrilled with Painkillers.

stephendgaf wrote:

Jerseyrain wrote:

stephendgaf wrote:

Its okay. Played it a little too safe, as usual. Mojo Hand is the best song.

I can see what you mean apart from the 'as usual' part. I think he really experimented with new sounds and styles on Get Hurt and think Elsie also had elements of different and risk to it. Neither were a 'safe' album and Get Hurt wasn't well received. I'd say Fallon's at his best when keeping it safe.

I mean, sure there has been some experimentation here and there, I've just been waiting for him/them to finally go all the way with it and not be..scared to fully go for it, if that's fair to say?

Get wacky with it, give me an album full of Mojo Hands, Mary Anns, I Witnessed A Crime, Underneath the Grounds. Hah.

That doesn't sound like a particularly worthwhile album, to be honest. I like all of those songs, but an album full of them would be a bad album.

Favorite songs right now are: nobody wins, painkillers, honey magnolia, steve mcqueen.

Wow what an album..I agree with others re possibly being best since '59 sound. Certainly in terms of instant appeal on first few listens.

Must admit, it kind of made me realised that I'd fallen a bit out of love with the gaslight anthem on their last couple of albums. Which, in all honesty, were probably good but not brilliant. Having said that, this has made me want to go and listen to all those albums again as well

Think I've summed up my thoughts on my own website http://thesoulofaclown.com/2016/03/12/brian-fallon-painkillers/
(Loads of other stuff that will appeal to you there..and quite a few gaslight influenced reviews will be on line in next couple weeks so please follow the site!! - sorry for the shameless plug!)

On first listen, it's very good. But i expected nothing less.

I can't have been the only one to spot the similarities between Mojo Hand and Sweet Morphine, can i?

CapedAvenger wrote:

On first listen, it's very good. But i expected nothing less.

I can't have been the only one to spot the similarities between Mojo Hand and Sweet Morphine, can i?

No I thought the same thing

Yeah I started singing Sweet Morphine randomly last night and realized it was because of the similarities. I also sometimes start singing Ain't That A Shame after A Wonderful Life, which is a shame (no pun intended) because I don't really like Ain't That A Shame haha. Just the coda of A Wonderful Life reminds me a bit of the first line of the other song's chorus: "Oh my love, my love is a plague" or whatever the lyrics are there.

pleasepassthesoup wrote:

stephendgaf wrote:

Jerseyrain wrote:

stephendgaf wrote:

Its okay. Played it a little too safe, as usual. Mojo Hand is the best song.

I can see what you mean apart from the 'as usual' part. I think he really experimented with new sounds and styles on Get Hurt and think Elsie also had elements of different and risk to it. Neither were a 'safe' album and Get Hurt wasn't well received. I'd say Fallon's at his best when keeping it safe.

I mean, sure there has been some experimentation here and there, I've just been waiting for him/them to finally go all the way with it and not be..scared to fully go for it, if that's fair to say?

Get wacky with it, give me an album full of Mojo Hands, Mary Anns, I Witnessed A Crime, Underneath the Grounds. Hah.

That doesn't sound like a particularly worthwhile album, to be honest. I like all of those songs, but an album full of them would be a bad album.

Different strokes and whatnot I guess.

So what do you guys actually not like about the new Long Drives?

My track-by-track thoughts:

1. Wonderful Life - Love this song.

2. Painkillers - Love this one too.

3. Among Other Foolish Things - Omg is this a great song. At first listen I just thought it was kinda vapid and too cutesy, but after a second and third helping, it's easily my second-favorite song on the record. I like to think of it as the sunny version of Dark Places.

4. Smoke - You all know my feelings on the new Smoke. Now that I've heard the whole record, I think the new version fits in better than the Molly version would have, but that doesn't make me like it.

5. Steve McQueen - I just don't really like anything about this track unfortunately.

6. Nobody Wins - I love this one and the harmonies/backing vocals are my favorite part.

7. Rosemary - I love this song and would kill to hear Gaslight do it at some point in the future, mostly because I think Benny's drumming would make it perfect. I love the ending the best.

8. Red Lights - I don't really like how this one just kicks on with no intro, and I think the best version of Red Lights ever was the one that was on SoundCloud for awhile. This version is imperfect, but I love the song anyway and it's great to sing along to.

9. Long Drives - WTF even is this. All the new parts are just kind of boring and unnecessary and that whole spoken-word "I could never get her to believe" made me burst out laughing and say out loud, "Brian, what even was that???" I think he should've just taken the new parts and made a whole new song if he'd wanted to. I do like the new production quality, which out of all the re-recorded ones is the only one I can say that about.
*After a few more listens, my feelings have changed on the new parts. I don't mean to be so harsh on this song; it's just that the original is so perfect, it's hard to get into the new version

10. Honey Magnolia - I like this one a lot but don't feel the piano was really necessary.

11. Mojo Hand - This one's just kind of fun and weird. It's a cactus among wildflowers, which is a phrase I made up just now.

12. Open All Night - WHAT IS THIS SONG MADE OF AND HOW CAN I REPLACE MY BLOOD WITH IT? Perfect song, perfect closer, perfect piece of Brian Fallon. This was my favorite of the new ones when I saw him back in January and the one I was most excited for, and boy did it meet my expectations.

Overall it's a solid album, but I feel like he definitely gilded the lily on most of the old songs. Glad to have these new tracks in my life though!

Yeah, the spoken part on Long Drive is a little ridiculous to me.

I really like the whole album

and I also like the spoken part in long drives, I feel is very Johnny Cash

Ok, I get Rosemary now. And whoever mentioned that the twist at the end making it a happy ending song made me like the song more.

Yeah, I agree that the piano on Honey Magnolia didn't really fit.

Rosemary though!!! Wow, what a song! Been blasting Painkillers in the car the last couple of days and that song is just insanely good. Also absolutely love everything about Honey Magnolia.

I don't really like comparing it to Elsie. But, if I was in the car and someone asked what CD I'd rather listen to, I'd pick Painkillers instantly even though I've only heard it once all the way through so far (just bought it last night). I like it from top to bottom, even the few I wasn't quite sure about that I'd seen live a few times already. I'm really looking forward to hearing the Painkillers stuff again live in the future after I've had much more time to sit with the songs. An early favorite is "Nobody Wins", but that of course could change after getting to know the music better!

Not really sure this is a first listen impression anymore, because I've had the album on repeat since yesterday. But anyway...

Definitely not my favourite thing Brian's ever done, but there are great moments on the record.

As a whole, I like it, except Mojo Hand. Having that song after Honey Magnolia is just confusing to me and feels like I'm listening to a playlist on shuffle. Maybe it will grow on me, but right now I just don't get it and don't like it.

I love love love the reworked Long Drives. It's so interesting to see how many of you dislike the spoken part. Made me go "YES, Brian!"

The absolute highlight of the record for me is Open All Night. That was the one song I was kinda worried about, for a silly reason - the title that's been done so many times... But I adore the song, it's an absolute favourite. I was sold on the "I don't let reminders get me down like before" line and then just kept falling in love deeper and deeper. Love how it's structured.

Still not totally in love with Painkillers and Among Other Foolish Things. I like them lyrically, but they don't excite me that much musically, not yet anyway.

What I love most about this record (and Brian in general) is his ability to find perfect words for the feelings and thoughts I have but don't know how to express properly. There are incredible songwriters out there, music that drives me to tears, but the reason Brian's my favourite is that his words hit so incredibly close to home time and time again. As far as I can tell, I am not alone in this.

Can't wait to hear all these songs in live setting!

Georgia sounds so awesome from what I've heard from YouTube

I listened two times with all the songs in the record sequence now and I love this record so much I am beyond words other than I am so happy and grateful to have these songs in my life .
From the live performances - Portland, Foxwoods, Webster Hall in January, then Irving Plaza, Boston and Starland this week for me - I was already excited and now finally listening to the full record, for me this is one stunning piece of music. I love how the songs flow from one to the next, wouldn't change anything.
Wish I had gotten a chance to tell Brian when I saw him at Vintage Vinyl yesterday.

Right now:

Nobody Wins is incredible. Best track on the album easily. And i can't get the hook from Honey Magnolia out of my head. The intro to Long Drives throws me, every time.

Overall, i love it.

i really really like it!

the first five tracks are all really good.

it really kicks into high gear with Nobody Wins and Rosemary. love those ones.

Red Lights is still a great song, and i'm really feeling the new Long Drives. the rollicking original was great too, but this one hits different feels. "you were amazing" is one of my favorite moments on the album.

next up, Honey Magnolia. the piano sounds nice to my ears. very pretty, bittersweet tune. my girlfriend's favorite.

Mojo Hand is good, not sure if i'll play it on its own too much.

Open All Night... damn. great piece of songwriting. if i had to give any song a big hug, it would be this one.

CapedAvenger wrote:

I can't have been the only one to spot the similarities between Mojo Hand and Sweet Morphine, can i?

Hm, for me it's Open All Night that takes me back to Sweet Morphine (that slide guitar!)