The '59 Sound
| The '59 Sound | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Gaslight Anthem | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||
| Genre | Heartland rock, folk punk, punk rock | |||
| Length | 41:32 | |||
| Label | SideOneDummy | |||
| Producer | Ted Hutt | |||
| The Gaslight Anthem chronology | ||||
| ||||
The '59 Sound is the second studio album by American rock band The Gaslight Anthem, released on August 19, 2008 by record label SideOneDummy.
In December 2008, eMusic named The '59 Sound the best album of 2008.[1] NME rated it as the 47th best album of the year.[2] The title track was number 62 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.[3]
In July 2009, following Bruce Springsteen's guest appearances with the band at Glastonbury and Hyde Park, sales of the album doubled.[4]
Recording
Regarding the differences between The '59 Sound and their first full-length album, Sink or Swim, guitarist Alex Rosamilia noted that, "For Sink or Swim, we had a week or so and what we brought to the studio. For [this] last record we had about 5 weeks and quite the arsenal of gear to tear through. Which did lead to a couple ideas I don't think we would've had otherwise."[5]
Release
The album was released on August 19, 2008 and peaked on the Billboard 200 at #70. [6] A 7" vinyl single was released on July 22, featuring the title track and the song "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" on the B-side. "Old White Lincoln" was released as the 2nd single on December 1, 2008 in the UK. Opening track "Great Expectations" was released as the 3rd single in the UK on March 23, 2009. In 2014, the bonus track "Once Upon a Time" was featured in the opening sequence and during the end credits of the 20th Century Fox film Devil's Due.
Influences
Allmusic described the album's sound as a "heartland rock version of Social Distortion." [7]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| Alternative Press | [10] |
| NME | 9/10[11] |
| Pitchfork Media | 8.6/10[12] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[13] |
| Q | [14] |
| Slant Magazine | [15] |
Absolutepunk.net raved about The '59 Sound, writing: "Packed full of vivid imagery and storytelling that resembles "Born to Run"/"Darkness on the Edge of Town"-era Springsteen, "The '59 Sound" is an impeccable work of punk-rock art where each listen offers something new, never taking any hint of imagination or personal effect away from the listener; this is the album The Killers wanted to make with "Sam's Town" but were unsuccessful at."[16] Mark Deming of AllMusic was generally favorable and concluded that "If Fallon often comes off as a youthful Springsteen wannabe on The '59 Sound, he also happens to be pretty good at it."[9]
Track listing
All tracks written by Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, and Benny Horowitz, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Great Expectations" | 3:05 |
| 2. | "The '59 Sound" | 3:09 |
| 3. | "Old White Lincoln" | 3:23 |
| 4. | "High Lonesome" | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Film Noir" | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Miles Davis & The Cool" | 4:11 |
| 7. | "The Patient Ferris Wheel" | 3:34 |
| 8. | "Casanova, Baby!" | 2:57 |
| 9. | "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" | 3:30 |
| 10. | "Meet Me by the River's Edge" | 3:19 |
| 11. | "Here's Looking at You, Kid" | 3:36 |
| 12. | "The Backseat" | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 41:32 | |
| iTunes bonus track | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "Once Upon a Time" (Robert Bradley; originally performed by Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise) | 3:58 |
| Total length: | 45:30 | |
Personnel
The Gaslight Anthem
- Brian Fallon – lead vocals, guitar
- Alex Rosamilia – guitar, backing vocals, Wollensack
- Alex Levine – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Benny Horowitz – drums, tubular bells, tambourine, garbage cans, chains
Additional personnel
- Chris Wollard – additional vocals
- Joe Sirois – additional vocals
- Dicky Barrett – additional vocals
- Hollie Fallon – additional vocals
- Joe Sib – additional vocals
- Kim Yarbrough – additional vocals
- Gia Ciambotti – additional vocals
- Ryan Mall – samples
Production
- Ted Hutt – production, mix engineering
- Ryan Mall – production assistance, mix engineering
- Tom Baker – audio mastering
- Lisa Johnson – sleeve photography
- Jonas Kleiner – art direction, design
References
- ↑ The Best Albums of 2008, eMusic
- ↑ NME's Top 50 Albums of 2008 - Stereogum.com (originally printed in the December 11, 2008 issue of NME magazine)
- ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2008". Rolling Stone (December 25, 2008). Retrieved 2009-01-12
- ↑ .http://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/springsteen-bruce/bruce-springsteen-hyde-park-calling-apocalypse-sound-as-178/
- ↑ "stereokill.net - life without a pause // alternative music criticism, news, reviews, features". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/410083/gaslight-anthem/chart
- ↑ "The '59 Sound - The Gaslight Anthem - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "Reviews for The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem". Metacritic. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- 1 2 Deming, Mark. "The '59 Sound – The Gaslight Anthem". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ↑ Welbers, Aubrey (September 2008). "The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound". Alternative Press (242): 148. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ↑ "The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound". NME: 47. August 23, 2008.
- ↑ Breihan, Tom (November 25, 2008). "The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ↑ MacNeil, Jason (November 23, 2008). "The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound". PopMatters. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ↑ "The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound". Q (266): 107. September 2008.
- ↑ Adams, Nate (August 25, 2008). "The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ↑ "chorus.fm". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
External links
- The '59 Sound at Discogs (list of releases)