The '59 Sound (song)
Encyclopedia
"The '59 Sound" is a 2008 song by American
rock band The Gaslight Anthem
. Written by the band and produced by Ted Hutt
, it is the title track of the band's second full-length album
. Released as the album's lead single
, the song reached the U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in early 2009. The song, which received mostly favorable reviews from critics, was performed live by the band with Bruce Springsteen
at the Glastonbury
and Hard Rock Calling
festivals in June 2009.
-guitarist
Brian Fallon for the band's 2008 album, also titled The '59 Sound.
Fallon recalled, "I never wrote a song like that before. And I thought it was better than anything else I ever wrote. I showed it to the guys [in the band] and they thought it was awesome. Then the next one was "Great Expectations" and we definitely knew where we were going with [the album]." Fallon said the band had tried to emulate the sound of soul music
from the late 1950s, because "back then it seemed like there was a genuine feeling of excitement going on that I don’t think is necessarily happening right now. It seems like when you look back on that era a lot of it is embodied in that Memphis sound, so it’s just a giant celebratory thing."
Bassist
Alex Levine noted that in addition to being inspired by soul music, he used to use a 1959 Fender Bassman
.
Lyrically, the song is an elegy for a friend who died while the band was elsewhere performing a gig.
radio stations in September.
The song entered the Billboard
Alternative Songs chart in January 2009, peaked at number 35 in February, and spent 10 weeks on the chart.
The song's music video
, directed by Kevin James Custer, premiered in July 2008. An alternate version, also directed by Custer and featuring the band's full performance of the song, debuted the following June.
Also that month, "The '59 Sound" was re-released in the UK
as a physical single, backed with a live cover version of Pearl Jam
's "State of Love and Trust
", as well as a live performance of "We Came to Dance", a song from the Gaslight Anthem's first album, Sink or Swim
. The single reached number 115 on the UK Singles Chart
in July.
"The '59 Sound" was generally well-received by music critics, with Pitchfork Media
writer Tom Breihan praising the bridge: "It's simple, it's sincere, and it kills me every time."
CMJ New Music writer Tyler Theofilos said the song is "all about the exhilaration that goes along with raw, driving rock."
Jason MacNeil of PopMatters
compared it to The Killers and Tim
-era Replacements.
The song was ranked number 62 on Rolling Stone
s list of "The 100 Best Singles of 2008".
s Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and Late Show with David Letterman
.
The band was joined onstage by Bruce Springsteen
during performances of the song at Glastonbury Festival 2009
and Hard Rock Calling 2009
.
Of Springsteen's Glastonbury appearance with the band, Brian Fallon recalled, "He just showed up. That was it. Nobody knew about it, nobody said anything, and he showed up an went, 'Can I play with you,' and we were, like, 'Absolutely. Yeah. All right.' It was literally three minutes before we went onstage."
7" Vinyl, CD (2009)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, consisting of Brian Fallon , Alex Rosamilia , Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz...
. Written by the band and produced by Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt is a British music producer, musician, and song writer residing in Los Angeles, CA. He was the original guitar player and one of the founding members for Flogging Molly...
, it is the title track of the band's second full-length album
The '59 Sound
The '59 Sound is the second studio album by The Gaslight Anthem, released on August 19, 2008 on SideOneDummy Records.In December 2008, eMusic named The '59 Sound the best album of 2008. NME rated it as the 47th best album of the year...
. Released as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, the song reached the U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in early 2009. The song, which received mostly favorable reviews from critics, was performed live by the band with Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
at the Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival 2009
The 2009 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 24–29 June 2009.- Registration :In a similar way to previous festivals, tickets for the 2009 event required pre-registration through the festival website...
and Hard Rock Calling
Hard Rock Calling
Hard Rock Calling is an annual music festival held in Hyde Park, London, which first took place on Saturday July 1 and Sunday July 2, 2006. The music played is primarily rock music, and various performers, including Bon Jovi, The Who, Aerosmith, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen have played at the...
festivals in June 2009.
Background
"The '59 Sound" was the first song written by singer-songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
-guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Brian Fallon for the band's 2008 album, also titled The '59 Sound.
Fallon recalled, "I never wrote a song like that before. And I thought it was better than anything else I ever wrote. I showed it to the guys [in the band] and they thought it was awesome. Then the next one was "Great Expectations" and we definitely knew where we were going with [the album]." Fallon said the band had tried to emulate the sound of soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
from the late 1950s, because "back then it seemed like there was a genuine feeling of excitement going on that I don’t think is necessarily happening right now. It seems like when you look back on that era a lot of it is embodied in that Memphis sound, so it’s just a giant celebratory thing."
Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Alex Levine noted that in addition to being inspired by soul music, he used to use a 1959 Fender Bassman
Fender Bassman
The Fender Bassman was a bass amplifier introduced by Fender in 1952. Although it was originally designed for bass guitars, it was frequently used for normal electric guitar in rock and roll, blues, and country bands.-History:...
.
Lyrically, the song is an elegy for a friend who died while the band was elsewhere performing a gig.
Release and reception
Released as a physical single in July 2008, "The '59 Sound" was released to U.S. modern rockModern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
radio stations in September.
The song entered the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Alternative Songs chart in January 2009, peaked at number 35 in February, and spent 10 weeks on the chart.
The song's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Kevin James Custer, premiered in July 2008. An alternate version, also directed by Custer and featuring the band's full performance of the song, debuted the following June.
Also that month, "The '59 Sound" was re-released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a physical single, backed with a live cover version of Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's "State of Love and Trust
State of Love and Trust
"State of Love and Trust" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by guitarist Mike McCready and bassist Jeff Ament, "State of Love and Trust" first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 film, Singles...
", as well as a live performance of "We Came to Dance", a song from the Gaslight Anthem's first album, Sink or Swim
Sink or Swim (Gaslight Anthem album)
Sink or Swim is the debut studio album by The Gaslight Anthem, released May 29, 2007 through XOXO Records.-Track listing:# "Boomboxes and Dictionaries" – 3:11...
. The single reached number 115 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in July.
"The '59 Sound" was generally well-received by music critics, with Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
writer Tom Breihan praising the bridge: "It's simple, it's sincere, and it kills me every time."
CMJ New Music writer Tyler Theofilos said the song is "all about the exhilaration that goes along with raw, driving rock."
Jason MacNeil of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
compared it to The Killers and Tim
Tim (album)
Tim is an album released in October 1985 on Sire Records by the alternative rock band The Replacements. It was their first major label release...
-era Replacements.
The song was ranked number 62 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of "The 100 Best Singles of 2008".
Live
The Gaslight Anthem performed "The '59 Sound" live on the talk showLate-night talk show
In American television, the late-night talk show is a specific kind of comedy-oriented talk and variety show that airs late at night. Characteristics of the genre include topical monologues in which the host makes fun of the day's news, comedy sketches, celebrity interviews, and musical performances...
s Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
.
The band was joined onstage by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
during performances of the song at Glastonbury Festival 2009
Glastonbury Festival 2009
The 2009 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 24–29 June 2009.- Registration :In a similar way to previous festivals, tickets for the 2009 event required pre-registration through the festival website...
and Hard Rock Calling 2009
Hard Rock Calling
Hard Rock Calling is an annual music festival held in Hyde Park, London, which first took place on Saturday July 1 and Sunday July 2, 2006. The music played is primarily rock music, and various performers, including Bon Jovi, The Who, Aerosmith, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen have played at the...
.
Of Springsteen's Glastonbury appearance with the band, Brian Fallon recalled, "He just showed up. That was it. Nobody knew about it, nobody said anything, and he showed up an went, 'Can I play with you,' and we were, like, 'Absolutely. Yeah. All right.' It was literally three minutes before we went onstage."
Track listing
7" Vinyl (2008)- "The '59 Sound" (The Gaslight Anthem) - 3:11
- "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues" (The Gaslight Anthem) - 3:31
7" Vinyl, CD (2009)
- "The '59 Sound" (The Gaslight Anthem) - 3:11
- "State Of Love And Trust" (VedderEddie VedderEddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
, AmentJeff AmentJeffrey Allen Ament is an American musician who serves as the bassist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, McCreadyMike McCreadyMichael David McCready is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
) (Live at Webster Hall, New York City) - 3:27 - "We Came to Dance" (The Gaslight Anthem) (Live at Webster Hall, New York City) - 3:36
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 35 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
115 |