The Chronicles of Life and Death

The Chronicles of Life and Death
Studio album by Good Charlotte
Released October 5, 2004 (2004-10-05)
Recorded March–June 2004
Studio Barefoot Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre Pop punk, alternative rock
Length 51:26
Label Epic, Daylight
Producer Eric Valentine
Good Charlotte chronology
The Young and the Hopeless
(2002)The Young and the Hopeless2002		 The Chronicles of Life and Death
(2004)		 Good Morning Revival
(2007)Good Morning Revival2007
Singles from The Chronicles of Life and Death
  1. "Predictable"
    Released: September 27, 2004
  2. "I Just Wanna Live"
    Released: January 17, 2005
  3. "The Chronicles of Life and Death"
    Released: June 3, 2005
  4. "We Believe"
    Released: August 15, 2005

The Chronicles of Life and Death is the third studio album by American pop punk band Good Charlotte, released through Epic and Daylight Records on October 5, 2004. The album was released with two different versions: a "Life" and a "Death" version which came with different cover art (designed by guitarist Billy Martin) and a special bonus track. There is also a Japanese version that has a different cover art as well as the special bonus tracks from both the "Life" and "Death" versions, including the hidden track "Wounded" at the end of the album. The Chronicles of Life and Death is the only album to feature Chris Wilson on drums.

Background

Good Charlotte released their second album, The Young and the Hopeless, in October 2002.[1] Three of the album's singles, "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous", "Girls & Boys", and "The Anthem", shifted the group from modern rock to mainstream top 40 radio. As a result, The Young and the Hopeless debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, selling 117,000 copies in its first week. It eventually went on to sell over 3 million copies in the US.[2] Following its release, the group embarked on two US arena tours.[3][4] In August 2003, the group began stockpiling songs for their next album. They planned to write more while on tour[5] between September and November.[4]

Recording and composition

Recording took place at Barefoot Studios in Hollywood California, with producer and engineer Eric Valentine assisted by Trevor Whatever and Chris Roach.[6] Sessions began in March[7] and concluded in June.[8] Matt Radosevich did editing, programming, additional engineering and performed piano on "The Truth". Strings were conducted by David Campbell and arranged by him and Valentine. Michele Ito and Chikako Horii sung on "Once Upon a Time: The Battle of Life and Death". John Feldmann tracked additional guitars for "I Just Wanna Live". Valentine mixed and mastered the recordings, except for "Meet My Maker", which was mixed by Jacquire King with assistance from Andy Hunt.[6]

The group initially entered the studio with 16–18 songs.[8] Joel Madden said the album was a "a diary of the past two years",[9] and that hope was a running theme throughout it.[10] Musically, the album has been classified as pop punk,[11] with elements of British punk rock, arena rock[2] and goth rock.[12] Piano and string instruments appear throughout the album.[9] The opener track "Once Upon a Time: The Battle of Life and Death" is an instrumental opener with strings and a Japanese choir.[9] The track, along with the ending of In This World (Murder)", represents the cycle of life and death.[13] "Predictable" starts off with strings before shifting into a spoken-word rant by Madden. "Walk Away (Maybe)" fuses hard rock-edged verses with indie rock-esque strumming patterns.[10] Madden said "We Believe" sounded like a track that could be sung by Elton John or Billy Joel. He said he wrote it while watching CNN and that he was singing about things what were happening in the world.[14]

Release

In June, the group performed at a few shows on the Warped Tour[15] and headlined Edgefest.[16] On August 9 and 10, the group filmed a video for "Predictable" in Toronto, Canada. Martin said the video shows two sides of the group: "There's a dark, twisted room where we're playing in, where it's thunderstorming... [and then] Joel [Madden] goes outside and the sky is perfectly clear and it's like a nice neighborhood".[17] "Predictable" was released to radio on August 24.[18] At the end of the month, the group performed at a few more shows on the Warped Tour.[15] A behind-the-scenes making-of video for "Predictable" premiered in early September.[17] "Predictable" was released as a CD single in Australia on September 27 with an acoustic version of "The Chronicles of Life and Death", and live versions of "The Anthem" and "Hold On" recorded at Abbey Road Studios as B-sides.[19]

The Chronicles of Life and Death was made available for streaming on October 1 through MTV's The Leak.[20] Initially planned for release in September,[21] The Chronicles of Life and Death was released on October 5 through Epic and Daylight Records.[22] It was released in two different editions: Life (with "Falling Away" as a bonus track) and Death (with "Meet My Maker" as a bonus track), both with different artwork created by Martin. The art for the Life version resembles a first-edition book, while the art for the Death version resembles a 100-year-old book. The album booklet is done in the style of a storybook with the song lyrics detailing a story accompanied by illustrations.[23] The group debuted material from the album during a show in New York. Alkaline Trio drummer Derek Grant temporarily substituted for drummer Chris Wilson during the show as Wilson was reportedly receiving therapy. Grant subsequently played with the group for a few more promotional events,[24] which included an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and in-store performances.[25]

In October and November, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with Sum 41.[23] They were supported by Lola Ray and Hazen Street.[26] "I Just Wanna Live" was released as a CD single in Australia on January 17, 2005, with live versions of "S.O.S." and "The World Is Black" as B-sides.[27] The song's music video, directed by Brett Simon, features the group performing in a dive bar before the members return to their day jobs. Eventually, someone from the music industry signs the band, known as the Food Group, who are dressed as an array of food items.[28] In February 2005, the band appeared at MTV Asia's tsunami-relief event for the tsunami in Southeast Asia,[29] before touring Australia.[30] The group embarked on a tour of Europe and the UK[31] in March with support from The Explosion.[32] In early April, a music video was filmed for "We Believe" with director Sam Erickson[33] at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The video features the group performing in an abandoned theatre overlapped with war imagery and people suffering.[34]

In May and June, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with Simple Plan,[31] dubbed the Noise to the World tour.[24] They were supported by Relient K.[31] A few dates into the tour, Wilson left the group citing to health concerns. He was replaced by Dean Butterworth.[24] The group met him through John Feldmann of Goldfinger.[35] "The Chronicles of Life and Death" was released as a CD single in Australia on June 3 with live versions of "The Chronicles of Life and Death" and "Mountain", and a remix of "I Just Wanna Live" as B-sides.[36] "We Believe" was released as a single on August 15.[37] In October, the band appeared at the Bridge School Benefit.[38] On November 13, the album was released on the DualDisc format. It included a making-of documentary and live performances.[39]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic53/100[40]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[41]
BillboardFavorable [42]
E! OnlineB [43]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[44]
IGN2/10 [45]
The Guardian [46]
The New York TimesUnfavorable [47]
Rolling Stone[48]
Stylus MagazineB−[49]
The Village VoiceC+[50]

Critical response

The album has received generally mixed reviews. At Metacritic, the album gained a 53 out of 100 based on 16 reviews.[40] Billboard said "The band takes its proven peppy rock sound to new heights."[42] E! Online also gave it a positive review, saying "Pulling off the tricky balancing act of aiming for mainstream success while keeping one's street cred intact, songs like 'Ghost of You' and 'Predictable' abandon the band's mall-rat roots in exchange for more mature influences like U2 and Muse."[43] The New York Times gave a negative review, saying that the album was "full of ham-fisted ideas."[47] Entertainment Weekly called the album "A giant leap forward--in instrumental prowess, and in emotional and melodic scope."[44]

NME also gave a negative review, saying "Half the time, Good Charlotte sound like Blink-182 after the snip, the other half they sound like the Backstreet Boys without the songs."[40] Sputnikmusic gave the album a 3.5 out of 5, saying "'The Chronicles Of Life And Death' stands as a testament to a mediocre pop quartet that went the extra mile to be sincere and produce an authentic, respectable piece of work." Q said "It's nothing if not ambitious... [but] they simply don't have the depth, or the authority, to pull it off."[40] The Village Voice gave the album a C+, saying "Beyond some rich-and-famous irony, not a single suburban detail soils an hour of good intentions. And you know the music overreaches too."[50]

Commercial performance and legacy

The album was a decent commercial success, with the singles "I Just Wanna Live" and "Predictable" peaking decently on the charts. By February 2007, it had sold 1.1 million copies in the US.[51] In 2016, Benji Madden said of the album: "We were showing our depth. We didn’t want any rules, we didn’t want any boundaries… We wanted to do the things that we wanted to do."[52]

Track listing

All songs written by Benji and Joel Madden, except where noted.[53]

No.TitleLength
1."Once Upon a Time: The Battle of Life and Death" (B. Madden, Eric Valentine)2:24
2."The Chronicles of Life and Death"3:03
3."Walk Away (Maybe)"3:20
4."S.O.S."3:42
5."I Just Wanna Live" (B. Madden, J. Madden, John Feldmann)2:46
6."Ghost of You" (B. Madden, J. Madden, Billy Martin)4:50
7."Predictable"3:11
8."Secrets"3:53
9."The Truth" (B. Madden, J. Madden, Feldmann)3:56
10."The World Is Black"3:06
11."Mountain" (B. Madden, J. Madden, Martin)4:33
12."We Believe"3:51
13."It Wasn't Enough" (B. Madden, J. Madden, Feldmann)3:24
14."In This World (Murder)" (30 seconds of silence at end of track)5:27
Total length:51:26

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[6]

Charts and certifications

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Daugherty 2002, p. 12
  2. 1 2 Whitmire 2004, p. 13
  3. ↑ Moss, Corey (February 25, 2003). "New Found Glory, Good Charlotte To Roll Out On Civic Tour". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  4. 1 2 D'Angelo, Joe (August 11, 2003). "Good Charlotte To Reward All The Good 'Boys And Girls' With New Tour". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  5. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (August 27, 2003). "Good Charlotte Begin Work On Next LP, Get Psyched About 50 Cent Watching Them". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 The Chronicles of Life and Death (Sleeve). Good Charlotte. Epic/Daylight Records. 2004. EPC 517685 5.
  7. ↑ Traiman 2004, p. 38
  8. 1 2 D'Angelo, Joe (April 9, 2004). "Good Charlotte Pursue Pop-Punk Perfection On New Album". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Montgomery, James (September 11, 2004). "Good Charlotte: Lifestyles Of The Young And Sleepless". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on October 13, 2004. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  10. 1 2 D'Angelo, Joe (July 30, 2004). "Good Charlotte Get Serious With The Chronicles Of Life And Death". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  11. ↑ Roth, Kaj (October 3, 2004). "Good Charlotte - The Chronicles of Life and Death". Melodic. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  12. ↑ Kelley, Trevor (November 20, 2015). "Why the Good Charlotte reunion matters". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  13. ↑ Travers 2016, p. 28
  14. ↑ UG Team (May 10, 2004). "Good Charlotte Hit The Piano". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Archived from the original on October 11, 2004. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  15. 1 2 DuFour, Matt (February 9, 2004). "Warped Tour 2004 Is Here With Your Summertime Punk Rock Fix". The Fader. Andy Cohn. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  16. ↑ UG Team (March 23, 2004). "Good Charlotte, Finger Eleven To Headline 2004 Edgefest". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Vineyard, Jennifer (August 18, 2004). "Good Charlotte's Dark New Video Has A Bright Side". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  18. ↑ "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Predictable". Sony Music Australia. September 27, 2004. Archived from the original on October 25, 2004. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  20. ↑ UG Team (October 1, 2004). "Leaking Good Charlotte". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Archived from the original on December 2, 2005. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  21. ↑ MTV News Staff (June 11, 2004). "For The Record: Quick News On Good Charlotte, Papa Roach, Rush, Switchfoot, The Cure, Brian Wilson, Gavin Rossdale & More". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  22. ↑ Loftus, Johnny. "The Chronicles of Life and Death - Good Charlotte | Release Info". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  23. 1 2 D'Angelo, Joe (September 21, 2004). "Good Charlotte, Sum 41 To Embark On Co-Headlining Trek". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  24. 1 2 3 Montgomery, James (May 11, 2005). "Good Charlotte Drummer Leaves Band Over 'Health Problems'". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  25. ↑ Whitmire 2004, p. 29
  26. ↑ DuFour, Matt (September 23, 2004). "Lola Ray, Hazen Street To Tag Along On Good Charlotte/Sum 41 Tour". The Fader. Andy Cohn. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  27. ↑ "I Just Wanna Live". Sony Music Australia. January 17, 2005. Archived from the original on January 27, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  28. ↑ D'Angelo, Joe (November 19, 2004). "Good Charlotte Mock Their Rich And Famous Selves In 'I Just Wanna Live' Clip". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  29. ↑ Rashbaum, Alyssa (January 19, 2005). "Good Charlotte, Kelly Clarkson, Hoobastank Sign On For MTV Asia Aid Benefit". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Good Charlotte To Tour This October!". Sony Music Australia. July 5, 2007. Archived from the original on September 1, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  31. 1 2 3 Montgomery, James (February 28, 2005). "Good Charlotte, Simple Plan Launching Joint Tour In May". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  32. ↑ Diver, Mike (February 3, 2005). "The Explosion, um, EXPLODE, all over 2005..." Drowned in Sound. Silentway. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  33. ↑ Montgomery, James (March 28, 2005). "Good Charlotte/ Simple Plan Tour To Start Two Days Early". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  34. ↑ Montgomery, James (March 31, 2005). "Good Charlotte Take Off The Hamburger Suits, Decry Human Suffering In New Clip". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  35. ↑ Matera, Joe (March 3, 2007). "Good Charlotte: Starting Over With New Album". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  36. ↑ "The Chronicles of Life and Death". Sony Music Australia. June 3, 2005. Archived from the original on September 2, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  37. ↑ "We Believe - Good Charlotte | Release Info". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  38. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (September 23, 2005). "Good Charlotte, Bright Eyes To Play Bridge School Benefit". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  39. ↑ "The Chronicles of Life and Death". Sony Music Australia. November 13, 2005. Archived from the original on September 1, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  40. 1 2 3 4 "Critic Reviews for The Chronicles Of Life And Death". Metacritic. 2004. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  41. ↑ Loftus, Johnny. "The Chronicles of Life and Death - Good Charlotte | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  42. 1 2 Caulfield 2004, p. 46
  43. 1 2 "The Chronicles Of Life And Death". E! Online. E! Entertainment Television, Inc. Archived from the original on April 20, 2006. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  44. 1 2 Endelman, Michael (October 8, 2004). "The Chronicles of Life and Death Review | Music Reviews and News". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  45. ↑ JR (November 10, 2004). "The Chronicles Of Life And Death". IGN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  46. ↑ Clarke, Betty (October 15, 2004). "Good Charlotte, The Chronicles of Life and Death". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  47. 1 2 Sanneh, Kelefa (October 11, 2004). "New CD's". The New York Times. A.G. Sulzberger. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  48. ↑ Eliscu, Jenny (October 28, 2004). "The Chronicles Of Life And Death ("Life" Version) : Good Charlotte : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  49. ↑ Miccio, Anthony (October 18, 2004). "Good Charlotte - The Chronicles Of Life & Death - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on April 3, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  50. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (November 30, 2004). "Consumer Guide: Mine Enemy the Turkey". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  51. ↑ Graff 2007, p. 40
  52. ↑ Travers 2016, p. 29
  53. ↑ The Chronicles of Life and Death (Booklet). Good Charlotte. Epic/Daylight Records. 2004. EPC 517685 5.
  54. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Good Charlotte - The Chronicles Of Life And Death". Swisscharts.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  55. ↑ "CANOE - JAM! Music SoundScan Charts". Jam.canoe.ca. Canoe. December 23, 2004. Archived from the original on April 17, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  56. ↑ "Good Charlotte". Oricon (in Japanese). August 28, 2009. Archived from the original on March 22, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
  57. 1 2 "Chart Data: Good Charlotte". Mariah-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  58. ↑ "Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales". Billboard.com. Billboard. December 31, 2004. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  59. ↑ "Billboard 200 : Dec 31, 2005 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard.com. Dec 31, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  60. ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2004 Albums". Aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association Ltd. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  61. ↑ "IFPI Austria - Verband der Österreichischen Musikwirtschaft]" [The Association of Austrian Music Industry]. IFPI.at (in German). IFPI Austria. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  62. ↑ "IFPI Germany". IFPI.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-06-05.
  63. ↑ ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2004年9月 [September 2004 Gold etc. Certified Works List]. Riaj.or.jp (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. October 10, 2004. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  64. ↑ "Home". BPI. British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  65. ↑ RIAA USA Archived April 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.

Sources

  • Caulfield, Keith (October 23, 2004). "Essential Reviews". Billboard. Lynne Segall. 116 (43). ISSN 0006-2510.
  • Daugherty, Charles (September 28, 2002). "Good Charlotte Riding Media Wave". Billboard. Lynne Segall. 114 (39). ISSN 0006-2510.
  • Graff, Gary (February 10, 2007). "The Young and the Hopeful". Billboard. Lynne Segall. 119 (6). ISSN 0006-2510.
  • Traiman, Steve (March 6, 2004). "Toy Fair Showcases new Product By Kiss, Others". Billboard. Lynne Segall. 116 (10). ISSN 0006-2510.
  • Travers, Paul (February 27, 2016). McMahon, James, ed. "All Time High". Kerrang!. London: Bauer Media Group (1608). ISSN 0262-6624.
  • Whitmire, Margo (October 9, 2004). "Good Charlotte Takes On 'Life and Death'". Billboard. Lynne Segall. 116 (141). ISSN 0006-2510.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.