''The Chronicles of Life and Death'' is the third studio album by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of twin brothers Joel Madden (lead vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar and vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (g ...
. Following the release of ''
The Young and the Hopeless
''The Young and the Hopeless'' is the second studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte, released on October 1, 2002 by Epic and Daylight Records. Following the release of their self-titled debut album (2000), the band met producer Eric ...
'' (2002), the group spent two years touring. By the second half of 2003, they had begun writing for the next album. With producer
Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, Tak ...
, the band recorded at Barefoot Studios in Hollywood, California, between March and June 2004. Over half of the album's material was written by
Benji
Benji is a fictional character created by Joe Camp. He has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the ''Benji'' franchise.
Benji is a small, lovable mixed-breed dog with an un ...
and
Joel Madden
Joel Rueben Madden (né Combs; March 11, 1979) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte. He is also part of the pop rock collaboration the Madden Brothers with his identical twin brother Benji ...
, with the remainder being co-written with Valentine,
Goldfinger frontman
John Feldmann
John Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger.
Early life
Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing song ...
or guitarist
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...
. Preceded by the single release of "
Predictable", ''The Chronicles of Life and Death'' was released through
Epic and
Daylight Records
Daylight Records was an American record label and subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, operated through Epic Records.
History
Daylight was formed by David Massey in late 1998 as an Epic Records Group label, and has subsequently signed an ...
on October 5, 2004. Two variations were made available: "Life" and "Death" versions which came with different cover artwork (designed by Martin) and a different bonus track.
Drummer Chris Wilson was in therapy and sat out the initial promotional appearances around the album's release;
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
drummer
Derek Grant filled in for him temporarily during the group's co-headlining US tour with
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. Originally called Kaspir, the band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dave Baksh (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason "Cone" McCas ...
. In early 2005, "
I Just Wanna Live
"I Just Wanna Live" is the second single from American rock band Good Charlotte's third studio album, ''The Chronicles of Life and Death'', Officially released on January 17, 2005, "I Just Wanna Live" was one of the songs that Sony paid radio sta ...
" was released as a single and tours of Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Europe followed. The band co-headlined the Noise to the World Tour with
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guita ...
in May and June, which coincided with the single release of the album's title-track. Wilson left the group a few shows into the trek, and was replaced by Dean Butterworth. "We Believe" was released as a single in August, which coincided with a series of European festival appearances.
''The Chronicles of Life and Death'' received a generally mixed reception from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
with some finding the lyrics lacking depth and others praising the instrumentation and darker tone. Nevertheless, the record sold 199,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number three on the
''Billboard'' 200, the band's highest debut on the chart. It was eventually certified platinum, and as of February 2007, sales stood at 1.1 million copies. The album was also successful outside of the US. It charted at number one in Australia, reached the top 10 in Canada, Japan and the UK, as well as the top 20 in Austria, New Zealand, Sweden, Italy and Switzerland. Within these territories, the album was certified platinum in Australia, and gold in Austria, Germany and the UK. "Predictable" and "I Just Wanna Live" appeared on US radio charts and reached the top 40 in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Background and production
Good Charlotte released their second album, ''
The Young and the Hopeless
''The Young and the Hopeless'' is the second studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte, released on October 1, 2002 by Epic and Daylight Records. Following the release of their self-titled debut album (2000), the band met producer Eric ...
'', in October 2002. Three of the album's singles—"
Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous", "
Girls & Boys", and "
The Anthem"—shifted the group from
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
to
mainstream top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
radio. As a result, ''The Young and the Hopeless'' debuted in the top 10 on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart, having sold 117,000 copies in its first week of release. It eventually sold over three million copies in the US.
[ Following its release, the band spent the next two years touring,] which included two US arena tours. In August 2003, the group began assembling songs for their next album. They planned to write while on tour between September and November,[ and were expected to start recording after it ended.
In January 2004, the group embarked on a tour of Japan. Their label Epic/]Daylight Records
Daylight Records was an American record label and subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, operated through Epic Records.
History
Daylight was formed by David Massey in late 1998 as an Epic Records Group label, and has subsequently signed an ...
told the band they would be going into the studio to record shortly after the tour ended. On hearing this, vocalist Joel Madden
Joel Rueben Madden (né Combs; March 11, 1979) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte. He is also part of the pop rock collaboration the Madden Brothers with his identical twin brother Benji ...
was unsure what to write about saying, "We were just in this whirlwind bubble." He flew back to the US and travelled from his home in San Francisco to Los Angeles.[ Recording for their next album took place at Barefoot Studios in Hollywood, California. ]Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, Tak ...
was the producer and engineer assisted by Trevor Whatever and Chris Roach.[
The group entered the studio with 16–18 songs.] Recording sessions began in March and ended in June.[ ]Matt Radosevich
Matthew Radosevich, also known as Matt Rad, is an American record producer, songwriter, and musician. He has worked with artists such as One Direction, Niall Horan, Martin Garrix, Demi Lovato, Little Mix, Guy Sebastian, Lupe Fiasco, Walk th ...
handled the editing, programming, additional engineering and played piano on "The Truth". The strings conduction and arrangements were done by David Campbell, along with Valentine on the latter composition. Michele Ito and Chikako Horii sang on "Once Upon a Time: The Battle of Life and Death". John Feldmann
John Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger.
Early life
Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing song ...
tracked additional guitars for "I Just Wanna Live
"I Just Wanna Live" is the second single from American rock band Good Charlotte's third studio album, ''The Chronicles of Life and Death'', Officially released on January 17, 2005, "I Just Wanna Live" was one of the songs that Sony paid radio sta ...
". Valentine mixed and mastered the recordings, except for "Meet My Maker", which was mixed by Jacquire King
Jacquire King (born January 11, 1967) is an American record producer, recording engineer and mixer. King has worked with such notable artists as Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, James Bay, Kaleo, Modest Mouse, Shania Twain, Buddy Guy, Norah Jones, ...
with assistance from Andy Hunt.[
]
Composition
The group faced "a lot of criticism from all sides" and felt out of place in the current pop scene and the pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
genre they had come from. The band's members internalised this while they made the album; Joel Madden said they were "ready to move on and make a statement", wanting to do "something grand."[ Their label wanted a more marketable release, however, the band rebelled by going in a dark and moody direction with some sarcastic moments on "I Just Wanna Live". With a lot of pressure to come up with another hit single, the band opted to go as dark as they could. The resulting album was "a cohesive record" that dealt with the members' thoughts about their "own mortality in the emotional, physical and musical sense."][ A conscious effort was made to focus on mortality, as well as life and death;][ hope serves as recurring theme throughout the album.][ Musically, the album has been classified as pop punk,] with elements of British punk rock,[ ]emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
, arena rock
Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
,[Whitmire 2004, p. 13] goth rock
Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
, hip-hop, new wave and rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
.
Michael Odell of ''Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
'' described ''The Chronicles of Life and Death'' as a concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
that "span the outer reaches of ood Charlotte'stopsy-turvy philosophical world". Half of the album was written by Benji
Benji is a fictional character created by Joe Camp. He has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the ''Benji'' franchise.
Benji is a small, lovable mixed-breed dog with an un ...
and Joel Madden, while they co-wrote the remaining tracks with Valentine, Feldmann or guitarist Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...
.[ Piano and string instruments appear throughout the album.] The opening track "Once Upon a Time: The Battle of Life and Death" is an instrumental featuring strings and a Japanese choir.[ The track, along with the ending of "In This World (Murder)", represents the cycle of life and death. The title track opens with the beeping sound of a heart-rate monitor before Joel Madden's vocal begins over a ]power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...
groove[ in the style of ]the Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...
.[ "Walk Away (Maybe)" fuses ]hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
-edged verses with indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
-esque strumming patterns.[ The ]rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
track "S.O.S."[ is a suicide note portraying drama.][
The ]dance-rock
Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and disco ...
track "I Just Wanna Live",[Gross 2004, p. 111] the album's biggest musical departure from the band's usual style, combines power chord
A power chord (also fifth chord) is a colloquial name for a chord in guitar music, especially electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly played on am ...
s, string samples and disco beats, with Madden rapping
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
over it in the vein of Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
.[ The lyrics talk about celebrity life, refencing "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" in the process. The new wave "Ghost of You"][ features synthesizers and strings,][ and is reminiscent of New Order.][ " Predictable" starts off with strings before shifting into a spoken-word rant by Madden.] "Secrets" comes across as sounding like a Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...
and Jerry Finn
Jermone Gregory Finn (March 31, 1969 – August 21, 2008), sometimes credited as "Huckle" Jerry Finn, was an American record producer and mix engineer. He worked with numerous punk rock and pop-punk artists such as Blink-182, AFI, Sum 41, Alkal ...
collaboration.[ The piano ballad "The Truth" is followed by the keyboard and acoustic-driven "The World Is Black",][ which was compared to ]the Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...
's sound.[ Madden said "We Believe" sounded like a track that could be sung by ]Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
or Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
. He wrote it while watching CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
and was singing about things what were happening in the world. Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...
"Wounded" is an acoustic track.[
]
Release
On August 9 and 10, 2004, the group filmed a video for "Predictable" in Toronto, Canada. Martin said it shows two sides of the group: "There's a dark, twisted room where we're playing in, where it's thunderstorming... nd thenJoel addengoes outside and the sky is perfectly clear and it's like a nice neighborhood". "Predictable" was released to radio on August 24. A behind-the-scenes making-of the song video premiered in early September.[ "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
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
as B-sides.
''The Chronicles of Life and Death'' was made available for streaming on October 1 through MTV's The Leak. Initially planned for release in September, the album was released on October 5 through Epic and Daylight Records 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 ]Target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
Life edition included a live session version of "The Anthem" as a bonus track. Some independent stores were annoyed at this gimmick and pulled stock for all Epic releases for the two weeks. The Japanese edition featured both "Falling Away" and "Meet My Maker" and a Japanese version of "Predictable" as bonus tracks. The art for the Life version resembles a new book, while the art for the Death version resembles a 100-year-old book. The album booklet is designed in the style of a storybook with the song lyrics telling a story accompanied by illustrations.[
A music video for "I Just Wanna Live" premiered on '']Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' on November 16, 2004. Directed by Brett Simon
Brett Simon (born November 28, 1973 in Palo Alto, California) is an American commercial, music video and film director.
Career
Simon graduated from Princeton University ''summa cum laude'' in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative L ...
, it features the group performing in a dive bar before the band members return to their day jobs. Eventually, someone from the music industry signs the band, known as the Food Group, who are dressed as different food items. They become the center of attention due a sex tape controversy and a lip-synching disaster. A behind-the-scenes video was released on December 18. "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.
In early April 2005, a music video was filmed for "We Believe" with director Sam Erickson at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The video features the group in an abandoned theatre performing in front of a movie screen showing images of war and people suffering. "The Chronicles of Life and Death" was released as a CD single in Australia on June 3[ and in the UK on June 7 with live versions of "The Chronicles of Life and Death" and "Mountain", and a remix of "I Just Wanna Live" as B-sides.] "We Believe" was released as a single on August 15. On November 13, the album was released on the DualDisc
The DualDisc is a type of double-sided optical disc product developed by a group of record companies including MJJ Productions Inc., EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and 5.1 Entertainment Group an ...
format. It included a making-of documentary and live performances. In September 2010, the album was reissued as a two-CD package with ''Good Morning Revival
''Good Morning Revival'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte. The band began working on new material in early 2005, however, drummer Chris Wilson soon left the band and was replaced by Dean Butterworth. The group took a ...
''.
Touring
In June 2004, the group was due to perform a few shows on the Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
, but these appearances were cancelled and rescheduled in August.[ During this time, the band headlined ]Edgefest
Edgefest was an annual outdoor rock festival in Canada. It was founded by staff members of Toronto radio station CFNY-FM. From 1987 to 2015, the festival was held every year in the summer (except for 2007). The festival was most frequently held ...
. Several TV appearances across Europe followed in late September and early October, leading to a performance at AOL Music Live in New York in the same year.[ During this show, they debuted material from their forthcoming album with ]Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
drummer Derek Grant temporarily substituting for the band's Chris Wilson who was undergoing therapy. Grant played with the group for a few more promotional events[ including an appearance on '']Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' and in-store performances. In October and November, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. Originally called Kaspir, the band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dave Baksh (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason "Cone" McCas ...
. They were supported by Lola Ray
Lola Ray is an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York. It was formed when singer/guitarist John Balicanta re-assembled his high school band from Anaheim, California in order to record a demo for Peter Robinson of RCA Records.
First band
Balican ...
and Hazen Street
Hazen Street (also typeset Hazen St.) is an American supergroup that formed in early 2004. The band features Freddy Cricien and Hoya Roc (Madball); Toby Morse ( H2O), David Kennedy (Box Car Racer, Over My Dead Body, later Angels & Airwaves), ...
.
In February 2005, the band toured Japan, New Zealand and Australia. Later that month, they performed on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ...
'' and at MTV's TRL Awards
The ''MTV Awards'' (known as ''TRL Awards'' from 2006 to 2012) were established in 2006 by MTV Italy, awarded to the most popular artists and music videos in Italy. Originally an annual event for the most requested videos and artists on ''Total R ...
, and appeared at MTV Asia's tsunami relief event. The group embarked on European and the UK tour[ in March with support from ]the Explosion
The Explosion is an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. On February 13, 2007, the band announced that they had left Virgin Records, and on April 30, 2007, that they were to split up. On September 4, 2007, the band played their ...
and Millencolin
Millencolin is a Swedish punk rock band that was formed on 12 October 1992 by Nikola Šarčević, Mathias Färm, and Erik Ohlsson in Örebro, Sweden. In early 1993, drummer Fredrik Larzon joined the band. The name Millencolin is derived from t ...
. In May and June, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guita ...
,[ dubbed the Noise to the World tour.][ They were supported by Reliant K.] A few dates into the tour, Wilson left the group citing health concerns. He was replaced by Dean Butterworth, who had been introduced to the group by fellow musician John Feldmann
John Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger.
Early life
Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing song ...
. In between dates on this tour, the band headlined a number of shows before going on a tour of Asia in July. The Canadian leg of the Noise to the World tour followed later in July followed by a series of European festivals in August.[ In October, the band appeared at the ]Bridge School Benefit
The Bridge School Benefit was an annual charity concert usually held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre from 1986 until 2016 with the exception of 1987. The concerts lasted the entire weekend and were organ ...
and played a few shows in South America in November and December.[
]
Reception
Critical response
''The Chronicles of Life and Death'' has received generally mixed reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
. AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
reviewer Johnny Loftus said Madden's "newly developed husky tenor" aids him on the collection's "more introspective" tracks, while he manages to "still belt out the rousing punk-pop choruses" on a few tracks.[ '']Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' writer Keith Caulfield felt the group "takes its proven peppy rock sound to new heights."[Caulfield 2004, p. 46] Michael Endelman of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' called the record a "giant leap forward" in terms of "instrumental prowess, and in emotional and melodic scope."[ ]E! Online
E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniversa ...
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
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
."[ '']Stylus Magazine
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
'' contributor Anthony Miccio called the lyricism "near-perfect" with "blessedly literal expressions of emotion and identity" conveyed by the "unabashed and outrageously catchy songcraft."[
'']Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' writer Joe Gross said the group stretched the feeling of "Hold On" (from ''The Young and the Hopeless'') and applied it across the entirety of ''Chronicles'', "reducing the band's wide-eyed sadness to overpolished moping."[ Elizabeth Bromstein of '']Now
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Now ...
'' viewed the lyrics as "average" and Madden's voice as "still sound ngwhiny".[ Jason Heller for '']Riverfront Times
The ''Riverfront Times'' (''RFT'') is a free progressive weekly newspaper in St. Louis, in the U.S. state of Missouri, that consists of local politics, music, arts, and dining news in the print edition, and daily updates to blogs and photo galler ...
'' said the band "dressing up its stale pop-punk with strings and reverb is like pouring Magic Shell over a dog turd."[ ]IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's JR bluntly called listening to the album "the most painful thing in the world."[ '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' gave the album a negative review, saying it was "full of ham-fisted ideas." Betty Clarke of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' wrote that the band "delve deeper into their tortured psyche while striving to be taken seriously" as pop punk "rhythms crash into string sections, empathy clashes with loathing."[ '']NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' also gave a negative review, saying: "Half the time, Good Charlotte sound like Blink-182
Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their ...
after the snip, the other half they sound like the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida.
The gr ...
without the songs." '' Q'' found it "nothing if not ambitious", while lacking "the depth, or the authority, to pull it off." On the other hand, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' writer Jenny Eliscu
Jenny Eliscu is a radio host for Sirius XM and a contributing editor for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. She also had a recurring presence on the TV program ''I'm from Rolling Stone'' and has been on other music programs, including ''Behind the Music' ...
said the group's "usual problem" was their "asinine lyrics."[ '']The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' said that " yond some rich-and-famous irony, not a single suburban detail soils an hour of good intentions. And you know the music overreaches too."
Commercial performance and legacy
''The Chronicles of Life and Death'' debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 after selling 199,000 copies in its first week of release. As of February 2007, it had sold 1.1 million copies in the US and has been certified platinum.[ The album reached number 171 and 117 on the ''Billboard'' 200 year-end charts in 2004 and 2005, respectively.][ Outside of the US, the album charted at: number one in Australia,][ number two in Canada,][ number six in Japan,][ number eight in the UK,][ number 11 in Austria][ and New Zealand,][ number 13 in Sweden,][ number 20 in Italy][ and Switzerland.][ It was certified gold in Austria,][ Germany][ and the UK,][ and platinum in Australia.][
"Predictable" charted in the US at number six on the ]Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
, number 20 on the Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
, and number 28 on the Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
. Outside of the US, it charted at number 12 in the UK,[ number 15 in Australia,] number 27 in New Zealand, and number 39 in the Netherlands. "I Just Wanna Live" charted in the US at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 18 on the Mainstream Top 40.[ Outside of the US, it charted at: number six in New Zealand,][ number nine in the UK,][ number 12 in Australia,][ number 15 in Austria,] number 21 in Switzerland, and number 23 in the Netherlands.[ It was certified gold in the US and Australia.] "The Chronicles of Life and Death" charted at: number 27 in Sweden, number 30 in the UK,[ number 31 in Australia,][ number 47 in Switzerland,][ and number 50 in Austria.][ "We Believe" charted at number 39 in Austria, and number 99 in the Netherlands.][
"I Just Wanna Live" was one of the songs that ]Sony BMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
, Epic's parent company, paid radio stations to play in the 2005 payola scandal. Two tracks were remixed for inclusion on the band's ''Greatest Remixes'' (2008) compilation: "I Just Wanna Live" (by Teddy Riley
Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer credited with the creation of the New Jack Swing genre. Riley credits Barry Michael Cooper with giving the genre its name.Hogan, Paul. " Tedd ...
) and "Predictable" (by Stress the Whiteboy featuring Rahzii Hi-Power). "Predictable", "I Just Wanna Live", "The Chronicles of Life and Death" and "We Believe" were included on the band's ''Greatest Hits'' (2010) compilation. 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."[Travers 2016, p. 29] The following year, Joel Madden added: "'Chronicles' was us putting something above the success and it cemented us as the band who will always go left when you want us to go right."[
]
Track listing
All songs written by Benji
Benji is a fictional character created by Joe Camp. He has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the ''Benji'' franchise.
Benji is a small, lovable mixed-breed dog with an un ...
and Joel Madden
Joel Rueben Madden (né Combs; March 11, 1979) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte. He is also part of the pop rock collaboration the Madden Brothers with his identical twin brother Benji ...
, except where noted.
Personnel
Personnel per booklet.
Good Charlotte
* Benji Madden
Benjamin Levi Madden ( né Combs; born March 11, 1979) is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band Good Charlottefor which he has received various awardsas well as pop rock collaboration the Madden Brother ...
guitars, vocals
* Joel Madden
Joel Rueben Madden (né Combs; March 11, 1979) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte. He is also part of the pop rock collaboration the Madden Brothers with his identical twin brother Benji ...
vocals
* Paul Thomasbass
* Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...
guitars, keyboards
* Chris Wilsondrums
Additional musicians
* David Campbellstring conducting, string arrangement
* Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, Tak ...
string arrangement
* Matt Radosevich
Matthew Radosevich, also known as Matt Rad, is an American record producer, songwriter, and musician. He has worked with artists such as One Direction, Niall Horan, Martin Garrix, Demi Lovato, Little Mix, Guy Sebastian, Lupe Fiasco, Walk th ...
piano (track 9)
* Michele Itovocals, translation (track 1)
* Chikako Horiivocals, translation (track 1)
* John Feldmann
John Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger.
Early life
Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing song ...
additional guitars (track 2)
Production
* Eric Valentineproducer, engineer, mixing, mastering
* Jacquire King
Jacquire King (born January 11, 1967) is an American record producer, recording engineer and mixer. King has worked with such notable artists as Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, James Bay, Kaleo, Modest Mouse, Shania Twain, Buddy Guy, Norah Jones, ...
mixing ("Meet My Maker")
* Andy Huntmixing assistant
* Matt Radosevichediting, programming, additional engineering
* Trevor Whateverstudio assistant
* Chris Roachstudio assistant
* Stephen Jarvisequipment guru
* Billy Martindrawings, concept
* Domestic Dancoloration, design
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
''The Chronicles of Life and Death''
("Death" version) at YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
(streamed copy where licensed)
Review
at ''The Spokesman-Review
''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chronicles of Life and Death
2004 albums
Good Charlotte albums
Epic Records albums
Daylight Records albums
Albums produced by Eric Valentine