Good Charlotte Chronicles of Life and Death - Death Version CD

Incl.1 Excl.Bonus Track "Meet My Maker".

Good Charlotte: Benji Madden (vocals, guitars); Joel Madden (vocals); Billy Martin (guitars, keyboards); Paul Thomas (bass guitar); Chris Wilson (drums).
Personnel: Michele Ito, Chikako Horii (vocals); Matt Radosevich (piano, programming).
Additional personnel: Matt Radosevich.
Audio Mixers: Eric Valentine ; Jacquire King .
Recording information: Barefoot Studios Hollywood, CA.
Editor: Matt Radosevich.
Illustrator: Billy Martin.
Translators: Michele Ito; Chikako Horii.
Good Charlotte's popularity exploded in 2002, when the brash singles "Anthem" and "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous" catapulted them to the top of the punk-pop heap. Once there they couldn't be stopped, at least in part because they endorsed their pop side as much as their punk-derived image. When naysayers tried pointing out the music's lack of substance, Charlotte's irascible core -- tattooed brothers Benji and Joel Madden -- challenged them with the issue of "Boys and Girls," a vacuous yet irresistibly fizzy new wave-styled goof. The Chronicles of Life and Death, Good Charlotte's first post-fame album, uses that status as a loosely binding concept. The Maddens are unquestionably happy with their celebrity. But they've also realized that money won't always buy happiness, or heal their old scars. After an indulgent string section intro, the title track begins to the beep of a heart-rate monitor. "Money talks/In this world," Joel Madden sings the song's modified power pop strut. "That's what idiots will say/But you'll find out/That this world/Is just an idiot's parade." It's the jaded realization on the other side of "Lifestyles"' stardom-baiting. Whereas their previous effort was, with a few notable exceptions, boisterous punk-pop, Chronicles includes an echoing relationship-woe piano ballad ("The Truth"), the subdued "Ghost of You"'s synthesizers and vocal harmonies, and quirky keyboards and acoustic guitars in the lyrically bitter "The World Is Black" ("I can't live when this world keeps dying..."). Joel Madden has also matured since The Young and the Hopeless -- his newly developed husky tenor suits him well on the more introspective material, but can still belt out the rousing punk-pop choruses of "Walk Away (Maybe)," "Predictable," and "Secrets." The album's best track might be its greatest departure. "I Just Wanna Live" is a punchy blend of power chords, string samples, and disco beats that features Madden rapping in a Nelly-inspired flow. For all their well-crafted ambition on Chronicles, "I Just Wanna Live" feels like Good Charlotte's centerpiece, since it's spiked with rock power, but gets its soul from the pop life they lead. [The Chronicles of Life and Death was issued in "Life" and "Death" versions, each with a unique bonus track.] ~ Johnny Loftus
When it comes to a genre as stylistically specific as pop-punk, bands generally aren't expected to progress much beyond the standard mix of raging guitars, speedy drumming, and high-pitched melodic vocals singing paeans to teen rebellion. With 2004's THE CHRONICLES OF LIFE AND DEATH, however, Good Charlotte confounds expectations by delivering a sprawling concept album that borrows from a variety of distinctly non-punk music. Opening with a spooky, orchestral piece that sounds like a mix of John Williams and Arvo Part, the disc races from Cheap Trick-esque power pop (the title track) to shoegazer-y angst-rock ("In This World [Murder]") to Rufus Wainright-like sensitive piano ballads ("The Truth"). On "I Just Wanna Live," the group even tries its hand at rap, rhyming over a groove that's half Snoop Dogg/half Happy Mondays. For all its seeming incongruity, however, the record never sounds messy, but rather emerges as the work of a band eager to expand the boundaries of both its chosen style and its own musicality. (Note: There are two versions of the album, each containing a different bonus track.)
Good Charlotte's popularity explodEntertainment Weekly (pp.112-13) - "[I]t's clear that the eyelinered band has taken a giant leap forward - in instrumental prowess, and in emotional and melodic scope." - Grade: B+
3 out of 5 - "Good Charlotte have obviously put a lot of effort and imagination into CHRONICLES..."