Cardiology (album)
Encyclopedia
Cardiology is the fifth studio album
by pop punk
band Good Charlotte
. After various updates and uncertainty, it was finally announced the album would be released on November 2, 2010 through Capitol Records
. Certain disruptions in the release involve the decision to re-record the entire album. As of September 2011, the album has sold over 52,000 copies.
On December 3, 2008, Kerrang!
magazine announced that Good Charlotte would be releasing their fifth studio album, Cardiology in 2009. The title of which, according to Benji Madden
, comes from the lyrical content of the album, which he explained: "all is connected to the heart". At the time, Madden also added that they had already written 20 songs for the album, and are said to be heading back to their pop-punk roots.
Describing the sound to MTV news, Joel Madden
said "There's nothing dance-y on the record, though, at all, which is different from our last one," further implying a movement away from the sound of Good Morning Revival
, though some of the songs still are remniscent of it.
Benji Madden also said on his twitter account on August 26 that they are shooting for a March/April release date. "We are shooting for March/April guys. sorry for the wait but we wanna do this one right. Don't worry, you will get some music before then". On September 22, 2009, Joel Madden made a tweet that he was tracking vocals for a song called "There She Goes", and on September 29, 2009, he mentioned he tracked vocals for the song "1979". On October 14, 2009 Benji Madden posted a blog on the official Good Charlotte website describing the albums sound as "a more mature version of our self titled album... really simple production, just all about the songs and the lyrics. There will definitely be some surprises though, wouldn't be a GC record if there weren't right?" He also continues in his blog with lyrics from one of the new songs on the album called "Standing Ovation" with the lines:
On January 19, 2010, Benji posted a note on the official Good Charlotte website giving an update to fans about the album. He mentioned that they had finished the album which was produced by Howard Benson
. However, the band didn't feel right about the sound of the album because Howard Benson focused on making it a commercial success. Good Charlotte decided to scrap the album, and got back with Don Gilmore, the producer of the bands' self-titled debut album
and previous album, Good Morning Revival
. Benji Madden stated in the note that the band "needed to be in the studio with someone who understood the heart of [the] band. And what that is, it's YOU GUYS".
On August 5, 2010 Benji posted some lyrics on his official twitter account for the song speculated to be "Let the Music Play".
asking him if he would like to do the artwork for the album. Diaz accepted Madden's offer and went to listen to rough mixes of the songs to better understand the concept of the album being songs from the heart.
" which was officially released on August 24, 2010. After the band posted the song online August 5, 2010, they wrote on their website that if the YouTube video of the song receives more than 100,000 views, they will post another song from the album. The video reached 100,000 views on August 15, 2010 and the band released "Counting the Days" as a video on their YouTube channel and announced that it will be the second single from the album. "Like It's Her Birthday" debuted on the ARIA Digital Track Chart
at #40 on August 30, 2010 and has peaked at #7 on the ARIA Charts
. The song "Sex On The Radio" is currently charting on the ARIA Charts
, peaking at number thirty, so far. In January 2011 Good Charlotte released "Last Night" as the new single for North America and Europe. It will be released on March 7, 2011 on U.S. radio.
During their June 2011 tour with Yellowcard and Runner Runner, Good Charlotte shot a video for "1979" in Tucson. The video/single was released in early August 2011. Silver Screen Romance was released to Australian radio on November 14, 2011 and was the 9th most added track to Australian radio in it's first week.
Evan Lucy of Alternative Press praised the album for its return-to-roots musical style and wrote, "Good Charlotte might be multi-platinum superstars, but "Cardiology" might be their best effort yet."
Amy Bangs, writing in Rock Sound
, is also positive: "Musically, they've ditched their early material's urban (ish) influences, while maintaining the fun parts of pop-punk. So we're left with the Good Charlotte that brought us the brilliantly catchy 'Seasons' or 'Festival Song', without the awkward rapping interludes. And for that we thank them."
One of the most negative reviews came from NME
's Matt Wilkinson, who accused the band of unoriginality in their song titles ('There She Goes' and '1979' are well-known songs by The La's
and Smashing Pumpkins, respectively), concluding that the album was "monstrously offensive" and "the latest shit-streak from music's laziest sons".
and Forever The Sickest Kids
throughout North America. The Relay Company replaced Forever The Sickest Kids
on the San Francisco date. In June 2011 Good Charlotte embarked on a US tour with Yellowcard and Runner Runner. In Australia Short Stack joined Good Charlotte to tour the states of Australia.
iTunes bonus tracks
Best Buy Exclusive bonus tracks:
Art
Instruments
Mixing
Producing
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
. After various updates and uncertainty, it was finally announced the album would be released on November 2, 2010 through Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Certain disruptions in the release involve the decision to re-record the entire album. As of September 2011, the album has sold over 52,000 copies.
On December 3, 2008, Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine announced that Good Charlotte would be releasing their fifth studio album, Cardiology in 2009. The title of which, according to Benji Madden
Benji Madden
Benji Madden is an American guitarist and backup vocalist for the band Good Charlotte, which he co-founded with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden.-Early life:...
, comes from the lyrical content of the album, which he explained: "all is connected to the heart". At the time, Madden also added that they had already written 20 songs for the album, and are said to be heading back to their pop-punk roots.
Describing the sound to MTV news, Joel Madden
Joel Madden
Joel Rueben Madden is an American singer, record producer, actor, DJ, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte.-Early life:...
said "There's nothing dance-y on the record, though, at all, which is different from our last one," further implying a movement away from the sound of Good Morning Revival
Good Morning Revival
Good Morning Revival is the fourth studio album by Good Charlotte and the follow-up to the 2004 release The Chronicles of Life and Death. It is the first album to feature Dean Butterworth on drums, who joined the band in March 2007 after former drummer Chris Wilson departed in 2005. Billy Martin...
, though some of the songs still are remniscent of it.
Recording
The band has been frequently giving fans updates about the album on their twitter accounts. In late July 2009, Joel Madden mentioned that the band was close to track listing the album. On August 9, 2009, Benji Madden mentioned that they have yet to record the songs, but they are written. On August 25, 2009, Benji Madden announced on the official Good Charlotte website that the band were in the final stages of tracking and recording the album. He also gave fans a single line from one of the new songs:
"She liked me better when I [was] different, No one knew me then, back in Maryland"
Benji Madden also said on his twitter account on August 26 that they are shooting for a March/April release date. "We are shooting for March/April guys. sorry for the wait but we wanna do this one right. Don't worry, you will get some music before then". On September 22, 2009, Joel Madden made a tweet that he was tracking vocals for a song called "There She Goes", and on September 29, 2009, he mentioned he tracked vocals for the song "1979". On October 14, 2009 Benji Madden posted a blog on the official Good Charlotte website describing the albums sound as "a more mature version of our self titled album... really simple production, just all about the songs and the lyrics. There will definitely be some surprises though, wouldn't be a GC record if there weren't right?" He also continues in his blog with lyrics from one of the new songs on the album called "Standing Ovation" with the lines:
"Can't you see the world is on their feet for You and Me, and its alright cause you've got me, even when I'm gone I'll never leave, so
go on and get your dreams..."
On January 19, 2010, Benji posted a note on the official Good Charlotte website giving an update to fans about the album. He mentioned that they had finished the album which was produced by Howard Benson
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is a two-time Grammy-nominated music producer and aerospace engineer.-Biography:Howard Benson has a degree in materials engineering from Drexel University and studied composition at the Philadelphia College for Performing Arts. Later he worked for Garrett AiResearch, where he worked...
. However, the band didn't feel right about the sound of the album because Howard Benson focused on making it a commercial success. Good Charlotte decided to scrap the album, and got back with Don Gilmore, the producer of the bands' self-titled debut album
Good Charlotte (album)
Good Charlotte is the name of the self-titled first album by Good Charlotte released in 2000. It contains the song "Little Things". The album was positively received.-2000 track listing:...
and previous album, Good Morning Revival
Good Morning Revival
Good Morning Revival is the fourth studio album by Good Charlotte and the follow-up to the 2004 release The Chronicles of Life and Death. It is the first album to feature Dean Butterworth on drums, who joined the band in March 2007 after former drummer Chris Wilson departed in 2005. Billy Martin...
. Benji Madden stated in the note that the band "needed to be in the studio with someone who understood the heart of [the] band. And what that is, it's YOU GUYS".
On August 5, 2010 Benji posted some lyrics on his official twitter account for the song speculated to be "Let the Music Play".
"There's a song that you can find in every moment of your life, in every tear you've ever cried, in every painful last goodbye. Let the music play."
Artwork
Benji Madden contacted Daniel Martin DiazDaniel Martin Diaz
Daniel Martin Diaz is a Mexican American artist whose work has gained him international renown. His style is a combination of Northern European Art, Spanish Colonial Art, Surrealism, and Post-Modernism....
asking him if he would like to do the artwork for the album. Diaz accepted Madden's offer and went to listen to rough mixes of the songs to better understand the concept of the album being songs from the heart.
Singles
The first single off the album is "Like It's Her BirthdayLike It's Her Birthday
"Like It's Her Birthday" is a song by the American pop punk band Good Charlotte, taken from their fifth studio album, Cardiology. It was released as the album's first single on August 24, 2010...
" which was officially released on August 24, 2010. After the band posted the song online August 5, 2010, they wrote on their website that if the YouTube video of the song receives more than 100,000 views, they will post another song from the album. The video reached 100,000 views on August 15, 2010 and the band released "Counting the Days" as a video on their YouTube channel and announced that it will be the second single from the album. "Like It's Her Birthday" debuted on the ARIA Digital Track Chart
ARIA Digital Track Chart
The ARIA Digital Track chart ranks the highest selling legally downloaded music tracks within Australia and is provided by the Australian Recording Industry Association.-History:...
at #40 on August 30, 2010 and has peaked at #7 on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. The song "Sex On The Radio" is currently charting on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, peaking at number thirty, so far. In January 2011 Good Charlotte released "Last Night" as the new single for North America and Europe. It will be released on March 7, 2011 on U.S. radio.
During their June 2011 tour with Yellowcard and Runner Runner, Good Charlotte shot a video for "1979" in Tucson. The video/single was released in early August 2011. Silver Screen Romance was released to Australian radio on November 14, 2011 and was the 9th most added track to Australian radio in it's first week.
Reception
Cardiology received mixed reviews. In an advanced review, Nicholas Coren of Virgin Music gave the album 8 stars of 10, concluding: "The quintet restore the sound that their fans grew to love when they started, resulting with a fusion of tracks that sound like they're from the era of both their 2000 self-titled album and 2002's 'The Young and The Hopeless'. Good Charlotte still hold on to that good quality harmony sound that the Madden brothers create so well, as it continues to blend into the guitar driven chorus[es] that appear through the album. It is predominantly clear that the musical chemistry of the band has only grown stronger over the past few years of criticism."Evan Lucy of Alternative Press praised the album for its return-to-roots musical style and wrote, "Good Charlotte might be multi-platinum superstars, but "Cardiology" might be their best effort yet."
Amy Bangs, writing in Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
, is also positive: "Musically, they've ditched their early material's urban (ish) influences, while maintaining the fun parts of pop-punk. So we're left with the Good Charlotte that brought us the brilliantly catchy 'Seasons' or 'Festival Song', without the awkward rapping interludes. And for that we thank them."
One of the most negative reviews came from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
's Matt Wilkinson, who accused the band of unoriginality in their song titles ('There She Goes' and '1979' are well-known songs by The La's
The La's
The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group is most famous for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1984 and Mavers joined soon after...
and Smashing Pumpkins, respectively), concluding that the album was "monstrously offensive" and "the latest shit-streak from music's laziest sons".
Cardiology Tour
On March 3, 2011, Good Charlotte went on tour with This CenturyThis Century
This Century is an American alternative rock band from Phoenix, Arizona. It was formed in 2005 and consists of members: Joel Kanitz, Ryan Gose, Sean Silverman, and Alex Silverman...
and Forever The Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids is an American pop punk band from Dallas, Texas, who have yet to be signed to a new label after the closure of Universal Motown Records. In issue 228 of Alternative Press, the group was named the number one underground band in the "22 Best Underground Bands". Their first...
throughout North America. The Relay Company replaced Forever The Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids is an American pop punk band from Dallas, Texas, who have yet to be signed to a new label after the closure of Universal Motown Records. In issue 228 of Alternative Press, the group was named the number one underground band in the "22 Best Underground Bands". Their first...
on the San Francisco date. In June 2011 Good Charlotte embarked on a US tour with Yellowcard and Runner Runner. In Australia Short Stack joined Good Charlotte to tour the states of Australia.
Track listing
Japanese edition bonus tracksiTunes bonus tracks
Best Buy Exclusive bonus tracks:
Release history
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
October 27, 2010 | EMI Music Japan |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
October 29, 2010 | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
November 2, 2010 | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
|
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
November 30, 2010 | EMI |
Charts
On the week of its release, the album debuted at #3 on the Australian albums chart, #22 on the Japanese albums chart, #18 on the New Zealand albums chart and #63 on the UK albums chart. It also debuted on the Billboard 200 at #31 as well as on four other Billboard charts including the Alternative Albums chart at #6, the Rock Albums chart at #7, the Digital Albums chart at #13, and the European Albums chart at #65. However, the album suffered a major fall in its second week on the Billboard 200, dropping from #31 to #125. It stayed on the chart for a short two weeks before it fell off.| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
3 |
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
29 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
44 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
67 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
46 |
| Japanese Albums Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
18 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
24 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
63 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
31 |
| US Billboard Alternative Albums | 6 |
| US Billboard Rock Albums | 7 |
A&R
- Alex Shenitsky
- Rob StevensonRob StevensonRob Stevenson is an American music executive and currently the Executive Vice President of A&R at Universal Republic Records, reporting to both President/CEO Monty Lipman and Co-President/COO Avery Lipman....
- Liz Isik — A&R admin.
ArtAlbum coverAn album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
/photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- SMOG Design, Inc., L.A. — art direction and design
- Myriam Santos — photography
- Daniel Martin DiazDaniel Martin DiazDaniel Martin Diaz is a Mexican American artist whose work has gained him international renown. His style is a combination of Northern European Art, Spanish Colonial Art, Surrealism, and Post-Modernism....
— illustration - Angelica Cob-Baehler — creative direction
- Gordon H. Jee — creative direction
InstrumentsMusical instrumentA musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
- Benji MaddenBenji MaddenBenji Madden is an American guitarist and backup vocalist for the band Good Charlotte, which he co-founded with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden.-Early life:...
— guitar - Billy MartinBilly Martin (guitarist)William Dean "Billy" Martin is an American musician best known as the guitarist and keyboardist of the pop punk band Good Charlotte.-Life and career:...
— guitar, keyboard - Dean ButterworthDean ButterworthDean "Deano" Butterworth is a professional drummer. He played for popular singer Morrissey and was announced as the official drummer for the band Good Charlotte in March 2005 after they parted with their previous drummer, Chris Wilson in 2005...
— drums - Paul ThomasPaul Thomas (bassist)Paul Anthony Thomas is an American musician best known as the bass guitar player for the pop punk band Good Charlotte.-Life and career:...
— bass - Bart Hendrickson — keyboard/programming
- BC Smith — keyboard/programming
MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
/engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Don Gilmore
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
— track 6, 10 and additional mixing on track 5 - Mark Kiczula — recording/engineering
- John Hanes — mix engineer on track 5, 6, and 10
- Tim Roberts — mix assistant on track 5, 6, and 10
ProducingRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
/editingDigital audio editorA digital audio editor is a computer application for audio editing, i.e. manipulating digital audio. Digital audio editors are the main software component of a digital audio workstation.-For use with music:...
/masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
/managementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
- Don Gilmore — producer
- Josh Bowman — assistant
- Mike Cashin — assistant
- Ted Jensen — mastering
- Ron Laffite — management
- Lexi Ben-Meir — management
- Meg Harkins — product management