Reason to Believe (Pennywise album)
Encyclopedia
Reason to Believe is the ninth studio album
by the American
punk rock
band Pennywise
, which was released on March 25, 2008 as a worldwide free digital download on MySpace
. MySpace Records
released the album within the United States
as a standard CD and a limited-edition vinyl version with two bonus tracks not available in any other format. The album was available in Europe on March 24 through Epitaph Records
. Originally to be released in 2007 based on the two year gaps between the last eight studio albums, a tentative title for the album was Free for the People, but the title was scrapped.
Some copies of this album have the Parental Advisory
label on the cover. This is the first time a Pennywise album would have a Parental Advisory
label on some album covers, even though many of their previous albums contain profanity.
Reason to Believe peaked at #98 in the United States
on the The Billboard 200
, and #46 in Australia
on the ARIA Albums Chart
, the band's second lowest position on that chart since the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful 1995 album About Time
.
Reason to Believe was the last Pennywise album to feature Jim Lindberg
on vocals, after his departure from the band in August 2009.
tour. In May 2006, it was also reported that the album was intended to contain songs that were not on the previous album. It was later revealed that one such song was "Brag, Exaggerate & Lie".
In an October 2006 interview, guitarist Fletcher Dragge
stated that "everyone's been already working on songs" and Pennywise would get "together in the next coming months and put all the songs together". In that interview, he also predicted that the album would be out "before next summer or in next summer".
In September 2007, it was reported that Dragge also stated in interview at the Warped Tour
that the band had approximately 60 new songs and would spend the Fall "arguing" over which thirteen to include on the album.
In October 2007, it was reported that Pennywise were back in the studio, where Dragge said they were "working on some new shit". It was also reported that Randy Bradbury
wrote most of the songs and the album was intended to be more of an "old school" Pennywise album.
, and Textango, a mobile music distributor. In addition to that, the album would be for sale in stores through Epitaph, including a bonus DVD and two extra tracks.
On March 20, 2008, the band made the entire album (excluding the bonus tracks) available to stream on their Myspace page.
As of March 2008, according to an OC Register report, Reason to Believe has been downloaded more than 400,000 times, making it one of Pennywise's most successful albums since their 2001 breakthrough Land of the Free?
. The album's first single, "The Western World
", was premiered on the Los Angeles
radio station KROQ
on February 20, 2008, and debuted at number 28 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart (and remaining in the Top 40 for 20 weeks), marking the highest initial charting single in the band's career.
Pennywise began the Reason to Believe Tour to promote the album on March 26, 2008 in San Diego, California
. The tour came to a close on September 28, 2008 at Tucson Electric Park KFMA Fall in Tucson, Arizona
. The band was scheduled to play at Liskfest at Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine, California
on October 11th, but this show was cancelled.
. The album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, earning a rating of 4 out of 5 on Allmusic.
† = Vinyl bonus track / Cd Japan Bonus Track
‡ = Vinyl bonus track
↔ = Free download through Textango and Myspace Records
from March 25 to April 8.
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 the American
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Pennywise
Pennywise (band)
Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title....
, which was released on March 25, 2008 as a worldwide free digital download on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. MySpace Records
MySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
released the album within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a standard CD and a limited-edition vinyl version with two bonus tracks not available in any other format. The album was available in Europe on March 24 through Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
. Originally to be released in 2007 based on the two year gaps between the last eight studio albums, a tentative title for the album was Free for the People, but the title was scrapped.
Some copies of this album have the Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
label on the cover. This is the first time a Pennywise album would have a Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
label on some album covers, even though many of their previous albums contain profanity.
Reason to Believe peaked at #98 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on the The 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...
, and #46 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on the ARIA 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...
, the band's second lowest position on that chart since the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful 1995 album About Time
About Time (Pennywise album)
About Time is the third studio album by Pennywise, released on June 13, 1995.Although the album was not a commercial success, it is widely considered to be one of Pennywise's best releases, and it includes their concert staples, "Peaceful Day", "Perfect People", "Every Single Day", and "Same Old...
.
Reason to Believe was the last Pennywise album to feature Jim Lindberg
Jim Lindberg
James William Lindberg is an American singer and guitarist. Active since the 1980s, when he played in local bands in his early career, Lindberg is best known for being the frontman and songwriter of the influential punk rock band Pennywise, where he had remained as a member for 21 years...
on vocals, after his departure from the band in August 2009.
Writing and production
In September 2005, it was reported that Pennywise were planning to return to the studio in 2006 to begin work on their next album after The FuseThe Fuse
The Fuse is the eighth album by Pennywise, released on August 9, 2005. The Fuse charted at number 36 in Australia on the ARIA Albums Chart, their third lowest position on the chart among the band's album releases.-Track listing:...
tour. In May 2006, it was also reported that the album was intended to contain songs that were not on the previous album. It was later revealed that one such song was "Brag, Exaggerate & Lie".
In an October 2006 interview, guitarist Fletcher Dragge
Fletcher Dragge
Fletcher Dragge is the lead guitar player of the punk rock band Pennywise, which was formed in 1988.Before he joined Pennywise, he was also in the local punk rock band CON/800...
stated that "everyone's been already working on songs" and Pennywise would get "together in the next coming months and put all the songs together". In that interview, he also predicted that the album would be out "before next summer or in next summer".
In September 2007, it was reported that Dragge also stated in interview at the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
that the band had approximately 60 new songs and would spend the Fall "arguing" over which thirteen to include on the album.
In October 2007, it was reported that Pennywise were back in the studio, where Dragge said they were "working on some new shit". It was also reported that Randy Bradbury
Randy Bradbury
Randy Bradbury is the current bass guitar player for the Californian punk band Pennywise.He joined in October 1995 when founding bass player Jason Thirsk left the band. Randy was supposed to switch to rhythm guitar when Thirsk returned, but it never happened due to Thirsk's suicide in 1996...
wrote most of the songs and the album was intended to be more of an "old school" Pennywise album.
Promotion and release
In November 2007, it was revealed that the band would release the album free through a partnership between MySpace RecordsMySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
, and Textango, a mobile music distributor. In addition to that, the album would be for sale in stores through Epitaph, including a bonus DVD and two extra tracks.
On March 20, 2008, the band made the entire album (excluding the bonus tracks) available to stream on their Myspace page.
As of March 2008, according to an OC Register report, Reason to Believe has been downloaded more than 400,000 times, making it one of Pennywise's most successful albums since their 2001 breakthrough Land of the Free?
Land of the Free?
Land of the Free? is the sixth album by Pennywise. Produced by Joe Barresi, the album was released on June 19, 2001. After the commercial success of their previous album, Straight Ahead, Pennywise entered the studio in early 2001 to record a follow-up...
. The album's first single, "The Western World
The Western World
"The Western World" is the sixth track from Pennywise's ninth studio album Reason to Believe. It was the album's first single, which also reached number 22 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, marking the highest initial charting single in Pennywise's career...
", was premiered on the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
radio station KROQ
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
on February 20, 2008, and debuted at number 28 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart (and remaining in the Top 40 for 20 weeks), marking the highest initial charting single in the band's career.
Pennywise began the Reason to Believe Tour to promote the album on March 26, 2008 in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. The tour came to a close on September 28, 2008 at Tucson Electric Park KFMA Fall in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. The band was scheduled to play at Liskfest at Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
on October 11th, but this show was cancelled.
Critical reception
Reason to Believe was released on March 25, 2008, and was the first Pennywise album distributed via MySpace RecordsMySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
. The album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, earning a rating of 4 out of 5 on Allmusic.
Track listing
- "(Intro) As Long as We Can" (3:09)
- "One Reason" (2:55)
- "Faith and Hope" (3:04)
- "Something to Live For" (2:38)
- "All We Need" (2:48)
- "The Western WorldThe Western World"The Western World" is the sixth track from Pennywise's ninth studio album Reason to Believe. It was the album's first single, which also reached number 22 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, marking the highest initial charting single in Pennywise's career...
" (3:08) - "We'll Never Know" (2:42)
- "Confusion" (3:01)
- "Nothing to Lose" (2:57)
- "It's Not Enough to Believe" (2:38)
- "You Get the Life You Choose" (2:52)
- "Affliction" (3:19)
- "Brag, Exaggerate & Lie" (2:04)
- "Die for You" (3:40)
- "Next in Line" (2:50) †
- "One Nation" (2:47)‡
- "Just One More Day" (3:18) ↔
† = Vinyl bonus track / Cd Japan Bonus Track
‡ = Vinyl bonus track
↔ = Free download through Textango and Myspace Records
MySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
from March 25 to April 8.
Personnel
- Jim LindbergJim LindbergJames William Lindberg is an American singer and guitarist. Active since the 1980s, when he played in local bands in his early career, Lindberg is best known for being the frontman and songwriter of the influential punk rock band Pennywise, where he had remained as a member for 21 years...
- Vocals - Fletcher DraggeFletcher DraggeFletcher Dragge is the lead guitar player of the punk rock band Pennywise, which was formed in 1988.Before he joined Pennywise, he was also in the local punk rock band CON/800...
- Guitar, Vocals - Randy BradburyRandy BradburyRandy Bradbury is the current bass guitar player for the Californian punk band Pennywise.He joined in October 1995 when founding bass player Jason Thirsk left the band. Randy was supposed to switch to rhythm guitar when Thirsk returned, but it never happened due to Thirsk's suicide in 1996...
- Bass - Byron McMackin - Drums