Good Charlotte - Good Charlotte

...seem to have ‘got’ with Good Charlotte. Said media are, as they have been since 2001, all to ready to criticise the band and produce slander in a vain attempt to damage both their credibility and their record sales. It’s a recurring quote that is heard from the lips of many a rock ‘n’ roll front man, that their band genuinely don’t care what the media think of them - yet with Good Charlotte, it’s all to true. The realisation that only a mere number ...
...gives a damn, more than Good Charlotte do…..because I’m pretty certain there isn’t one. Criticise, but criticise with justification please.

As two teens growing up in the rough area of Maryland, Washington, Joel and Benji Madden went through all the ‘typical’ events that seem household these days - their father left them on Christmas Eve (never to return), they were left to fend for themselves as their mother broke down in the ensuing ... more

"...music is supposed to be an escape. It's supposed to be somewhere you go, where you can be yourself, or be whatever you want to be..."

Joel Madden certainly had the right idea with the aforementioned quote - music is an escape, a chance to get away from the everyday hassles and a chance to drift away for a while - something that the media don’t seem to have ‘got’ with Good Charlotte. Said media are, as they have been since 2001, all to ready to criticise the band and produce slander in a vain attempt to damage both their credibility and their record sales. It’s a recurring quote that is heard from the lips of many a rock ‘n’ roll front man, that their band genuinely don’t care what the media think of them - yet with Good Charlotte, it’s all to true. The realisation that only a mere number of journalists are ready to accept them and give them a chance to use their undoubted talent is one that the guys have taken on board, choosing instead to concentrate on the thoughts of their legions of fans, the fans that go out and buy the records and wear the shirts to the shows, the committed ones that hate the media with as much conviction as Joel and Benji themselves. It’s a hurdle that the band have had to jump for the past four years, since the release of debut record ‘Good Charlotte’, a record that introduced the new kings of punk-rock to us.

As a fan, and one that intends to stay loyal to the band and their beliefs, I understand the justification behind certain accusations - granted, the band aren’t the most talented, nor do they have the best songs - but that’s irrelevant when considered what they have…..still wipes the floor with the majority of other bands material. Songs such as ‘Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous’ and ‘Hold On’ portray the two respective ends of the musical spectrum that the band base themselves around. ‘Lifestyles’, a superb song intended as a stab at the (ironically) rich and famous, differs in comparison to the fantastic ‘Hold On’, a song covering the topic of teen suicide in America, and a problem that grows worse with every passing day. My point is, I can understand criticisms toward the band, as my eyes are far from glazed as to their weaknesses, yet I urge you to show me another band about today that cares for their fans, puts the effort into their shows, and whole heartedly gives a damn, more than Good Charlotte do…..because I’m pretty certain there isn’t one. Criticise, but criticise with justification please.

As two teens growing up in the rough area of Maryland, Washington, Joel and Benji Madden went through all the ‘typical’ events that seem household these days - their father left them on Christmas Eve (never to return), they were left to fend for themselves as their mother broke down in the ensuing months, and their life had no direction upon leaving high school. Benji in particular, with his tattoos and punk-rock ethos, was ridiculed on the odd occasion, something which he now says made him a stronger person and aided him in his overall development as a person. With the twins dreams of worldwide stardom and musical harmony blossoming, it took the inspiration of a Beastie Boys concert to ensure that they acted upon their dreams - the dream to form a band and take over the world, just as the Beastie’s had done. Anyway, long story short, the guys formed Good Charlotte, gigged about and got signed to Epic Records, giving them the ammo to release the album they dreamed about just two years earlier. The album, self titled, shows the band at their best - delivering short, sharp bursts of punk-rock that screams of quality. It was the record they truly wanted to make….

The belief that many have, which states that the bands second record is in fact their best, is one that , although understandable, is one that I don’t personally agree with. ‘Good Charlotte’ is the closest the band will ever come to punk, as opposed to simply being another ‘pop-rock’ outfit, among a sea of so many others (Simple Plan, Sum 41 etc). Song such as ‘Little Things’ and ‘East Coast Anthem’ are pure energy - picking up from the off, whilst never letting down over the ensuing 3 minutes that the song lasts. The band themselves are more interested in instilling fun into their tunes, rather than having them whistle the right tune lyrically, and in the majority, they pull it off with staggering success - sing along anthems at their true best, with ‘Festival Song’ and ‘Waldorf Worldwide’ a couple more of the records success stories. They’re a band that have become known for having some superb choruses, with later work possibly the stronger, but only because so many jumped on the bandwagon a little to late for this album to realise it’s strengths. As a side note, Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Pearl Jam) does a fantastic job of producing the record, adding another great release to his CV.

The slight rap influences that has creeped into Good Charlotte’s more recent work, becomes evident even this early in their career (lending more to the Beastie’s gig that got them underway) with ‘Complicated’ containing it’s fair share of Joel Madden branded rap (although it doesn’t really deter from a great tune). ‘Seasons’, undoubtedly the highlight for me, sees the vocals stripped down in favour of an acoustic intro, before driving head first into something more expected of the band, and yet another of those catchy choruses that we all know and love. ‘Walk By’ and ‘Screamer’ follow the same pattern of all that’s come before, branded GC style punk-rock…and I love it. The band prosper especially on the toned down songs, the ones intended to get to the listener emotionally, much in the same vain as ‘Emotionless’ did on the bands second release in 2003, and although relatively sparse in numbers, ‘Change’ covers pretty well in that department. As I’ve said, I’m not going to try and defend the band against those that don’t wanna listen, but all I can say is….. It’s your loss.

"Good Charlotte is anger management teen angst." ……..DAMN RIGHT !

Track Listing

1. Little Things
2. Waldorf Worldwide
3. The Motivation Proclamation
4. East Coast Anthem
5. Festival Song
6. Complicated
7. Seasons
8. I Don’t Wanna Stop
9. I Heard You
10. The Click
11. Walk By
12. Let Me Go
13. Screamer
14. Change
15. Thank You Mom (hidden track)

*I challenge anyone to listen to hidden track 'Thank You Mom', especially if you're a parent yourself, and not be touched in the slightest. It's a straight acoustic track for their mum - the one who was there for them when their world was falling apart, the one who held it together when the twins' father walked out on the family, and the one who, to effect, encouraged her boys to become what they are today.... world beaters - and this is their gift to her*

Thank You 

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