| Generation Rx | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 14, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | January – March 2018 | |||
| Studio | MDDN & NRG Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 31:26 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | ||||
| Good Charlotte chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Generation Rx | ||||
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Generation Rx is the seventh studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte. The album was released on September 14, 2018, through MDDN and BMG.
Good Charlotte self-released their sixth album Youth Authority in July 2016, [1] their first since they went on a hiatus in 2011. [2] Vocalist Joel Madden felt that they had no momentum following their hiatus, and viewed Youth Authority as helping to rebuild it. Guitarist Benji Madden added that it served as a good restarting point for the band. [3] They made the album as the members felt they had something to say after the years on hiatus. However, Joel Madden said it didn't completely embody what was going on in their headspace at the time. He went as far to add that two of the songs on it were there solely because they felt they had to include them. [4]
At the start of 2018, the band were reflecting, having played at the memorial service for rapper Lil Peep [5] earlier in December 2017. They covered Peep's "Awful Things" [6] and later released it as a single. [7] Benji Madden said, since the group would often follow their feelings and not focus on anything else, they became inspired to write a new record. [8] The members discussed what they liked and disliked making Youth Authority, before taking into account what they felt their fans would want from them. After realizing their fans would want them to be honest, they decided to write material that was more organic and naturally felt good to them. [4]
Benji Madden and Zakk Cervini produced the album, [9] which was recorded at the headquarters of the brothers' company MDDN [9] in Los Angeles, California between January [10] and March 2018. [8] Drums were recorded at NRG Studios. Cervini and Courtney Ballard served as engineers with assistance from Jon Lundin. Colin Schwanke did additional editing on "Self Help", "Leech" and "California (The Way I Say I Love You)". Chris Lord-Alge mixed the recordings, with assistance from Nik Karpin, at MIX LA in Tarzana, California. Ted Jensen mastered the album at Sterling Sound. [11]
Madden's office at MDDN was down the hall; on a nightly basis after work, the Madden brothers and Cervini would work on the album for two–three hours at a time. [12] He said the recording process felt similar to their first three albums, in that they made music solely on feeling. [8] "Leech" features guest vocals from Sam Carter of Architects. Their manager Joey Simmrin worked at MDDN and hung out with the Madden brothers one night. The brothers were in the process of finishing up "Leech", but were unable to come up with a bridge section. Simmrin sent the track to Carter, who subsequently tracked vocals for it in Brighton, UK. [12]
The Madden brothers went into it solely to make something that sounded fun and exciting to them musically just to see what the outcome was. This process was followed for the lyrics and melodies. [12] All of the lyrics were written by the brothers, and most of the songs were written by the brothers and Cervini. "Better Demons" was written between the brothers and Dan Lancaster, while "California (The Way I Say I Love You)" was written by the brothers, Cervini and Matthew Pauling. Lucy Landry contributed additional vocals to "Generation Rx" and "Better Demons". MUSYCA Children's Choir appear on "Leech" and "Better Demons". Pauling came up with the string arrangement for "Cold Song" and "California (The Way I Say I Love You)". Cervini and David Kaye provided additional vocals on "Better Demons". [11]
Musically, the album's sound has been classed as pop punk [13] [14] and alternative rock. [15] Rock Sound said it was a cross between the group's The Chronicles of Life and Death (2004) and Good Morning Revival (2007) albums. [16] The opioid epidemic inspired the album's title Generation Rx: [17] Rx is often used as an abbreviation for medical prescriptions in the US. [10] The album initially had the working title Cold Song, but was changed after the band realised pain was a running theme throughout the album. [18] Generation Rx talks about several issues: the opioid epidemic, struggles with mental health [10] difficulty with self-esteem, and the effect of organized religion on other peoples' lives. [19] According to Joel Madden, the album was "all about that inner struggle, and ... the emotional experience we're all going through that gets us to a place where we want to kill the pain that's in all of us." [8]
"Actual Pain" came about shortly after the band performed at the memorial service for Peep, who was a big fan of the group. [20] Benji Madden said the track featured elements of all of their previous albums. [8] "Prayers" is a commentary on the culture surrounding the phrase "thoughts and prayers". [21] The first verse was written about the relationship between Benji Madden and his wife, while the second verse was written after he had seen a Syrian refugee crying in front of rubble. [3] Benji Madden wrote "Leech" about his childhood and his relationship with his parents, as well as trauma that he went through. [12] Joel Madden said "California (The Way I Say I Love You)" was a "love letter" to his children, and was an attempt to give the album a "hopeful" ending. [10]
In May 2018, the band posted several teasers through their Instagram account that featured skeleton figures. [22] On May 22, the band signed a worldwide contract with major label BMG. The group explained that BMG had frequently "demonstrated the type of forward thinking, artist friendly, entrepreneurial spirit that we really relate to". [2] On May 25, Generation Rx was announced for released in September, and its artwork was revealed. [23] Discussing the artwork, Benji Madden said: "You can hide behind your clothes, and you can hide behind covering yourself in tattoos, or putting on masks, or whatever, but at the end of the day, your real life is in there." [4] On the same day, "Actual Pain" was released as a single. [24] Five days later, a music video was released for the track, [20] directed by Jake Stark. [25] The video begins with a man reminiscing about his youth reading comics and playing in his backyard. The group are then seen performing the track with Joel Madden's face changing into a skull mask over time. [20]
A music video was released for "Shadowboxer" on July 13, [26] directed by Stark. [27] It features the band performing in an abandoned mansion. [28] The band explained the clip was a "solitary look at what appear to be everyday people confronting the pain and struggle that is reflected back at them as they look at themselves the mirror." [29] On August 31, "Prayers" was made available for streaming. [30] A music video was released for the song on September 5, [31] directed by Stark. [32] The video details the family of one of the band's real life friends. The friend and his family are shown working and contributing to their community despite being frequently threatened with deportation from ICE. [31] Generation Rx was released on September 14 through MDDN and BMG. [33] Following this, the group went on a headlining US tour in October and November with support from Sleeping with Sirens, Knuckle Puck and the Dose. [34]
A music video was released for "Self Help" on October 25, [35] directed by Stark. [36] It stars a boxer who aims to improve both himself and his mind. [37] In January and February 2019, the band embarked on a European tour [38] with support from Sleeping with Sirens, Boston Manor and the Dose. [39] Between May and July, the group will perform a series of headlining shows and festival appearances in the US, followed by a few festival dates in Europe in August. [40]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66/100 [41] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Classic Rock |   [42] |
| Dead Press! | [14] |
| Exclaim! | 6/10 [43] |
| idobi | 10/10 [44] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5 [45] |
| Punknews.org | [46] |
| Rock Sound | 8/10 [19] |
| Q | [47] |
| Upset | [48] |
Generation Rx charted at number 164 on the Billboard 200. [49] Outside of the US, it reached number 24 in Australia, [50] number 29 in Austria, [51] number 31 in the UK, [52] number 32 in Switzerland, [53] number 42 in Germany, [54] number 61 in the Czech Republic, [55] number 80 in Canada, [55] number 82 in the Flanders region of Belgium, [56] and number 127 in the Wallonia region of Belgium. [57]
All lyrics written by Benji and Joel Madden. All songs written by Benji and Joel Madden, and Zakk Cervini, except where noted. [11]
Personnel per booklet. [11]
Good Charlotte
Additional musicians
| Production
|
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [50] | 24 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [51] | 29 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [56] | 82 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [57] | 127 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) [55] | 80 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [58] | 61 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [54] | 42 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [59] | 117 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [60] | 22 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [53] | 32 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [52] | 31 |
| US Billboard 200 [49] | 164 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [61] | 18 |
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland, formed in 1995. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin, and Dean Butterworth.
Good Charlotte is the debut studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte, released on September 26, 2000 through Epic and Daylight Records. Despite receiving favorable reviews, the album undersold expectations, charting at number 185 on the Billboard 200. The album's first single, "Little Things" reached the top 30 on the Mainstream Top 40 and the Alternative Songs charts.
Benjamin Levi Madden is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the rock band Good Charlotte—for which he has received various awards—as well as pop rock collaboration the Madden Brothers. He formed both of these acts with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden, with whom he was a coach on The Voice Australia from 2015 to 2016.
Joel Rueben Madden is an American singer, best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band Good Charlotte. He is also part of the pop rock collaboration the Madden Brothers with his identical twin brother Benji Madden.
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 Valentine and engaged him for their next album. Sessions took place at Barefoot Studios in Los Angeles, California and lasted from February to May 2002; Josh Freese of the Vandals served as a session drummer. Almost all of the songs on it were written by brothers Benji and Joel Madden; two of the tracks were co-written with Valentine and Goldfinger frontman John Feldmann. Before the album was released, Chris Wilson joined them as a permanent drummer, having been introduced to them in mid-2002. The Young and the Hopeless is a pop punk album that recalls the work of Blink-182, Green Day, and MxPx.
The Chronicles of Life and Death is the third studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte. Following the release of The Young and the Hopeless (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, 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 and Joel Madden, with the remainder being co-written with Valentine, Goldfinger frontman John Feldmann or guitarist Billy Martin. Preceded by the single release of "Predictable", The Chronicles of Life and Death was released through Epic and Daylight Records on October 5, 2004. Two variations were made available: "Life" and "Death" versions which came with different cover artwork and a different bonus track.
"Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" is a song by American rock band Good Charlotte, written by Benji Madden, Joel Madden and Tim Armstrong for the band’s second studio album The Young and the Hopeless. It was released as the lead single from the album in August 2002 and was the band's debut European single. Upon its release, the song reached a peak of number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted within the top 40 in several European countries, Australia, and New Zealand.
"Predictable" is the lead single from American rock band Good Charlotte's third studio album, The Chronicles of Life and Death (2004). This was the first single released that featured Chris Wilson as the band's drummer. The song was also released in a Japanese version; in this version, only Benji Madden sings the Japanese part because he is the only one who knows Japanese.
"The Anthem" is a song by American rock band Good Charlotte from their studio album, The Young and the Hopeless (2002). Members Joel Madden and Benji Madden originally wrote the song for a film soundtrack alongside John Feldmann, but it did not appear in the film. According to Joel Madden, the song is about "not living the way that you're supposed to live", and Benji Madden added that the song is about achieving one's goals.
"The Motivation Proclamation" is a song by American rock band Good Charlotte. Vocalist Benji Madden and lead guitarist Joel Madden wrote the song while Don Gilmore produced it. The track, whose lyrics talking about moving on from distressing routines, was included on the band's self-titled debut album (2000).
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 break to focus on their personal lives before reconvening in early 2006, and eventually reconnecting with producer Don Gilmore. He was dismissive of the new material that the band showed him, and on his recommendation Benji and Joel Madden left Los Angeles, California and settled in Vancouver, Canada. After writing a number of new songs there, the brothers felt they were heading in the right direction. Meeting up every two weeks, the band members showed off the songs they were working on; Gilmore was again dismissive, challenging them to write material that was different. Another batch of songs was written before recording began in July 2006 and concluded in September.
Cardiology is the fifth studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte. Within a year of releasing Good Morning Revival, Benji and Joel Madden had begun working on new material in early 2008. Pre-production started in early 2009 and tracking commenced in August with producer Howard Benson. Problems arose during this period; Benji Madden hesitated to work with Benson. Having completed the majority of the recording, Madden felt uncomfortable and realized the band was working with the wrong person after Benson removed two crucial verses from a track. After hearing rough mixes, Madden preferred the demo versions. Discussing this with producer Don Gilmore, he suggested the band start over in Vancouver, Canada. Following a meeting with the rest of the band, they relocated to Vancouver at the start of 2010. Recording sessions took place at the Armoury and Warehouse Studios before moving to Studio Can Am in Tarzana, California. Recording concluding in April 2010.
"Like It's Her Birthday" is a song by American pop punk band Good Charlotte from their fifth studio album, Cardiology (2010). It was released as the album's first single on August 24, 2010.
"Last Night" is a song by American pop punk band Good Charlotte, from their fifth studio album Cardiology. It was released as the third single under Capitol Records on March 7, 2011. The song is a pop punk and alternative rock track and was written by the band and talks about having a not-so-memorable evening but enjoying it. It received mixed reviews from music critics; some thought it was a "weak and forced song", while others felt it was a "party anthem". The video is a reconstructed version of the early 1990s Nickelodeon game show Family Double Dare featuring its former host Marc Summers.
"Sex on the Radio" is a song by American pop punk band Good Charlotte, taken from their fifth studio album Cardiology. It was released as the second single in December 2010, only in Australia and New Zealand. It was written by the band brothers Benji & Joel Madden, with additional writing from Sam Hollander and Dave Katz, with production by the two latter. The song is a pop punk track and talks about all the girls out there who make boys want to start bands and go on tour. It charted inside the top-thirty on the ARIA Singles Chart. The song received mixed reviews from music critics, some thought it was a lively and funny track, others thought it "cheesy" and that it shouldn't be on the album. A music video was made for the track, in which the band walks the street and ask people what they think of the song.
The Madden Brothers are an American pop rock duo made up of twin brothers Joel Madden and Benji Madden, both of whom are also founding members of the rock band Good Charlotte.
Greetings from California is the debut studio album by The Madden Brothers, whose members consist of Joel and Benji Madden from pop punk band Good Charlotte, which was released on September 16, 2014, in the United States. The album's first single, "We Are Done", premiered on May 30, 2014, on 102.7 KIIS FM. The music video for the single premiered on June 30, 2014. The album was made available for pre-ordering on the iTunes Store on July 4, 2014, with "California Rain" made available for immediate download.
Waterparks is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 2011. The group currently consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Awsten Knight, backing vocalist and lead guitarist Geoff Wigington, and backing vocalist and drummer Otto Wood.
Youth Authority is the sixth studio album by American rock band Good Charlotte. The band went on hiatus following the release of Cardiology (2010), with the members shifting focus to their families. During this downtime, Benji and Joel Madden did production work; after working with All Time Low and 5 Seconds of Summer, the brothers, and subsequently the rest of the band, wanted to make a new album. The writing and recording process consisted of the brothers creating a song, showing it to the other members, practice and record it. Working with collaborator John Feldmann, who produced the album, sessions concluded mid-2015. After announcing the end of their hiatus in early November 2015, "Makeshift Love" was released as a single.
"Makeshift Love" is a 2015 song from Good Charlotte's sixth studio album Youth Authority. The single was the first song by Good Charlotte after their return from a four-year hiatus. "Makeshift Love" was also the band's first ever song to reach the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
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