Good Charlotte - The Young And The Hopeless on CD

Description

Good Charlotte's frontmen, MTV hosts Joel and Benji Madden, had two major concerns with The Young and the Hopeless. One is that, despite the piercings and the spiky hairdos, people do not consider them "real" punks. The other is that their father left them when they were 16. Actually, the two dovetail quite neatly as it was their father's departure that sent their family spiralling into poverty, thus presenting the brothers with their tough "street" background (as well as the lyrics to the bouncy, tribal "The Story of My Old Man" and the maudlin, more gentle "Emotionless"). Musically speaking, though one line in "The Anthem"--"I'm just a minor threat"--points to a hard-core influence, the filth and the fury of punk are not in evidence here. Rather, Good Charlotte lean towards the sunny, chanting power-pop of the lighter Huntingdon Beach outfits. Nevertheless, with the title track and the aforementioned "The Anthem", the band appeal directly to high-school outsiders, and address their perennial relationship problems with "Wondering" and "Say Anything". They even find space for the comedy-horror of "My Bloody Valentine". So, they're not as intense or enraged as Black Flag, or even Linkin Park, but their undeniably strong melodies will see them sell millions to the young and mildly peeved. --Dominic Wills

Track List:

A New Beginning 1.48
The Anthem 2.55
Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous 3.10
Wondering 3.31
The Story of My Old Man 2.42
Girls & Boys 3.01
My Bloody Valentine 3.54
Hold On (Acappella) 4.06
Riot Girl 2.17
Say Anything 4.21
The Day That I Die 2.58
The Young & the Hopeless 3.32
Emotionless 4.02
Movin' On 3.26