Good News for People Who Love Bad News

Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Studio album by Modest Mouse
Released April 6, 2004
Recorded September–October 2003, Sweet Tea Studio, Oxford, Mississippi; Easley Recording, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre Alternative rock, indie rock, art rock
Length 48:50 (original)
51:58 (DualDisc)
Label Epic
Producer Dennis Herring
Modest Mouse chronology
Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks
(2001)		 Good News for People Who Love Bad News
(2004)		 Baron von Bullshit Rides Again
(2004)
Singles from Good News for People Who Love Bad News
  1. "Float On"
    Released: February 14, 2004
  2. "Ocean Breathes Salty"
    Released: January 11, 2005
  3. "The World at Large"
    Released: 2005

Good News for People Who Love Bad News is the fourth full-length album recorded by alternative rock band Modest Mouse. Jeremiah Green, who played drums on all other Modest Mouse releases, did not perform on this album due to his temporary absence from the band.

The album was released by Epic Records on April 6, 2004 on both CD and 180 gram vinyl. It was rereleased on DualDisc on October 11, 2005. The first two singles from the album were "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty," both of which debuted on American radio stations in the first half of 2004.

The vinyl and DualDisc editions of the album also contain the B-side "I've Got It All (Most)". On the vinyl edition, the track is placed at the end of the album. On the DualDisc edition, it is placed between "Bury Me With It" and "Dance Hall". The song "Bukowski" is dedicated to the late poet Charles Bukowski. The song "The Good Times Are Killing Me" was originally going to be released as the normal mix, but instead they added the one mixed by The Flaming Lips. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band appear also on tracks 1 ("Horn Intro") and 9 ("This Devil's Workday") or 10 on the Dualdisc edition. A video for "The World at Large" was also on the dualdisc. It is called "Stiff Animal Fantasy".

It was Planet Sound's #1 Album of 2004. It was also nominated for a Grammy in 2005 for Best Alternative Album.[1] The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in August 2004.[2] As of March 19, 2007, it had sold 1,509,675 copies in the United States.[3]

The album's title comes from a line in the song "Bury Me with It".[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[7]
The Guardian[8]
Mojo[9]
NME9/10[10]
Pitchfork Media7.9/10[11]
Q[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
SpinA[14]
The Village VoiceA−[15]

Good News for People Who Love Bad News was released to widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 83, indicating "universal acclaim".[5] Tiny Mix Tapes gave the album all five stars and said that "Ultimately, what makes Good News so successful is that it retains the melancholy mood of past works, while at the same time adding depth and maturity."[16] Spin gave it an A and said it was "Half expansive, burnished radio-rock, half swampy Delta hoodoo-hollerin' that reeks of Brock's Southern sojourn."[5] Filter gave it a score of 92% and said that it would soon be "one of the best albums of 2004".[5] NME gave it a score of nine out of ten and called it "A real-life pop record. Well, not pop in the Girls Aloud sense of the word obviously, more in the drop-dead, fuzz-box brilliant 'Here Comes Your Man' sense."[5] Billboard gave it a favorable review and called it "a daring yet accessible disc".[5] The New York Times also gave it a favorable review and called it "the best Modest Mouse album yet."[17] E! Online gave it a B+ and said that "If there's a touchstone band for this album, it's Little Creatures-era Talking Heads cranking out songs that are joyously eccentric, celebratory and catchy."[5] Playlouder gave it four stars out of five and stated: "It just feels that amidst his bare and heartfelt explorations of life and the old wooden box wherein we all end up, Brock has learned to dance, learned to allow himself a smile."[18] Mojo gave the album four stars out of five and said that "Moments of simple, exultant joy are plentiful."[5] Q also gave it four stars out of five and said that the album consisted of "45 bonkers minutes".[5] Alternative Press likewise gave it four stars out of five and stated, "If Good News... isn't the pillar-like masterpiece Modest Mouse fans have waited years for, it's proof that things haven't completely fallen apart."[5] Dusted gave it a favorable review and called it "a more varied album than The Moon and Antarctica (which did seem to have only one speed), and with the return of original member Dan Gallucci, Brock appears to have revived the heavy lead guitar playing of their early work."[19] The A.V. Club also gave it a favorable review and stated, "The songs still rely on Brock's echoing guitar patterns and Mobius-strip lyrics, delivered in the voice of a harried, hip-hop-inflected square-dance caller, but though the vehicle stays the same, the scenery outside the window changes considerably."[20]

Neumu.net gave it a score of seven out of ten and said, "While the album is not as cohesive a vision, many of its songs are more focused."[21] The Austin Chronicle gave it three-and-a-half stars out of five and said, "No bad news here, just more headline-making from an innovative, ever-maturing group of musicians."[22] Yahoo! Music UK gave it a score of seven out of ten and said that "At these transcending moments, 'Good News...' is elevated into excellence. But overall, there is too much Mouse that bores and not enough Mouse that roars."[23] Almost Cool gave it a score of 6.75 out of ten and said that "Probably the biggest complaint could be that the group has tightened up their sound even more on this release, leaving behind even more of the roughshod qualities that made their earlier discs blister with such energy."[24]

Other reviews are very average or mixed: The Guardian gave the album three stars out of five and called it "A useful addition to a genre that prizes brain over brawn."[25] Blender also gave it three stars out of five and said that "[Brock is] adept at wringing out emotion while straddling sentimentality, but too often here, gauche studio affectations make his sap sound plain cheap."[5] Nude as the News gave it a score of six out of ten and stated, "A lot of major label-imposed ideas, like rhythm guitar and a heartbreakingly conventional new bass sound, combine to utterly ruin the record's first half. If you can make it through to News' innards, however, an EP's worth of something like better-recorded, more thought-out Lonesome Crowded West material awaits."[5] Stylus Magazine gave the album a C and said of Modest Mouse, "Gone is pretty much everything they’ve learned in the last eight years or so, ditching all the progress they’ve made in favor of just making another Modest Mouse record. The results, needless to say, are disappointing."[26] Uncut gave it two stars out of five and said that "There are some pleasantly elaborate, wayward songs here... Forays into funk and Tom Waits' scrapyard are cringe-inducing, though."[27]

Track listing

All tracks written by Isaac Brock, Dann Gallucci, Eric Judy, and Benjamin Weikel[28]. 

No. Title Length
1. "Horn Intro"   0:09
2. "The World at Large"   4:32
3. "Float On"   3:28
4. "Ocean Breathes Salty"   3:49
5. "Dig Your Grave"   0:13
6. "Bury Me with It"   3:49
7. "Dance Hall"   2:57
8. "Bukowski"   4:14
9. "This Devil's Workday"   2:19
10. "The View"   4:13
11. "Satin in a Coffin"   2:35
12. "Interlude (Milo)"   0:58
13. "Blame It on the Tetons"   5:25
14. "Black Cadillacs"   2:43
15. "One Chance"   3:04
16. "The Good Times Are Killing Me"   4:16

Notes

The B-side "I've Got It All (Most)" is included between "Bury Me with It" and "Dance Hall" on the dualdisc edition of the album, and as the last track on the vinyl release.

Dual Disc

Track information

  1. "Horn Intro" – 0:09
  2. "The World at Large" – 4:32
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Rhodes, Whistle, Piano
    • Eric Judy - Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar, Mellotron, Timpani, Percussion
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
  3. "Float On" – 3:28
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Guitar
    • Eric Judy - Bass
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar, Keyboards, Drum Loops
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
    • The Rising Star Fife And Drum Band - Additional Drums
  4. "Ocean Breathes Salty" - 3:45
  5. "Dig Your Grave" - 0:12
  6. "Bury Me With It" - 3:49
  7. "Dance Hall" – 2:57
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Guitar
    • Eric Judy - Bass
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar, Piano, Glockenspiel, Keyboards
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
  8. "Bukowski" – 4:14
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Banjo
    • Eric Judy - Acoustic Guitar
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
    • Tom Peloso - Standup Bass
    • Dennis Herring - Accordion
  9. "This Devil's Workday" – 2:19
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Banjo
    • The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Horns
  10. "The View" – 4:13
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Guitar, Hendx 3000
    • Eric Judy - Bass
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar, Keyboards, Mellotron
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
  11. "Satin in a Coffin" – 2:35
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Banjo
    • Eric Judy - Pump Organ
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
    • Tom Peloso - Standup Bass
  12. "Interlude (Milo)" – 0:58
    • Eric Judy - Pump Organ
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar
    • Milo Chaska Judy - Vocals
    • Tom Peloso - Standup Bass
  13. "Blame It on the Tetons" – 5:24
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Guitar
    • Eric Judy - Bass
    • Dann Gallucci - Piano
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
    • Tom Peloso - Fiddle
  14. "Black Cadillacs" – 2:43
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Guitar, Freak Beak
    • Eric Judy - Bass
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar, Piano
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
  15. "One Chance" – 3:04
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Guitar
    • Eric Judy - Bass
    • Dann Gallucci - Guitar
    • Benjamin Weikel - Drums
  16. "The Good Times Are Killing Me" – 4:16
    • Isaac Brock - Vocals, Baritone Guitar
    • Eric Judy - Acoustic Guitar, Backup Vocals, Tin Whistle
    • Dann Gallucci - Pump Organ, Backup Vocals
    • The Rising Star Fife And Drum Band - Drums
    • The Flaming Lips - Additional Instrumentation

Personnel

Modest Mouse

Additional Personnel

Art and Design

Chart positions

Album

Year Chart Position
2004 The Billboard 200 18
2004 UK Top 40 40

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
2004 "Float On" Modern Rock Tracks 1
2004 "Float On" Billboard Hot 100 68
2004 "Float On" UK Singles Chart 46
2004 "Ocean Breathes Salty" Modern Rock Tracks 6
2004 "Ocean Breathes Salty" UK Singles Chart 96

References

  1. ↑ "Grammy Award nominees in top categories". USA Today. Gannett Company. February 7, 2005. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  2. ↑ Searchable Database Retrieved 22 November 2011. Note: User must define 'Artist' search parameter as "Modest Mouse".
  3. ↑ "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". last.fm. November 10, 2011. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  4. ↑ "Bury Me With It" lyrics Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Reviews for Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse". Metacritic. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Good News for People Who Love Bad News – Modest Mouse". AllMusic. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ Aswad, Jem (April 9, 2004). "Good News for People Who Love Bad News". Entertainment Weekly (759): 84. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (July 23, 2004). "Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News". The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Modest Mouse: Good News for People Who Love Bad News". Mojo (127): 102. June 2004.
  10. ↑ "Modest Mouse: Good News for People Who Love Bad News". NME: 48. July 10, 2004.
  11. ↑ LeMay, Matt (April 5, 2004). "Modest Mouse: Good News for People Who Love Bad News". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Modest Mouse: Good News for People Who Love Bad News". Q (215): 103. June 2004.
  13. ↑ Walters, Barry (April 7, 2004). "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  14. ↑ Sinagra, Laura (May 2004). "Modest Mouse: Good News for People Who Love Bad News". Spin. 20 (5): 103. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  15. ↑ Christgau, Robert (August 24, 2004). "Consumer Guide: Looking Past Differences". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  16. ↑ Tiny Mix Tapes Review
  17. ↑ The New York Times Review
  18. ↑ Playlouder Review at the Wayback Machine (archived June 3, 2004)
  19. ↑ Dusted Review
  20. ↑ The A.V. Club Review
  21. ↑ Neumu.net Review
  22. ↑ The Austin Chronicle Review
  23. ↑ Yahoo! Music UK Review at the Wayback Machine (archived November 2, 2004)
  24. ↑ Almost Cool Review
  25. ↑ The Guardian Review
  26. ↑ Stylus Magazine Review
  27. ↑ "Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News". Uncut: 110. September 2004. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  28. ↑ Sony Music Entertainment Inc.(2004). In Good News for People Who Love Bad News [CD Liner notes]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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