These Are the Good Times People
2008 studio album by The Presidents of the United States of America
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These Are the Good Times People is the fifth studio album by The Presidents of the United States of America. It was released on March 11, 2008.[1] This is their first album to feature Andrew McKeag instead of Dave Dederer on guitbass.
| These Are the Good Times People | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 11, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2006 – 2007 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 39:05 | |||
| Label | Fugitive Recordings Tooth & Nail | |||
| Producer | Kurt Bloch | |||
| The Presidents of the United States of America chronology | ||||
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| Singles from These Are the Good Times People | ||||
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Track listing
All songs written by Chris Ballew unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mixed Up S.O.B." | 3:05 | |
| 2. | "Ladybug" | 2:34 | |
| 3. | "Sharpen Up Those Fangs" | 3:05 | |
| 4. | "More Bad Times" | Dan Leone, Dom Leone, Ballew, McKeag | 2:59 |
| 5. | "French Girl" | 3:04 | |
| 6. | "Truckstop Butterfly" | 2:04 | |
| 7. | "Ghosts are Everywhere" | Ballew, McKeag, Finn | 4:08 |
| 8. | "Loose Balloon" | 2:45 | |
| 9. | "Flame is Love" | 2:39 | |
| 10. | "So Lo So Hi" | 2:18 | |
| 11. | "Poor Turtle" | 2:48 | |
| 12. | "Rot in the Sun" | 2:25 | |
| 13. | "Warhead" | Ballew, Dale Peyser | 1:54 |
| 14. | "Deleter" | Ballew, McKeag, Finn | 3:17 |
"More Bad Times" is a loose cover of an Ed's Redeeming Qualities song.
Bonus Tracks
- "Rooftops in Spain" – 2:41 (UK iTunes / Japan CD)
- "Scrappy Puppy" – 2:54 (all iTunes)
- "Truckstop on the Moon" – 4:14 (Walmart mp3 store)
- "What the Hell" – 3:30 (Amazon / Napster)
Personnel
- Chris Ballew – vocals, bass
- Andrew McKeag – guitars
- Jason Finn – drums
- Nikka Costa – vocals on "Deleter"
- Mark Hoyt – backing vocals on "Poor Turtle"
- The Love Lights Horn Section – on "Sharpen Up Those Fangs", "Ghosts are Everywhere" and "Deleter"
- Jerimiah Austin – trumpet
- Sarah Jerns – trumpet
- Diana Dizard – baritone sax
- Martin Feveyear – mixing
Response
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (56/100) [2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk | 86% [3] |
| Allmusic |   [4] |
| Billboard | (favorable) [5] |
| Drowned in Sound | (3/10) [6] |
| Mojo | [2] |
| musicOMH | [7] |
| PopMatters | [8] |
| Q | [2] |
| Uncut | [2] |
Critical response to These Are the Good Times People was mixed. The album received a Metacritic rating of 56 out of 100 based on "mixed or average reviews".[2] musicOMH remarked, "There's nothing complicated on this album, but then when did things ever need to be complicated?"[7] Allmusic said that in view of the lineup changes, the album is "perhaps their most eclectic album to date."[4] Billboard found that while nothing on the album is as immediately memorable as "Lump" or "Peaches," several tracks "come across as less novelty-like as a result of songcraft."[5] Uncut magazine felt the record was "the desperate death-throe of a rank '90s relic."[2]
