Better Days (Joe album)

Better Days is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Joe. It was released by Jive Records on December 11, 2001, in the United States. The album reached number 32 on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It spawned three singles, including "Lets Stay Home Tonight", which reached number 18 on the US R&B chart; "What If a Woman", which reached number 13 on the US R&B chart, and "Isn't This the World". Better Days became Joe's second album to receive a Grammy Award nomination in the Best R&B Album category, while "Let's Stay Home Tonight" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. On August 7, 2002, a Japanese limited version of the album was released together with "Joe Video Collection: I Wanna Know and More Video" content, named "Better Days & The Video Collection".

Better Days
An image of Joe sitting down while wearing an orange leather jacket, blue jeans and sunglasses.
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 11, 2001
Studio
Various
Length54:17
LabelJive
Producer
Joe chronology
My Name Is Joe
(2000)
Better Days
(2001)
And Then...
(2003)
Singles from Better Days
  1. "Let's Stay Home Tonight"
    Released: December 11, 2001
  2. "What If a Woman"
    Released: February 19, 2002
  3. "Isn't This the World"
    Released: April 23, 2002

Background

In a 2001 interview with Billboard, Joe disclosed that Better Day was inspired by a conversation that he had with a journalist overseas.[1] He said: "We were talking about the state of R&B music. He thought that it was too risqué and that it didn't have much substance, R&B music needs to have a growth process."[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Guardian[3]
Vibe[4]

AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier praised "Let's Stay Home Tonight" and "Ghetto Child" as highlights and Joe for carrying the record, but was critical of the track listing repeating various "songwriting techniques" and love story "motifs", concluding that "if you're looking for a few quality singles rather than a consistent album, you should find this to be an engaging album, even if its rushed and ultimately thin on original ideas."[2] Vibe contributor Dimitri Ehrlich gave praise to Joe's musical inventiveness in utilizing instrumentation, "lyrical wit" and telling stories from a woman's perspective, concluding with: "Better Days is mostly a one-man show, a nice surprise in an era when few artists seem brave enough to resist all-star guests."[4]

Billboard found that Joe "takes a message-oriented stance on Better Days" which "showcases the singer's sociopolitical side [...] A balance of positivity and soul, Better Days is the deft work of a true career artist – one who knows what it means to grow and evolve."[5] In a negative review, Dorian Lynskey from The Guardian wrote: "This is everyman R&B, a little like Craig David minus the pop pizzazz, a little like D'Angelo without the sexual heat, but mostly thuddingly dull. Even the guest stars succumb to Joe's tractor beam of tedium [...] only the CD booklet, in which Joe poses thoughtfully in expensive jackets, provides some fun, albeit of the unintentionally comic variety."[3]

Chart performance

The album debuted and peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard 200 in the week ending December 29, 2001.[6] A considerable drop from his previous effort My Name Is Joe (2000) which had opened at number two on the chart,[6] it was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 11, 2002.[7] By that time, Better Days had sold 510,000 units in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8]

Track listing

Better Days track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Let's Stay Home Tonight"
  • Joe
  • Gordon
  • Campbell[a]
3:26
2."Better Days"
  • Joe Thomas
  • Joshua P. Thompson
  • Rickey Slaughter
  • Quincy Patrick
  • Stan Vincent
Joe4:31
3."What If a Woman"
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
  • Gordon
  • Joe
  • Gordon
  • Campbell[a]
4:14
4."Alone"
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
  • Gordon
  • Campbell
  • Joe
  • Gordon
  • Campbell[a]
4:34
5."Isn't This the World"The Neptunes3:54
6."Ghetto Child" (featuring Shaggy)
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
  • Tonyatta P. Martinez
  • Gasner Allen Hughes
Joe4:12
7."I Like Sexy Girls"
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
  • Gordon
  • Joe
  • Gordon
  • Campbell[a]
4:00
8."Here She Comes"
  • Joe
  • Gordon
  • Campbell[a]
2:54
9."Lover's Prayer"
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
Joe4:02
10."Changed Man"
  • Thomas
  • Thompson
  • Slaughter
Joe4:16
11."I Understand"
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
Joe3:47
12."She Used 2 Luv Me"
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
  • Gordon
  • Campbell
  • Joe
  • Gordon
  • Campbell[a]
3:23
13."World of Girls"
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
Joe3:09
14."Let's Stay Home Tonight (Remix)" (featuring Petey Pablo)
  • Joe
  • Gordon
3:55
Total length:54:17
Japan/Australia bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."It Won't End"
  • Joe
  • Esteverne
4:00
Australia bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."What If a Women" (Smoove 5 Remix Edit)
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
  • Gordon
  • Joe
  • Gordon
  • Campbell[a]
  • Ricky Smoove[b]
  • Phase 5[b]
3:45
17."I Wanna Know" (The Roni Remix)
  • Thomas
  • Skinner
  • Michele Williams
  • Joe
  • Edwin "Tony" Nicholas
  • Timmy Allen[a]
  • Gordon[b]
4:37

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies additional producer(s)
  • ^[b] signifies remix producer(s)

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Better Days.[9]

Musicians
  • Marlene Rice – violin (1, 2, 11)
  • Nioka Workman – cello (1, 2, 11)
  • Judith Insell-Staack – viola (1, 2, 11)
  • Hart Hollman and The Motown Romance Orchestra – orchestra (6)
  • The Lord's Church Children's Cathedral Choir – choir (6)
Production
  • Andy Brooks – assistant engineer (1, 4, 7, 8, 12)
  • Steef Van DeGevel – assistant engineer (2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 13)
  • Tim Roberts – assistant engineer (5)
  • Tony Flores – assistant engineer (6)
  • Allen "Allstar" Gordon – mixing (1, 4, 7, 8, 12)
  • Andy Blakelock – mixing (1, 4, 7, 8, 12)
  • Stephen George – mixing (2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 13)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (5)
  • Peter Mokran – mixing (6)
  • Tom Coyne – mastering (Sterling Sound)
Imagery
  • Denise Trotman – art direction and design
  • Jonathan Mannion – photography
  • Wendall Haskins – stylist
  • Andrea Richter – grooming

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Better Days
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 60,000*
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 510,000[8]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Better Days release history
Region Date Format(s) Edition(s) Label Ref.
United States December 11, 2001 Standard Jive [2]
Japan August 7, 2002
Better Days & The Video Collection

References

  1. Hall, Rashaun (December 22, 2001). "Joe Aims For Positivity On 'Better Day'". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  2. Birchmeier, Jason. "Better Days - Joe". AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  3. Lynskey, Dorian (December 14, 2001). "More frills, please". The Guardian. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  4. Ehrlich, Dimitri (February 2002). "Joe 'Better Days'". Vibe. Vibe Media. 10 (2): 119–120. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  5. "Better Days". Billboard. December 22, 2001. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  6. "Joe Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  7. "American album certifications – Joe – Better Days". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  8. "Joe Plans Maiden North American Tour". Billboard. April 4, 2002. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  9. Better Days (booklet). Joe. Jive. 2001. 01241-44222-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 4th February 2002" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. February 4, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-22. Retrieved June 10, 2020 via Pandora Archive.
  11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Joe – Better Days" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  12. "Lescharts.com – Joe – Better Days". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  14. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  15. "Joe Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  16. "Canada's Top 200 R&B; albums of 2001". Jam!. January 8, 2002. Archived from the original on July 26, 2002. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  17. "Canada's Top 200 R&B; albums of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  18. "Billboard 200 Albums – 2002 Year-End". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  19. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – 2002 Year-End". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  20. "British album certifications – Joe – Better Days". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
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