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
Studio album by Joe
Released	December 11, 2001
Studio	Various Head Up Recording (New Jersey) Right Track Studios (New York City) MasterSounds Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia) Compass Point Studios (Bahamas) Electric Lady Studios (New York City) Tallest Tree Studio (New Jersey) Sound On Sound Studios (New York City)
Length	54:17
Label	Jive
Producer	Joe (also exec.) Kedar Massenburg (exec.) Allen "Allstar" Gordon The Neptunes
Joe chronology
My Name Is Joe (2000) Better Days (2001) And Then... (2003)
Singles from Better Days
"Let's Stay Home Tonight" Released: June 1, 2001 "What If a Woman" Released: February 19, 2002 "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
Source	Rating
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.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Let's Stay Home Tonight"	Allen "Allstar" Gordon Joel Campbell Johnta Austin	Joe Gordon Campbell[a]	3:26
2.	"Better Days"	Joe Thomas Joshua P. Thompson Rickey Slaughter Quincy Patrick Stan Vincent	Joe	4:31
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"	Chad Hugo Pharrell Williams John Williams	The Neptunes	3:54
6.	"Ghetto Child" (featuring Shaggy)	Thomas Skinner Tonyatta P. Martinez Gasner Allen Hughes	Joe	4:12
7.	"I Like Sexy Girls"	Thomas Skinner Gordon	Joe Gordon Campbell[a]	4:00
8.	"Here She Comes"	Thomas Skinner Gordon Stephen Jones Daryl Hall John Oates Sara Allen	Joe Gordon Campbell[a]	2:54
9.	"Lover's Prayer"	Thomas Skinner	Joe	4:02
10.	"Changed Man"	Thomas Thompson Slaughter	Joe	4:16
11.	"I Understand"	Thomas Skinner	Joe	3:47
12.	"She Used 2 Luv Me"	Thomas Skinner Gordon Campbell	Joe Gordon Campbell[a]	3:23
13.	"World of Girls"	Thomas Skinner	Joe	3:09
14.	"Let's Stay Home Tonight (Remix)" (featuring Petey Pablo)	Austin Campbell Gordon Moses Barrett	Joe Gordon	3:55
Total length:				54:17

Japan/Australia bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"It Won't End"	Dyshon Collins Jack Knight Michael Jones Steve Esteverne	Joe Esteverne	4:00

Australia bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(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

• "Better Days" contains a portion of "O-o-h Child" written by Stan Vincent, performed by the Five Stairsteps.^[9]
• "Isn't This the World" contains portions of "Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind" by John Williams.^[9]
• "Here She Comes" contains a portion of "Maneater" written by Daryl Hall, John Oates and Sara Allen, performed by Hall & Oates.^[9]

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

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Better Days Chart (2001–02) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 84 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 41 French Albums (SNEP)[12] 96 UK Albums (OCC)[13] 87 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[14] 15 US Billboard 200[6] 32 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[15] 3

Year-end charts 2001 year-end chart performance for Better Days Chart (2001) Position Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[16] 119 2002 year-end chart performance for Better Days Chart (2002) Position Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[17] 115 US Billboard 200[18] 129 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] 35

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Better Days

Region	Certification	Certified 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	CD digital download	Standard	Jive	[2]
Japan	August 7, 2002	CD DVD	Better Days & The Video Collection		[citation needed]