Mad Season (Matchbox Twenty album) explained

Mad Season is the second studio album by American rock band Matchbox Twenty. It was released on May 23, 2000, by Atlantic Records.

Recording and release

The album was a significant departure from the band's debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, as it moved from a straight rock sound to poppier sounds and experimental rock. Mad Seasons sound is grander and more innovative than the band's previous album, as it includes orchestra and horn sections. While not as successful as its predecessor, the album entered and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 365,000 and was certified 4× Platinum in the United States in October 2001.

Personnel

Matchbox Twenty

• Rob Thomas – lead vocals, piano, rhythm guitar
• Kyle Cook – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Adam Gaynor – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Brian Yale – bass guitar
• Paul Doucette – drums, acoustic guitar on "Stop"

Additional musicians

• Angie Aparo – background vocals on "Stop"
• Peter Stuart – background vocals on "The Burn"
• Sam Bacco – percussion on "Last Beautiful Girl"
• Tony Adams – additional drums on "Stop"
• Matt Serletic – orchestra composer
• Nashville String Machine – string arrangements on "Rest Stop", "Leave", "You Won't Be Mine" and "Bed of Lies"
• Atlanta Brass Society – Horn arrangements on "If You're Gone" and "Black and White People"

Production

• Mark Dobson – additional engineering, Pro-Tools and digital editing
• David Thoener – mixing
• Shawn Grove – additional Pro-Tool editing, assistant engineering
• Robert Hannon – assistant engineering
• Greg Fogie – assistant engineering
• Kevin Szymanski – assistant engineering
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• Stewart Whitmore – mastering

Artwork

• Ria Lewerke, Doug Reichert, Paul Doucette, Imagic – art direction and design
• Michael Sowa – cover art
• Dean Karr – photography
• Andrew Macpherson – photography (center spread and page 19)

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Mad Season!Chart (2000)!Peak
position

Year-end charts

2000 year-end chart performance for Mad Season!Chart (2000)!Position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[3]	15
Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[4]	23
US Billboard 200[5]	39

2001 year-end chart performance for Mad Season!Chart (2001)!Position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[6]	30
Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[7]	81
US Billboard 200[8]	46

Decade-end charts

Chart (2000–2009)!scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[9]	96
US Billboard 200[10]	85

Notes and References

1. Reviews & Previews: Spotlight. Paoletta. Michael. Billboard. 112. 22. 30. May 27, 2000.
2. Matchbox 20 Back for More. Newman. Melinda. Billboard. 112. 14. 103. April 1, 2000.
3. Web site: ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2000. Australian Recording Industry Association. September 12, 2020.
4. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20040812032100/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2000_1.html. August 12, 2004. Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000. Jam!. March 24, 2022.
5. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000. Billboard. September 12, 2020.
6. Web site: ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2001. Australian Recording Industry Association. September 12, 2020.
7. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20031212202406/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/200-1_2001.html. December 12, 2003. Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2001 (based on sales). Jam!. March 26, 2022.
8. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001. Billboard. September 12, 2020.
9. Web site: 2009 ARIA End of Decade Albums Chart. ARIA. January 2010. 16 January 2020.
10. The Decade in Music - Charts - Top Billboard 200 Albums. December 19, 2009. World Radio History. Billboard. 163. November 14, 2021. Digit page 167 on the PDF archive.