More Than You Think You Are

More Than You Think You Are
Studio album by
Matchbox Twenty
ReleasedNovember 19, 2002
RecordedJune–October 2002
Studio
GenrePop rock, alternative rock
Length49:36
LabelAtlantic
ProducerMatt Serletic
Matchbox Twenty chronology
Mad Season
(2000) 		More Than You Think You Are
(2002) 		Exile on Mainstream
(2007)
Singles from More Than You Think You Are
  1. "Disease"
    Released: September 30, 2002[1]
  2. "Unwell"
    Released: November 17, 2002[2]
  3. "Bright Lights"
    Released: July 28, 2003[3]
  4. "Downfall"
    Released: February 9, 2004[4]
  5. "All I Need"
    Released: February 9, 2004[5]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic50/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Blender[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
Q[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Stylus MagazineB[12]
Uncut[13]

More Than You Think You Are is the third studio album by American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released on November 19, 2002. The album is again a departure for the band as it has more of a focus on harder rock than the band's two previous albums. Five singles were released from the album: "Disease", "Unwell", "Bright Lights", "Downfall", and "All I Need". "Downfall" was released only in the United States while "All I Need" was issued only in Australia.

Recording

Produced by the band's longtime studio collaborator Matt Serletic, More Than You Think You Are was recorded at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York and at The Hit Factory in New York City.[14]

Rob Thomas was pleased with the album, saying: "This is probably the most rockin' record we've ever done, because we've been working with Greg Collins, who's engineered bands like System of a Down and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and mixer Jim Scott, who's worked with people like Wilco and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. But at the same time, there's a warmness to the record, a real organic quality that I just love."[15]

Release

The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 with 178,000 copies sold. Although not as commercially successful as the band's two earlier records, Yourself or Someone Like You and Mad Season, it had a large radio presence and produced three consecutive singles in the United States, all of them charting onto the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2004 Grammy Awards, losing to the Foo Fighters' One by One. Following the album's release, the group took a hiatus to allow the members to focus on other projects, like Thomas's solo career. The following year, rhythm guitarist Adam Gaynor left the band in 2005.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rob Thomas, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Feel"
3:20
2."Disease"
3:39
3."Bright Lights" 3:54
4."Unwell" 3:48
5."Cold"
3:15
6."All I Need" 3:41
7."Hand Me Down" 5:02
8."Could I Be You"Doucette3:43
9."Downfall"
  • Serletic
  • Thomas
4:07
10."Soul"
  • Cook
  • Doucette
  • Thomas
4:34
11."You're So Real" 3:01
12."The Difference" 4:11
13."So Sad So Lonely" (hidden track) 3:46
Total length:49:36
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Tired"
  • John Leslie Goff
  • John Joseph Stanley
  • Thomas
  • Brian Yale
3:01
15."Don't Let Me Down" (Live from Australia)Lennon–McCartney4:11
16."Disease" (Acoustic)
  • Jagger
  • Thomas
3:46

Personnel

Matchbox Twenty

  • Rob Thomas – lead vocals, piano on "Bright Lights"
  • Kyle Cook – lead guitar, backing vocals, piano on "Hand Me Down", banjo on "Unwell"
  • Adam Gaynor – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Brian Yale – bass guitar
  • Paul Doucette – drums and percussion on all tracks, Mellotron on "Hand Me Down" and "You're So Real", additional synthesizer on "All I Need", acoustic and electric guitar, piano and clavinet on "Could I Be You?"

Additional musicians

  • Matt Serletic – production, keyboards, congas on "Cold", backing vocals on "Soul"
  • David Campbell – string arrangements on "Bright Lights"
  • Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar on "Bright Lights" and "Hand Me Down"
  • Bill Draheim – backing vocals on "Soul"
  • Melonie Daniels and Cheryl Pepsii Riley – backing vocals on "Feel"
  • Vaneese Thomas and Lydia Mann-Jaime – backing vocals on "Disease"
  • Erik Ralske and Jerome Ashby – French horns on "Unwell"
  • Carol Webb – violin and concert master on "Disease"
  • Rudy Michel – gospel choir contractor for "Downfall"
  • Jan Smith – vocal coach

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for More Than You Think You Are
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36] 5× Platinum 350,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[37] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[38] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[40] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1472. September 27, 2002. p. 31.
  2. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1489. October 31, 2002. p. 27.
  3. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1514. July 25, 2003. p. 22.
  4. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1541. February 6, 2004. p. 25.
  5. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 9th February 2004" (PDF). ARIA. February 9, 2004. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-03-06. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  6. ^ "Reviews for More Than You Think You Are by Matchbox Twenty". Metacritic. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "More Than You Think You Are – Matchbox Twenty". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  8. ^ Powers, Ann (February 2003). "Matchbox Twenty: More Than You Think You Are". Blender (13): 98. Archived from the original on April 20, 2004. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  9. ^ Lewis, Randy (November 24, 2002). "Matchbox Twenty, 'More Than You Think You Are' (Melismatic/Atlantic)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  10. ^ "Matchbox Twenty: More Than You Think You Are". Q (201): 109. April 2003.
  11. ^ Walters, Barry (December 12, 2002). "More Than You Think You Are : Matchbox Twenty : Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  12. ^ Blanford, Roxanne (September 1, 2003). "Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  13. ^ "Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Uncut (70): 98. March 2003. Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "More Than You Think You Are". Amazon. 2002.
  15. ^ "More Than You Think You Are". Amazon. 2002.
  16. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  17. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  18. ^ "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  19. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  20. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  21. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 9, 2003". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  22. ^ "Charts.nz – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  23. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  24. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  25. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  27. ^ "Matchbox Twenty Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  28. ^ "Top 200 Albums of 2002 (based on sales)". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  29. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  30. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2003". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  31. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 2003". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  32. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  33. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2004". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  34. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  35. ^ "2009 ARIA End of Decade Albums Chart". ARIA. January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  36. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  37. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Matchbox 20 – More Than You Think You Are". Music Canada. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  38. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  39. ^ "British album certifications – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  40. ^ "American album certifications – Matchbox Twenty – More Than You Think You Are". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 14, 2021.