Lines, Vines and Trying Times

Lines, Vines And Trying Times
Studio album by Jonas Brothers
Released	June 12, 2009 (2009-06-12)
Recorded	February–April 2009
Genre	Pop rock
Label	Hollywood
Producer	John Fields
Jonas Brothers chronology
Music from The 3D Concert Experience (2009) Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009) Live: Walmart Soundcheck (2009)
Singles from Lines, Vines and Trying Times
"Paranoid" Released: May 12, 2009 "Fly With Me" Released: June 9, 2009

Lines, Vines and Trying Times is the fourth and final studio album by the Jonas Brothers. It was released June 16, 2009 in the U.S. The album received mixed reviews from critics and fans. In its first week, the album sold 247,000 copies, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200. It is their third and last album released under Hollywood Records and their last album released before their split on October 29, 2013.

Background

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Nick Jonas explained the title, Lines, Vines and Trying Times as "a bit of poetry we came up with on the set for the TV show." On the meaning he stated, "Lines are something that someone feeds you, whether it's good or bad. Vines are the things that get in the way of the path that you're on, and trying times — well, obviously we're younger guys, but we're aware of what's going on in the world and we're trying to bring some light to it." He noted, "this new album for us, I wouldn’t say it’s a big jump, but it definitely is a progression in our music and a growth for us. It has a lot more kinds of horns and a lot more strings." Added Joe Jonas, "there’s more to the music rather than just a typical kind of relationship song."

In another interview, Nick Jonas explained that the album is "our journal in songs," mostly about "all things we've gone through, personal experiences we get inspiration from." He also added that "we've also been working on trying to use metaphors...to kind of mask a literal thing that happens to us." Kevin Jonas also added that "the overall message is it's the same old Jonas Brothers, in a sense" and that they will be adding "different musical instruments that are going to add and build to the sound we already have." Musical influences for this album include Elvis Costello, The Zutons, Coldplay and Neil Diamond.

Promotion

The Jonas Brothers were promoting the album on their 2009 world tour which began on May 18, 2009 in Lima, Peru.^[1] The track "Fly with Me" was featured during the end credits of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.^[2] They've hosted three live web chats via Facebook (May 7, May 28 and June 4) to promote the album.^[3][4] The brothers performed songs off the album for a Wal-Mart Soundcheck concert which was released on June 9, 2009.^[5] They performed on Good Morning America on June 12, 2009 as part of GMA's Summer Concert Series.^[6] Radio Disney premiered all the songs from the album over a period of four days between June 11 and June 14. The entire album premiered on June 16, 2009. On June 21, 2009, they co-hosted and performed at the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards.^[7] The Jonas Brothers appeared on various television programs to promote the album which included: Live with Regis & Kelly, Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Larry King Live, The Today Show, Ellen and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.^[8] On August 9, 2009, they hosted the 2009 Teen Choice Awards along with performing "Much Better".^[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[10]
Allmusic	[11]
Chicago Tribune	[12]
Consequence of Sound	[13]
Entertainment Weekly	(B-)[14]
Los Angeles Times	[15]
New York Daily News	[16]
No Ripcord	[17]
Popmatters	[18]
Rolling Stone	[19]
Slant Magazine	[20]
Sputnikmusic	[21]

Reviews for the album were mixed, both from critics and fans saying that it was "premature". According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received mixed or average reviews, scoring 56 out of 100 points based on 11 reviews.^[22] Allmusic named "overthinking and over-production" as the album's main flaws, and noted that the group's combination of "teen pop that skews adult in its sound and form" seemed effortless on their previous album, A Little Bit Longer, but felt that on Lines the "seams are showing."^[23] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune claimed, "The rush to maturity is, well, premature," and added that "the strings and horns [...] only bog things down."^[24] Entertainment Weekly criticized "Don't Charge Me for the Crime," calling it "the sonic equivalent of being held at gunpoint by a baby rabbit," but praised "Black Keys" as being the most honest track, adding that "its quiet brushstrokes of teenage despair easily transcend Lines' misdemeanor mutinies."^[25] The New York Daily News criticized "World War III," saying, "it sounds like they just pulled a collective hernia."^{[26] [27]}

Singles

	"Paranoid" A sample of "Paranoid" by Jonas Brothers, serviced as the lead single from Lines, Vines and Trying Times. "Fly with Me" A sample of "Fly with Me" by Jonas Brothers, serviced as the second single from Lines, Vines and Trying Times.
Problems playing these files? See media help.

"Paranoid" was released as the album's lead single on May 12, 2009. Hollywood Records confirmed on April 29, 2009 that the track "Paranoid" would be the album's official single. On May 7, 2009 the song debuted on Radio Disney. It was released as an official radio single on May 8, 2009 and as a digital download on May 12.^[28] The music video was directed by Brendan Malloy and Tim Wheeler.^[29] The music video for Paranoid premiered on May 23, 2009 on Disney Channel. Paranoid peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Fly With Me" was released as a single on June 9, 2009. The song was first used during the end credits of the movie Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian. A music video for the song premiered on Disney Channel on June 7, 2009.^[30] To date, Fly with Me has peaked at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the group's lower charting singles.

Promotional single

"Keep It Real" was released as promotional single on September 6, 2009.^[31] Critiques of the song have noted its strong similarities to Maxine Nightingale' 1975 recording Right Back Where We Started From.

Track listing

Limited Edition Fan Pack Bonus DVD^[32][33]

1. Exclusive Photo Shoot Video Montage
2. Jonas Brothers Questions And Answers
3. Jonas Brothers Talk You Through The Album

• Music videos:

1. Paranoid (Music Video)
2. Paranoid (Making of the Video)
3. Paranoid (Karaoke Version)
4. Fly With Me (Music Video)
5. Fly With Me (Karaoke Version)

Chart performance

Charts and certifications

Release history

Personnel

• Kevin Jonas II: lead guitar, piano ("Turn Right"), backing vocals
• Joe Jonas: lead vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Nick Jonas: guitars, lead vocals, keyboards, piano, glockenspiel, drums on "What Did I Do to Your Heart", "Hey Baby" and "Keep It Real"
• John Fields: bass, guitars, keyboards, programming, vocals, percussion, baritone guitar, talk box
• John Taylor: lead guitar, vocals
• Dorian Crozier: drums, percussion, programming
• Ken Chastain: percussion, programming, keyboards
• Steve Lu: keyboards
• Commissioner Mike: police scanner on "Don't Charge Me for the Crime"
• Common: guest rap on "Don't Charge Me for the Crime"
• Chris Beaty: guitar solo on "Much Better"
• Will Owsley: pedal steel and guitar on "Turn Right"; mandolin and baritone guitar on "What Did I Do to Your Heart"
• Stuart Duncan: fiddle on "Turn Right" and "What Did I Do to Your Heart"
• Greg Garbowsky: bass on "What Did I Do to Your Heart"
• Jon Lind: acoustic guitar on "What Did I Do to Your Heart"
• Frédéric Yonnet: harmonica on "What Did I Do to Your Heart"
• Bruce Bouton: pedal steel on "Before the Storm"
• Miley Cyrus: guest vocal on "Before the Storm"
• Millard Powers: 12-string acoustic guitar on "Before The Storm"
• Michael Bland: drums on "Hey Baby" and "Paranoid"
• Jonny Lang: lead guitar on "Hey Baby"
• Steve Roehm: vibraphone on "Paranoid"
• Strings on "Black Keys", "Don't Speak", "Fly with Me", and "Before the Storm" arranged and conducted by Steve Lu and performed by Eric Gorfain, Daphne Chen, Radu Pieptea, Wes Precourt (violins), Caroline Buckman, Briana Bandy (violas), Richard Dodd and Matt Cooker (cellos). Horns on "Much Better" and "Hey Baby" arranged by Michael Nelson and performed by The Hornheads: Steve Strand (lead trumpet), Dave Jensen (trumpet), Michael Nelson (trombone), Kenni Holmen (tenor saxophone), Kathy Jensen (baritone saxophone). Horns on "Poison Ivy" arranged by Ken Chastain and performed by Matt Darling (trombone), Joe Mechtenberg (saxophone), Zack Lozier (trumpet). Horns on "World War III" arranged by Jerry Hey (trumpet), Gary Grant (trumpet), Dan Higgins (saxophone), Bill Reichenbach Jr. (trombone). Horns on "Keep It Real" arranged by Steve Lu and performed by Dan Fornero (trumpet), George Stanford (trombone), Brian Gallagher (saxophone). Common appears courtesy of GOOD Music/Geffen/Interscope Records.

References

External links

• Jonas Brothers' official website