When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

Infobox Album
Name = When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
Type = Album
Artist = Atmosphere


Released = Start date|2008|4|22
Label = Rhymesayers
RSE0095
Genre = Hip hop
Alternative Hip Hop
Length = 54:36
Producer = Ant
Reviews =
*About.com rating|5|5 [http://rap.about.com/od/reviews/fr/Lemons.htm 2008]
*Allmusic rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kxfpxz9jldse 2008]
*"The A.V. Club" (B+) [http://www.avclub.com/content/music/atmosphere 2008]
*"Consequence of Sound" (A-) [http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/06/06/album-review-when-life-gives-you-lemons/ link]
*"The New York Times" (favorable) [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/arts/music/21choi.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 2008]
*"Paste" (favorable) [http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/7244/review/music/when_life_gives_you_lemons_you_paint_that_shit_gold 2008]
*Pitchfork Media Rating|7|10 [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/50335-when-life-gives-you-lemons-you-paint-that-shit-gold 2008]
*PopMatters Rating|3|10 [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/57992/atmosphere-when-life-gives-you-lemons-you-paint-that-shit-gold/ 2008]
*"Spin" rating|3|5 May 2008 (p. 94)
*"URB" rating|4|5 April 2008 (p. 105)
Last album = "Strictly Leakage"
(2007)
This album = "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold"
(2008)
Next album =
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = Hard cover book cover

"When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold" is the fifth full-length studio album by Minneapolis hip hop duo Atmosphere. It was released on Atmosphere's own Rhymesayers Entertainment label on April 22, 2008 to considerable critical acclaim. It was praised for Ant's synthesizer-based production and Slug's storytelling rap. [cite web
url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/atmosphere/whenlifegivesyoulemons
title=Atmosphere: When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (2008): Reviews:
publisher=MetaCritic
accessdate=2008-04-29] Because of concerns over piracy, Rhymesayers decided not to send advance copies to critics; instead, the label invited critics to listening parties.

The album was released in two different packages: a standard digipak and a limited edition (25,000 copies) 36-page hard cover book featuring an illustrated children's story written by Slug and a bonus DVD entitled "Sad Clown Bad Dub 13" containing over an hour of live footage and extras. [cite web
url=http://www.rhymesayers.com/releases.php
title=Rhymesayers Entertainment – Releases
publisher=Rhymesayers Entertainment
accessdate=2008-04-29]

"When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold" debuted at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 36,000 copies in its first week. It is Atmosphere's first album to reach the top ten of the Billboard 200 and the highest charting release from the independent label Rhymesayers. [cite web
url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003796535
title=Mariah Carey Remains Atop Billboard 200
last=Hasty
first=Kate
publisher=Billboard
date=2008-04-30
accessdate=2008-04-30]

Track list

#"Like the Rest of Us" – 3:20
#"Puppets" – 3:41
#*Additional vocals: Channy Casselle, Nate Collis
#"The Skinny" – 3:36
#"Dreamer" – 4:04
#"Shoulda Known" – 3:06
#*Synthesizer: Nate Collis
#*Additional vocals: Joe Mabbott, Mankwe Ndosi
#"You" – 3:14
#"Painting" – 3:00
#*Lap steel guitar: Dustin Kiel
#"Your Glasshouse" – 3:58
#*Additional vocals, sound effects: Tunde Adebimpe
#"Yesterday" – 3:23
#*Rhodes piano: Erick Anderson
#*Contains replayed elements from "Love Finds Its Own Way" by Gladys Knight & the Pips
#"Guarantees" – 4:32
#*Additional vocals: Nate Collis
#"Me" – 3:40
#*Additional vocals: Mankwe Ndosi
#"Wild Wild Horses" – 4:14
#*Trumpet: Kyle Borchert
#*Contains samples from "The Masquerade is Over" by David Oliver
#"Can't Break" – 3:33
#*Synthesizer: Nate Collis
#*Additional vocals: Joe Mabbott, Anthony Davis
#"The Waitress" – 3:00
#*Flute: Rajiah Johnson
#*Beatbox: Tom Waits
#"In Her Music Box" – 4:20
#*Flute: Rajiah Johnson
#*Rhodes piano: Erick Anderson
#*Additional vocals: Jessie Wilimek
#*Contains replayed elements from "Time Machine" by Gary Wright

Personnel

;Atmosphere
*Anthony Davis – keyboards, turntables, production
*Sean Daley – vocals;Additional personnel
*Brett Johnson – bass guitar
*Erick Anderson – piano, synthesizers
*Brian McLeod – drums
*Nate Collis – guitar
*Joe Mabbott – percussions, engineering

References

External links

* [http://www.rhymesayers.com/ Rhymesayers Entertainment]
* [http://www.paintthatshitgold.com// Tag The Web]

;Articles
* [http://articles.citypages.com/2008-04-30/music/how-atmosphere-went-electro/full/ "Purple Rain Dogs: Tom Waits for Prince Fans--Or How Atmosphere Went Electro"] - City Pages (4/30/08).