Stay Positive

For the song by The Streets, see Stay Positive (The Streets song).

Stay Positive
Studio album by The Hold Steady
Released	15 July 2008
Genre	Indie rock, Rock Opera
Length	43:48
Label	Vagrant/Rough Trade
Producer	John Agnello
Professional reviews
The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space. AbsolutePunk.net (90%) link allmusic link[dead link] Alternative Press Drowned In Sound (9/10) link Kerrang! Rolling Stone link NME (9/10) link The Skinny link Entertainment Weekly (A) link Uncut link Pitchfork Media (8.4/10) link
The Hold Steady chronology
Boys and Girls in America (2006) Stay Positive (2008) Heaven Is Whenever (2010)

Stay Positive is the fourth studio album by The Hold Steady, released on July 15, 2008 through Vagrant Records. Vocalist/guitarist Craig Finn notes that the album is about "the idea of ageing gracefully [...] keeping going, perseverance [and] how to stay true to the ideals and ideas you had when you were younger."^[1] Keyboard player Franz Nicolay notes that the album is his favourite, stating that it features an "integrated, nuanced, less hectic distillation of [their earlier] sound."^[2] Stay Positive is the last studio album to feature Nicolay, who departed from the band in early 2010.

On May 20, the album's first single, "Sequestered in Memphis", was released on the band's MySpace page and on iTunes.^[3] On June 9, the entire album was made available to stream on MySpace,^[3] and on June 18 the full album became available on iTunes. It was later released for the videogame Rock Band (via the Rock Band Network) on March 4, 2010.

The record entered the UK Album Chart at #15 on July 20, 2008, the third-highest new entry. It ranked #1 on the UK Indie Chart. In the U.S. it entered at #30 on the Billboard 200. The album was Alex Zane's record of the week on the XFM breakfast show. The song "Constructive Summer" was number 56 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.^[4]

Stay Positive has sold 88,000 copies as of April 2010 ^[5]

Lyrical content

In an interview with Uncut, Craig Finn notes that he thought the album "should maybe look at the characters I’d been writing about on the previous three albums as they got a bit older, more adult with more adult problems." The title track in particular references several Hold Steady songs and characters from the previous albums, such as "Hornets! Hornets!", "Positive Jam", "Massive Nights" and "Sweet Payne", while relating them to the common theme of believing in the ideals of youth as you get older.^[1] The title track references hardcore punk bands Youth of Today, 7 Seconds, and Dillinger Four.^[6]

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
AV Club	USA	The Best Music of 2008	2008	#6[7]
Q	UK	50 Best Albums of the Year	2008	#35[8]
Mojo	UK	50 Best Albums of the Year	2008	#6[9]
Uncut	UK	50 Best Albums of the Year	2008	#12[10]
Rolling Stone	USA	50 Best Albums of the Year	2008	#36[11]
Entertainment Weekly	USA	Best Music of 2008: A Second Opinion by Chris Willman	2008	#1[12]

Bullying The Jukebox Radio Program (Australia) - Number 13

Track listing

1. "Constructive Summer" - 2:56
2. "Sequestered in Memphis" - 3:33
3. "One for the Cutters" - 4:41
4. "Navy Sheets" - 3:23
5. "Lord, I'm Discouraged" - 5:08
6. "Yeah Sapphire" - 3:37
7. "Both Crosses" - 4:35
8. "Stay Positive" - 2:59
9. "Magazines" - 3:09
10. "Joke About Jamaica" - 4:36
11. "Slapped Actress" - 5:19

CD bonus tracks

A "limited edition digipak" version of the album was released with three bonus tracks (however, they are uncut from one another and run continuous as track 12):^[13]

12. "Ask Her for Adderall" - 2:52
13. "Cheyenne Sunrise" - 4:11
14. "Two Handed Handshake" - 4:15

Vinyl edition

A double vinyl LP is also available, which includes the limited edition CD's bonus track "Ask Her for Adderall," as well as a slightly different track order.

Disc 1 Side A:

1. Constructive Summer
2. Sequestered in Memphis
3. One For The Cutters

Disc 1 Side B:

4. Navy Sheets
5. Yeah Sapphire
6. Lord, I'm Discouraged

Disc 2 Side A:

7. Both Crosses
8. Stay Positive
9. Joke About Jamaica

Disc 2 Side B:

10. Ask Her For Adderall
11. Magazines
12. Slapped Actress

References

1. ^ ^{a b} http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/the_hold_steady/reviews/11826
2. ^ Lindsay, Andrew (2009-02-16). "Interview: Franz Nicolay". Stereokill.net. http://stereokill.net/2009/02/16/interview-franz-nicolay-the-hold-steady/. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
3. ^ ^{a b} The Hold Steady on Myspace
4. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2008". Rolling Stone (December 25, 2008). Retrieved 2009-01-12
5. ^ http://www.billboard.com/news/hold-steady-seeks-to-break-out-of-the-brooklyn-1004088055.story#/news/hold-steady-seeks-to-break-out-of-the-brooklyn-1004088055.story
6. ^ "Stay Positive" lyrics at Sing365.com
7. ^ The Best Music of 2008
8. ^ Q Magazine Jan 09, pg.83
9. ^ [1]
10. ^ [2]
11. ^ [3]
12. ^ Entertainment Weekly Dec 26/Jan 02, pg.100
13. ^ The Hold Steady's official website