- Artists:
- Green Day »
- Label:
- Warner Bros. »
What's this? A *Green Day *record, and me, in the same room, and it's not 1994 anymore? Who'd have thunk it?
More importantly, who'd have thought, four years after the atrocity of ‘Warning’, that the world’s perennial jokers in the punk rock deck would re-emerge with an album that’s not merely tolerable, but actually reasonably accomplished. ‘American Idiot’ is an admirable achievement – an album that doesn’t sell us short on the pop hooks of albums past, but one that also delivers a healthy dose of politics to the mix without sounding like a six-legged cliché-riddled embarrassment. How’d they do it? Four years under you-know-who in the White House might have something to do with it. By now you’ll have heard the title track. It’s only the prelude to some 40 minutes of politically conscious songwriting that belies the track record of a band better known for dumbing down punk rock. If this encourages just a small percentage of new voters in the US to take action and make their contribution count, then it’ll have done one of its jobs.
Of course, another job is to make us dance in a pop-punk stylee, and, predictably enough, Green Day come up with the goods: ‘Holiday’ is excellent, likewise ‘St Jimmy’. Much has been said about the band’s new fondness for epic, prog-style song structures (and lengths), but flames of fear should be doused – with the exception of a couple of tracks, most noticeably the multi-chaptered ‘Jesus Of Suburbia’, this is three-minute stuff from top to toe, the latter of which should be tapping in earnest throughout.
I remember the prickle of excitement on my skin when listening to ‘Dookie’ in science class ten years ago; this very nearly brings it all back. A strong return to form.
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Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Green Day - American Idiot
And I aint too keen on New Found Glory either - can't decide what I hate the most about them - their fucking irritating reason to kill music, the lead singer who think's he's funny or the guy on guitar who think's he's cool.
Not going to go on about Good Charlotte for various reasons although I hate their fucking atrocious music and Sum41 are an UGLY band - especially the dwarf that's fucking Avril Lavigne and whatever it is that plays drums and sings.
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Waiting and Macy's Day Parade are clearly classics.
But I'm not too sure about this single. The idea of Green Day going political sounds like it could be the worse thing ever.
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
(And I think their lyrics are really good...)
Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Like, say, me.
Green Day - American Idiot
Green Day - American Idiot
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Green Day - American Idiot
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Re: Green Day - American Idiot
I do, however, love nirvana.
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
You cad.
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Last time I checked the YYYs, the Libs, and the Strokes aren't punk....
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
You could argue that YYYs were, in some ways, some kind of a punk band, in the loosest possible sense.
Then again, you could say they're one-album wonders who're stuffed next year when the NME does a Datsuns on them.
Gutted.
Thank fuck the Seconds are good.
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Nirvana only ripped off the Pixies 25% of the time.
Even then they weren't really ripping them off. They were giving them their dues, granted, but you can't accuse Nirvana of ever being copycats. Every band in the world takes something from other bands that have affected them. Kurt and co like the Pixies, so it's hardly surprising that the influence came through a few times.
Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Go back to reading the NME and dropping buzz words to your mates.
Good.
Bye.
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Are you, in fact, in this room?
Oh.
My.
Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Re: Green Day - American Idiot
Considering the had a whole new album recorded which was leaning more to 'Warning' style that got stolen, its a testament to their skills. They forced each other to look at themselves and the stolen work and say "Was that the best we could do?" They couldve easily just re-recorded the stolen tapes, but scrapped it all and came up with 'American Idiot' extremely quickly. Green Day are one of the most punk bands in the world, and by that I mean they have never sold out their ideals and never became "bloated and arrogant rock stars". In this day and age, thats to be applauded.
They are musicians, they know that, we know that, thats the way it is. No bullshit or hype....



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