21st-Century Breakdown Is Green Day at Their Best
Coming off their 2004 effort, American Idiot, Green Day had a mighty high bar to clear with their new record, 21st-Century Breakdown. But I'm happy to report that America's biggest rock band has done just that. Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool, and Billie Joe Armstrong just keep getting better, and they're on top of their game with this one.
Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly.
I first became aware of the band in May 1994. Pat Smear and I were watching MTV when Green Day came on. I can remember Pat saying "I like this band," and I agreed. I chuckled at the name of the tune "Longview," since it's the name of a city I drive through a lot in our state. And it blew me away when I learned that the song got its name because the band actually played Longview, Washington once!
Even though they're from California, Green Day comes from the same place as Nirvana. We were all influenced by the punk and hardcore bands emanating from the San Francisco area, a scene that's not just about aggressive music but also about political and cultural sensibilities. Green Day's new work is real punk, so there's plenty of material dealing with feeling alienated from society, questioning authority and thinking "Fuck it all!" while still having as much fun as possible.
I've been fortunate enough to have worked with Breakdown producer Butch Vig myself. I know how hands-on he is with songs. In 1990, he suggested Nirvana take a whole section out of the song "In Bloom." We agreed. Butch immediately went to the recording machine and cut the tape with a razor blade and taped the edit together seamlessly! Butch knows about Rock and how to bring the best out of a band, which is why I am so happy Green Day chose to work with him.
Breakdown is packed full of melody and big ballads while delivering plenty of huge riffs--some that culminate in Green Day's signature wall-of-sound barrage. The show opens with a vignette - it is a concept record - of Armstrong singing a little ditty that sounds like it's coming from an old radio receiver. Piano chords follow with a grandeur that reminds me of "Amazing Journey" from The Who's Tommy. Then Green Day is off with the title track, a fine arrangement of many great riffs and melody, something they did with "Jesus of Suburbia" on American Idiot.
Like all punk bands, Green Day pays homage to punk's spiritual fathers the Sex Pistols, here on "Horseshoes and Handgrenades." But there's also a dramatic, almost show-tune quality to "Viva la Gloria" that's more along the lines of something you'd expect from the Decemberists.
Green Day is a great band, and that is what makes Breakdown a great record. Christian and Gloria, the record's protagonists - whose names which hint religion - move through despair, alienation, drinking, medications and love, in the end come to "See the Light." The grand chords that welcomed us into Breakdown come back in this tune, wrapping up the album with the message that there's still hope and faith in this world. And there truly is hope and faith while Green Day carry the flag of rock and roll high into the 21st century.
Oh Yeah, the new Flipper is released today with yours truly on bass - check it out!
63 comment(s)
Ivana says:
I Like it. A LOT!!!
Just keep playin',OK man?!
That's the only thing I would like to say...
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 7:05AM
Khalid says:
Perhaps after a few more spins my opinion will change but right now my take away is that the album is 'American Idiot' with new lyrics.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 9:46AM
Panos says:
I hardly consider Greenday punk..it's like putting them on the same scale with Dead Kennedys.
I just generally don't like them haha :)
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 11:44AM
Krist Novoselic says:
"I hardly consider Greenday punk.."
You're being dogmatic. Green Day are a huge Rock band - the biggest in the world. And they are Punk.
Who's really adhering to Anarcho-Communalist values today anyway? Not many - even though there should be more of this "third way" instead of the usual left / right polarity.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 12:02PM
Kevin Erickson says:
Green Day have done an admirable job of taking the values they internalized back at 924 Gilman St in Berkeley and tried to remain true to them even as they did their best to communicate to the broadest audience possible.
Cool that the Flipper album is streaming; I'll check it out!
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 12:12PM
Damon Spitzer says:
I like this album. Green Day continues their "rock opera" experiment, but this time the subject is less obvious. While American Idiot was, among other things, an attack on the Right (Bush), the message of 21st century is more cultural. Just because Bush is out of office, does not mean that the same problems are.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 12:42PM
Panos says:
"You're being dogmatic. Green Day are a huge Rock band - the biggest in the world. And they are Punk.
Who's really adhering to Anarcho-Communalist values today anyway? Not many - even though there should be more of this "third way" instead of the usual left / right polarity".
dear Krist,
It's your opinion and I'm entitled to mine.It's a matter of different perspective,ideology and musical taste I guess.
Blogging for me doesn't work for discussing political issues,I prefer human contact for that.Don't worry I'm not gonna stalk you, I live in Greece!
If you ever have time,listen to this band from Greece.
www.myspace.com/vodkajuniors
independent band who like to try different type of music (from hardcore to reggae-dub-soul).
pretty cool talking to you even under these terms!thanks for all the great music of the past and the now(good Flipper album).
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 2:06PM
Alex says:
Great article Krist! At last, someone who recognises that at what is considered to be their "commercial" peak, Green Day's message (as evident in the content of this album i.e. the issues over social alientation and authority that you mention) is at its most punk. I wish people would stop slating them for their punk credentials and just listen to the God damn tunes without the external baggage.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 2:40PM
Keith says:
SAY WORD SON?!?!?!?!?!!!? I haven’t heard it yet, didn’t think they could clear the bar. I beat them too the “American Idiot” song form of punk by a solid two years…… ripped off symphonic forms ….. lyrically we were even hitting on the same thing, some of the phrases and themes……..I have the tapes to prove it! They still can’t fuck with Insomniac.
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 6:48PM
Taryn G. says:
Yep Yep...also enjoyed them in the ending skit on SNL last weekend...very moving..."Saigon" by Billie Joel.
Thanks for the excellent analysis and for continuing to love music the way it should be loved!
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 19 2009 @ 11:19PM
Huh says:
Just curious when Green Day became..."America's biggest rock band"? There are several that might take exception to that title. RHCP comes to mind.
While I will agree that I like this album, I liked it better the first time I heard it, when they called it American Idiot. The ones that don't sound like that album, sound an awful lot like the Foxboro project they did 2 years ago. 21st century is a good listen but groundbreaking or a breathe of fresh air it is not.
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 5:44AM
Rajesh says:
They are ok.
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 6:12AM
Jordan says:
Their music is good, but their politics are stupid. Leave the politics out and keep the style!
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 6:34AM
Ivana says:
Oh, yeah - I am talking about Flipper...
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 10:41AM
Jared says:
Hey man- The songs sound great! Do you know if love & live are being released on vinyl? I cant seem to find any info. Thanks.
Jared
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 12:13PM
Jonny says:
I've not heard much of the new album, but from what I have heard, it's lyrically brilliant, but sonically poor - it's all just a bit too 'poppy' for me, but that's my personal taste.
What I do like about Greenday is the way they make an album just that - an album - a cohesive piece with a story to tell and recurring themes, rather than the usual method of sticking in a few songs earmarked as singles, and the rest as filler tracks.
They are currently the only big 'political' band out there (with Rage & SOAD not making music right now), and for this they should be applauded. It's refreshing to hear a band stray from the usual drivel of lyrical content, and have something that's sharp and witty; in Britain we have the Artic Monkeys, Reverand & The Makers, and The Enemy writing about social situations, but from a broadly non-political view, the world needs political music - as RHCP claim, "music, the great communicator".
Great peice Krist, and keep up the great work with the electoral reform!
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 3:56PM
Kevin says:
I've listened to the album. I'm willing to set aside my personal dislike of Joe's vocal inflections, but I have to say, I'm disappointed in the predictability of their chord progressions, vocal "melodies" and hooks. There's nothing unique here that Green Day or others haven't done a thousand times before. I could not give two shits about activist/political lyrics in any genre, so maybe I'm completely missing the genius here, but ultimately, I'm just sad to see the genre is approximately where I left it 10 years ago. If I can at all avoid just being a thankless complaining dick face, I personally think that a potential solution to this issue would be to forget about over-producing extravagant albums and releasing something simple and concise, one guitar, one bass, and one drum kit. Less is more, it can still rock, it can still be punk, it can even be light and ballad-esque as needed, but they would be forced to write some interesting progressions instead of making their music interesting through endless layers. I don't know, I guess people love that stuff, but I think it's just lazy.
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 5:21PM
wyatt says:
thanks for a breath of fresh air..the flipper cd's sound really great, perfect barbeque music
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 7:50PM
Igor, The Wrestling Fool says:
Krist, well done! Nice album, good production, I love the tone of your bass, great riff in the beginning of "Only One Answer" & "Triple Mass." "Old Graves" - great! Love the vocal melody of "Night Falls." "Why Can't You See" - eery, kinda of chilling - cool. Listening to this album, it becomes clear how Nirvana was able to function as a three piece.
However, the bad news - I'm pretty sure I wrote all these songs a few years back while on a camping trip in Montana. I have the tapes to prove it if I can find the black bear that ate my cassette recorder.
Anyway, good job. I like much!
igor, the (wrestling) fool
oh, are you using a ring modulator or some kind of harmonizer on your bass?
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 9:14PM
Kevin says:
PS, the new Flipper album is rad. Thanks for the good musics.
Posted On: Wednesday, May. 20 2009 @ 9:23PM
Sam says:
I whole heartedly agree with you Krist and also find it very interesting to see you writing and praising Green Day, after all many people say Green Day's rise was due to a backlash against the grunge movement and in their breakthrough years they often said how they were not fans of grunge. But fact is, Nirvana and Green Day did certainly have similar roots so I guess I shouldn't be too suprised! :D
Posted On: Thursday, May. 21 2009 @ 12:19PM
Kahlid says:
Just caught this headline, 'Green Day lashes out at Wal-Mart policy' and thought about how much cooler KC was with 'In Utero'.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104376883
In some ways it may not big as big of a deal as compared to '93 though, with the advent of online downloading.K
Posted On: Thursday, May. 21 2009 @ 2:57PM
Kevin J. Wangler says:
Krist, totally unrelated question, but are you @KristNovoselic on Twitter, or is that an impersonation?
Posted On: Friday, May. 22 2009 @ 8:05AM
Mike F. says:
Whenever Green Day comes on the radio, my 5 year old son pulls a booger out of each nostril and puts one in each ear in protest. He does the same thing when Blink-182 comes on... We've tried everything...
Posted On: Friday, May. 22 2009 @ 4:13PM
Krist Novoselic says:
Kevin - That's me!!!!
Posted On: Saturday, May. 23 2009 @ 11:13AM
Rod Hemrick says:
Krist:
what do you think of the poets
Robert Creeley
Charles Olson
Louis Zukofsky
Kathy Acker
Ezra Pound
Michael McClure
Amiri Baraka
Thomas Campion
Allen Ginsberg
Basil Bunting
?
And what do you think?
I find them extremely "PERTINENT" to the "PUNK" scene and EVERYTHING that came after. BRAKHAGE and KENNETH ANGER TOO.
Whitman etc
Posted On: Monday, May. 25 2009 @ 6:37PM
Anonymous says:
Hi Krist Im Santiago from Argentina, I was searching for some info about you on the web, aND i found this blog!
cool! New life style! journalism, politics! Im happy for you.
but i also founda picture of you holding a little sing that said "Autografh line starts here" and behind you there were to portable bathrooms and no one in the line.
MAN! WTF! you dont deserve that. YOU ARE A FUCKIN GOD OF ROCK LIKE IT OR NOT! SOOO WHAT THE FUCK!???
I think this is the only posible way form me( an Argentinian kid) to tell you this and show you my respect from this side of the world.
I made this video for you to see.
A mixture of classical music and a Nirvana song with me singinng.
hope you listen to it!
here is the youtube link-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK0aFOldzys
Thanks Krist! We love you
Posted On: Monday, May. 25 2009 @ 9:27PM
Rodrigo says:
Krist, this album is bad, i dont like...
Posted On: Friday, May. 29 2009 @ 9:45PM
Rodrigo says:
Krist, this album is bad, i dont like...
I read you from Colombia (south america)
Posted On: Friday, May. 29 2009 @ 9:45PM
Anonymous says:
I think Green day is evolving with time and issues at hand. Im happy-ish with the new album. They're becoming more punk with their lyrics being anti establishment and questioning conventional methods but still, they lost that original Green day sound on every track. Its there on some songs like 'Christians Inferno' but overall this is a new sound of mainstream rock with punk lyrics. But hell its better than alot of things comming out today *cough* 3OH!3 *cough*
Posted On: Saturday, May. 30 2009 @ 4:39PM
Tom D. says:
After Dookie Green Day got worse....i think now it's their 2nd or 3rd "Comeback"...Come on...you allready have enough money!!
Posted On: Monday, Jun. 1 2009 @ 3:04AM
John M. says:
Great blog post, Krist. It seems like yesterday when American Idiot came out. One of my fave groups, along w/ nirvana. I'll have to be sure to buy it sometime this week.
Posted On: Monday, Jun. 1 2009 @ 1:43PM
John M. says:
Great blog post, Krist. It seems like yesterday when American Idiot came out. One of my fave groups, along w/ nirvana. I'll have to be sure to buy it sometime this week.
Posted On: Monday, Jun. 1 2009 @ 1:44PM
Anya says:
Great post. The signifigance of GD in modern pop culture, saves us rockers from the idiots who seem to sell their albums because of their barely there attire, and 18 year old charm. These guys are legends, much like Nirvana, and should definetly keep the flag up with this one. Great Album. So excited something like this is on music stands right now.
Posted On: Tuesday, Jun. 2 2009 @ 5:37AM
Dave says:
I just watched an awesome performance from Green Day at a secret show in NYC. They played their hit “Know Your Enemy” and other new songs from their amazing new cd 21st Century Breakdown. I wish I was there, but these performances definitely make me feel like I was front row!! Check it out along with some really great pictures!
http://tinyurl.com/greendaystripped2
http://tinyurl.com/greendayphotos2
Posted On: Tuesday, Jun. 2 2009 @ 9:15AM
Sergio Cobain =x says:
Krist hi, I'm from Brazil, I have not had the opportunity to hear.. the new album of grenn day ... (Sorry for wrong english ..I'm using the google translator^^)
Ps:[you, Kurt and Dave are like a father ,friends to me , I hope to play its part one day, even if only one song: D. ..
Cobain's forever ...
Obrigado Krist...the picture of nirvana is still on the wall of my room. Forever...(memories)]
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 11:47PM
Weses says:
Well said, Krist! It really is a great record. Listening to it everyday, I'm reminded of how much Green Day have changed over the past decade. I believe to make an album sounding as good as this, they had to go through a lot of trial and error. Most bands split between a 20 year time frame. However, Green Day stuck together and kept pushing forward. They should be proud of themselves. They're a quality band and their sense for music combined just works.
You see lots of people these days saying "Oh, Green Day? They suck now. They're not punk." and I think those people should stop jumping on the "This band sucks now" bandwagon and actually take a minute to stop and realise times are changing, and bands are changing with them. You see a lot of old bands these days who stuck together over the years fading away becasue they're creating the same old sound over and over again. That's a problem a lot of artists run into as they get older, they think "should I do what my fans want me to do or should I do what I want to do?" and Green Day just done what they wanted to do and said "You know what? F*ck what people think, let's just do what we think is best for us" and then came along 21st Century Breakdown, their best album to date. They're getting older, they can't stay being the snotty old juvenile band that they were 10 years ago. They're in their mid 30's now for God's sake. I just wish the old fans wouldn't be so bitchy about them changing. This IS Green Day at their best.
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 1:17AM
Kevin Seattle says:
@Weses
For many people who dislike this album, they feel that way not because Green Day is doing something different, but because they are boring and mediocre at what they do. If they decided to come out with some crazy instrumental prog album, all the power to them. Instead, they've fallen into the trite pop scene and are basing every single thing they do off of riffs and progressions played 1000 times in a 1000 songs from a 1000 different bands. If you dig that stuff, awesome, but assholes like me think it's dumb.
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 1:29AM
E!!i says:
I love 21st Century Breakdown. It's my favorite album, because it has so much energy and different sounds. I
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 1:54AM
Nick says:
Wow. It amazes me how many people listen to this album through the lenses (some weird headphone thing that makes awesome music sound like nickelback?) of 1994-1998. NO OTHER BAND SOUNDS LIKE THIS! jesus effing christ! they are playing music unlike anything we've heard since green day's earlier evolving albums. this is the beatles on methamphetamines. GET OVER AMERICAN IDIOT! it's done. this is a brand new album that sounds absolutely NOTHING like it. if you can tell me in two seconds one song off american idiot that sounds like "last night on earth" or "restless heart syndrome" i'll cease my argument but come on! NOTHING is even comparable to american idiot on this new record. get over yourself and just listen to an album FOR ONCE without thinking about anything that came before it!
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 3:31AM
Sam says:
great album
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 6:36AM
Jason Henley says:
Anyone ever notice how the 21 Guns solo sounds just like the Full House theme?: http://www.henlivision.com/henlivison/2009/06/full-house-of-21-guns.html
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 10:44AM
Sam E. says:
Great review Krist.
This by far is Green Days best album lyrically and sonically,They really blew me away with their melodys and great hooks.Its great to see you have great taste in todays music..I have heard in recent interviews from the band actually comment on you with praise,so it is actually interesting that your reviewing them..Great work!!
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 12:15PM
Paul B. says:
I would say green day is punk, but I must admit I get pissed when they use backing tracks during live performances.
Posted On: Sunday, Jun. 14 2009 @ 8:35PM
Anonymous says:
Green Day IS a punk rock band no matter what anyone says and it's the best one too so if anyone disagrees, they are SOOOOOOO wrong!!!!!!!!!!
Posted On: Tuesday, Jun. 16 2009 @ 10:53PM
Pooya says:
I think this album is more than punk or any other rock genres.it's got everything,i mean in some parts its 60's garage or psychedelic garage , some songs are punk rock, some of them are dream pop and power pop, some singing lines are death metal!
i would call this album Pure rock with green day signature!
i mean you can hear rock songs with a punk rock signature.thats the reason that makes the album special.many people who consider themselves punk say that its not a punk album but i would say its punkrock on the highest level its been on.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 17 2009 @ 7:41AM
Joe says:
This is a GREAT album. I like it better than American Idiot.
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 18 2009 @ 9:46AM
Tom Ryokan says:
Why do people listen to this "music"? Oh dear.
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 18 2009 @ 10:27AM
Tom Ryokan says:
Nirvana was beyond legendary but this was made just for commercial reasons, how can it be good?
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 18 2009 @ 10:42AM
Kevin J. Wangler says:
Tom R. -- so if it's commercial, it must be bad?
This sounds like what Kurt (and many others, undoubtedly) struggled with. There's a thin line between selling records, and selling out.
I think Green Day could have continued to make Dookie over and over and over, but they didn't. They evolved, maybe not drastically, but they've matured and it shows.
Armstrong was, what, in his early 20s when Dookie blew up? He's 37 now -- I'm glad he's not still singing about the same stuff and playing the same exact style!
But everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, of course. You clearly hold this record in disdain, and that's fine, but don't put others down for liking it. To each his/her own...
/Kevin
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 18 2009 @ 10:52AM
Alex M says:
I haven't heard a single song on "21st Century Breakdown" that sounds like any song on "American Idiot." In fact, the only similarities I found in this album are to a couple songs on "Warning," which was most certainly one of Green Day's lesser albums. However, even if they did steal short chunks of songs they had already written, they did so in a way that made up for the fact that "Warning" was almost entirely filler (besides Minority and Macy's Day Parade).
Also, a progressive instrumental album by a band like Green Day would royally suck. They're good at what they do, and while they have evolved a bunch over the years, they still stick to what they're good at, which is writing kick-ass rockin songs.
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 18 2009 @ 11:12PM
Tom Ryokan says:
Nirvana were even better than Green Day and The Offspring but that's just my opinion. I suppose the truly great bands can be commercial and brilliant at the same time.
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 19 2009 @ 12:35PM
mark F says:
I believe the Chili Peppers are America's biggest and best band.
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 25 2009 @ 12:29PM
Björn says:
I agree with many comments here: Green Days recent records are boring. When Dookie came out I used to like it for a couple of month, but after that I prefered much better (meaning more progressive) bands/artists like Tool, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Melvins, Pixies, Jimi Hendrix, Sonic Youth and of course Nirvana. I can well imagine that if Kurt had not committed suicide, he would have gone in this direction with or without Nirvana.
Nice to hear from you Krist.
Greetings from Germany
Björn
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 26 2009 @ 5:07AM
Björn says:
I agree with many comments here: Green Days recent records are boring. When Dookie came out I used to like it for a couple of month, but after that I prefered much better (meaning more progressive) bands/artists like Tool, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Melvins, Pixies, Jimi Hendrix, Sonic Youth and of course Nirvana. I can well imagine that if Kurt had not committed suicide, he would have gone in this direction with or without Nirvana.
Nice to hear from you Krist, although I am disagreeing with you at this point.
Greetings from Germany
Björn
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 26 2009 @ 5:07AM
Björn says:
"on this point" of course
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 26 2009 @ 5:14AM
Jimmy says:
I wholeheartedly agree, Krist. I've been a Green Day fan since...well, since I seriously got into music, really. I love Dookie and Kerplunk!, but I think they are at their creative peak right now. The songs on 21CB (and American Idiot, to a lesser extent) are really brilliant, with the way the band switches genres and themes on a dime. And the melodies are fantastic (except for the ones that were ripped off from Warning). Bottom line, 21CB is amazing, and in a time where music fans are more jaded by the minute Green Day have had the balls to make an epic rock album with high ambitions. It's absolutely not predictable (for fuck's sake, "Peacemaker" has a Middle-Eastern beat!), and, in my most humble opinion, it's the best work they've ever done.
Posted On: Tuesday, Jun. 30 2009 @ 6:02PM
Mike from Sydney says:
i too have always regarded GD. they do really rock out and they have a meaning. whats worrying is they don't seem to care that their key audience is clueless about any message they have. i went to an arena show (was bought a ticket) and the fans were, well, 'square' would be an apt description. i think they knew of the band from guitar hero or something...cheers
Posted On: Wednesday, Jul. 29 2009 @ 8:55PM
Rob J. says:
'21 Guns' from 21st Century Breakdown, sounds WAY too similar to 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams' from American Idiot.
Posted On: Thursday, Jul. 30 2009 @ 9:29AM
Alex Gust says:
They were ok, listen to
Horseshoes & Handgrenades
then listen to:
The Hives Hate to say i told you so, Green day copied it from the hives :/
Posted On: Friday, Sep. 4 2009 @ 2:07PM
Meagan says:
I thought the new Green Day album was a sell out. Sadly most bands end up selling out in the end.
Posted On: Wednesday, Oct. 28 2009 @ 8:16PM
mark F says:
The ability of Green Day to stay so well grounded in their punk roots, while achieving such broad appeal is remarkable IMO.
For someone like me, who was never all that into the punk world, they manage to offend while the entertain.
IMO the ability to offend and entertain a mainstream music fan is a sign of punk genius.
So I'll tip my cap to this great American rock band...even though they piss me off sometimes :)
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 2:57PM
Danny says:
Id consider myself a hardcore Green Day fan but I really struggle with their last few albums. I havnt heard the new one, but i'll give it a shot now.
Green Day filled a void for me in 1994 and really helped me through. Dookie was full of teenage boredom and alienation and just clicked with me so much. Then I got their first 2 albums and I loved every note and word. Insomniac had its flaws but they were so good at that point, that it didnt matter much. Still a great blast your brians out, rock album. Nimrod I liked at the time but left an empty feeling after the new-album-effect wore off. Warning really bothered me a lot when it came out. I like some of it now but the production drives me insane. I always think if you're going to have mega-pop songs you need to balance it out with a more raw production. American Idiot was just the final nail in the Green Day coffin for me. Green Day-by-numbers but with extra instruments and arrangments. That song Jesus of suburbia is just like 5 really bland 2 minute songs tagged together really uninventively. I dont get it.
But anyway, Green Day was such an important band for me post-April '94, so its really interesting and nice to hear your views on 'em Krist!
Interesting to hear your first rememberings of them too, but im confused cos Green Day was backstage at the san fransisco '93 In Utero show and I swear Kurt had a t-shirt with "punks not dead - Green Day" written on it at the January 1992 MTV studios show.
Thanks again for sharing Krist :)
Posted On: Saturday, Nov. 14 2009 @ 9:26PM