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| Green Day: American Idiot |
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Don't Want
A Nation Controlled By The Media
Okay - I'm baised.
I've loved Green Day since their third album Dookie
came out in 1994. This Berkley, California-based trio have given
me many great songs to pogo to over the years - well into my 30s
- and, amazingly, American Idiot (their ninth
album) is truly a coming
of age for these wise punk-pop
masters and is a testament to Green Day's coherence as modern punk
rock songwriters.
In an age of war and fear, and manipulation of the media, Green
Day have written their version
of the truth, and American Idiot
is the result.
As a complete LP it is something of a rarity.
Part rock opera
(in the style of, say, Quadrophenia), with resurfacing characters
and continuing themes; and part punk
rock Christmas (short, sharp anthemic
themes and choruses with lots of harmonies) - American Idiot is
not far from perfection
to guitar music fans. It is an incredible
collection of songs, riffs and ideas. All wrapped-up in a big "fuck
you" |
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Pros
Every track is a winner. Superb musicianship.
Great punk rock.
Cons
It isn't longer.
Comment
Finest punk LP of the century - so far. |
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| "Nine albums in and Green
Day produce their best yet. American Idiot is an album full of great
songs, identifiable lyrics, thumping rhythms and cutting guitar
riffs. If you don't yet own it: buy it now." |
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And Can You Hear The Sound Of Hysteria?
With the already infamous and powerful
"American Idiot"
the album sets out it's stall and has us jumping around and cheering
along like crazed loons (at least those of us that have any sense).
It's a blazing opener...
Track two - "Jesus Of Suburbia"
is different to many Green Day songs in various different ways.
Firstly: it's nine minutes long. Secondly: the song is broken down
into smaller 'songlets'
that weave together perfectly. As touched upon earlier; here we
see Green Day creating recognisable
characters that reoccur throughout
many songs (the titular Jesus Of Suburbia is obviously someone they
know - or someone we all know). Thirdly: each vignette seems to
tell part of a story that flows through the entire album. Fourthly:
it rocks! Shit - this is Green Day on highest
form...
The third track "Holiday"
became a single. The album is full
of singles. Fourth track "Boulevard
Of Broken Dreams" is absolutely
Green Day at their bitter-sweet best. A haunting, swaying ballad
that deservedly got a lot of airplay.
In track five "Are We The
Waiting" the Jesus Of Suburbia
makes a reappearance as Green Day incite the crowd into holding
up their lighters (ugh) to make their protest heard (yay). Then
immediately, as the lighters run out of gas, in crashes "St.
Jimmy" - a rollicking good
tune about a character we come to know well by the end of the album.
He's the patron saint of the denial, with an angel face and a taste
for suicidal.
"Give Me Novacaine"
brings us back to Earth with soothing slide guitar, before mashing
us up again with a smash-and-grab overdriven chorus and rousing
guitar solos.
"She's A Rebel"
- a favourite - is a foot-stomping Green Day power anthem par
excellence. "Is she dreaming
what I'm thinking? Is she the mother of all bombs - gonna detonate?"
Drummer Tre Cool excels throughout American idiot, but "She's
A Rebel" is probably his finest hour.
"Extraordinary Girl"
begins strangely, but quickly gets going towards it's catchy chorus
and girlfriend-pleasing theme. Arguably the weakest song on the
album - "Extraordinary Girl" is still a superb composition,
and would still be a best-selling single among the dirge of the
charts.
"Letterbomb"
- track ten - is a punk rock classic.
Straightforward; laced with swearing; immensely powerful; catchy,
and with roaring production - it doesn't fail to impress on all
levels.
Track eleven, "Wake Me Up
Before September Ends" is
a haunting segueway into the album's second nine minute epic: "Homecoming".
Like "Jesus Of Suburbia" "Homecoming" is broken
down into smaller connected songlets - each with something unique
and amazing to add to the proceedings. In my mind "Homecoming"
is the single best track
on American Idiot. It bounds from one amazing place to another and
uses every second of it's nine minute length to take us somewhere
we've never been before with Green Day.
After "Homecoming" you might expect the last track on
the LP to be something of an anticlimax. It isn't here. "Whatsername"
will undoubtedly touch a nerve with those that have been through
a torrid break-up - which is pretty much everyone,
then - and will remind them that it's simply not worth the upset.
Cheer up. Green Day are back and they're better
than ever. |
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The Subliminal Mind-Fuck America
Having heard this album, and having lived
in America, maybe it's all too
clear for me: Green Day have hit
the nail on the head with American Idiot. For some Americans being
an American is a pretty embarrassing and shameful thing to be at
this present time.
And believe me: I feel for them.
But, regardless of the politics, American Idiot is without doubt
a marvellous addition to punk
rock history. Guitar, bass and
drums (and a whole host of other instruments) have not gelled together
this well for some time. Neither has there been a better time for
protest, and Green Day protest well.
Green Day have been teetering on the brink of a classic
for some years, and American Idiot is that
album. |
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Green Day comprises
of childhood friends Billie
Joe Armstrong (guitars, vocals), Mike
Dirnt (bass) and Tre
Cool (drums). The band came together in California
when Armstrong and Dirnt formed a band named Sweet
Children while in their teens. When drummer Al
Sobrante was added to the line-up in 1989:
Green Day was formed - though Tre Cool became the band's
permanent drummer after the release of their first LP
and after Sobrante decided to go to college.
Official website: http://www.greenday.com/
1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours
- Released: 1990
Kerplunk! - Released:
January, 1992
Dookie - Released:
February, 1994
Insomniac - Released:
October, 1995
Nimrod - Released:
October, 1997
Warning - Released:
October, 2000
International Superhits
- Released: November, 2001
Shenanigans - Released:
July, 2002
American Idiot - Released:
September, 2004 |
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| American Idiot Track Listing |
1.
American Idiot
2. Jesus of Suburbia
I.
Jesus of Suburbia
II.
City of the Damned
III.
I Don't Care
IV.
Dearly Beloved
V.
Tales Of Another Broken
Home
3. Holiday
4. Boulevard of Broken
Dreams
5. Are We the Waiting
6. St. Jimmy
7. Give Me Novacaine
8. She's a Rebel
9. Extraordinary Girl
10. Letterbomb
11. Wake Me Up When
September Ends
12. Homecoming
I.
The Death of St. Jimmy
II.
East 12th St.
III.
Nobody Likes You
IV.
Rock and Roll Girlfriend
V.
We're Coming Home Again
13. Whatsername |
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Green Day American
Idiot
Product:
Ninth and best album from USA's finest punk rock trio
Aimed at:
Punk rock-lovers and disillusioned youth
Label:
Warner Reprise Price:
£8.99
Features: 13 tracks
of punk rock perfection
RATING:
95 out of 100 |
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| Good places to buy
American Idiot : |
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