Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
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Free Music Notes for 21st Century Breakdown
Free Music Review: Their best yet...
Hit: 5 Stars
It seems that, more than ever, it's fashionable to hate bands that become successful, begin to explore other sounds and expand their themes; they're labeled as hacks and sellouts. From their hard-punk freshman work on "1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours", Green Day, in my opinion, graduated with their rock-opera "American Idiot" and I wondered how they would top it. They did just that with this epic CD - incredible variety, depth and passion; "21st Century Breakdown" is their doctoral thesis.
Granted, I like everything they've done - from the early EP's to "Kerplunk" to "Warning"; I'm a fan. I think they're the best rockers working today or as Letterman once said when they appeared on 'Late Night', "The band that's single-handedly saving rock and roll." I thought "American Idiot" was the one of the best rock albums released in years but "21st Century..." comes in as far more sophisticated with an impressive array of music and a very clear vision of character and story.
Almost everyone is familiar with the thrust of this album; rock opera story of Christian and Gloria in 3 Acts (Heroes & Cons, Charlatans & Saints, Horseshoes & Handgrenades) so let's talk music.
The sheer range of different sounds on this CD was the first thing that struck me. "21st Century Breakdown" has everything; the hard-rocking "Know Your Enemy" and "Murder City", classic rock echos of "The Who" in the title track as well as "Before the Lobotomy" and "See the Light". Then there's an Ozzy feel to "Christian's Inferno" and the truly edgy "East Jesus Nowhere" (originally called "March of the Dogs"). Surprisingly, there's a beautiful John Lennon-esque ballad style in "Last Night on Earth", "Restless Heart Syndrome" and "21 Guns". Throw in the tre' cool (pardon the pun) Spanish guitar-influenced "Peacemaker" and radio-ready pop tunes like "Last of the American Girls" and "The Static Age", then follow each tune as it tells the story with the occasional flourish worthy of Queen and it's a very imposing work.
The lyrics are intricate and finely constructed, playful and clever, wry and revealing. The "Last of the American Girls" paints a picture of America itself, from it's naive hopefulness to it's self-absorbed isolation to it's self-perceived superiority - `She wears her overcoat for the coming of the nuclear winter / She is riding a bike like a fugitive of critical mass / She's on a hunger strike for the ones who won't make it for dinner / She makes enough to survive for the Holiday working-class...'
"East Jesus Nowhere" is a stinging indictment of religious fanatics; `Say a prayer for the family / Drop a coin for humanity / Ain't this uniform so flattering / I never asked you a God dammed thing'. Then there are songs that effortlessly shift gears musically while elucidating story and character, like "¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)".
And as far as selling out; when I was first hit by "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" (`I'm not f-ing around / I think I'm coming out / All the deceivers and cheaters / I think we've got a bleeder right now...') I heard all the intensity, passion and punk sensibility of anything in their early days. And almost every song on this CD has an eloquent, craftsman-like attention to detail.
Contrary to the crap some of blogs have been spewing, Green Day does not hate America any more than John Lennon thought he was Jesus. But artists who explore deeply and kick over the rocks to examine the underbelly will always be derided for exposing what people don't want to face. It's right there at the end of "Restless Heart Syndrome" - `You're a victim of your symptom / You are your own worst enemy / Know your enemy'. It's ironic that people say Green Day has sold out and then despise them for attacking the American establishment... isn't that what punks do?
But if "21st Century Breakdown" is selling out, Green Day will continue to expand their market because there are lots of us out here who are buying. Then again, I'm an old guy; I grew up with rock and roll from the 60's and 70's, so perhaps I have perspective... or maybe its dementia.
Either way, let the haters prattle on - Green Day rules.
Free Music Review: Green Day-21st Century Breakdown
Hit: 5 Stars
Five years after the smash hit American Idiot, Green Day releases it's "spiritual" sequel: 21st Century Breakdown. With leading singles, the fist pumping anthem Know Your Enemy and rock ballad 21 Guns, this rock opera is by far Green Day's most ambitious album.
Rather than following their biggest album since their mainstream debut, Dookie, quickly with a follow up Green Day opted to take it's time with the followup. After spending most of 2005 touring in support of American Idiot, they reconvened in 2006 to start work on 21st Century Breakdown. In January of 2008, they entered the first of four studios they would record the album at with producer Butch Vig, and finally released the album nearly five years after American Idiot. The question is: was it worth the wait?
In my opinion it was more than worth the wait. With 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day doesn't just show grand ambition, but also creates their most personal album to date. Where American Idiot spoke of life during the Bush administration, 21st Century Breakdown looks at life after the Bush administration and the frustrations with religion, society, government, and, naturally, authority in general. Taking pieces from his own life, Billy Joe Armstrong writes upon his experiences and views ("Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell" from the song 21st Century Breakdown refers to his birth in 1972 while the line "We are the class of '13" refers to Armstrong's own son's future graduation date of 2013) to craft an album that is more accessible for it.
When you listen to this album you notice that it does sound a bit different than past Green Day albums. Rather than just taking a straight up punk approach, Green Day listened to vinyl records ranging from The Who, The Kinks, and even Meat Loaf in preparing for this album. Because of this the album has a slightly more retro and arena ready feel than past Green Day albums. Songs like Viva la Gloria! and Before the Lobotomy would sound completely at home in the 60's and 70's if the distortion was stripped away, and they even delve into mariachi on Peacemaker and Greek stylings on Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl). Also, rather than writing most of the songs with guitar as normal, Billie Joe Armstrong wrote most of the songs with piano giving them a more organic and earthy singer songwriter feel even amongst the distorted guitars and punk back beat drums.
But, for those of you who love old school Green Day, don't fret, they're still all about punk and have never sounded tighter. With lines like "Raise your hands now to testify/ Your confession will be crucified/ You're a sacrificial suicide/ Like a dog that's been sodomized" from East Jesus Nowhere Green Day still doesn't leave anyone to wonder about their punk cred. And after listening to the title track from this album, any questions about how tight they are will vanish from anyone's mind. If anything, Green Day has only gotten better with age.
In short, I personal think that this is arguably Green Days best effort. Branching out proves to only suit Green Day in a way that most bands don't seem to be able to pull off. I highly recommend that you give this a try, even if you're not a fan of Green Day or punk, there's plenty here for everyone from ballads to hard rockers and on!
Free Music Review: Album of the century...
Hit: 5 Stars
I have to say that Green Day has always been my favorite band, and they always will be, no matter what they put out. 21st Century Breakdown may sound different from say, 1039 / Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, but they have matured a lot. I hope no one still expects them to sound like that, though I honestly believe that Billy, Tré, and Mike are still the same "punks" they've always been. Even if this album does sound a little more like "radio pop", it's just they've reached an inevitable popularity, and have made a really catchy album. Anyone, a fan of punk, alternative, hard rock, soft rock, classic rock, will enjoy this album from the greatest band of the last twenty years. Here's a review of each song:
Song of the Century: Not really a song, but an interesting intro none the less
21st Century Breakdown: Amazing first song; plays hard and fast, not that unlike older Green Day
Know Your Enemy: The fist single; very punk and doesn't let up from where they left off on American Idiot
¡Viva La Gloria!: Best song, and I don't care what anyone says, I like piano intros, as long as the song ends as loud as this song does; it's pretty deep and incredibly catchy
Before the Lobotomy: Beginning guitar sounds like "Civil War" by GN'R; very slow start but it fits in so well with the rest of the album
Christian's Inferno: Also incredibly hard, and catchy enough to have radio play; though definitely not radio pop like what Nickelback turned into
Last Night On Earth: The slowest song on the album, not that it's not good; does lack some emotion and isn't catchy enough to be "Good Riddance" or "Wake Me Up..."
East Jesus Nowhere: "...And we will see how godless a nation we have become"; very good; heavy as all hell, for Green Day
Peacemaker: Incredibly original song; like a cross between Green Day's punk and a Mexican with a guitar travelling through India (listen to the song, you might get the analogy)
Last of the American Girls: Catchy, but maybe a little too radio friendly for my liking
Murder City: Another hard song; true to their music, true to themselves; close to being the best song on the album
¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl): Also very original; reminds me of "Mama" by MCR
Restless Heart Syndrome: Starts off a little too slow; could be the best song on the album if the entire song rocked as hard as the second half
Horseshoes and Handgrenades: Great just because it sounds just like their old stuff; kind of like "All The Time" off of Nimrod; wouldn't be Green Day without screaming "I'm not f*****g around!"
The Static Age: A song that would fit in very well in American Idiot; again, very catchy
21 Guns: Probably this album's "Wake Me Up..."; I just wish that it didn't get overplayed on popular radio (doesn't that make you want to give the middle finger to society)
American Eulogy: Mass Hysteria/Modern World: Picks up where the intro ends; quite epic sounding
See The Light: Very catchy song; not too loud or punk; and not the greatest ending to an amazing album, but it certainly packs a punch
Free Music Review: Lightning Strikes Twice.
Hit: 5 Stars
Recorded during the longest break in Green Day's history - five years - and following up the band's most critically acclaimed album to date-- the wildly successful "American Idiot" - "21st Century Breakdown" has two big tasks at hand. Firstly, to expand upon and match the dynamics of such a universally praised album, and secondly, to retain the signature Green Day sound while catering to a much, much wider audience than before. Thankfully, the five years between albums paid off and have yielded another album that will assuredly please both the critics and the masses, as well as making the books as one of Green Day's finest musical achievements. Working with producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins), Green Day sound reinvigorated and refreshed, with an album that begs to be a classic or at least live up to the hype of its predecessor. Its sound is large, its themes ambitious and most importantly, it still sounds like Green Day. Not only are they are back, they are back just as big as ever.
Yet another rock opera, but hardly a rehash, "21st Century Breakdown" focuses less on Bush-bashing and more on questioning where society is currently heading. The concept is vague in comparison to that of "American Idiot," which actually works to the album's advantage. If "American Idiot" marked the band's descent into full-fledged adulthood, "21st Century Breakdown" is their way of making sense of and coping with it. Many of the songs reach for the grandness of the likes of The Who ("See the Light," "21st Century Breakdown") and surprisingly succeed. Others are Green Day being Green Day. Take "Know Your Enemy" (this album's "American Idiot") or "Restless Heart Syndrome" (this album's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams") for example. While there may not be a "Wake Me up When September Ends"-type song on the album, "21 Guns" - best described as a ballad for the American Troops - marks the most reflective and subdued moment of the album. Thankfully, the band isn't afraid to just rock out at times, and the rest of the album is as rocking as ever, as evidenced by songs like "East Jesus Nowhere" and "Horseshoes & Handgrenades." Billie Joe Armstrong's lyrics this time around have matured, are a little less on-the-nose and yet, are as brash and catchy as ever. Musically, the album is the band's most varied to date and finds each member improving their craft, when at a point in their career, they probably weren't expected to. It's a perfect marriage of the band's signature punk style with their newfound arena rocking abilities. In an essence, this is the band's most musical effort to date.
At the end of the day, behind all the bells and whistles, it's still the same Green Day we've always known. It's just that they have matured, and the days of writing tongue-in-cheek tunes like "Welcome to Paradise" and "Longview" have long since passed. Most of Green Day's original audience has completely grown up and the band seems up to the task of keeping up with them. It's primed for today's audience, too, which means it will be yet another force to be reckoned with, but thankfully, it's filled with enough substance that you might not mind hearing its songs on the radio every five minutes for the next few years.
Free Music Review: Goes beyond American Idiot, One of the greatest rock albums of our time!
Hit: 5 Stars
"Sing us a song of the century
that's louder than bombs and eternity"
Those are the first words uttered by Billie Joe Armstrong on the remarkable follow up to the already classic rock opera American Idiot. Like that verse demands, Green Day have become a rock band that don't just play guitars, bass, and drums and scream and shout like many other bands of their generation. They are a band that speak to the masses on a universal and personal level. In fact, 21st Century Breakdown goes beyond its politically fueled predecessor. The album sparks elements of "panic and promise and prosperity" in the times of political campaigning that are empowered with positive slogans like "Yes We Can", an obvious reference to the current Obama era, in a time of economic collapse, at least 2 seemingly endless wars, and where the level of ethnic discriminations are increasing. Like the world today, 21st Century Breakdown is intense, but beautiful nonetheless if you look at it from a different angle.
In a nutshell, 21st Century Breakdown is an awesome Punk rock opera. Broken up in 3 acts with 2 characters, Christian and Gloria, recurring throughout, the music takes you on a fascinating journey though your deepest imaginations with 18 tracks that scream perfection (remember, you can understand the story in whatever way you like...I'll just wait for Green Day to explain the plot).
The first act, Heroes and Cons opens up with the title track, a powerful stadium rocker, before diving into a string of infectious tunes like the first single, and the most politically charged song on the album Know Your Enemy, the wonderful Viva La Gloria!, Before The Lobotomy, the hard edged Christian's Inferno, and the future hit single Last Night On Earth.
Act II, Charlatans and Saints, is the most uplifting act on the album thanks to such amazing songs like Peacemaker and Viva La Gloria! (Little Girl), which echo Green Day's 2000 album Warning, the delightful Last of the American Girls, the fast paced Murder City, and the beautifully written Restless Heart Syndrome.
Act III, Horseshoes and Handgrenades, features the second single, and surefire hit, 21 Guns, which is one of the highlights on the album in that it pays salute to all the fallen soldiers, and comdemns fighting altogether. The act also includes the 2 part medley for American Eulogy, Mass Hysteria and Modern World.
It's hard for me to pinpoint album highlights simply because the entire album is infectious.
It's also great knowing that the world has Green Day keeping us company through our hardest times.
One of the greatest rock albums of our time!
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