Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
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Free Music Notes for 21st Century Breakdown
Free Music Review: Excellent follow-up to American Idiot!
Hit: 5 Stars
Trying to write a review without comparing 21st Century Breakdown to American Idiot is nearly impossible - in fact, it's inevitable. It has been inevitable since American Idiot was released. It's also inevitable that whatever album Green Day releases next will be compared to 21st Century Breakdown.
But I digress. With 21st Century Breakdown, the band took what worked with American Idiot and improved it. On this album, the storyline here is less obvious and the main characters, Christian and Gloria, are referred to less frequently than on American Idiot. So the listener can choose to listen to this album in its entirety or listen to individual songs. Personally, I prefer to listen to 21st Century Breakdown as a whole album. The album should be listened to in its entirety - several times - before forming an opinion. Don't form an opinion based on the first listen, it will either grow on you, or you'll like - no, love - it even more.
Now on to the songs. As I mentioned before, the songs can be listened to individually. This is especially true for the first two singles, "Know Your Enemy" and "21 Guns", both of which are great choices. I believe that if "Last Night on Earth" is the next single, it would get massive airplay, to the point that no one could turn on the radio with out hearing it (a la "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"). 21st Century Breakdown is full of memorable songs, such as my favorite, "Last Night on Earth", "Peacemaker" (a song with a Spanish vibe to it, and my second favorite), "East Jesus Nowhere", the title track, "Restless Heart Syndrome", both "Viva la Gloria" songs, "American Eulogy" (both parts), "The Static Age", and "See the Light". My least favorite song is "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades", I just don't care for it! Instead of skipping the song (which would disrupt the flow of the whole album), I listen to it anyway, with the volume turned down.
My conclusion? 21st Century Breakdown is just as good as American Idiot - in fact I personally think it's better than American Idiot! I have listened to 21st Century Breakdown much more than American Idiot. So that's why 21st Century Breakdown is an excellent follow-up to American Idiot.
Free Music Review: They did it.
Hit: 5 Stars
I was absolutely, sinkingly disappointed in this album when I first listened. Shades of 1970's music (which is fine if you like that sort of thing; I don't). More rock, less punk; but I promised myself to listen through three times straight before I posted a review. The more I listened, the more the lyrics became clear, and depths of complexity began to show themselves. I had hoped for an album which I could play straight through without skipping a lot of songs, and this does it. It's a long album: 18 songs I think, and most of them are singles-quality.
A few notes: I didn't even notice the "Christian and Gloria" theme for quite some time. The lyrics are somewhat hard to understand at first, and I listen in the car, so reading the liner as it plays is not really an option. Finally, while waiting for someone in a parking lot, I got to read the titles and lyrics and realized that there was an operatic quality to this album, like American Idiot. Now, I come from the age of Pink Floyd's The Wall, and was exposed to Tommy during my teen years. I love the idea of a whole integrated collection of songs which make a story. In the early '80's, I spent hours imagining what Pink looked like (Pink the character in The Wall, not the pink-haired diva)and imagining what it all meant. I'd love to see a Green Day movie, with Jimmy or Christian, which would play at the midnight movie for decades.
Secondly, the sound of the album is often scratchy and sometimes sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of a well. I know this is intentional, but it was really bothersome at first; seemed to be used too much. Oddly, now I don't even notice it, but I play it louder as I've come to know the words.
Billie Joe fights the establishment with his lyrics, and this album is no exception. The lyrics are well thought out, if not somewhat repetitive in places(I agree with the reviewer who states that _Know Your Enemy_ is one of the weaker offerings), but definitely gives listeners the famous Green Day attitude. Again, if you don't get the first time, give it a couple more tries and I think you'll be hooked on an album you can listen to without interruption...
Free Music Review: Heartfelt album, these songs will grow on you . . .
Hit: 5 Stars
I had a hard time accepting this new album, as I loved American Idiot and didn't think it could be topped . . . further, I wasn't too excited about the whole "Christian and Gloria" narrative, etc. But I've found that, with repeated listens, the songs have really grown on me. And the narrative is so loose, and Christian and Gloria are referenced so infrequently, that there were times when I forgot I was listening to a "rock opera." This album is not as fun as American Idiot, it is more contemplative and introspective. And, with a few exceptions, it doesn't have the light-heartedness of earlier Green Day material. That's why you have to give it some time. The guys wanted to do something a little different (heck, they've been at this for 20 years). I personally feel like this album came from the heart, and that's why I listened to it two to three times to let it grow on me before making up my mind about it.
The following songs are my favorites:
1) Horseshoes and Handgrenades. I think this song has the most menacing "f$#k you" energy of any Green Day song ever. East Jesus Nowhere is also quite good, for similar reasons.
2) Last Night on Earth. I'm not usually one for ballads, but this one is very beautiful. It was written by Billie Joe for his wife . . .
3) 21st Century Breakdown. This hook grows on you, it has a sunny, grooving quality to it even though the lyrics are kinda pessimistic.
4) "Before the Lobotomy" also starts out as a serious ballad . . . again, not my favorite type of music usually. The track morphs into something else and then the ballad material returns, but set to a backbeat and distorted guitars. It sounds very powerful at the end.
5) Restless Heart Syndrome . . . another haunting ballad that improves with each listen.
6) 21 Guns. This has a great "everyone put your lighter in the air" vibe. I think this will sound excellent live.
There were other good moments on the album, too. I'm just getting too tired to type more :) And, at the risk of beating you over the head with a stick . . . give this album 2-3 listens and let the material sink in. You will be glad you did.
Free Music Review: GREEN DAY IS BACK!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been listening to this album non-stop for the last week on Rhapsody. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to use the words necessary to really describe how Rock'n this album is on an Amazon review...
With its 18 tracks, Green Day really gave us a great big helping on this one. The band said they worked hard on it and let me tell you it shows BIG TIME. It is easily the most polished album they have ever made both musically and lyrically. Just when you think, Green Day may have reached their limit they reach out again and create something that just totally shatters the ceiling. American Idiot feels more like a practice album after you get done listening to, "The Breakdown."
Just about every song is so catchy. Any Green Day fan will take this one hook, line, and sinker. People have said some of these songs sound like some of their other songs and they do. Green Day has a formula and it works so why change it? If you like that formula, you will love this album.
There will be people on here that will log a 1 star for this album... Let me tell you those people have some other agenda and we could debate all day on what that agenda is lol. That is all I will say about that. ;)
Also, I have heard quite a bit of, "Green Day isn't punk anymore, blah blah blah..." This line seems to be getting more and more popular among the peeps that consider themselves hardcore... Having been a former SoCal punk rocker myself back in the late 90s early 2000s. I think you can more or less sum up the whole punk rock movement in one word which is, "Rebellion." It is rebellion against the status quo, rebellion against the government, parents, whatever. With that in mind, in my opinion Green Day is just as punk rock as they have ever been. They are just reaching a much broader audience now.
Here are the songs that I feel stand a little above the rest:
1. !Viva La Gloria!
2. 21st Century Breakdown
3. Last Of The American Girls
4. Horseshoes And Hand grenades
5. 21 Guns
6. American Eulogy
7. See The Light
8. Peacemaker
ROCK ON GREEN DAY! ROCK ON!!
Free Music Review: Green Day keeps maturing
Hit: 5 Stars
From the days of getting high, sex, and drinking, to the new modern political rock operas, Green Day keeps on giving. Dookie was great, Kerplunk was fun, and so on. Then American Idiot came out, and that album completely changed the name of the band. Now we have a new album, and it is from the same idealism of American Idiot, but instead of being directed to politics (American Idiot), 21st Century Breakdown is about everything that is wrong as a society and the economy, including religion, poverty,the 9/11 strike,self-discovery, and much more.Just like American Idiot, this cd has multiple songs that make up one whole song, bridges of chords that lead into the next song, a story of two and three characters and so on. Now I have heard people say that the songs suck, the cd feels rushed, and the lyrics repeat too often. Well:
1) So songs like Know Your Enemy, Peacemaker, Before the Lobotomy, and pretty much every other song on the album is not catchy and unique.
2) The cd took almost four years to be produced and to be released.
3) Wake Me Up When September Ends, American Idiot, Redundant, Hitchin' A Ride to name a few, were all repetitive in nature, and all those were great songs that were fan favorites.
Also, just like American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown is a different take to a different take. Now, Green Day are presenting all different styles of music here. Ballads complete with pianos and violins, a bit of mexican rock, punk rock, classic rock, and more. They ironically offer a bit of every genre for the last century, except for country. Brief rapping is done here. So what we have here is Green Day broadening their horizons for something for everyone. However, they are, and will always be a Rock/Punk Rock band, and they still have the style and attitude here, just with some alternate takes thrown in for a fresh measure. Green Day fans will find something to love, as long as you look with an open mind, and don't be so judgemental. New fans should find something to like, but listening to their previous work will make you question what kind of history and what genre they are trying to be in.