Green Day - American Idiot
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Free Music Notes for American Idiot
Free Music Review: An unfortunate imitation of actual punk / hardcore.
Hit: 1 Stars
When your band has hit the skids and you want to be taken seriously as an "artist" (after ripping off the Ramones for years), you can always do what Green Day does here - create an anti-American "concept" hardcore/punk album. The media will help cover for all of your resultant and inevitable flaws and lack of actual creativity, because in the process of trying to be political you help reinforce said media's own prejudices, which they seem to like. Unfortunately for Billie Joe and company, mixing Pink Floyd and the Descendants in the same blender doesn't work, and the only thing they ended up with was a (charitably described) mess. The only tolerable track is "Holiday". The rest of the album is suitable for only those who breathe the rarefied air present within the state of California. Because there are still a fair number of us who remember proper examples - Ramones' "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg"; Sex Pistols' "Bodies"; Stiff Little Fingers' "Alternative Ulster"; just about anything from Suicidal Tendencies' or Fear's first albums. Hilariously, the album was originally released with DRM and its associated root-kit. In doing so Green Day rather hilariously "Spoke truth to Power" by forcing DRM up the collective alimentary canals of its fans on behalf of the RIAA. So much for sticking it to the Man. Free Music Review: New Sound, and New Fans...
Hit: 4 Stars
I remember rushing to Target to buy this album when it was first released, playing it over and over again till the songs were imbedded into my brain and than went to school to discover that everybody else was listening to it. It really annoyed me, seeing that all these people who never listened to Green Day before are suddenly fanatic about it, especially the preps. I than cast the CD aside to collect dust till a couple years later when the Green Day fanatical episode died. The CD is very enjoyable, like a punk pop opera of the millennium. But some of the songs bore me to death, others are a tad-bit annoying since I heard them re-played on the radio so many times and others I cherish and love. My favorite song on this album is Jesus of Suburbia and my least favorite is Whatshername. American Idiot is a good track, but pales in comparison with Jesus of Suburbia, at least for me. Holiday is awesome as well, and I adore Are We the Waiting. Boulvevard of Broken Dreams is okay, but since I heard it so many times sung by others and played on the Radio it is somewhat distasteful now.
Shes A Rebel and Letterbomb are a nice accommodation of this album. Wake Me Up When September ends, as a lot of the fans of Green Day know, is not based on September 11th. Its actually about the death of Billie Joe's father, and the reason why he gets tearful while singing this song. Homecoming is similar in build of Jesus of Suburbia and Give Me Novocain is one of my top three favorites from this particular album.
If you an oldie Green Day fan, this is a nice new sound to you. For anybody who has never heard Green Day before except from this album, and have purchased Bullet In A Bible, try listening to Dookie which is actually far better than this album will ever hope to be. Sure, this album is popular and the best of 2004, but don't proclaim this the best. Dookie has always been the best album of Green Day, American Idiot is second best.
I' am really looking forward to Green Day's new album, which should come out later this year. If you want to re-visit the "Sweet Children," days of Green Day, try listening to 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and Kerplunk! to get an original taste of Green Day. Don't just stick with American Idiot, try all the other albums as well.
Free Music Review: almost forces you to grab your guitar and blast away
Hit: 5 Stars
completely deserving of every accolade. Just a rock tour de force that makes you want to grab your guitar and blast away. not one false note here, changing tempos, walls of crunching riffs, great vibes that escalate as you get deeper into the record. it will go down in history as one of the best rock albums ever.Free Music Review: New Favorite of an Old School Rocker
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been listening to rock of various stripes since my teens in the mid-60's. While I still get a kick out of the classics, my greatest thrill (musically speaking) is finding a fresh twist on rock traditions...a sound that doesn't simply re-tread old ground or wander off into experimentation for its own sake.
American Idiot is, in many ways, an old fashioned album, with strong echos of The Who, Pink Floyd and other great stadium bands of the last half century. But Green Day rejuvenates the form with inventive rhythms, unexpected melodic changes and a 21st Century political and social sensibility, making American Idiot a completely contemporary piece of musical art. If you're looking for an example of the best of today's mainstream rock and roll, you could hardly do better. Give the album a listen; start to finish, it's a blast!
Free Music Review: THIS ALBUM SAVED ME FROM SUICIDE!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
You're probably thinking I'm some sort of psycho now, but I was going through a lot. Pink Floyd's the Wall and the Donnas' Gold Medal were also albums that helped, but at that time, I thought it was just American Idiot.
Each track on this album is incredible. I don't really pick favorites, but when I did, I considered this the greatest album of all time. This is my interpretation of the rock opera.
"American Idiot," the first track, is a typical Green Day song. It also is a great opener. It introduces the concept of anti-authority, and what America was like back then (and it somewhat still is).
"Jesus of Suburbia" is one of two five part suites on the album. It's really the opening song of the story, and it really makes you feel like you know the Jesus of Suburbia, who is a young teenager trying to make his way in his home town, but he feels a lot of pain. It ends where he runs away from home. This song has such beauty but such anger as well.
"Holiday" is what "Amazing Journey" was on the Who's album, Tommy. It's where the story really begins. The Jesus of Suburbia ran away from home, and this is a song about what America was like at the time, and it works as the Jesus of Suburbia's journey to the big city. It's a very agressive tune as well.
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is where the Jesus of Suburbia has arrived, but he feels alone. "Holiday" was referred to as the night you're drunk and having fun, and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was referred to as the hangover. This song really shows the loneliness of the Jesus of Suburbia. It was the big hit single, and it's a beautiful song.
"Are We the Waiting" is where it's realized that the city has problems as well, but there are others here who question as well. These people are all ignored by the high authority as well. It shows such beauty and such questioning about the authority.
"St. Jimmy" is about the Jesus of Suburbia's alternate identity. He is like a spokesmodel for all of the people who question the authority. This is a tough rocker tune about rebellionism, but it's also an uplifting and happy song.
"Give Me Novacaine" is about being in a lot of pain, but using drugs to forget that pain. This is one of the most popular songs on the album from most people I've talked to. It is a very beautiful song.
"She's A Rebel" is where we first meet the girl known as Whatsername. She also becomes St. Jimmy/Jesus of Suburbia's girlfriend. It's a song that describes who she is. She's called Whatsername so it could be anyone, and there's a part about having forgot her name at the end. Like St. Jimmy, it's an uplifting but still agressive rocker.
"Extraordinary Girl" is about the relationship problems that St. Jimmy/Jesus of Suburbia and Whatsername are having. It also has a bit of influence from East Indian music. It's almost sad in a way.
"Letterbomb" opens up with a recurring melody sung by a woman, the opening of the song is reprised later on the album. It's about Whatsername leaving St. Jimmy/Jesus of Suburbia, telling him that he isn't the person he was when they met, and that he has become someone that he swore to never be. Also, things are happening to the group that they would all hang out with. It's a hard rocker that shows fear and anger. This song is like the climax of the story.
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" was written even before they recorded their album, Warning, a few years earlier, but September 11th gave it a second meaning, this album gave it a third meaning, and the video gave it a fourth meaning. When listening to this beautiful song as part of the album, it's about things looking hopeful for others, but not St. Jimmy/Jesus of Suburbia. He feels lonely without Whatsername. It really works as part of the album and is right after the climax, but it isn't the resolution.
"Homecoming" is the resolution of the story. It's the second five-part suite. It also reprises the opening melody of "Letterbomb," probably sung by the Whatsername earlier, and is a voice in the mind of her. The song starts where the Jesus of Suburbia decides to proclaim that St. Jimmy died, but the idea of who he truely was had died much earlier. Jesus of Suburbia then realizes that he isn't who he used to be, and is upset about the loss of Whatsername. Soon later, he gets a letter from one of their friends, who seems to be doing well (that segment is called "Rock and Roll Girlfriend," written by Tre' Cool; I think the rock and roll girlfriend was Torry Castellano of the Donnas). After that, Jesus of Suburbia realizes that there isn't anything for him where he is, so he goes home. That's how the story ends.
"Whatsername" is the final song. It really is a conclusion of the story. The Jesus of Suburbia is remembering the part of his life that the story is about, but he's forgetting Whatsername. However, he's still curious about her.
To conclude, this is a great progressive punk album. It really shows such deep emotion. This is probably the best album that Green Day will have ever done.