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Green Day
American Idiot
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Call it suburban neo-punk...or punky-power-pop. Hell, call it anything you want, but you gotta call it great! Green Day's new CD, 'American Idiot', has the guys hurting, and questioning, and, well, just plain mad...angry...pissed off! They're pretty much railing against the average American's acceptance of virtually everything spoon-fed to them (or, even shoved down their throat) by the media, especially, and anyone and everyone else after that. 'American Idiot' is a terribly melodic screed against the idiocy of not thinking for yourself - just accepting the "party-line", as it were. The "subliminal mind-fuck
America
", as lead-singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong so aptly puts it in the title cut and lead track.
And speaking of "American Idiot", the first track...has anyone released a catchier, more melodic, almost perfect power-pop-punk song this year?! Hell, in any genre, for that matter?! This tune grabs you from first listen and from there on, you ain't got a chance. The melody, chord structure and arrangement are just about as perfect as we've heard. The drums (Tre Cool) deserve special mention for their superb tuning, and varied use of jungle-thumping, without cymbals, numerous times throughout the disc. These are some of the most intelligent, compelling lyrics vomited forth by anyone this year. Now "everybody do the propaganda, and sing along to the age of paranoia" is really great stuff! Or, "don't want to be an American idiot, one nation controlled by the media...information age of hysteria, calling out to idiot
America
", trying to get your attention, people - wake up and smell the *cough*Fox*cough*RupertMurdoch*DanRather*OhMy*cough...er, media...er, message! Cut two, 'Jesus of Suburbia', is a movement in five parts. (Part V.'s lead guitar recalls the melody to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". Cool!) Oh, did I forget to mention, this CD is supposed to be a punk rock opera...a concept punk album...and it really works! Who woulda thunk it from those brash brats who gave us 'Dookie' some 10 years ago? From cut three, "Holiday": "pulverize the
Eiffel
Towers
, who criticize your government". Cut four's title "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", is self-explanatory.
"Are We the Waiting", track five, is, for my money, the best cut on the disc. It has a haunting, surreal, ghostly feel...not quite of this earth. Starting out with a pulverizingly simple drum figure (again, the drums are tuned to perfection, for maximum effect), by the time the chorus enters, you wanna pump your fist in the air and sing along: "and screaming are we, we are, are we, we are the waiting unknown". This song is, to my mind, perfect. (Thankfully, the lyrics are included for your scrutiny and study.) "St. Jimmy" is straight-ahead Ramones speed-punk. (The band deftly use dynamics and rhythmic speed changes throughout the album to great effect.) "Give Me Novacaine" is, again, self-explanatory, and a fine mid-tempo ballad-rocker change-up. "She's a Rebel" and "Extraordinary Girl" are heartache/heartbreak love/hate relationship songs. The latter starts out with nice Mickey Hart-like experimental jungle rhythms and evolves into a minor key sad-song with a latin backbeat..."She's an extraordinary girl in an ordinary world, and she can't seem to get away". "Letterbomb": wonders "where have all the riots gone?...It's not over 'til you're underground. It's not over before it's too late...Where will all the martyrs go when the virus cures itself?" Great song all around! Track eleven is the requisite ballad "Wake Me Up When September Ends", and makes fine use of chimes and tambourine. Starting with acoustic guitar, electric guitar and bass soon swoop in and give the song wings. Track 12, "Homecoming", is, again, a movement in five pieces: remember St. Jimmy from track six? He dies...lost dreams and wasted time and drugs...and nobody cares. Tubular bells intro "Nobody Likes You". Self-pity. "We're Coming Home Again" is an anthemic emotion-burster that'll have your lighter swaying above your head to the old
Brill
Building
drumbeat that eventually devolves into a martial drumbeat and smears the beautiful with the ugly. Closer "Whatsername" references "She's a Rebel", the one that, well...we took different paths, ya see, and I dream about her, I wonder whatever happened to...?
Green Day have created an amazing album with 'American Idiot', the first true (and WAY successful) attempt at a rock opera since, well, Pete Townshend, whose spirit informs alot of this piece. The melodic power-chords, harmonies aplenty, great melody lines...the three punk idiots from 'Dookie' days have become three power-pop-punkers who don't wanna be idiots anymore. They're surely growing up, but they're not growing old! Though just a bit of this disc sounds derivative of their earlier work, it's mostly shiny, spankin' brand new. It is truly amazing how those basic three-chord rock'n'roll patterns can be brand new again and again after some five decades.
This is the second true protest disc of the year, after Steve Earle's 'The Revolution Starts...Now' (and not counting all of the obvious anti-Bush releases). Green Day are protesting something different, but Lord knows there's plenty of things to protest going around these days. Major kudos to Green Day for not only holding their ground, but also for taking a GIANT leap forward. This is the best Green Day yet. Buy it and listen to it...really listen to it. Read the lyric sheets. Maybe it'll get you thinkin' while you're rockin'! WAY recommended!
Release Date: September 21, 2004
Tracks: 13 - Time: 59:28
Produced by: Rob Cavallo & Green Day
Format: CD
Website: www.greenday.com
Track Listing:
American Idiot / 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 / Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams / St Jimmy - I: Are We the Waiting; II: St Jimmy / Give Me a Novocaine / She's a Rebel / Extraordinary Girl / Letterbomb / Wake Me Up When September Ends / Homecoming - I: The Death of St Jimmy; II: East 12th Street; III: Nobody Likes You; IV: Rock and Roll Girlfriend; V: We're Coming Home Again / Whatsername.
Green Day:
Billy Joe Armstrong - Vocals / Guitar
Mike Dirnt - Bass / Vocals
Tre' Cool - Drums
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