Green Day - American Idiot
Is this yet another easily accessible melodic Punk Rock album from Green Day? Yes indeed, but I think they manage to be so much more.
I have always liked their ultra catchy and easy going tunes, their dark and fast stuff, their soft ballads, their street smart attitude, their not always taking things so seriously, their cool lyrics coming straight from the heart but most important of all their melodies.
This band has an incredible talent for making songs that just stick to your brainwaves like super glue. Their music goes straight in and with the first vocal or melody line I'm usually either singing or humming along.

You could say that their music is commercial. and so what, most of their stuff is way too fast, heavy or unpolished for radio air play, so instead of slamming them for making music that once in a while hits the airways I'm just glad that it is possible to listen to a decent song on the radio, there certainly isn't much of that around anyway.
It's not like the band writes songs that must be "hits", just take a listen to the raw and heavy Insomniac release, not a single calm or especially radio friendly creation. This bands songs and lyrics are honest and full of creative integrity.

And so I'm going to say a few words about their very good and seventh album entitled American Idiot, a very diverse and comprehensive 13-track piece.
I have always found their style very original, mostly Melodic Rock with a heavy dose of Punk and Metal influences with the ability to sound just as acoustic and sedative as aggressive and fierce.

The title track is also the album starter and one of my favourite Green Day songs with its fantastic drive, catchy refrain, cool drum twists and powerful rhythm work.

This album presents two 9-minute songs that both are split down in five parts, the first one called Jesus Of Suburbia is both innovative, profound and progressive. One of my favourite episodes on the entire album is the delicate piano part in the last section, bringing the tempo way down and Billie Joe singing the emotional lyric with great passion.
Homecoming is the other 9-minute cut and it doesn't have the same amount of great ideas or melodies but still an interesting and quite good track.

The easygoing vibe of Holiday makes way for another favourite. The dual acoustic/electric guitar riff sounds immensely cool, just like AC/DC. I would say that Green Day also possess the ability to make simple structures and melodies highly memorable and dynamic in their own special way.
A great underlying bass foundation gives the song a really solid base and the catchy guitar solo fits right in.

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams presents a typical Green Day half ballad kind of song, a driving acoustic guitar rhythm carries the song forth, supported by a central bass and cool illuminating minor guitar licks.

I would have liked it if the fast and aggressive Green Day style had been taking up more room on this disc, the stuff we get is nevertheless very good. The intense ST. Jimmy and Letterbomb with its spectacular chorus are fantastic.

There is not one song that I don't like, some being just above average though. She's A Rebel being one of them with its overdone and quite dull chorus, but I can't deny its strong drive.
Whatsername ends the album being too static and missing some of the nerve and cool melodies found in so many of the other creations, the rich heavy rhythm guitar works well but this is clearly one of the albums least successful songs, kind of cutting the concept at bit short with its abrupt closure.

The sound is crystal clear and having plenty of room for the minor details to unfold, a very professional and rich production, and you can't put a finger on the musical performance, delivered with great skill and Billie Joe's expressive vocals are a big plus.

On the lyrical front we are dealing with a loosely tied together chronological concept containing many classic Green Day elements, the songs are related to a certain day and have a total duration of nearly a year. We get introduced to different topics as feeling lost without a home, broken love and social alienation, at the same time it manages in a smart way to take a critical view on some political issues. It's not exactly the easiest lyrics and that you have to think a bit for yourself is only a good thing.

Quite powerful, highly melodic and ultra memorable.

Written by Tommy
Wednesday, January 5, 2005
Show all reviews by Tommy

Ratings

Tommy: 7.5/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.


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RevelationZ Comments


Comment by portugal23 (Anonymous) - Thursday, January 6, 2005
I absolutely hate political music


Comment by Bjorn (Anonymous) - Thursday, January 6, 2005
green day is shit


Comment by Morten (Anonymous) - Saturday, January 8, 2005
it's not even punk... it's rock, which they try to pass on to the US teenieboppers as punks based on video, looks and by playing down strokes on the guitar only...


Comment by J Leeson (Anonymous) - Monday, January 10, 2005
i personally think that green day are poor, they do not belong on a website with bands of as high a caliber as dragonforce, sonata arctica, rhapsody and opeth. there is nothing to their songs apart from boring riffs and monotonous vocals. although they appeal to some people, they arent my cup of tea thank you very much


Comment by WARLORD (Anonymous) - Wednesday, January 12, 2005
"Bands of high caliber as sonata arctica"

Well I´d pick Green Day any day over these metalband-wannabies. Unoriginal and lame as hell.


Comment by Matt (Anonymous) - Monday, January 17, 2005
Well they sure as hell aren't Steve Vai.


Comment by Lizzie (Anonymous) - Saturday, February 5, 2005
you are all stupid! GREEN DAY ROX! and their new cd is soooo awsome!
lice4g
-Liv


Comment by Matt (Anonymous) - Saturday, February 5, 2005
yea green day is t3h h4rdc0r3 d00d!!!!


Comment by Jose L (Anonymous) - Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Green Day rocks and all of you that don't agree with can go and jflksafkl them selfs


Comment by camilo r (Anonymous) - Wednesday, February 9, 2005
jerijgvlbkdhah


Comment by KC (Anonymous) - Monday, February 14, 2005
Green Day are good....
Sonata artica,opeth suck....DEATH rox!!


Comment by antonia germany (Anonymous) - Tuesday, February 15, 2005
do you really thin, green day sucks?
if you think so-
be tolerant and don't make those comments!
i was at a concert in germany and it was fucking great! their show was perhaps a bit too much but they've chosen really good songs and stuff.
i like the guys
they are not like britney spears and the other girls who just make music for the money... green day was great even before there were such big hits like "american idiot"
and i lke the way they criticize the american government etc.
they do their own thing and don't take part in the shit that is be done by some other musicians.
it's not only green day...
i'm right! *g*


Comment by antonia germany (Anonymous) - Tuesday, February 15, 2005
do you really think, green day sucks?
if you think so-
be tolerant and don't make those comments!
i was at a concert in germany and it was fucking great! their show was perhaps a bit too much but they've chosen really good songs and stuff.
i like the guys
they are not like britney spears and the other girls who just make music for the money... green day was great even before there were such big hits like "american idiot"
and i lke the way they criticize the american government etc.
they do their own thing and don't take part in the shit that is be done by some other musicians.
it's not only green day but many other bands... whatever:
i'm right! *g*


Comment by Chloe (Anonymous) - Thursday, February 17, 2005
i rate this album 10/10 its the BEST album i have EVER brought! Green Day Rocks!!!


Comment by HockeyGal (Anonymous) - Tuesday, March 1, 2005
I totally agree that Green Day is the best band ever. There are so many artists that complain about their lives on songs but none of the guys from Green Day have ever written a song about how tough their lives were. Mike was born to a heroin addicted mother, got foster parents who divorced a little while later and he had to go in between those houses til' he was about 17 or somthin', but does he complain?no! I love Green Day coz they have awsome songs and don't follow anybody's stuff and they don't take s**t from anybody! They're original and just rock.St.Jimmy is such an awsome song its crazy how good it is! All of their songs are crzy awsome! Holiday, Basket Case, LongView, Dookie, Welcome to Paradise, Nice Guys finish Last, American Idiot, all of them are great! This is their 7th album dude! American idiot is an amazing come back! Billie Joe, Tre Cool, and Mike Dirnt, they all just kick major a**!


Comment by bob (Anonymous) - Monday, March 21, 2005
i think you are all bonkers Green day rules.....p.s. any one no where i can find out the song duration foreach song is



Comment by man pickle (Anonymous) - Sunday, March 27, 2005
green day is shit...y dogg metal for?


Comment by gdgs #fan (Anonymous) - Thursday, March 31, 2005
GREEN DAY KICKS ASS!!! who ever dont like them...they dont no wut music is! WHOS WIT ME ALL THE GREEN DAY LUVERS!


Comment by Matt (Anonymous) - Thursday, March 31, 2005
*Shakes head*


Comment by Person (Anonymous) - Friday, July 1, 2005
I had'nt herd it before my girl
friend told me about them now I
think they rule


Comment by H (Anonymous) - Saturday, July 2, 2005
Your girlfriend is a tard.


Comment by Andrew (Anonymous) - Monday, July 4, 2005
I agree!


Comment by arindam (Anonymous) - Saturday, August 27, 2005
green day just "roooooooooooooooocks"


Comment by aman (Anonymous) - Monday, October 17, 2005
THIS IS FOR THE HIGH CALIBER GUY. Green day kicks ass....as for your rating of who is "high caliber"....WHO THE FUCK
ARE ANY OF THE BANDS YOU MENTIONED??? Shit if I have ever heard of them. So basically your comment sounds like shit.
For people that love punk...greenday will always be tight. Did i see any of your bands win any awards??????? NO buddy i think your in your own little word. Your sentence structure should be reorganized...make sense.


Comment by lis (Anonymous) - Wednesday, January 18, 2006
great albums made love jesus of suberb



Comment by grenade (Anonymous) - Thursday, March 23, 2006
green day is good


Comment by yo (Anonymous) - Thursday, March 23, 2006
bill has a very nice and lovely voice..so,i like all their songs cuz bill is singing dat song...muahahaha


Comment by Andres (Anonymous) - Monday, April 10, 2006
Green Day is a piece of crap, this shit of Happy Punk make me sick, What is this shit doing on this site??? Come on Tommy!!!!!! you have to be joking. This shit next to Opeth, Blind Guardian, Maiden, Death, Kreator, and other really good bands. I think this site was for real.


Comment by Erin (Anonymous) - Monday, June 19, 2006
Lyrics to the songs are from deep within. i have always loved this band and continue to do so. people say no way can this band be punk!!!! really, who cares? it's the music i love... that's my opinion anyway!!



Comment by Lewis (Anonymous) - Saturday, November 18, 2006
HEY DUDES HOW BOUTS THIS,
greenday are shitty posers who think the sun shines outta there asses,
id say that pretty much sums it up guys.
-Lewis


Comment by Lewis again! (Anonymous) - Saturday, November 18, 2006
p.s u guys i hate shitty lil scene rockers at rock fests all dressed like that asshole bilyjo armsting,
god y the fuck do they let scene rockers into reddin, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! god i was only there for the fuking slayer grow up u guys!
-lewis


Comment by lewis again again (Anonymous) - Saturday, November 18, 2006
christ matt u can not spell dude hardcore and the jesus go bak to skewl!
oh yer and who else wonders y greenday only reli appeals to people who cant play guitar cant sing dont know what a drum is and havent even graduated 7th grade!
Grrrrrrrrrrrr greeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnn dayyyyyyyyyyyyyy anger me! XD
-lewis


Comment by lewis again again again...... (Anonymous) - Saturday, November 18, 2006
erh u lot go listen to real music e.g
opeth dragonforce acdc led zeppelin sonata arctica metallica IRON GODDAM MAIDEN! do you people live in caves?


Comment by ThraX (Member) - Sunday, August 5, 2007
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Comments: 135
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I like any type, style of music that is good, I don't care if it's too commercial, heavey, political, as long as it connects with me in some way....Progressive music like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Savatage, Devin Townsend are my tops but any music that moves me, I never liked Green Day until this album, This album is very good, with excellent melodies and lyrics & I can listen to every single song on the labum, they made a great album with no filler tracks.........7/10....and to Matt they are no Steve Vai.....VaiRules!!

Posted by ThraX
Sunday, August 5, 2007

Comment by josh (Anonymous) - Friday, August 31, 2007
FIRST OF ALL IF U HATE GREENDAY Y R U HERE.greenday is good if u ahte them at leat say y bzides*weel ther shit* or #ther posers* there way bttr then rahpsody and if rapsody is good why havent I heard of them huh.i respect ur opions but if u dont like them turn ur head.btw u must have no life well bcuz. 1 u open up ur internet.2 u go to a greenday review.3 then u say how much they sux say u have no life if u do those 3 things.go watch fob the gaydar bandif u dont like gd.and i think greenday is awsome but dont 4get who started there style of music well started rock,the beatles,the clash,johnny cash,elvus presly,the rolling stones, so iff u like greenday u respect roack and rols history


Comment by VeX (Member) - Thursday, November 20, 2008
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Comments: 81
Ratings: 0
This is actually a good commercial pop album. Some very good melodies. Anyone who thinks Green Day is a true punk band is wrong though, Green Day are a pop band through and through. They have lots of layered vocals, guitar parts, and excellent production. That 's something true punk bands hate they like raw in your face 3 chords down your throat type of music. (I honestly cannot stand punk music) Green Day have really made a good album and should be proud of this album. 6.5/10

Posted by VeX
Thursday, November 20, 2008










Review by Tommy
None

Released by
Reprise Records - 2004

Tracklisting
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 Saint Jimmy
II. East 12th St.
III. Nobody Likes You
IV. Rock N Roll Girlfriend
V. We're Coming Home Again
13. Whatsername


Style
Punk Rock

Related links
Visit the band page

Green Day - Official Website

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Ratings
1 - Horrifying
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

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