It still has its catchy moments, though, like the songs "Green Day," "409 In Your Coffeemaker," "The Judge's Daughter," "1000 Hours," and "I Want To Be Alone." There's even a cover of Operation Ivy's "Knowledge." These kids know their influences! Let's see your Yellowcard or Fall Out Boy pull that one off! Although they fall short when compared to later Green Day, considering how young they were as a band when this came out, they pull off a decent debut. I'm a pop-punk fan deep within my black heart, and it's good to hear it done nice and lo-fi as opposed to the overproduced stuff we get today.
The production has improved, and Billie Joe sounds like a much better singer. Whether this is better production, improved vocal abilities, or both, doesn't matter - the fact is, he sounds like he knows what he's doing. "Sweet Children," (a song titled for the band's original name) "My Generation," "2000 Light Years Away," and "Android" are all high quality pop-punk songs. This album is the ultimate foreshadowing to the pop-punk explosion of the 90's. It's fast, catchy, and consistent. No wonder Reprise decided to sign them! 16 tracks, very little filler, all good album. If you see it, grab it.
This album has all the ingredients of a typical pop-punk album - you know, angst, love songs, apathy, and chainsaw guitars. But Green Day puts a twist on what has become a standard formula, even before it was the standard formula! Just listen to the lyrics of some of the songs. "Having A Blast" is about blowing yourself up because you just don't care anymore, and "Pulling Teeth" is about a failed relationship...because she beat you up! Add in about a million references to going insane and masturbation, and that's Dookie. Green Day knew how to have fun with a song. They could be emotional without taking themselves too seriously. This album shows that they have a sense of humour, and although it might be on par with a high schooler's, they're never pathetic. Their Ramones and Buzzcocks influences are clear, even on a major label. You can listen to this album no matter what mood you're in and it'll cheer you up, and that's more than I can say for some of the pathetically depressing music today.
The stress they felt is reflected in this album's lyrics. It's a far more serious CD than Dookie. Most of the songs have lyrics reflecting hate, sorrow, insanity, and drug addiction, but they're played with the same catchy, upbeat sound that it's almost hidden. This album only had two successful singles, "Brain Stew" and "Walking Contradiction," so it was practically missed by the mainstream. Their loss - this album is Green Day's departure away from snotty pop-punk and into taking themselves more seriously (though never enough to turn pretentious, thank god) and writing deeper lyrics. Comparing the lyrics with Dookie, you can see a world of difference. It's just too bad they weren't a bit more creative with their melodies, as often, songs start to blend into each other until they all sound the same. Not always, though, so I'd say it's still deserving of an 8.
The main advantage this album has is that all the songs sound different from the other. You can no longer zone out and think you're at the same song, even though it's five songs later. Using a violin on "Hitchin' A Ride" and a horn section that's not-quite-ska on "King For A Day" (a hilarious song about crossdressing) adds variety without sounding out of place. There's still all the snotty pop-punk you've come to expect, on songs like "Scattered" and "Platypus (I Hate You)," and can you beat the surf instrumental on "Last Ride In?" It's different without being a lame attempt at being experimental, and it's still the same catchy Green Day without being Dookie or Insomniac II. They know what they're doing: more variety with better quality. Aw yeah.
This was worth waiting three years for. It's very introspective, almost dark, instead of mindless pop and the like. By far the best track is the one the entire band wrote, "Misery," which features an Italian-esque instrumental. I should know the name of the instrument featured in this song, but I don't, so deal with that. The closer "Macy's Day Parade" brings out that whole bittersweet nostalgic emotion from deep within the recesses of your soul where you thought you buried it, like "Time Of Your Life" but far less cheesy. Hang on, I need a Kleenex, because this album is just that good. What? No, because I'm crying. Get your dirty mind out of the gutter. This doesn't sound like standard three-chord bashing. It's closer to the Beatles than to the Ramones. And I never thought I'd say this, but that's a really good thing, because Green Day knows exactly how to do it. This is how pop-punk should be in the 2000's. You know I'm right.
My only complaint is that there aren't any 1039 or Kerplunk! songs on here. I mean, sure those records weren't hits, but it'd give the buyer a full picture of Green Day's musical career and maybe encourage them to branch out into their non-radio songs. Then again, they probably don't have the rights to distribute singles off those records. Ah well, it's still a good selection for a greatest hits collection. When you have that many singles, it isn't hard to pick what works and what doesn't. I still think they should've put "Misery" on, though, even if it wasn't a hit. What?
Anyway, some of the tracks on this album are good old fashioned catchy Green Day, and some of it...well, there's a reason why it's so hard to find. The better tracks on this album are "Outsider," (a Ramones cover) "I Want to Be on TV," which sounds like it could have been on Dookie, "Desensitized," and "Ha Ha You're Dead". However, the bland "Don't Wanna Fall In Love," "Rotting," "Espionage," and "On the Wagon Again" come off as boring filler. In other words, this CD is more or less hit or miss. If you're a Green Day fan, you'd do well to pick it up, but be sure to get ready to skip some tracks.
Finally! One of my good ol' fashioned pop-punk bands makes a progressive record without buckling to the emo trend. American Idiot is the record every high school band should one day hope to make. Before we get into the whole political implications of this record, I'd just like to mention that Billie Joe Armstrong's voice sounds perfect throughout the entire album, which is probably what makes it such an enjoyable listen, and really carries the whole thing through. Now onto the rest of the review!
American Idiot, as outlined by the 9 minute epic "Jesus of Suburbia," is basically the soundtrack to any middle-class suburban brat, like yours truly's, life. The
All right, I just have to stop the review for a moment to comment that it is literally impossible to write anything when your father can't stop eating potato chips as loudly as is humanly possible. Right after eating my entire leftover pizza. I swear to god, if there's one thing I can never allow myself to become, it's an overeater. Kids, don't eat when you're bored or depressed.
Anyway, now that I've turned my headphones up, I'd like to say that this album reflects what it's like growin' up in the bland, corporate 00s. From protests on Bush and the Iraq War to laments of suburban boredom, this album takes what other pop-punk bands try to communicate, then does it correctly. The rock opera style does not come off as longwinded or bland at all throughout the entire album. From the memorable chorus of "Holiday" to the bittersweet "Whatsername," this is one of the best albums I've ever sat through all at once. Yee haw!