Green Day ¡Uno!- 2012
RMR Album Rating- 6 (Good)
After establishing themselves as much more than a simple punk-rock band on the highly inventive, and sometimes highly intellectual, concept albums American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day returned to their roots for their 2012 punk rock release ¡Uno!.
American Idiot (2004) and 21st Century Breakdown (2009) were both massive in conceptual scope, and although Green Day moves away from this conceptual format on this short and simple 40-minute release, the project that ¡Uno! is a part of is no less ambitious, as it is only the first record in a triple album set scheduled to be released over a 5-month period.
¡Uno! is pillared by 6 cornerstone punk rock anthems in “Nuclear Family,” “Stay The Night,” “Carpe Diem,” “Let Yourself Go,” “Loss of Control,” and “Angel Blue.” All six of these songs are standouts and are highlighted by Bill Joe Armstrong’s vocals and Tré Cool’s drumming, which have always defined the band’s sound for me.
My favorite of these songs are “Nuclear Family,” (the lead track) which sets the tone for the album right away with blazing energy and ultra-catchy instrumentation and vocals; “Carpe Diem” is also bursting with energy, and it has an amazing anthemic chorus of “Carpe Diem/ A Battle Cry/ Are we all too young to die?” Plus, there’s “Angel Blue,” which is somewhat hidden on the second half of the album, but it is the fastest song on the record, and it is highlighted by Armstrong’s signature vocals and searing guitar work.
In general, my favorite classic punk rock albums are short, fast, and catchy. And, there is rarely much diversity between the songs, and ¡Uno! would have been a great record if all 12 songs followed the same fast paced pattern, but Green Day does show some diversity on “Sweet 16,” which is played slower than the aforementioned tracks, but it is no less catchy. Finally, there’s “Oh Love,” which also shows some diversity. It is more of a straight alternative rock song. I also think it is the best written song on the album with several tempo & pace changes, as well as a great chorus of “Far away/ Far away/ Waste away tonight/ Tonight my heart’s on the loose.”
The only songs that don’t resonate with me on the album are “Kill The DJ” and “Troublemaker.” “Kill The DJ” has an odd and funky inspired sound that seems completely out of place on the album, and both songs feature puerile lyrics that seem to intentionally target a specifically younger and immature audience.
After the release of American idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, I think it would have been a mistake for Green Day to continue down the path that those albums paved. Personally, I love both those albums, but I think Green Day had peaked with that style of album. Plus, Green Day fans had been begging for a proper follow up to their 1994 breakout album Dookie, on which !Uno! delivers, but is has almost 10-years of additional song writing experience tied to it. Overall, !Uno! is a success, and it is a completely enjoyable and easy listen.
My favorite Tracks "Oh Love" & "Carpe Diem"