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Old 10-21-2009, 10:25 AM   #31 (permalink)
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Agreed. Even Watch Out! which I rate pretty highly as well couldn't capture the mood or energy of the debut.

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"I think if you do it long enough, then you get better at it. You're on the road a lot and you just get better. Also, we had a great producer, Julius Butty. We learned what we like to play. We're no longer virgins to the studio. We're just not quite the band we were a long time ago."
I hate how they view more polish as a good thing. But whatever sells records, ya know.
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Old 12-05-2009, 09:32 PM   #32 (permalink)
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Green Day "American Idiot"

Year: 2004
Genre: Rock
Length: 57:16

American Idiot came out around the time that I was really starting to take notice of music. Back then, my father was still very strict on what I could and could not listen to. And being that Green Day was a (relatively) heavy band with the odd use of strong language in their lyrics, they were an iffy band. Their music blew my mind, I loved it, but at the same time, I felt guilty because I knew in my heart that it was not the kind of thing I was supposed to be listening to. A couple years later I disowned Green Day. I was sick of their music, their style, their lyrics, their makeup, everything about them.

I decided to revisit this album this month just for kicks, and I am pleased to announce that I enjoy it now just as much as I did back when I was ten years old. It is a catchy, confident, poppy, triumphant, and sort of creative take on the faux-punk sound that bands like Sum 41, Blink 182, and Green Day themselves made popular. But unlike all of the similar music that came before and after it, American Idiot was truly special.

For 2004, American Idiot was a pretty culturally significant album both musically and lyrically. The sound was very typical of the big mall punk bands at the time: poppy, extremely catchy, mildly profane, and full of studio polish. Lyrically it is politically charged while still tame enough to appeal to the typical radio listener. And of course, everyone knows that it tells a rather pointless story of a modern-day junkie named Jesus.

The songs, as arena rock anthems for the twenty-first century are surprisingly excellent. There is not a bad song on the album, and many standouts for sure. Jesus Of Suburbia in particular is a nine minute epic that acts almost like a journal for the album's protagonist. It has five movements throughout that all boast distinct pop hooks. Even more interesting is the fact that some other notable hooks from other popular songs seem to have been... borrowed. City Of The Damned sounds eerily similar to a certain Bryan Adams chorus while the second segment of Dearly Beloved has me thinking "Ring Of Fire". And of course, who can forget the anthemic Holiday, or the power ballad Wake Me Up When September Ends? The pop quality per dollar is absolutely fantastic.

American Idiot remains one of the most talked about and popular albums of the decade, and I would go so far as to say it is one of the greatest. Fans of more obscure/abrasive/artistic music will dismiss it as radio garbage, punk fans will continue to call Green Day sellouts, and the kids who have moved on to 3OH!3 and LMFAO probably don't even remember all of the words to the title track. But none of that matters, because American Idiot has made it's mark, and like it or not, it is one of the defining albums of the decade.

91%
Masterpiece



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Old 12-06-2009, 04:38 PM   #33 (permalink)
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In my teenage years I was a huge Green Day fan, and although I wasn't really keen on American Idiot when it first came out (I much prefer their older stuff, by a long mile) I went and saw them live on their American Idiot tour and my faith in them was restored. They cop a lot of flack for the direction they've taken and for the popularity they have gained, and I can understand why, but I still love them.

What did you think of 21st Century Breakdown?
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Old 12-06-2009, 04:58 PM   #34 (permalink)
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I've only heard a few songs from it as of now. I suppose I should probably give the full thing a listen at some point, but I doubt it will be anywhere near as good as American Idiot.
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Old 12-06-2009, 05:55 PM   #35 (permalink)
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It's a great album! I've been a big fan since it came out. Best thing they did for sure.
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Old 12-08-2009, 09:46 AM   #36 (permalink)
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21st Century Breakdown is amazing but it won't make the same impact as American Idiot did.
What a good review.
I'm glad you listened to this album again.
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Old 12-08-2009, 04:14 PM   #37 (permalink)
 
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I used to be a big fan of Green Day . I think American Idiot and Dookie are their high-water marks. I loved American Idiot when it came out, i was an album i lived inside for months, and the Jesus Of Suburbia video was just awesome. I never got their new album and i don't feel tempted to get it either, i guess you just grow out of certain bands as you get older and discover new and better bands. But American Idiot is an album that played a huge part in my later teenage years and i have many good memories attached to it.

Excellent review by the way Alfred, i'm tempted to revisit it now for the nostalgia
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Old 12-08-2009, 06:29 PM   #38 (permalink)
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Thanks for the comments guys.
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Old 02-05-2010, 11:33 AM   #39 (permalink)
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Skiing


One of my all time favorite activities, and the thing I look forward to ever winter. Downhill skiing. Nothing is as full of exhilaration, beauty, adrenaline, or grace as downhill skiing. A day at the ski resort is, in my opinion, the most rewarding experience of life. Whether you're riding the lifts, gazing at everything below you from the top of the hill, or zig-zagging down the hill at incredible speeds, I really can't think of anywhere I'd rather be on a cold winter day.

I fell in love with skiing when I was ten years old, and this was around the time that I was beginning to discover music. However, it was a couple years before I started associating music with the scenery of the ski resort. My first memory of this probably goes back to the time I sat with my friend on the bus on the way to the resort (we were on one of our then bi-annual trips). I sat there, looking out the window at the trees, hills, and snow while listening to Bon Jovi's song "Have A Nice Day". Something about lyrics, the guitar, and the production seemed to fit the mood perfectly.

I'm going skiing again on the 24th of this month, and this year I have decided to make myself a soundtrack to listen to throughout the day. I needed a song for each aspect of skiing (the busride there, riding the lifts, traveling from hill to hill, and obviously the skiing itsself). I have prepared for you a smaller dose of what I will be taking with me on to the hills.

1. Envy "Further Ahead Of Warp"
2. Propagandhi "Supporting Caste"
3. Revolution Mother "Come On"
4. Thrice "The Sky Is Falling"
5. Bad Religion "Tiny Voices"
6. He Is Legend "Either They Decorated For Christmas Early Or They're All Dead"
7. Saosin "Follow & Feel"
8. Thursday "As He Climbed The Dark Mountain"
9. Lisa Miskovsky "Still Alive (Benny Benassi Remix)"
10. Fair To Midland "Say When"

Enjoy.
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Old 04-12-2010, 08:26 PM   #40 (permalink)
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I was surprised to see people being kind about American Idiot. I loved Dookie but American Idiot has always been a love of mine, one of the first rock albums I got into. Bit of a guilty pleasure considering the bashing it gets. but It'll always have a bit of a place in my heart..
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