Reviews (page 14 of 16)
That's me!
awful trash
Loads of classics on here, and I love the way songs blend into each other. Lots of variety and a political intent - love it.
I never gave this album a chance when it was new. I was so done with Greenday at this point. But fuck, it's good.
Excellent!
Buen disco de punk-rock con temas cañeros, ritmos acelerados y voz característica. Algún tema muy reconocido. Disco motivador y que incita a moverse
forever the best green day album
I'm not a Green Day fan, and there's not a single from this album that I have liked, but I listened to it anyway...it's not good. Overindulgent but completely uninteresting punkish rock opera with annoying vocals and songs that go on way too long. At it's best, it's okay (I don't mind Whatsername or Holiday), at it's work it's insufferable. 1.5/5
First half I was going to put a 4 which surprised me a lot. Second half was a little too inspired by Black Parade imo
I like the title track a lot. Good people, good album
Better than I remember
Green Day has spent their career disproving my hypothesis that I can totally hate them. And, while I can't totally, easily hate them...this record comes close with every overproduced, over-instrumented slow number meant to be "meaningful" from the band that brought us the album titled "Dookie" and named themselves after a big weed session. And here we are with this record. I'm not a fan of Green Day's Grease by way of the Clash mixed with their own selves from a decade ago and a dropout version of Professor Greg Graffin's course on Bad Religion. Quadrophenia this is not. And yet, I'll give it an entire star for existing at all as a signpost to punk that existed in the mainstream during some rough years for radio rock and a second star for the opening track.
I was 16 when this album came out, and a big fan of Greenday, especially Dookie, and for some reason I just hated this album. Probably that hipster thing of hating how popular greenday became with casual fans and being that guy who kept raving about their older stuff. Listening back as a more mature adult, this album is better than my 16 year old self gave it credit for. Probably deserves its place on the list, but won’t be making my frequent rotation anytime soon.
Grew up on this album! Brings back memories
ok
Fun, iconic punk rock (pop punk? Pop rock?). More technical than I remembered, with meter changes, etc
I knew the big hits off this album, but I was surprised by the amount of depth there was across the rest. A lot more varied and complex than I would have expected.
holiday is my go to song to play on the drums
Des hits, évidemment, mais aussi des morceaux de 9 minutes un peu relou. Pas trop mon truc.
5/5. No notes.
a guilty pleasure. one complaint- shorten the songs!! a 3.2
Jodå, här finns en å annan bra låt.
Still amazing, almost 20 years later.
Honestly a banger that I’ve liked more and more since it was released.
Not a fan of Green Day, still not. The pre-genitors of whiney boy rock wanna-be punk rock bands.
Proof that the the old axiom, “no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people” is not only true, but that you can turn a buck (quite a few, as it turns out) calling them idiots to their face.
I’ve never seen any artist combine two songs into one. Maybe I’m just really not observant. But I really enjoy this album. Pop punk is probably one of my favorite genres of music. With the songs being combined as one kinda bores me but that’s because I have a short attention span lmao. Holiday probably is my favorite song from this album. Overall this album is great.
American Idiot is a classic punk rock/pop album. It symbolized and represented a young generation's fear for their collective future. Jesus of Suburbia is one of my favorite Green Day songs, and while American Idiot is maybe overplayed, it is still a bop. Nevertheless, it is still a pop punk album.
Great at what it is but dated
Didn’t listen, grow up album generator.
Puerile pop punk in which you can actually hear Billie Joe’s god complex. More Radio 1 than rebellion, but some catchy tunes here and there.
First half is great, second half not so much - can't stand "wake me up when September ends". It's like a bat out of hell, rock opera type affair. I enjoyed it Jesus of Suburbia is the highlight.
A more polished Green Day than earlier albums. They know their audience - this is still pop punk targeted towards tweens & teens. No hidden gems; the hits were already overplayed on radio.
Interesting rock opera I had to read along with the lyrics to get it but enjoyable nontheless
I remember everyone flipping out over this album. I feel like this album could've been half the length because they're just repeating the chorus like 6 times. What the fuck, man.
I know a lot of people think this is a great album. I think it’s good but still does hit top rated for me.
I liked this a lot more - and knew it a lot better -than I expected. Some good tunes, plenty of good melodies. Obviously the theme is a bit "American" for my interests but that's kind of the point. A good find.
Highlights: "American Idiot," "Holiday" It's easy to understand the success of this as a resolute musical comeback for a beloved pop group, with all the hooks and energy their fans could want. But I don't think anyone would have asked for this group to make something so self-serious as a narrative concept album with nine-minute medleys. You can't really call it a "rock opera" so much as a musical, a mark of the increasing convergence in emo et al between rock fans and theater kids. You could imagine Lin Manuel Miranda featuring somewhere in here. Just kidding. But not really. "Dookie" has an appeal as one of many 90s albums about being a loser, something way more grounded and honest and sympathetic than being a millionaire in the Bay making an utterly flat character with a 'Christ figure' label say "how dare you sir." What's really so frustrating is that the narrative seems to obscure the initial setup. The lyrics of "Holiday" don't even line up semantically, let alone arrive at a message, but you definitely get extremely political airs with a clear context of Bush-era jingoism for two wars in the Middle East. And this album literally has a bleeding heart as a weapon on the cover. And it says nothing at all with that. The protagonist gets a girlfriend, smokes weed, gets dumped, and commits suicide. The "letterbomb" in the album if *figurative* for a mean letter sent to an ex. Even if this is some allegory, suggested by the inept use of quasi-pseudo-Indian affect to introduce the love interest, the tail is wagging the dog, and it's not only incomprehensible but ultimately self-pitying. It's purely inward-looking, interested in the suffering and guilt of Americans. Or else that's giving it too much credit. Really a touchstone of feckless liberal resistance preening, a work of dithering, diffusive controlled opposition, a great cash cow dropped all of two months before Bush took a second term, giving no one a moment's pause over what it really had to say.
I remember this being a big departure from the "REAL" green day back in the day and listening back to it I feel as if it's trying to be inflammatory but not too much so as to not offend people for real.
Ok. I generally like the genre and 'Boulevard of broken dreams' is good, but on the whole I prefer Blink-182.
Bra men kort
Was quite something when this album came out - Green Day being political and ambitious artistically - however, it has aged and it hasn't helped that it was way overplayed. What's left is a decent album, with nods to the who, and a little brainier than Green Day's other outings, yet not as earnest and fun.
this was worse than i remember i was rly annoyed
There were some wonderful moments in the 90s, but some of the 90s make me think we shouldn't do them again. Green day sound like a leftover of that part of the 90s. I'm not sure how this style of music earned the moniker of punk, highly processed and produced it doesn't relate to original punk music, from either the UK or the US. I gritted my teeth and listended attently, I even thought some of it was OK but there's nothing here that I thought was a breakthrough, musically or culturally, just a band doing their thing for as long as someone is still listening. Not me, I'm not playing this album again.
classic punk record
Excellent
So much nostalgia. First half of this album is legendary
Big fan
Genre: Punk rock Review: One of the earliest pieces of English music I ever listened to was "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" when I was in high school. Since then I must have listened to this album dozens of times, and every time with increasing admiration for the rebellious passion and energy that drove every track. Rating: A clear 10/10
De stem van Billie Joe Armstrong kan ik waarderen. Waardoor ook dit album. Sommige nummers duren wel erg lang dus dan wordt het langdradig maar komt ook deels omdat ik met momenten een ongeduldig persoon ben. Had nog nooit volledig naar dit album geluisterd en vond dat leuk om te doen.
Some great songs and some stinkers. I remember buying this album when it came out. Not a fan of the 2 song tracks. It’s no dookie.
A real banger of its day
Superb album.
Very enjoyable.
Conceptalbum van Green Day over de polariserende tijd van de administratie Bush Jr. Bevat de meeste van hun beste nummers, o.a. American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia en Wake Me up When September Ends. leukste nummer: Jesus of Suburbia De invloed van David Bowie's The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust is goed te horen en geeft het album een fantastische sound.
Good, lots of catchy moments, nice feel about the album
Is it punk? Nah. Are these complex songs with a lot of depth? Also no. Is this an 'anti-american' and political album? Nah, not really. Was this 'punk-opera' the first of its kind? Nope, been done several times before. But is it a fun, catchy and just rocking album? Sure as hell it is!
Started to lose interest in Green Day around this point, possibly their last decent album. Cliché I know, but preferred their earlier works.
First few songs were too dissonant for me. Liked some of the later songs but probably not enough to buy the album.
CD
3.6 - While I don't love this record I can appreciate how it helped to rekindle Green Day's career. With their mall-punk blend of processed power chords and melodic hooks, they've managed to swipe broadly at American politics. Mostly it's too bombastic for my taste - the songs trail on for too long, the arena-filling slogans are too on-the-nose (e.g. "She's A Rebel") - but I do like the two big hits on here ("Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Wake Me Up..."). "Good for them!" I consistently say to myself as I listen. With this record, I imagine Green Day managed to please their die-hard fans, and also capture legions of disaffected younger fans.
Didn't like it all. I just hate the singers voice, and the instrumentation was more boring than i thought it would be. The lyrics are bad. Some of the guitars sounded okay. But it was not an enjoyable experience, sad because I thought I would have liked it.
68.46
Reminds me of highschool, teenage angst favorite song is either wake me up when September ends or holiday. Interesting how almost all the tracks are double.
Solid from start to finish.
I had a better time with this than Dookie, but I think that's mostly from familiarity (I'll cop to kinda liking "Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams," but otherwise I've really disliked their stuff). I'm definitely in the age cohort such that this one was a big, big deal to people when it came out, so it was nostalgic to play this and realize I knew each song on here really well. But it's also interesting to pull the lists of what else was going on in rock music at the time, and 2004 had a lot going on! Like that's the year that brings us Franz Ferdinand and "Hot Fuss," Modest Mouse released "Good News," White Stripes had just put out "Elephant" the previous year... idk I know emo went strong into the aughts, but my personal big music touchpoints for that era tended to be alt-rock/indie stuff.
A solid pop punk opera.
Je déteste c'est surcôté à balle et c'est gênant comme pas possible
Admittedly, I'm not the biggest Green Day fan, and I remember finding the songs from this album pretty trite when they came out. But in the context of this album, they become part of a larger whole that ebbs and flows organically. I love the idea of a punk concept album as well.
Never been a fan of Green Day. That 90s-punk, cutesy face, faux high-energy thrash. Ripping off other bands' songs like Chicago and The Who, while trying to act "original." Then comes this concept album. And I have to admit, it's done really well. I think a few of the songs ramble a bit, like Jesus of Suburbia. Homecoming I think was the one that really went on too long. Biggest problem for me is that Billy Joe's voice, for a concept album doesn't fit. He doesn't have the kind of range needed. I think they could have used a few other singers in there to vary it up some. Ultimately, it did work as an album, and as much as I am not a fan of GD I have to respect what they achieved here.
I was really impressed by this album when it came out. Still am. To me, it's Greed Day's last great album. At the time, I would say that Green Day didn't really make bad albums. But the previous one (Warning) wasn't that well-received by audiences. To me this was proof that Green Day was good at what they did and wouldn't disappoint (later albums changed my view). They took a very different approach to what they had done previously and it worked really well. This is a very cool, unique rock opera. I thought their two multi-part songs (Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming) were excellent and those are the two that really took them outside their comfort zone. Their singles (American Idiot, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, were also great fun, rocking tunes - good lyrics and good pop punk beats and tempos. They deserved to be big hits. Wake Me Up When September Ends is the one single that I grew tired of (even before it became a single). Non-singles that I was always fond of are St. Jimmy, She's a Rebel, Letterbomb, and Whatsername. Big fan of this album, a mid-2000's classic.
Lots of good parts on it
Good album
C+ philosophy and politics meets A+ rock.
Me twenty years ago: "This album is so overrated." Me now: "I need to add all of these songs to my library."
I enjoyed the first half, but it really starts to drag
Listened to this the other week and rather enjoyed it
Clearly a band trying to outgrow one-note punk, but the only good songs on this are the one-note punk songs. And what's with the voice?
5/5
Punk grows up and becomes pop. A rocker of an album.
Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: Yeah definitely, it’s one of the first albums I listened to as a child, just great rock all round and I’d rather entertaining from start to finish, just wish the tracks were separated and not conjoined? Favourite song: Track 3 - Holdiay/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Brilliant
Good listen and mixed playlist after
God I hate Green Day. Almost all of their famous songs either sound goofy, cheesy, or rip-off another song. You can argue that "songs sound like other songs" all the time in music, but Green Day does it so much that they constantly get called out for it, and that obnoxious voice only detracts from these iconic songs. Now, I will admit most of these rip-off songs are not on this album, but that doesn't excuse my hatred of this whiney ass band. So, let's just say I'm not going into this album with the most neutral mindset of these pop punk shit. Alright, this isn't any better. His vocals still suck, and knowing almost every song in some way just made me know right when it started I hated it. And why, oh why, is a punk album, what's know for being short and sometimes sweet, have multiple way too long songs. I realize they are usually multiple songs in one, but they are always listed as one, so they shall be punished as one. Just awful. Have no clue why pop punk is such a popular genre.
I love the whole album
The quintessential rock opera album. Exceptional.
Solid, if unspectacular. Outranked by Dookie
Would have definitely enjoyed it more during my Panic! At the Disco phase. It’s fun to listen to and I liked some of the songs, but a lot of them are way too long for no reason. BJ’s voice is a bit too overwhelming for me. Will probably listen to some songs separately, when I’m in a mood for some teenage angst.
I have mixed feelings about this album. It sounds great, and sounds like Green Day, but the concept album kind of ruins it for me. I suppose this album is, for me, like Dookie was 10 years prior to all the original Green Day fans. A big change that made them even more popular than ever, but I wasn't a huge fan of.
Ingen bias här inte
stabilt
Absolute masterpiece of an album. Not as good as Dookie, but damn close. It's funny that this album was just fun pop music to me in 5th grade, but now I can appreciate it as one with genuinely poignant points about life. Favorite track: Give Me Novacaine / She's a Rebel
It’s not Dookie, but it’s probably, technically better. I’m too big of a fan to rate Green Day objectively, but i won’t apologize.
Very samey, sounds like a petulant bunch of adolescents. Not really enjoying over much
This has always been a start to finish listen for me. The Broadway show was amazing too. 5/5 every day.
Still slaps
Didn't even have to think about my choice for a second. Instant 5 star album! American Idiot: A great opening and titular track. A classic song that when listened to right is a wonderful protest song, and when listened to wrong becomes a beautiful form of irony. Jesus of Suburbia: While the song doesn't compare to it's inspiration in terms of sound or legacy, it is a damn good song, that even at 9 minutes and 8 seconds long doesn't drag. Holiday: If the fact that this is a protest album hadn't set in yet this track has to make it apparent. Boulevard of Broken Dreams: This track really just speaks for itself. It is one that stands on its own as its single and while I don't mind the message behind the album it is nice to have a less political song. Are We the Waiting: I think this song is super underrated just a nice melodic break in the middle of the punk. St. Jimmy: Good classic punk sound for the first half and more rock opera like at the end. Not my favorite but good. Give Me Novacaine: Also very underrated, I like melodies and I will not apologize for it. I love punk and pop punk but they could benefit from more melodic parts sometimes. She's a Rebel: Not bad just not that special of a song on this good of an album. Extraordinary Girl: This is probably the weakest song on the album, just nothing special about it. Letterbomb: I like this song a lot, but I get why it isn't as popular. Wake Me Up When September Ends: I mean it is the all time classic song. It is just such a damn good song. Though I hate the memes that get made from it and the annoying commenters that "inform" everybody what it is about even though we all already know. Homecoming: This tries to do everything that "Jesus of Suburbia" did, but it just doesn't quite do it as well. It is supposed to be the wrap up to the story and it does have a lot of resolve to it, just not as much of a hitter on its own. Whatsername: Just a nice closing song to a great album! I love Green Day I love this album! Green Day was my first ever concert and I went with my Mom. Will forever be one of my favorite memories! This album is a 5 in so many ways and just never gets old. As a concept album and as a album with great singles it excels. Polyphonic on YouTube has a great video breaking down this album.
3 stars for the drummer. -1 star for everything else being shite.
It has its moments.
Decent singles but that's it
Still a good listen. Has dated pretty rapidly. Fairly poptastic
Generous 3 saved by some good singles. Feels dated now.
Like, it’s fine. This is probably the Apex of Green Day.
I must be getting old this is catchy AF and I didn't hate it.
This brought me right back to high school days. ALL THE NOSTALGIA! So surprised I hadn't listened to the whole thing before, it would have been (and still is) right up my alley
Brings back a lot of memories. Walking to work with this on my original iPod. I like this album, although When Sept. Ends has been played to death. I'd be fine never hearing that song again. Overall, I really like this album.
Oh boy. Bush. Elementary school. If somebody asked me what life was like in 2004-2005 I would simply have them listen to this album. I remember the cynicism of that era well, despite being 9. This album was the coolest, punkest thing I could have imagined at the time. It’s been said that every teenager who heard The Velvet Underground & Nico started a band. The closest thing our generation might have to that is American Idiot. They’re not even my taste particularly but im thinking Green Day has got to be the greatest rock band of my lifetime
There’s a lot of hits on this one but imma play it down a lil cause I’m a hater and some of this shit corny. Honestly a good album and stuff
Takes me straight back to being 13. Great album that stood the test of time, classic pop-punk.
Some really good songs, lots of really mid songs. Therefore, MID
BEST GREEN DAY ALBUM
Track Ranking: 1. Jesus Of Suburbia - 9 2. American Idiot - 8 3. Wake Me Up When September Ends - 8 4. St. Jimmy - 8 5. Homecoming - 8 6. Letterbomb - 7 7. Holiday - 7 8. She's A Rebel - 7 9. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - 7 10. Extraordinary Girl - 7 11. Give Me Novacaine - 6 12. Whatsername - 6 13. Are We The Waiting - 5
The first half of this album is by far the best part of it, the back half seems like a lot of samey filler. I don't mind political messages, but to say the politics on this album are ham-fisted is an understatement. Also, this albums mastering is a victim of the loudness wars, it was honestly fatiguing listening to this album all the way through at a normally very tolerable listening volume. This teeters between a 2 and a 3 for me, I'll be nice and give it a 3.
Never listened to before, only heard select songs "Old" comparatively Very same-samey from song to song Start of Extraordinary Girl is nice because its not punk rock and then it becomes punk rock again. tsk tsk Not an enjoyable album, cannot comment on its production quality Thought the last song was incredibly good until I realized that spotify had turned on radio mode and was playing a Gorillaz song LMAO
A pivotal moment in my having musical taste while entering highschool. Now? It’s alright. But I’ll always appreciate this album.
peak 2000s punk?
I would rate it five stars because of my teenage year's soundtrack, but I'll finally rate it with four because the album is too repetitive. Very good album and that's enough
Despite the nostalgia behind this one, I can’t get myself behind everyone’s favorite mainstream emo LP of the aughts. The highlights (‘Idiot,’ ‘Boulevard,’ ‘September’) show the band at their most creative and confrontational, but they’re ultimately dragged down by being coupled to longer, less innovative sections in the weird decision to shove two songs together into one for a cinematic purpose. The rest is just filler - I’m not expecting punk songs to use more than three chords, but the production is so sterile and lifeless that the lack of dynamic melodies/tempos/rhythms really sinks this one to two-star territory.
not as good as I expected - lack of catchy hooks, lacklustre lyrics, and an uneven focus of an overarching concept (contrary to its status as a concept album). standouts were pretty great though
Close to perfect. Clean production, iconic songwriting, sticky melodies, and a strong message. Never overstays its welcome, even on two different 9+ minute songs impressively enough. Realistically one of my top 10 albums of all time.
instant classic
Green Day has always been an anomaly. Highly polished, impeccably produced and finished, and aimed at the heart of the American wallet. But when you listen to them, all of their themes are raw, gritty, and anti-capitalist. If you like Green Day, you'll love this pop-punk opera. If you don't then you're better off listening to something else.
Fantastic album, superb production, great rock album
Even before listening to it, I knew it was a classic and I would most likely really dig it and I wasn't wrong. I really liked it.
Was okay, but made my ears wanna bleed when they start jamming too hard
First CD I ever bought. I still think this album is great. I remember listening to it with my Dad in his car when he—and this is music I knew he would humor but not indulge in himself, mind you—said, "Usually there's only 1 or 2 good songs on an album. But nearly every song on this album is good." I didn't know anything about albums at the time, but I agreed that almost every song on this album was indeed good. And I still believe that. In an objective sense, it's difficult to argue there's a not-catchy song on this album. Or see why the response to this album, especially among burgeoning scene kid community, was so enormous. This is an enormous, theatrical, ambitious, political and important post-9/11, pop-punk masterpiece. It's a little cringe-worthy maybe. And it hurts a little to see the trio behind Dookie stoop to this sort of sentimentalism following the prom-night success of "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." But the band who wrote "Basket Case" and "Welcome to Paradise" is still very present in the louder, angrier songs here. The songwriting is still very, very good. And in many ways this is a better record than anything they ever recorded. Certainly it is bigger. More influential. Perhaps, more important. Even if it is hard to swallow with all its populism. I love this record. It's a guilty pleasure for which I have a sweet tooth. I'd roll the window up if "Wake Me Up When September Ends" came on my radio while driving, but I wouldn't turn it off. "Boulevard," though, I might turn off. That's just a tad too sweet. 4/5.
We are closing out 2022, and it is time I put aside all the old, well-worn prejudices against Green Day that I harbored in high school. The sins of the fans– the many sins of some *particular* fans I knew in high school– are not the sins of the band, and they should not cloud my judgment. At this point, 50 albums in, I am like Spock, a Vulcan reviewer, evaluating albums on pure logic. So utterly removed am I from emotion. So advanced beyond the petty, petty drama from 2007. I have attained escape velocity. The baggage I once came to this record with has all but escaped my mind. I have forgotten it. I am one. With Green Day. To listen to this album is to experience a divergence... a dissonance. On one hand, here I am with all of my prejudice. On the other is a genuinely captivating record. Oozing with ambition, with confidence and vision and rock opera-ness and so many goddamn hits that it seems impossible they're all on this album. The height to which this band climbs on this album is so impossibly high, it's hard to not just gawk at how high up things are. It really feels like a capstone record for a time, and maybe for the genre altogether. The conclusion of something. I think the band should be extremely proud of the record, and they really deserve the praise they get for it. And really... really, I'm over it. I swear. Really. I'm going on two listens. We'll see about 3.
Classic!
лучший альбом в жанре который я не люблю, но здесь они смогли сделать так, чтобы понравилось даже мне. 4 абсолютно айконик песни на этом альбоме, и остальное тоже максимально достойное, и даже отчасти концептуальное Лучшие песни: Wake Me Up When September Ends, American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday, Whatsername Фактор ностальгии и моего эмо-детства сыграл не последнюю роль в выставлении оценки
solid album. 4.
One of my favourite albums of all time.
This album is not how I remember it from when it first came out. Did they really combine so many tracks? Weird. The political stuff felt a bit lightweight and simplistic when I was 14, and hasn't aged particularly well - but musically it's still really fun, varied, and got a lot going on. And I'm a sucker for a good rock opera. Can't remember how many of these they released as singles, but could easily have been American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, St Jimmy, and Wake Me Up When September Ends - although none of those songs are lifechangingly brilliant, it's rare that you get six single-worthy songs on a single album. 4/5.
A modern rock opera without the cringe, probably their best and most cohesive work. Angrily reflecting the hypocritical American rhetoric of the time. A masterpiece.
Hard to believe this is 15 years old. Great listen.
Great album! Yes it's commercially successful, no that's not automatically bad.
Klassiker, kann ich noch auswendig
This album feels like the sound of a decade to some degree. Hugely popular at the time and rightly so. It also feels like it’s aged well. 4.5/5
Mostly pretty middling to me, a couple great songs though.
Well, I've already heard this one about 300 times lmao
This album was my intro to the genre by my 7th grade history teacher. It’s a solid record that has aged so incredibly well. Shout out to Mr. Kerr!
Simple and understandable melody. Rhythm is not felt. Bit i can read the lyrics.
Interesting at times, especially with the longer song lengths. Includes some classic songs from the era. Didn't find it to be consistently great.
Good record. Skip it somewhy when was young. Should be in my collection
Well, this is a second time I have to write a review for this album, so in short - it's great. So many hits and singles, and in the context of the record they sound even better than on the radio. It's a really wild ride, and for sure a pleasurable one.
Mitähän tästä kirjoittaisi? Kiistattomasti maailman isoimpia pop punk levyjä Dookien ja Offspringin Smash:in kanssa. Se on sinällään jo ihan hienoa. Mulla on vähän ristiriitainen suhde koko GD bändiin. Tavallaan sillä on ollut kiistaton vaikutus muhun, mutta myös äärimmäiseen kaupallisuuteen menevä bändi saa jotenkin kulahtaneen oksennuksen nousemaan huulille. Samalla tavalla tällä levyllä on ollut iso merkitys siihen miten itse kirjotan musaa ja mistä ne meidän PYU:n poppijutut lopulta kumpuaa. Tavallaan tämä levy on hyvä ja hieno. Jos Queen tekis punkkii niin se kuulostais varmaan tällaselta punkkioopperalta. Näille hiteille on altistunut niin monta kertaa että ne on aika rajua kuulla läpi mutta muut biisit pelastaa. Kaipaisin levylle lisää räkää ja paskaa sen sijaan että soundi on ultrahiottua studiomenoa. Toisaalta jos tehdään poppia niin tehdään sit kunnolla — siinä tässä onnistutaan ja se tavallaan tekee tästä hyvän levyn. On ihan turhaa että mä raivoon että ”ei oo oikeeta punkkia” kun kyseessä on oikeesti hyvä pop levy. Levy on täynnä toinen toistaan isompia hittejä, mutta kyllä st.Jimmy on ehkä se terävintä poppiksen ja rokin sekotusta. Vaikee arvostella. Tavallaan haluaisin antaa 3 tai vaan 2 pistettä mutta ehkä tää korvamatoisuus ja sit tosiaan se kiistaton vaikutus oman musan tekemiseen aina sieltä 10-vuotiaan Kallen maailmasta asti hilaa pistehanat enemmän auki. Vetäkää käteen! Annan mä sen 3 pongoo 3/5
Yritin kitkeä tätä halveksineen teiniminän ja suhtautua avoimesti, mutta siis ei helvetti. Ei ei ei. Kamalia biisejä kaikki paitsi ehkä pari hittiä. Boulevard of Broken Dreams saa isot sympatiat/nostalgiat, koska oli eka biisi, jota opettelin skidinä kitaratunnilla. Mutta en voi sen perusteella antaa tähtiä.
Yläasteella taas. Oman aikansa kuva, ja edelleen toimii ihan hyvin! 3/5
Wonderful
I WALK ALONE!!!
Punk rock opera. It's such an interesting phrase, and one that fits Green Day's massive album, "American Idiot". Apparently, more than just signing with a major label and being one of the biggest "pop-punk" act of the early 2000's, they made a CONCEPT ALBUM. With tracks as long as 9 minutes, complex structure, and big guitar and production tricks. Perhaps the only common thing between Green Day's sound and punk's general sound it the political and teenage angst dimension of it. That being said, it's a more demanding listen than I expected. Some tunes and lyrics are fire, but some are too messy to follow. I might listen to it again with more focus, but as of now, I'm not in a mood for some overblown punk rock.
The Dookie/American Idiot dichotomy sums up my issues with aughts-era angst and protest; where the 90s were a relatively peaceful and prosperous time, the youth were angry, didn't know why, and were ready to aim it at everything. With the destabilization of the 00s, the warmongering and conservative-christian values sinking their teeth into a weakened US, musicians descended into a brand of toothless, commercial protest music. There was so much going on at this time, yet the most trenchant observation most of these groups could muster was "the president is pretty dumb, and by proxy so are we Americans." However, there's a whole generation of people who were in middle or high school when this album came out, and it was their first and most accessible expression of anger and dissent. But to me this sounds like a collection of zippy singalongs, peppering in midsong reminders to go hit up the festival's voter registration tent.
Technically my day one but I lost the account name to that project after that day and decided to ignore that account. But this album is a 5/5 but MCR’s the black parade is the better concept album of the 2000’s and should’ve been on the book.
Better than I expected!
This album was the soundtrack of my youth. an exhuberant, dread inducing, landmark of the bush era that says no to war, no to isolation, and a send up to the human spirit.
Nostalgic but not my favorite Green Day although I like that it’s a concept album
I was surprised by the depth of this albums tracks, I only remember the titular track as being from this album, and thought the rest were from earlier albums. Pretty surface level commentary. I think this album got turned into a musical and I can see why you could really thread a narrative of a despondent youth through the songs.
Bold and fun. A great ensemble of songs. Loud for me.
The best rock album of the 2000s and probably ever since. This album defined a generation and spawned hits that stand to this day. It recovered GD’s career while also being so commercially and critically successful, everyone knows where they were when this album was out. The production is perfect with it’s layers of electric guitar tracks and acoustic guitar foundation, the dynamics are strong, the album has movements, a storyline, it is thematic and theatric, and overall just rocks. This will always be my favourite album.
What a great album with an A side that is as good as it gets. Rest of the album falls off a little bit but the overall impression remains great
Sadly, the title track's even more relevant now than it was back then.
I was a big fan of early Green Day. This album was good, but too poppy for me.
9/10 shows its age but still really good
10/10. I don't wanna be an American Idiot, and I don't wanna put each song on its own track
It’s quite good, but it’s a lot of Green Day all at once. 8/10
This album dropped when I was a freshman in highschool, and with a lot of things from that time period I was interested in, I was expecting to cringe while relistening to this. I'm happy to report that wasn't the case, this album still holds up and was pretty ambitious for the time. While I think I prefer other rock operas, Green Day tried something new and found a format that really worked for them.
Pop Punk's last great gasp as a mainstream musical force (although it's starting to re-emerge here and there these days, with highly mixed results) and the best album Green Day managed since 1994's 'Dookie'. I still remember being in high school and walking by a group of freshmen huddled together, singing the album's title track. I could be wrong, but it's a rare thing these days for albums to elicit the sort of fandom this album prompted - it's all the radio could play for a solid year; even the 9-minute 'Jesus of Suburbia' got its moment in the sun - when was the last time anyone had patience for a 9-minute song?? Admittedly, Armstrong sort of cheated, given it's not a really a 9-minute song, but a medley of 5 shorter songs, but I'll be damned if I won't listen to that entire thing all the way through everytime I put it on. Putting aside the 5 major hits this album spawned, some of my fondest memories of this album reside in the non-radio hits - the anthemic 'Are We the Waiting?', the poignant sentiment and longing of 'Whatsername', or the band's willingness to segue from the 'concept album' focus and just have a bit of goofy fun on parts of 'Homecoming'. This album is terrific, no matter how you spin it.
Having heard this album plenty of times already, I'll pass on listening to it again... forever.
-this shit slaps -consistent across all tracks
This sounds quintessential early 2000s post punk.
A stone cold classic, the best album they ever made and one of the best of the century so far. Another band I saw live, on the tour for their album following this one, and a band who put everything into each show. Was never likely to be less than full marks, but listening again confirmed it as entirely deserving of 5 big 🌟
Hit na hit. Meezingbaar, herkenbaar, stevig (met hier en daar een kort momentje van rust) . Kortom een zeer goed album!
Très solide comme album. C’est la première fois que je l’écoute en entier. Je réalise que tous les hits qu’il y a dessus forment un tout et que c’est plus réfléchi que ce qui n’y parait en écoutant les pièces une à une.
Couldn’t get into it. It just felt very phony to me. I don’t need Billie Joe to tell me how to feel about George Bush, or anything else that actually matters. What on earth is the point of slick, serious Green Day? Don’t get me wrong, I also dislike the rest of their music. But my sense of it is that it at least has a certain integrity in being the anthem for a kind of kid who actually comes from a totally safe suburban home, but chooses to be a dirtbag because everything else is too much effort. Or maybe it’s just that one song.
I am very familiar with Green Day. They were a big part of my formative years with music. The first cassette of theirs I ever owned was Nimrod, and I loved it. After that, I went out and bought Insomniac and Dookie. American Idiot came out when I was in university, and got a lot of air play on both Much Music, as well as the university radio station. There were quite a few singles released off of this record: Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends, American Idiot, and Jesus of Suburbia. The song Holiday reminds me of the movie Accepted every time I hear it. This album is fantastic. 2 songs (Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming) are 9 minutes long each, but there are tempo changes throughout, so really each of them is like 4-5 songs. Overall, I love this band and this album. So great, I listened to it twice. Favourite songs: Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends, American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Are We the Waiting/St. Jimmy Least favourite songs: if forced to pick one, Whatsername 5/5
From albums named after shit to political agitator, hey? Naaaaah.
green day - american idiot (2004) notes - i dont even need to listen to this, i could recite the whole album from memory because of how much i listened to this album between the ages of 10 and 14 - i saw the musical and i had green day rockband for the wii - so its pretty much impossible to separate nostalgia from this album - i’m realizing relistening to the album now how much of the lyrics i didnt fully understand - this album does such a great job of flowing from one song to the next as a complete project Fav - Extraordinary girl / letterbomb - This was my favourite as a young lad and it remains least fav - give me novacaine / shes a rebel - the weakest of the 2 song pairings on this album 4.5/5
mid
Good Punk Album
I unironically think this may be green day's best album. Banger.
Overrated, but solid. I can't fairly give this any less than a 3.
I’m not that into Green Day, their brand of punk always felt too suburban and tame. No real danger, it’s watered down for the mildly rebellious teen. But I can’t deny that this album is full of hits, it’s very easy to listen to, and it takes me back to a specific nostalgic point in my life. This album dropped when I started the 12th grade and it was HUGE at school. Everyone had it on rotation for the better part of that year. I started to really hate Wake Me Up When September Ends with all the airplay it got.
Yet another group I totally missed in their hey-day, and I’m glad this project helped introduce me more thoroughly to their music. They play so super-tight, which I know from experience is very difficult to do, and I like their mix of pop sensibility and punk and rock ethos. Their sound can get a little repetitive at times, but it’s not to the level of repetition that I’m too bothered by it. It’s a small number of people in the band so one does need to accept a certain amount of limitations. Overall, some pretty good work here.
Wow blast from the past…this one was fun to listen to as I was unpacking boxes and at my desk. Good upbeat rhythm to keep the energy going. Probably couldn’t listen to while working/reading, but great for doing mindless work.
I like this album more and more the older I get. I never really listened to it much when it came out, but I like it more now. It’s a really well put together album.
Consistently good throughout, only one or two songs that aren't absolute bangers.
10/10 would always recommend. i love Green Day, especially this album. it makes me so nostalgic. the fade of Holiday into Boulevard of Broken Dreams is just… chefs kiss.
Awesome stuff
It's solid but I think most the mass appeal was the shock that a skater punk band has thoughts to put into lyrics.
Fine for what it is, again not my kind of thing
Enjoyable, but I think they would be better live than on a recording.
Shite…… Or not actually somewhat good
Punk-rock demasiado pop. Venga, un 5 por ser quienes son.
Ah it's okay. Reminds me of my German exchange in 2005 and of girls I used to be friends with. Chris was driving me and Sinead down from skipton when we listened to it and he enjoyed it. I was never that fussed at the time and I remain unfussed now.
God it’s nice to get an album you’re already familiar with and that you whole-heartedly agree should be on the list.
Bought this when it was released. Loved it, but haven't listened in years. Still a great album, will be back in the regular rotation again.
I actually had this album growing up! I forgot how long the songs are and didn’t realize it was a “punk rock opera” I’d probably give it a 3.75 but will rate it a 4
Prima te luisteren
Eigenlijk iets leuker dan ik dacht, maar toch ook weer niet heel interessant. Beter dan Dire Straits, dat dan weer wel.
Supergoed album! Was altijd al best fan, maar dit album maakte echt indruk.
Leuk, energiek, maar ook wel erg veel van hetzelfde.
Ik was vroeger enorm fan van Green Day, tot ik het ineens spuugzat was. Had daarom ook niet zo’n zin in dit album, maar het is me stiekem toch best bevallen. Die stem blijft schattig.
I was a fan of Green Day from their early releases on the Lookout label, but had lost interest in the band once they went to a major label and became a hugely popular band. I couldn't avoid hearing their music in the mainstream and when I heard American Idiot in it's entirety, it caught my attention. This is an album best heard as a complete work, as many of the songs segue into each. the songs are catchy, melodic and have an energy and intensity that highlight all of Green Day's best attributes. While listening to it, I can understand why someone thought, "this could work as a musical (play)" and yes, it happened. I would be an idiot to actual go see the production, as I'm content and happy to just listen to the album again.
good stuff!
Love it. Amazing.
nostalgia boner
Surprising amount of depth and consistent song write right across the album. One of the more success concept albums around, especially so for the genre. Still holds up almost 20 years late
Goede eerste paar nummers, de rest matig
Banger
I actually enjoyed this considerably more than I thought I was going to. This was released at a time when George "Dubya" Bush was making America look awful, for having elected an idiot. How simple those times were!
I like green day but listening to this album helps me make sense of why I never owned one of their cd's in the 90s
Uncertain what this vote scheme really is based on, but God damn if I don't love some American Idiot. Between that and Dookie, I suppose I am a Green Day fan.
Fave
What a banger. Nice to revisit it after so much time.
To me they still sound like a high school teen band.
tough listen, only 1 or 2 decent songs wouldn't listen to it again
Generic pop punk. Has some good moments, but most of the songs drag. I do like the political message off of the song american idiot. The type of album I'd enjoy more if I was 15/16, think I'm too old to enjoy it now (22).
I always love the idea of a concept/rock opera album. But they never quite live up to the potential. Anyway, this was just background noise for me. Maybe I'd enjoy it more if I listened to the lyrics?
Pretty good. It's one of those "listened to it more than a thousand times" that's how good
Better than expected - but not the greatest....it's green day!
It can surprise you by some of the melodic lines, harmonies, or lyrics, but overall pretty straightforward punk music, which only fans of the genre would enjoy
Superb
A conceptual punk opus that shows that a band, already nearly 15 years in a career, is just getting started.
jeune mais pas dingouf
Iconisch album. Moest het nu pas uitgebracht worden zou het even populair zijn/ kunnen worden. Perfecte hoeveelheid angsty
Nostalgicno, najbolje pesme koje sam prvi put cula Holiday i Give Me Novacaine
2000's pop punk vibe.
Crap
Great album. I used to just see this as an edgy pop punk album, but the album is much more interesting when you think about what was going on in the US at the time of this release (9/11, iraq war, etc). First half of the album is much stronger than the second in my opinion. Favorite tracks: Jesus of Suburbia Boulevard of Broken Dreams
The well known songs are bangers, but The lyrics feel pretty dated and empty. The slurs used don’t add anything while really ruining my immersion
this is a Good Album by a lot of measures but i felt let down by it. still enough to get a highish grade, but not what i remember it being
Maybe it was always commercial pop...I was only 13, how could I have known.
This is a nicely polished (pop) punk (alt) rock album from start to finish.
Never been a Green Day fan even though they create catchy songs with good melodies and hooks. I've heard many of these songs at nauseum on the radio over the last 18 years.
What happened to Green Day? I'm all for bands/artists reinventing themselves or choosing different musical paths to explore, but I feel they've almost become a parody of themselves! There's no real substance throughout and every song sounds the same to me, but that's just my opinion
Hey punk rock fans! Listen to NOFX's EP The Decline. I'm serious, listen to it. Then only after that, you''ll be able to judge whether Green Day pulled it off writing a punk opera. I leave the link down here for those who don't know what I'm talking about: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Wm84PF0DHyRQx79Lj9NwI?si=PUPhtW_UTOCvw3tgbfLlKg&utm_source=copy-link To me, NOFX certainly managed to write a punk opera five years *before* American Idiot came out, and they only needed 18 minutes of runtime to convince me. The exhilarating twists and turns of the music, the hardcore accelerations, the trippy, almost proggy interlude, the grand parade of the finale, sarcastic and desperate with its ironic trombone, and the pointed lyrics, saying what *American Idiot* tries to say with far more wit than any song on the latter--everything in *The Decline* surpasses Green Day's seventh album, and this without the financial means and production tools said album profited from. The huge difference lies in the songwriting--both for the music and the lyrics. Case in point for *American Idiot*'s overall shortcomings: 9-minute centerpiece "Jesus Of Suburbia", which soon wears out its welcome, if only because its own musical twists and turns sound lazy, torpid, and quite predictable (once again compared to the ones of "The Decline", for instance). Plus, stealing Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire" melody for the main guitar riff at the end of the song--and this for no discernible reason in the song itself--doesn't help me take Green Day very seriously here anyway. As for the lyrics, they are pestered by the same problem found in the rest of the LP--their supposed denunciation of American hypocrisy, as related to specific issues such as the gulf wars, the media or Bush's lies, is all too vague, not just to say virtually non-existent. Actually you'd be hard-pressed to find more than a few passing indirect allusions to those things in the lyrics of this record--PR agents from the label sure had you believe there was something politically substantial in *American idiot* at the time. Turns out there's not. As a consequence, this here sounds and feels like an all-too polished, fully-"corporate", fantasy version of so-called "rebellion". And this critique also concerns the music--those copied-and-pasted "heys" of the background vocals, those very bland, uniform chord successions, the pristine lead vocals drenched in effects that have nothing to do with punk's ethos and aesthetics. The awful truth about *American Idiot* is probably this: at the time, Green Day didn't have it in them to write enough true pop-punk anthems that would be as good and catchy and visceral as the ones on *Dookie*. So instead of admitting this and move on (or just call it a day, "green" or not), they used expensive production values, marketing, costumes, and so-called "high-brow" topical ambitions to cover their lack of inspiration. What a shame. The only true punk pop anthem that could be compared to what they did before is the nice title-track opening the LP. And if "Holiday" is already going to some other places than punk, it's still a catchy song, more than decently written. But that's it. And in the end, that's probably the only thing that's gonna save this album from a 1/5 grade on my part. Everything else is indeed either a huge letdown or a fuck-up of major proportions. The other two "hits", "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" are cheesy attempts to sell out and reproduce dad-rock ballads that didn't suit the band well anyway (those attempts worked out in the charts, unfortunately--people have bad taste sometimes). What's worse, those tunes are not even the most ridiculous thing that this record has to offer. Because even if you don't take into account Green Day's 180-degree turn when it comes to what punk should sound like and just consider the whole thing as a general mainstream rock album, *American Idiot* still doesn't work for most serious music fans out there. And the songwriting and production is to blame, once again. Those tunes can't compare with older rock operas: they are just void and calculated reenactments of their aesthetics, but without the lively inventiveness and quaint charm you could find in them. In other words, *American Idiot* is no *Tommy*. And it doesn't end with a bang, just like the latter does, but with a whimper. Worse, that long boring end actually starts *before* the middle of the record, with "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams", and drags on forever. Of course, one could argue that this anti-climactic ending is sort of the point of the story told by *American Idiot*, at least from what the songs are able to convey about the overall yarn--it's always been hard understanding the precise tales of rock operas, admittedly, so we won't blame Green Day for *that* at least. From what we can perceive about the story, everyone's in for some disappointing outcomes in the story. The "Jesus" character ends up pushing paper in a cubicle. "Whatsername" marries "Whatsisface", a soulless nobody. You can't get too excited about those final story developments, I guess. As I imagine those are actually nothing but another cynical and somewaht futile way to repeat the old "No Future" punk motto to the masses. So yes, maybe the anticlimactic end is all part of the design, and this might be another reason we won't go as low as 1/5 for this one. BUT that intellectual argument still doesn't save the album for me. Because: a. Being aware of all this still can't excuse the dour music on the second half (and remember that I wasn't even convinced by everything on the first). Ideally, you can speak about boredom without being boring yourself. b. When it comes to having anti-climactic ends for your rock opera that yet still has some emotional effect on you, maybe Green Day should have taken notes from The Pretty Things' *S.F. Sorrow* on how to pull it off. c. You can't just improvise being a rock opera writer. Apart from all the necessary conceptual pretensions and delusions of grandeur, your heart must *also* be in it somehow. Not sure where Green Day's heart was on this one. Maybe it exploded way too soon, just like that grenade on the cover, and all they could do after that was trying to pick up the pieces, and try not to look too cynical about the whole thing. Yet some music fans saw through them at the time. I sure did, and I still do now. Hence the fact that, to me, including this record in a list of essential listens somehow misses the point of what "essential" really means, in spite of a couple of decent singles. Not everyone is an "American Idiot", Billie Joe. Pass the word to Robert Dimery, please. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 836 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 90 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 40 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important: 35 (including this one)
Od kad je izaša krivo gledam na ovaj album ovo nije tommy ovo je bat ouf of hell😊
Really great album.
Most iconic punk rock album. Better than i would have rated it. Best: when september ends Worst: undecided
no thank you
not good as their first
The album has a bit of sentimental value, but it can get rather repetitive. I still like (or love, depending on my mood) American Idiot, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and Wake Me Up When September Ends.
I haven't listened to this album in a very long time. Now, with headphones on, I noticed (or remembered) little things that make the songs really interesting - the aggressive drum fills in the title track, the power chords accenting delicate vocals in Jesus of Suburbia, the vocal harmonies that are effectively integrated into lots of tracks (see here specially the lyrics of Extraordinary Girl). There's also a lot of atmospheric variation across songs but each feels like part of a cohesive imaginary landscape. The transitions between St. Jimmy, Give Me Novocaine, and She's a Rebel are fantastic and reminiscent of a rock opera. I wasn't intending to rate this one so highly but it stands the test of time.
Excellent. I heard a lot of late 50’s early 60’s roots in there. I added several to my day-to-day playlist.
Cool, strong 7 to light 8
Dookie is still the best Green Day album, but some classics on here
Pretty good and has two of my least favorite green day songs
I can see why this was groundbreaking when American Idiot was released. If I were born a generation earlier, this album would probably be up there with my favourites or at least be remembered fondly when reflecting on the mid 2000s with the anti Bush themes, protests against Iraq and conservative culture. But as I was only 5 when it came out, its political significance has wained and is now viewed as a pop punk rock and concept album classic. In terms of music, not a fan of Green Day but have to admit they have some great riffs and liked half of the songs. The first half of Jesus of Surburbia goes hard, Whatshername is a great closer, and although stolen by Wonderwall, Boulevard Of Broken Dreams is a great pop song. Was disappointed that the one song I liked back in 2005 which was Wake Me Up When September Ends, wasn't as great as I remembered.
I forgot how much I like the album
Very enjoyable! Would listen again!
Well this is kind of my childhood. I'm very tired of most Green Day songs, but it does have a special place in my heart. 3 I don't understand why half the songs are combined with another one though. It makes for bad songs to put on playlists. Dammit I don't want to like, but there are so many good songs on this one. This album is iconic. 4 I would rather not listen to it though. 3
masterpiece
Meh. They sold out after Dookie.
Meh
Enjoyed this way more than expected.
This was pretty amazing. I knew a number of the songs but listening to them in the context of this concept album was a new experience. It so very much captured the Zeitgeist of 2004 as well as predicting where we’ve gone since.
Although I have listened to some Green Day and I am a fan of some of their singles, I have never really made much of an investment in listening to them. I would have never considered that I might like this album. I loved it! I have been missing out!! I am not sure if that translates to other Green Day albums, but welcome "American Idiot"!!
Oh man, am I a sucker for a rock opera. I love American Idiot's scope, structure, variety, and ambition. Equal parts rock and musical theater, this fits right into the pocket of my tastes.
Who thought the first great rock opera of the 21st century would come from Green Day? As I was grappling with the American idiocy of the early 2000s, this album became a soundtrack to disillusionment with a world I was realizing I didn’t understand. I went into my first listen in love with the title track, but one listen to the epic “Jesus of Suburbia” made it clear this album was really special. Green Day was operating on an entirely new level. I love me a great rock opera, and there is comfort knowing that this art form is alive and well. Nearly 20 years later American Idiot remains on my soundtrack to face a fucked up world.
Good. They aren't really a favorite but most of the songs are good.
Whaou. I knew only a few songs but the whole album is good.
Much better when they ditch the 1977 punk styles, although I understand that that’s a lot of fun to play. The “proper” melodic songs are pretty good, which makes for a superior listen than Dookie for me.
All time classic concept album.
This album marks the maturing of the classic punk Green Day, moving from songs of drugs and masturbation to an epic depiction of the downtrodden modern America. While Green Day's earlier albums are fantastic works of art, this album is a shining achievement in the world of music and the album I would most recommend of all their works. Not only does it accurately represent the frustrations of the working class in the political hellscape that is the USA, it captures the listener through a masterful progression of song to tell a harrowing story. Each track blends into the next, bringing the listener along for a story full of anger and melancholy, passion and defeat. From American Idiot to Whatsername, Green Day lays their emotions bare for the listener, and it is this openness and passion for their music throughout this album that truly makes it spectacular.
The last good Green Day album. Stadium punk rock opera - doesn't come across as pretentions as it sounds. Best Tracks: American Idiot; Jesus of Suburbia; St. Jimmy
There was a big late 90s nouveau punk scene in Wollongong when I was in a band. They represent the antithesis if what my band did. Fast, treble, whining lyrics and that silly fast snare drum tonk. Anyhoo, this was good at what it tries to do. I feel BJ Armstrong was a real driving force behind the scene.
There's a lot of great melodic moments on here, and the lyrics give a reminder of just how fucked Bush's America was.
Grande
Amazing concept album
Un album punk(pop) qui a bueaucoup joué à l'époque. J'ai beaucoup de souvenirs des hits de cet album et ils sont bons. C'Est original mais très commercial pour un album punk. 3.10
I'm surprised how many songs I actually know on here, not having gone out of my way to listen to Green Day in '04. That just goes to show how huge this album was. The blending of power pop and punk has always been strong with Green Day, but it's next level on this album. It's so catchy, but with an undeniable burn. Great mix of the raging, the melodic and the anthemic. The lyrics are a scathing indictment of post-911 politics and American culture. They're pure punk, but more incisive and surprisingly eloquent at times. Great album. Fave Songs: Holiday, Jesus of Suburbia, Give Me Novacaine, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, American Idiot, Whatsername, Wake Me Up When September Ends
Known 2/3 of the album without knowing they come from a single album. A '00 classic. I've never considered this record to be that rich when it comes to compositions, but I guess I was wrong. An enjoyable record which brings back adolescent memories. Highlight: Jesus of Suburbia
Odpowiednik czarnego rapu ludzi z ulicy dla młodocianych białasów z średniozamożnych rodzin, którzy przechodzą fazę buntu. Dobry punk-rockowy album z zapędami operowymi. Mocne 4, może 4.5.
Ech, nie sposób nie być tu subiektywnym - miłe wspomnienia z dzieciństwa. Porcja solidnego pop punku, album nie za długi, ma kilka oczywistych raczej bangerów. Ciekawa koncepcja, nienachalna długość. Ciężko mi nie dać 5
This is their second best album and it’s pretty great. Wish Green Day was still this good. Now they only put out an occasional single that’s alright and you forget about it a week later.
Ah, high school.
Green Day always made me feel old and out of touch, even when I was 13. I just get absolutely nothing from it, and never have. As far as this album: the lyrics sound interesting on first listen (if you can make out what he's saying...he's drowned out by instruments a lot of the time), but then you actually look into them and they don't seem to stand up to any sort of analysis...just come off as surface-level and sort of vacuous. The whole album just seems like it was written to be someone's first exposure to the kinds of ideas in the album (e.g. Certain problems with American suburban life, America's foreign policy, people giving up their dreams/values to be a "paper-pusher" in a cubicle somewhere, etc.). If your in your early teens and it's one of the first times that you're thinking about these things, then maybe you think "Oh shit, he's right! These are problems!" but for me: I just can't find anything new/interesting here. That's not to say that albums/songs/art needs to have new ideas; sometimes these things are good for taking an old, well-known idea and illustrating it in a new or interesting way (or just a way that is pleasant to listen to). But I don't think this album does that either. Seems like a bunch of things that have been done better in the decades prior to this album's release. Maybe this album puts it in terms that better speaks to certain subsets of America's youth, but I was never in those subsets, and it certainly does nothing for the me of today. Incidentally, I do hate Billy Joe Armstrong's voice, so that obviously doesn't help me enjoy this album. Positives: I don't mind "Give me Novocaine", and I think the drums are good in many songs. I also have respect for concept albums that try to do big things - I just think this one falls short.
This album is so so good! Brought back memories of grad school (I know, I’m old). But, beyond that, it’s just a solid album. Is there even a bad song on it? Hit a whole new level when I saw Billy Joel on Howard Stern talk about WMUWSE being about his dad dying!
Is some of this rating nostalgia? Sure, but there’s lots of actually great songs on here.
The songs I remember being good are great; there is a little bit of filler, but still, super nostalgic, so gonna round up to a 4 here.
Fun! Never really listened to Green Day before, though of course I've heard a few of these.
Þetta er ekki beinlínis leiðinlegt, en þetta er tilbreytingarlítið og verður leiðigjarnt til lengdar. Boulevard of broken dreams gæti ég hlustað á nokkrum sinnum, hitt er voða bleh.
When this album came out, I was listening to "real" punk, metal, and hardcore and couldn't be bothered with Billie Joe's pop nonsense. I like to think I've mellowed a bit since then. And I must have because I enjoyed this WAY more than I expected to. It's fun. "American Idiot," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" are great but none of the tracks are snoozers. Every song seems to have a thesis and each track makes its point well. That said, I am not here for 9-minute punk songs. And I'm not talking about the four tracks that are two songs mashed. Those get a pass because of the format. None of them break 9 minutes anyway. No, I'm talking about "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming" here. There's no excuse for that. You're padding your term papers, fellas. Just make the point and move on.
pop punk was never ever my thing. But I can't deny that American idiot, holiday, boulevard, and wake me when September ends are all certified slaps.
As a fan of earlier Green Day, I didn't care too much for this when it came out. It seemed like they were trying too hard with the rock opera and heavy-handed political lyrics. Listening to it now I don't mind it - the songs still hold up.
So it turns out I just hate that corny joke someone feels the need to make on Facebook every October 1st. And 2004. That was a tough year. Unless you were the Boston Red Sox. Or Green Day. This album fucking slaps. The only thing that keeps it from being branded a 5 is that it's a bit too long. Or at least it feels too long, which is understandable when you have such epic aspirations. Or maybe that annual joke some attention seeking Facebook friend posts every year prevents me for going all in with a 5. But it stands up there with the truly great concept albums, from Sgt. Pepper to Tommy. And I'll take Jesus of Suburbia over that deaf, dumb, blind kid who knew his way around a pinball machine in Tommy any day.
Genre: Pop Punk 4/5 In an effort to exhibit full transparency, I friggin' love Green Day. My dad had a copy of one of their albums, Insomniac, on CD, and sometimes I used to listen to it until I fell asleep. In terms of their career output, anything after 21st Century Breakdown is relatively skippable, but up to that point there were very few bands that could point to the level of success that Green Day had at that time. Their biggest success came in 2004, their quasi-concept album, American Idiot, released in a time of great political turmoil in the USA, with songs on the album exploring topics such as the negative effect of state propaganda to the depressive, anxious state that many people felt locked into at that time, especially in the post-9/11 world. As far as the album is concerned, it's certainly Green Day's biggest and most pop-oriented effort to date, and, in my opinion, succeeds in leaps and bounds. 4 tracks here were huge singles for the group, American Idiot, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and Wake Me Up When September Ends. All of these tracks function as great examples of everything Green Day does right when they're locked in: catchy riffs, memorable choruses, and plenty of rock 'n roll energy. They were also able to squeeze 2 different punk-prog epics in here with Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming, songs that despite their runtimes never feel drawn out, and always find a different path to take to keep it interesting. All together, as a rock opera it's not very cohesive, but it's a damn good pop rock album that still manages to sound good, even in this day and age. Solid production and good, effective songwriting. Great album.
Rock legends. Such a knack for melody, and what a phenomenal lyricist.
Thought I would hate this because I remember hating it in 2004. Instead, it's a mix of good songs and bad ballads. Overall it's a meh. Good attempt though. 3/5
Album rules. Have always been massive fan of the rock opera setup they did here and still return to this once in a while. The two multi-part songs (Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming) are both amazing.
I always used to hate Green Day, like most mainstreamy rock bands, but I have warmed up to some of their stuff, mostly pre-AI. I prefer when they pretend to be punk than emo, which is why this does so little for me. At the day they’re just trend changers, and this isn’t a trend I vibe with. D
The last good Green Day album and it's a rock opera that is probably still very lyrically relevant 20 years later. I think it lags a bit in the back half, but the front half is unbelievable.
What a big album. I'd forgotten how many hits it had. Hardly any filler and v enjoyable trip back to the noughties. Will be listening again.
Say what you want about about this record, and the memeification of some of the songs, but man does this record hold up. Some of Green Day's strongest songcrafting, a huge step up in maturity while still managing to keep the sound and the fury. The types of rock here on display (classic pop-punk, emo punk, etc) keep each song feeling fresh, which helps especially when two songs have multiple movements inside of them. Favorite tracks: "Holiday", "Whatsername", "St. Jimmy"
Not their greatest but a solid collection of punk rock songs.
Green Day reinvents their style with a larger inspiration from the mainstream post-grunge movement with those heavy, cloudy riffs. Yet they're still very much tied to the pop punk and power pop they had been associated with the past decade. Here is the rock opera that defined the decade, and what I believed ultimately pushed pop punk into top 40 pop for in the mid-2000s. A lot of thought is put into the songwriting. The lyrics are angsty and open-ended, criticisms of politics for teens and adults alike to appreciate. It's insanely catchy, with lines written intended to be sung along to, despite their storytelling nature. A major complaint I once had was how rock operas were too long and had complicated plots that made it difficult to understand what was going on unless you were paying attention, but here the songs hardly have overarching plots. We have our angsty protagonist and premise in "American Idiot", the tensions in the next two suites, two character introductions in the next 3, then some other events in the last 3 that honestly I'd understand without any context. It makes it incredibly accessible and enjoyable no matter what track you choose to listen and share. As for the music, all of it is super memorable, and it's catchy, but some of it is either abrasive or a bit annoying. The middle 3-suite stretch consists of a pretty yet boring power pop half followed by a rougher hit-or-miss grungy punk half. "St. Jimmy" is a fun punk track that matches the character. "Letterbomb" is my favorite deep cut and perfectly blends the different styles, reminiscing the structure and energy of their late 90s work. I did find that the power pop did grow over time, and I started to somewhat appreciate the singalong anthemic nature of "Are We the Waiting" and the dreamy atmosphere of "Give Me Novacaine." Still "Extraordinary Girl" doesn't offer much but to me I hear a Middle Eastern exotic melody, and the titular phrase rolls off the tongue. As for the last 3, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is the grungiest, and although I've heard it a million times, I was shocked to learn it was Green Day. "Homecoming" gives huge "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (Meatloaf) vibes with the speedy transformations. "Whatsername" is my next favorite deep cut, reminds me of "One Headlight" (Wallflowers), although it got a little too heavy in the second half, and it ended a bit anti-climatically.
05/30/2022 An undeniable classic. There's a modern polish to the sound which keeps it fresh and of its time. Lots of good track on this one.
Never been a big Green Day fan. I think of them as "punk lite" - basically punk music without the danger or rebelliousness, good for suburban, angsty teens. Having said that, this was pretty good. 3 stars.
An ambitious effort. At the end of the day, the message doesn't match the delivery method, which breaks my brain a little. They play their anti-corporate Bush protest songs with the same energy they use for their odes to cocaine and masturbation. It just doesn't fit. Best track: Holiday
Honestly, I was way more impressed with this album than I thought I would be. I remember some of these songs being hits in 2004, but I wasn't terribly into pop music at that point, and a lot of these songs work much better in the context of this album. Green Day certainly came a long way in the 10 years between Dookie and American Idiot (though I still love the former). I would not have predicted that they had a concept album with emotional depth in them. 4/5
My definition for a 5 star rating is if I want to listen to an album more than once a week. I've just listened to it twice and will probably listen to it again.