By the year 2004, much of Green Day's mid-late 90's fame had for the most part declined. The band was on the verge of falling by the wayside and fading into obscurity until with some hard work and a stroke of luck, they launched a ginormous comeback with the release and tour for their award winning album American Idiot. Chocked full of chart topping hits that mainstream radio would NOT stop playing, this is the album that blasted them even further into the limelight than they had ever been.
While American Idiot still keeps much of Green Day's punk spirit alive, it differs from the band's previous works in that it has more grand studio production, more complex song structures, and more profound lyrics. The main theme was the connection between contemporary American social dysfunction and the rise of President George W. Bush. This was definitely an undertaking of massive proportions. The effort put in clearly paid off because not only were they able to successfully tell a large story through creatively written music, but they also scored multiple hits like American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Holiday, Wake Me Up When September Ends, etc. Even long suites like Jesus of Suburbia did quite well.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams is probably the one song that almost everyone knows Green Day for. It was impossible to escape it in the mid-2000's. It's kind of the anthem for lonely people/lone wolves who walk their own path in life. The verses are rather sedate and more focused on getting the message of the song across, but when the chorus comes crashing in through the speakers it makes the song pack that much more of an emotional punch. Add on that it has an incredibly catchy vocal melody and it's no wonder that it became such a big hit.
In my opinion, Jesus of Suburbia is one of the absolute greatest things Green Day has ever done. It's a nine minute song composed of five distinct segments that all flow together quite seamlessly. It's the story of an anti-hero named Jimmy who hates his town and those around him and leaves for the city to find something better. Each part represents a different part of the beginning of his journey and the music reflects that with punchy driving chords to light hearted acoustic strumming. It's one hell of a journey if you have the time to set aside for it.
American Idiot might not be considered true punk or be very favored by Green Day's older fans, but that by no means makes it any less of a fantastic rock album. It tells a compelling story, talks about big socio-political issues, and brings a whole new level of musicianship to the band's sound. It definitely brought the band into the 21st century and helped them establish a firm footing as a titanic presence in mainstream music. Though poppy in some aspects, the band still packs a serious punch and has some real balls here. Definitely worth a full listen.
American Idiot, by Green Day receives 3.8 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. American Idiot
2. Jesus of Suburbia
3. Holiday
4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
5. Are We Waiting
6. St. Jimmy
7. Give Me Novacaine
8. She's a Rebel
9. Extraordinary Girl
10. Letterbomb
11. Wake Me Up When September Ends
12. Homecoming
13. Whatsername
Buy the album on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/American-Idiot-Regular-Explicit-Green/dp/B0011Z10PC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464942526&sr=8-1&keywords=American+Idiot
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