#33 American Idiot: Green Day. What is punk? I sure as hell don't know. But I think a lot of stuff that is labelled punk is not even close. The closest thing I ever heard that sounded like what I think punk is was what my college hallmate used to listen to: Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, that raw 2 minute fury of pure skater-angst. Or, 70s bands like The Cramps, The Misfits, or the Ramones (who added a pop sensibility to punk) were the real deal. Then there are bands like The Clash, who acted the part, but really (in my mind) were not punk-y at all. "Lost in the Supermarket"? "Jimmy Jazz"? "Train in Vain"? These are not punk songs. I never understood why these guys are always placed in the same sentence as the Sex Pistols (who IMO are real punk) . In fact, I may be offering up some flames here, but I think London Calling is one of the most overrated CDs of all time. All-time great song, but the album is full of piffle.
So this brings us to Green Day, who emerged in the 90s as some kind of re-birth of punk. But this led to a backlash - the real punkers hated them because they were too poppy, so they looked like sellouts. And they certainly tried to play the part. But beneath it all, they simply wrote great songs. Dookie is filled with power pop, not punk, brilliance (punk songs do not have funky bass lines like in Longview). Their albums have been consistently, surprisingly, good. They have written maudlin mass-appeal mega-hits like "Time of your Life". But they will always be labelled punk because they thrash around a bit and the lead singer tends to slobber.
When I heard they were doing a "concept album" I thought - oh boy, now they've jumped the shark. And American Idiot doesnt really hold together as a story or the 'punk opera' they want it to be. But this collection of songs, in addition to being great, is also smart, with clever, biting lyrics, and interesting portraits of characters. I was really surprised I liked it so much.
1 comment:
Okay, "London Calling is one of the most over-rated albums of all time". Wow, that is completely blasphemous in my opinion. It's a classic, classic album, a seminal one, a fantastic one.
But, American Idiot (granted, I have never heard the whole album, just the single, American Idiot. So really I can't comment on it but of course I will), can't even be considered to be in same sentence as London Calling. In my opinion Green Day belongs in the same classification as Blink 182 or the band whose lead singer married Ashley Simpson (sucky pop posure punk). But that's just me...
I do like the single, American Idiot though but just because it's fun and boppy. Doesn't speak to me in any other way (while London Calling, that speaks to me on so many levels; I could listen to it over and over and over forever.)
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