John McM

The return of Green Day

for a number of years, media has been searching for a rock band to come out and give mainstream rock a caffeine jolt of relevance it's needing. A few years ago, MTV and rock mags really tried to do this with The Vines, hyping them to death, and yet the album wasn't all that big, and by their second album, the hype was over. However, there's been a fairly big wave of pop-punk acts (usually emphasising on the POP side) the past few years, New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, Yellowcard, Simple Plan, etc... all have been doing okay even tho none of them get any critical respect or have hit #1 on the chart. Yet the group who was doing what these guys were doing a decade ago, and BETTER, Green Day released "American Idiot" last September. I think most people assumed it'd probably debut top 10 and then die a quick forgettable death like their "Warning" cd has. But yet it's the opposite. The album debuted at #1, and while it fell, it remained in the top 30 the whole time, and now, in it's 16th week, is back on top, unseating Eminem.

Granted, it was a bad sales week, but how often do you see this type of chart life for a rock album. To top off brisk comeback sales, Green Day's album also received numerous Grammy nominations, being the sole non-r&b/hip hop album nominated for Album of the Year. "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" is so close to making the top 10 singles chart as well, which is largely hip hop dominated.

Is this it? the media has been searching and searching for the band to make rock viable again in a mainstream perspective, lauded groups like The Vines, The Strokes and Jet just couldn't do it, yet a veteran act whose peak in popularity was a decade ago, has been able to do something that hasn't really happened in awhile (sorry, Ashlee and Avril don't qualify) with a rock band.

Andrew_Sch

I think, coincidentally enough, that I bought it last week. I don't really care about sales numbers or any of that stuff (I never listen to radio, I heard about the album from friends and word of mouth), but I haven't stopped listening to it since the moment I bought it. It's an incredible album. Hell, my mom even likes some of it, and she's 55 years old.

\"Old theatres are irreplaceable. They could never be duplicated at today\'s costs - but more importantly, their spirit could not be duplicated because they remind us of a day when going to the show was a more glorious and escapist experience. I think a town\'s old theatres are the sanctuary of its dreams.\"-Roger Ebert
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My semi-respectable, moderately-sized collection

Michael Hein

I've never been a big Green Day fan but I have to admit there are some choice singles and overall the disc is fantastic. These boys have matured!

As for the next big thing, I dunno. I agree it would be nice if another Nirvana poked their heads through the corporate door as music is in dire need of a big shake up but IMO I just don't think Green Day is the one. But one never really knows, I'll be happy if even the Scissor Sisters become the next big thing.

Jeff_CusBlues

I love this disk and also heard of it via word of mouth. I'm 43 years old and was in high school during the first punk wave. I liked Green Day when they first arrived and now think they have released a classic disk. I buy virtually no new music, but once I heard it at my brother's house over Christmas, I had to go buy it. I listened to it for two weeks in the car and then loaned it to my wife. I now need to go back and retrieve it for more listening. A big thumbs up for this recording.

Garrett Lundy

Considering that the Grammy people think Jethro Tull is a heavy-metal god, I tend to think that their awards are about as reliable as the academy awards are for recognition of merit in artistic endeavors.

"Did you know that more people are murdered at 92 degrees Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once. Lower temperatures, people are easy-going, over 92 and it's too hot to move, but just 92, people get irritable."

Chet_F

Yea, I've heard nothing but praise for Green Days new CD. I buy about 4-5% of my CDs new and this one is on the top of the list. Maybe next paycheck.

\"If you’re lucky, people like something you do early and something you do just before you drop dead. That’s as many pats on the back as you should expect.\" - Warren Zevon 1993, R.I.P.

Tony-B

Trust me Chet, American Idiot totally lives up to the hype. How many "punk" (eventhough Green Day isn't really punk) bands have made a concept album? I can only think of one, Green Day.

Mark my words. Green Day will hold the number one spot in the top 10 singles sometime this year. The song will either be Boulevard Of Broken Dreams or Wake Me Up When September Ends.

I wonder what they will do next. Is it even possible to top this album?!

DVD Collection/Video Game Collection/Music Collection
"The Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you." -GLaDOS

KevinJ

did anyone see Green Day on carson daly a few days ago?they played the 9 minute version of Jesus of suburbia...simply amazing imho

Don Scott

I liked Dookie when it came out but I can't bare to listen to it now. I guess they're music is better than the pop and hip hop crap that dominates the charts these days.

Tony-B

Don, have you heard the new stuff they've done? It's far more evolved and mature than Dookie.

Kevin, I saw them do American Idiot, Jesus Of Suburbia (all 9 minutes), Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends, and Longview all in a row on Sessions@AOL on Fuse TV. They were really good, and it was all commercial-free (but the cursing in the songs was censored ).

DVD Collection/Video Game Collection/Music Collection
"The Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you." -GLaDOS

Patrick Sun

I actually checked out "American Idiot" based on Stephen King's year end overview in EW. It's a very good album.

"I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar!"
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