Green Day-21st Century Breakdown
July 12th 2009 03:06
I could’ve reviewed this album a number of ways. A standard blurb highlighting the few good tracks. I could’ve reviewed like a theatre production because it has that feel to it, but instead i went if a track by track analysis only because it forced to sit through the whole record start to finish and actually listen to it properly.
1. Song Of The Century- 1930’s style scratchy vinyl intro of Billie Joe singing for 50 seconds. Not original and not really necessary.
2. 21st Century Breakdown- mid paced,simple punk rock song. Polished production. Not one of Green Day’s best tracks, but listenable none the less. Changes in tempo half way through in the same vein as they did on the ‘American Idiot’ album. Big stadium rock finish.
3. Know Your Enemy- Catchy first single. Nice hook. Typical singalong rock song.
4. Viva La Gloria!- Piano intro power ballad song with string arrangements breaks into a typical Green Day sounding punk rock song.
5. Before The Lobotomy- Another slow intro, this time with acoustic finger picked guitar breaks into a latter day typical Green Day sounding stadium rock number. The lyrics are so the far the catchiest of Billie Joe’s and is a much better song than track 4.
6. Christian’s Inferno- Dirty rock intro before blasting into that 3 chord progression that has built Green Day’s career. Great singalong lyrics. Highlight of the album so far. Great rock song.
7. Last Night On Earth- Another piano power ballad. The song feels unoriginal in music and lyrics and sound. They have done better.
8. East Jesus Nowhere- flicking through radio station intro ending on a sound bite. Again unoriginal and unnecessary. Another mid paced rock song that fails to grab you like you wish it would.
9. Peacemaker- If this track had a ridiculously long title, I would swear it was a left over from Panic At The Disco’s debut album. An okay song. At least it has a different sound to the stadium rock numbers but compared to the other tracks, feels like a B-side.
10. Last Of The American Girls- Another simple rock song that is one of the better songs on the album. Potential to be a single that commercial radio will love. Good song to singalong to on a road trip.
11. Murder City- fast paced punk rock song that Green Day do better than most. Melodic, 4 chords, singalong chorus. Another really good song.
12. Viva La Gloria (little girl)- Starts of with some ragtime piano that again reminded me of Panic At The Disco. The rest of the song convinces me that it probably was.
13. Restless Heart Syndrome- Green Day are big on the piano intros this album. Picture a stage, an actor in the spotlight singing a realization song and you get the idea of this one. Rocks out slightly at the end after the solo in typical Green Day fashion
14. Horseshoes And Handgrenades- Sounds like a b-side to ‘American Idiot’. Lacks the angry passion needed to pull off the key line “let’s burn it all down”. The kids will love it though.
15. The Static Age- When I first saw this title I was secretly hoping for a MIsfits cover. It would’ve been better if they did. A bland lifeless stadium rock number that the kids will love.
16. 21 Guns- Another slow power ballad this time with acoustic guitar intro. Will say it’s some of Billie Joe’s best vocal work on the album.
17. American Eulogy- Starts with first track again before breaking into a Green Day punk rock song that would’ve worked on the last album too. Not a bad song, but after a couple of long and boring tracks I can’t get into it. The kids will love it.
18. See The Light- I think I’ve heard that piano refrain in the intro in about hundred other songs. Turns into a typical post ‘Warning’ record sounding Green Day song. Stadium rock opera closer thats upbeat and ties up the story and everyone leaves happy.
What I couldn’t help but feel is that this album would be the soundtrack to a musical. Green Day have created another rock opera album that follows the sound and flavor of ‘American Idiot’. The question is, do we need another album like this from Green Day. Sadly the answer is no. Unlike ‘American Idiot’, this lacks originality. You knew what the next piece would sound like before it came along and thats on the first listen to this album. Obviously this is the direction the band want to go in and that’s fine, but they’re starting to border on the lines of U2 in parts and that can’t be a good thing. The album is also too long for today’s standards. Who has the time to sit through a 70 minute record? I get the record is telling a story but the songs seemed thrown together and I’m sure a couple could of been cut. Just when you get a couple of good songs back to back, you get a couple of shit ones. Ultimately, it’s Green Day and it’s an okay record, but it’s definitely not their best. Perhaps their best is now behind them. But in a year where alot of their contemporaries and peers are releasing really good albums (see Rancid, Nofx) this just fails to live up to the hype. The kids will love it though!
1. Song Of The Century- 1930’s style scratchy vinyl intro of Billie Joe singing for 50 seconds. Not original and not really necessary.
2. 21st Century Breakdown- mid paced,simple punk rock song. Polished production. Not one of Green Day’s best tracks, but listenable none the less. Changes in tempo half way through in the same vein as they did on the ‘American Idiot’ album. Big stadium rock finish.
3. Know Your Enemy- Catchy first single. Nice hook. Typical singalong rock song.
4. Viva La Gloria!- Piano intro power ballad song with string arrangements breaks into a typical Green Day sounding punk rock song.
5. Before The Lobotomy- Another slow intro, this time with acoustic finger picked guitar breaks into a latter day typical Green Day sounding stadium rock number. The lyrics are so the far the catchiest of Billie Joe’s and is a much better song than track 4.
6. Christian’s Inferno- Dirty rock intro before blasting into that 3 chord progression that has built Green Day’s career. Great singalong lyrics. Highlight of the album so far. Great rock song.
7. Last Night On Earth- Another piano power ballad. The song feels unoriginal in music and lyrics and sound. They have done better.
8. East Jesus Nowhere- flicking through radio station intro ending on a sound bite. Again unoriginal and unnecessary. Another mid paced rock song that fails to grab you like you wish it would.
9. Peacemaker- If this track had a ridiculously long title, I would swear it was a left over from Panic At The Disco’s debut album. An okay song. At least it has a different sound to the stadium rock numbers but compared to the other tracks, feels like a B-side.
10. Last Of The American Girls- Another simple rock song that is one of the better songs on the album. Potential to be a single that commercial radio will love. Good song to singalong to on a road trip.
11. Murder City- fast paced punk rock song that Green Day do better than most. Melodic, 4 chords, singalong chorus. Another really good song.
12. Viva La Gloria (little girl)- Starts of with some ragtime piano that again reminded me of Panic At The Disco. The rest of the song convinces me that it probably was.
13. Restless Heart Syndrome- Green Day are big on the piano intros this album. Picture a stage, an actor in the spotlight singing a realization song and you get the idea of this one. Rocks out slightly at the end after the solo in typical Green Day fashion
14. Horseshoes And Handgrenades- Sounds like a b-side to ‘American Idiot’. Lacks the angry passion needed to pull off the key line “let’s burn it all down”. The kids will love it though.
15. The Static Age- When I first saw this title I was secretly hoping for a MIsfits cover. It would’ve been better if they did. A bland lifeless stadium rock number that the kids will love.
16. 21 Guns- Another slow power ballad this time with acoustic guitar intro. Will say it’s some of Billie Joe’s best vocal work on the album.
17. American Eulogy- Starts with first track again before breaking into a Green Day punk rock song that would’ve worked on the last album too. Not a bad song, but after a couple of long and boring tracks I can’t get into it. The kids will love it.
18. See The Light- I think I’ve heard that piano refrain in the intro in about hundred other songs. Turns into a typical post ‘Warning’ record sounding Green Day song. Stadium rock opera closer thats upbeat and ties up the story and everyone leaves happy.
What I couldn’t help but feel is that this album would be the soundtrack to a musical. Green Day have created another rock opera album that follows the sound and flavor of ‘American Idiot’. The question is, do we need another album like this from Green Day. Sadly the answer is no. Unlike ‘American Idiot’, this lacks originality. You knew what the next piece would sound like before it came along and thats on the first listen to this album. Obviously this is the direction the band want to go in and that’s fine, but they’re starting to border on the lines of U2 in parts and that can’t be a good thing. The album is also too long for today’s standards. Who has the time to sit through a 70 minute record? I get the record is telling a story but the songs seemed thrown together and I’m sure a couple could of been cut. Just when you get a couple of good songs back to back, you get a couple of shit ones. Ultimately, it’s Green Day and it’s an okay record, but it’s definitely not their best. Perhaps their best is now behind them. But in a year where alot of their contemporaries and peers are releasing really good albums (see Rancid, Nofx) this just fails to live up to the hype. The kids will love it though!
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