Re: OT: what do you think of Green day?
Date: February 24, 2006 19:25
Great band - one of my favorites, actually. I've loved 'em since 1991, when my shitty old punk band played on the same bill as them. As soon as I heard them, I was blown away because they had mastered the sound that I was trying to get my own band to even approximate. They always got a lot of crap for wearing their influences on their sleeve, and since American Idiot got so huge that crap has increased exponentially, but they're far more varied and interesting than most people give them credit for. They're no Stones by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll take 'em over U2 or any of that emo crap out there any day as far as current rock bands selling records are concerned.
Here's my guide to Green Day, for those who are interested:
1039/Slappy (1991)- collection of their early singles & EPs - there's a lot of crap on there but a few gems. Interesting to hear their sound come together but pretty primitive overall.
Kerplunk (1992) - the best of the early stuff. Some of the catchiest hooks I've ever heard.
Dookie (1994) - major label debut - basically a more polished, bigger-budget Kerplunk, though not as good. Sold 9 million copies and effectively ended the Flannel Era. They should have received the Congressional Medal Of Honor for that alone.
Insomniac (1995) - Much harsher musically and lyrically than anything to this point. Deals with the Dookie backlash. Lots of great hooks and big choruses delivered with pure bile and venom.
Nimrod (1997) - Most remembered for that @#$%& awful "Time Of Your Life" song, but their best album. Almost like their Exile in that they explore their roots/influences over the course of 18 songs - it's a big, messy hodge-podge of styles that somehow manages to form a cohesive album. Lots of classic Green Day punk-pop with some forays into surf, ska, hardcore, and mid-'60s British Invasion-style stuff. The sound is overall much more dynamic as they back off a little-bit from the full-throttle guitar/drum attack that had dominated their sound up to this point.
Warning (2000) - A very weird, subdued record - it's like an homage to the Kinks. Lots of jangly electrics and acoustics all over the place but very stripped down overall. Takes the more '60s side of Nimrod and runs with it. They also start getting political with "Warning" and "Minority", which leads to . . .
American Idiot (2004) - Not as good as the hype would lead you to believe, but a pretty ballsy record nevertheless on a few levels. They were the first major band to give a big "@#$%& you" on record to the Bush Admin., and who the hell puts out a rock opera these days? It's pretty overblown and cringe-worthingly pretentious at times, but I give them credit for embracing the concept 100% and running with it. They also temper some of the more indulgent moments with some classic, hook-heavy tracks that could come from any point in their career. Professor TCB here gives them an A for effort, even if the record is only a B-.
OK - getting off my soapbox now!