Green Day “21st Century Breakdown” Review
After selling over 12 million copies of the album, many have certified Green Day’s American Idiot a modern classic. The band’s concept album not only reintroduced the group to the mainstream, but American Idiot quickly became Green Day’s second highest selling album since its major label debut, Dookie, in 1994. With the album, Green Day once again irritated purists by introducing a rebellious aesthetic within the punk-branded rock opera; 21st Century Breakdown, however, should do little to raise the ire of traditionalists. It’s an amalgamation of many varying sounds and influences, while the record’s 18 tracks reflect a continued shift in the band’s direction, one that surprisingly has it sounding less like a group of next-wave pop-punkers and more like a modern-day classic rock band.
Not that Insomniac was a bad album [as a sidenote, I'd like to mention that it's one of my favorite Green Day records], but to some degree it failed to live up to the mammoth anticipation that followed Dookie (which has now sold roughly 15 million copies worldwide). Likewise, the expectation following American Idiot is immense, and it’s far from an overstatement to suggest that the pressure to deliver another solid album has never been greater for the band. Following one of the greatest comebacks of the past decade, Green Day could have easily relaxed and put out an effortless follow-up to cash in while its popularity is still high. But they didn’t. They enlisted acclaimed producer Butch Vig to help give the album a stout sound and the final product is an album that is likely to solidify Green Day as one of the best mainstream rock bands of this generation.
21st Century Breakdown is divided into three acts, each loosely following a young couple, Christian and Gloria, as they’re confronted with a manipulative, authoritative culture. The first act, “Heroes and Cons,” immediately introduces reactionary lyrics of dissent against a government’s restrictive and oppressive policies. The album’s title track is a veritable opus that addresses homeland security and a burdened working class while the band carries on with one of the better attempts at a Queen song since… well… Queen. “Know Your Enemy” serves as the album’s first single, and the song is equally as approachable and sharp as American Idiot‘s self titled track and serves as a blunt call for dissidence, “Overthrow the effigy, the vast majority, burning down the foreman of control/ Silence is the enemy against your urgency, so rally up the demons of your soul.”
“Viva la Gloria” opens up the narrative surrounding the album’s characters, in particular regarding the female protagonist. The song’s introduction pairs Billy Joel Armstrong and a piano, adding a dusting of strings before the body of the song comes crashing in. “Gloria” introduces a theme that is at the heart of the entire album, and one that remains through to the final song: a cry to grasp onto hope and fight for what you believe in. The next song, “Before the Lobotomy” introduces the Christian character, with Armstrong adding a source for the character’s angst: “The brutality of reality is the freedom that keeps me from dreaming.” The act closes with “Last Night on Earth,” a ballad that adds emotional leverage to the characters’ relationship, fusing them throughout their journey.
The second act, “Charlatans and Saints,” opens with “East Jesus Nowhere,” a song that grinds musically, attacking religious fundamentalism, which Armstrong cheekily addresses as “the church of wishful thinking,” adding, “The sirens of decay will infiltrate the faith fanatics.” The following track, “Peacemaker,” advances the album’s violent themes, and the song stands as one of the best on the first half of the record—a driving guitar track that offers a quick wink at the Spanish sounding spaghetti westerns. The remainder of the second act sounds of typical Green Day however, largely indistinct songs that unfortunately begin to blend together within the belly of the album.
The final act, “Horseshoes and Handgrenades,” kicks off with a song by the same name that might bear the closest resemblance to classic Green Day on Breakdown. The song bursts through the speakers with the opening line, “I’m not fucking around,” before later commanding, “Don’t you fuck me around because I’ll shoot you down/I’m gonna drink, fight and fuck and pushing my luck all the time now.” Even with the GG Allin-like lyrics of the last line, the song reinvigorates the album with a guitar as forceful as its lyrics, once again giving Breakdown a sense of urgency.
The next set of songs retreat into lighter sounding guitar riffs, but remain lyrically diligent, with “The Static Age” launching an attack at the senselessness behind much of modern advertising: “Are what you own that you cannot buy?” “21 Guns” offers a slight change of pace in the act, leaning on a theme of desolation: “When you’re at the end of the road and you lost all sense of control/and your thoughts have taken their toll. When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul/Your faith walks on broken glass and the hangover doesn’t pass/nothing’s ever built to last—you’re in ruins.” Musically, the final act peaks with the following track, “Mass Hysteria,” with the song enhancing the themes of anger and desperation that fuel the final act: “I don’t want to live in the modern world.”
“See the Light,” the album’s last song, serves as the story’s dénouement. It recaps the emotional battles that the characters have overcome, offering one last plea for hope as Breakdown fades out: “I just want to see the light, I don’t want to lose my sight/I just want to see the light, I need to know what’s worth the fight.”
It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to hear detractors condemn the album as preachy. But as the concept of the record revolves around the perceived values of the band as acted out through the story’s characters, it’d be inexcusable if Breakdown didn’t attempt to make a statement. If you’re able to put aside your preconceived notions about how a Green Day album should sound, and you aren’t holding a grudge against the band for not re-creating an album’s worth of “Basket Case” rehashes, you’re likely to hear something that is unique and creative (especially so when contrasted with many of the band’s contemporaries). It’s not the most artistic album of the year, nor is it the most musically sound; but it is the most well balanced, creative piece of work that Green Day has ever released. While the band was attempting to build on the momentum created from one of the decades highest selling albums, it somehow crafted a record that once more leaves the listener wondering “how can they ever top this?” The bar has again been raised.
Is it just me or is “Horseshoes and Handgrenades” a retooled “Main Offender” by The Hives?
Andrew, it bares some superficial similarities with the general structure I suppose, but honestly it’s a pretty generic 1960′s garage-mod rock sound that had been done many times before The Hives ever did it. Otherwise, one could easily say that The Hives are ripping off International Noise Conspiracy (which at one time I truly felt, before I thought about how many other had done this sound before as well).
Green Day actually excels at the garage mod thing…they did a lot of it in their Foxboro Hottubs side project. I am surprised to see it make it onto one of their GD releases.
One thing that I kinda like about this album is the fact that the narrative isn’t as sub-humanly large as it was on American Idiot. Instead of that big narrative, we get more of a themed soundtrack with melodies that carry over. I agree with you that this is as good as American Idiot, if not better. I also agree with you that Insomniac is one of my favorite albums by them with Warning at the bottom of the list for obvious reasons. I’d say more, but my family isn’t letting me. I hope to be able to go to their show this summer.
On that note, I asked my roommmate if he likes Green Day… he said he thought American Idiot got a little preachy for his taste… so along those lines I thought he’d probably take offense with this record also. That being said, there’s a divide in themes–one that I think leans more toward a battle of philosophies on this album rather than a battle of right vs. wrong on Idiot.
Am I the only one who thinks that “Christian’s Inferno” sounds a bit like the American Idiot B-Side “Governator”?
I grew up listening to Dookie. I’ve been waiting for them to come out with another album of similar sound, so unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed to hear this new release. Is it just me or does anyone else think Butch Vig (Producer) made Green Day sound like a bunch of little girls (to put it nicely)?
1. Dookie 2. Nimrod 3. American Idiot.
21st Century Breakdown? Out if Green Day’s 8 albums, this one is either ranked 7th or 8th. Don’t get me wrong, by the standards set by many other bands these days, this is not a bad album, but unfortunately not a particularly great one either. It reminds me of Bon Jovi’s ‘Keep the Faith’; not in any musical way, mind you, only in that years to come I can see it being referred to, by the fans, as Green Day’s “Sell Out” album.
I appreciate that it doesn’t matter who you are, ALL bands have to grow and develop, regardless how big they may be; Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith the list goes on. Yes the basics of the band are there but there is still progression. Other than Billy Joe’s distinctive voice, when it takes until the 8th track to say “that’s Green Day!”, there is something seriously wrong.
Overall I’d give this album a 4/10
Andy,
I can’t listen to anything you say, you can’t even spell Billie Joe’s name correct. That is a warning sign right there that you have no idea what you are talking about.
Andy, you couldn’t have put it more correctly when you said that “when it takes until the 8th track to say “that’s Green Day!â€, there is something seriously wrong.” Billie Joe doesn’t sound like himself at all. I know that bands grow and develop over time and aquire new sounds, but I can still hope for the day that they put out something like Dookie or Insomniac or Nimrod again.
1.dookie 2.american idiot 3.nimrod 4.21st CENTURY BREAKDOWN 5.warning 6.insomniac 7.1039/smoothed out slappy hour 8.kerplunk
It isnt bad. die hard fans will love it. howeber there is a lack of consistency between tracks. good songs, brilliant songs are there but too many songs seem to be just thrown in so the album is longer and to add to the story of Christian and Gloria. every track on american idiot and dookie is at least a very good track. 21st century breakdown just doesnt have this quality. stand out songs include “know your enemy” “21 guns” “viva la gloria” and “21st century breakdown?
you guys don’t know what youre talking about…
best to worst:
1. Dookie
2. Nimrod
3. Insomniac
4. Kerplunk
5. Shenanigans
6. 1039
7. American Idiot
8. 21st Century Breakdown
oops, and i’ll throw Warning in their after 1039 and before American Idiot
Patrick,
Sorry about the spelling of the Billie Joe’s name, having been a fan of the band since the first time I heard them, when a friend played me Kerplunk, that is the one thing that has always bugged me.
The fact that he spells his name like a girl, i.e. Billie Holiday, Billie Piper, Billie Myers and even Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ . . . all girls.
Apologies to the rest of you reading this, but come on; to say that I don’t know what I’m talking about because I chose to use the male, rather than the female, spelling of his name is like saying a duck doesn’t know how to swim because it has wings.
I hate to say it, but the more I listen to this album the less I like it. To me, a lot of the tracks on 21st Century Breakdown feel like alternate versions of tracks on American Idiot. I’ve been a huge Green Day fan since I was in my teens (I’m 33 now), but this one just isn’t doing it for me like the last one did.
I’m having a hard time understanding why reviews are so over-the-top glowing for this album. With the exception of one or two tracks that are very interesting and very good, the rest of 21st sounds like a version of something I’ve heard somewhere else many times before. Like the argument Mike posted to my comment from earlier in the week about “Horseshoes and Handgrenades” bearing a LOT of similarities to The Hives’ “Main Offender” (I like both songs by the way. The argument there (and no offense to Mike at all) is that it’s no big deal because that sort of song is “pretty generic” and done a million times. So why does that get a pass?
I’m not saying Green Day were trying to rip off anybody else, but if it’s so generic and familiar, why is the album being so lauded as great?
Maybe I’m totally alone in thinking this, but all-in-all 21st Century Breakdown was just boring. The majority songs felt rehashed or just plain uninteresting, there was not much musically going on (“Know Your Enemy” seriously grates on me. The song is ten seconds repeated. And repeated. And repeated), and the lyrics felt overly preachy all while not preaching anything particularly articulate, new, or insightful. It feels a bit like being politically lectured by a 14 year-old. Nothing is very thought-out or well rounded, and the “anger and outrage” of the album feels pretty manufactured.
But, again, maybe it’s just me.
I am a 13 year old boy, and i grew up on Americn Idiot. I have resurched Green Day’s work, and ifeel that so far American Idiot was their best albumn, that ,might give me less credit compared to you, but i feel that this is a solid albumn, its good and i like the use of different instruments,all in all, its not their best, but it’s very good and worth buying
1. Dookie
2. 21st Century Breakdown. yeah.
3. American Idiot
4. Nimrod… ok 3 and 4 are maybe a tie
5. Isnomniac
6. Kerplunk
7. Warning (Maybe 4, 5 good songs)
8. Shenanigans
havnt heard first. 21st is a Fantastic album. If you havnt, hear it with all 6 extras (the 2 itunes covers, the two pre-order only itunes covers, the two know your enemy B-sides) Lights out is a great, great song and shouldnt b a b side and even if you dont like it, their like a rolling stone is very interesting.
@ Andy thats the legal spelling of his name, I have nothing against you review and shit but his name is spelled like that. If it btohers you, well sorry but its not really up to you.
I agree with David on tht scoring of the albumns
i’ve read a few comments from people and they al say that some of the songs on this cd sound like songs they have already made. i think the album is great, but this is green day! i think they could have easily made something more worthy of a 4-5 year gap between albums.
What are yall talkin about. This album is amazing and if you follow along with the storyline it just blows you away. I would always put American Idiot as my favorite, I mean American Idiot is the most influencial thing in my life. Thats the reason I started playin guitar and got into music. But 21st Century Breakdown is exactly what I thought….Amazing!!!
1. American Idiot
2. 21st Century Breakdown
3. Nimrod
4. Warning
5. Dookie
6. Kerplunk
7. 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hour
8. Insomniac
and all of these albums I would put in my top 30 fav. of all time
I have to be honest and say that I have only been listening to Green Day since American Idiot and have recently acquired a copy of Dookie. I feel that the overall theme of Breakdown is very much similar to the one’s on Idiot, with some visible differences.
As much as I liked the balance of the different elements in this new record, I have to say that other that “Know Your Enemy”, nothing else stands out to me, not as much as how “Wake Me Up..”, “Holiday”, ‘Boulevard of..” and “American Idiot” stood out in the last record. Okay, perhaps “See The Light” and “Viva la Gloria” as well.
For me, this is a fantastic Album.
I love the direction they have taken for there follow up to American Idiot, and maybe its because im getting older now (29) – but im starting to listen more to the slower arena rock tracks then the ‘Rock out with ya cock out’ tracks (Mind you – My fav on the album would have to be American Eulogy).
For me Greenday albums would go in this list:
1- Dookie
2- Insomniac
3- 21st Century Breakdown
4- Kerplunk
5- American Idiot
6- 1039 Smooth out slappy hours
7- Nimrod
8- Warning
Personally, I hated American Idiot. I thought it was a bad direction for Green Day to take, and it made me feel as though they were gravitating more towards an interest in achieving mainstream success as opposed to making good music. 21st Century Breakdown has restored my faith in Green Day. I love this album. I think they’ve tapped into a lot of different influences in writing this album, while still keeping it very Green Day. I’m not saying that I love this album because it’s a reprise of their old material. I love it because it’s a step in a new direction that I really, really enjoy. I guess it’s just a matter of whether or not you like where they’re going with their sound. The classic Green Day albums will always have a special place for me since they are the albums I grew up on, but 21st Century Breakdown kicks ass. I love it.
By the way, why does everyone keep leaving out Shenanigans when they rank the albums???
1. Dookie
2. Nimrod
3. 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours
4. 21st Century Breakdown
5. Insomniac
6. Kerplunk
7. Warning
8. Shenanigans
9. American Idiot
Ok, i think we really need to stop comparing ablumns. I think we should just say weither or not this is a good albumn. So, please stop comparing their work, its like they have grown, and decided to use different instruments, it’s close to a different style, but still is classic Green Day, so just say weither it’s good or not and explain why, i think tht’d be best
can’t stand this album. Billie needs to stop writing operas and going back to writing songs. Not enough Mike Dirnt! A brilliant bass player such as he should be featured more.
kerplunk is the greatest you fools!
Billie is righting good songs in this opera, its the same thing as writing songs, it’s just all connected and by the end of the albumn you fee like you have learned something, like there WAS a resoultion and you feel better. Mike Dirnt Mike be brilliant, but i feel in this albumn it’s more of how Billie feels, so it’s Billie’s voice and mainly Billie on piano and guitar. So ait for thee next ablumn Brain
I don’t see what all of your problems with this album is. Wake up people- it’s NOT supposed to sound like Dookie or any of their older albums!! Dookie was a good album, yes, I agree but seriously get over it. That was the whole point that is for it to have a different sound. Topping American Idiot is NOT easy and I think we all had very high expectations for the new album, the band included. They could have just sat back in their money like so many other bands have and put out an easy album but they DIDN’T. So really, stop complaining that it doesn’t sound like their old stuff and just enjoy the music.
I have to disagree with someone’s comment here before saying that the album gets worse every time he/she listens to it.
I think the oppsoite.
The first time I heard it I was amazed that I only liked about 10 or 11 songs of the 18. The 2nd time I heard it I liked 14, now I like 15 after I’ve heard it probably close to 5-6 times.
I haven’t listened to Green Day for a very long time (the first time being Christmas 2005, and loving it since then),so I heard American Idiot first. I have to say, that this album, is the album that I’ve liked the 2nd most, after American Idiot and Insomniac. Don’t get me wrong though, I love all their albums, and there aren’t many songs I don’t like. The thing that I’ve liked, is that I see that they’ve grown up, their music has changed. They have started to do different kinds of music, (e.g. Peacemaker, HSaHG,Restless HS, and 21stCB are all quite different) and I like that.
I don’t think Dookie is that great. From the 14 songs I like about 7 or 8. It had some great singles (Basket Case, When I Come Around) but it lacked depth and consistency. (The same can be said about the first two albums as well, with less great hits, good music though). Insomniac had a good consistency, though it lacked even more depth. Nimrod had depth, it had different songs. ALthough most of them sucked (Walking Alone, Platypus), but it had some greats as well. Warning was quite okay, it had a lot of depth, though it lacked really huge hits except for Minority and Castaway.
American Idiot was for me a great album. It had depth, it had different kinds of songs perfectly combined with other types of songs and therefore it was very consistent with the quality of the songs. Almost the same can be said about 21st CB. It has some masterpieces (Before the Lobotomy, Peacemaker, American Eulogy) and some okay-songs (Last of the American Girls, Murder City) and those that aren’t that good (Last Night on Earth, Static Age), but overall the album had depth and consistency, and was very enjoyable.
So I would rate this album of 4 out of 5 stars, and the 2nd best Green Day album overall.
1.AI
2.21st CB
3.Insomniac
4.Warning
5.Dookie
6.Nimrod
7.Kerplunk
8.1.0039 SOSH
wow…
Green Day has gotten every single one of you in thier traps. If you can’t appreciate music enough to realize the uniqueness and direction of this album, you should be ashamed to call yourselves fans. Green Day has written an album completely different than Dookie, or Insomniac! On purpose! It’s not that they can’t write like that anymore, it’s that they choose not to. Green Day is Green Day, and music is music. Respect each and every song (or album) it deserves, and no matter what, there is something to be learned in every song!
If you want an epic story, watch a movie or read a book. This just isn’t Green Day, as I can say the same for American Idiot.
after american idiot came out, i gave up on green day…
its pretty bad when your feature song off an album is just a 10 second clip repeated a dozen times
The first thing I thought of when I heard ‘Static Age’ was the song ‘Church on Sunday’. They are pretty close to the same!
1. 1039/SOSH
2. Warning
3. Insomniac
4. Dookie
5. Nimrod
6. Kerplunk
7. American Idiot
The Foxboro Hot tubs stuff
THEN the network stuff
and 21st century break down doesnt deserve to be on the list.
I’m 15.
American Idiot was the soundtrack to my middle school life.
Now im a freshman, and I rank this album up high.
With this album, ACDC and Metallica’s new albums, it has been a great two years for music.
In fact, in my Itunes top 25, there is nothing but Queen, Metallica and songs off of 21st CB. In fact, the most played song is the first Viva La Gloria, and it has been played nearly 30 times.
Call me stupid, but this is a great album.
10/10
Not one bad track. Some average ones, but not one track to rank the album down.
Patrick said:
with 21st century breakdown…”they were gravitating more towards an interest in achieving mainstream success as opposed to making good music”
in case you didn’t notice, or listen to music back in the mid 90′s they already acheived mainstream success with dookie…dookie was a “mainstream” success and still is…you idiots are acting like this is their first cd with major label backing and mainstream success…dookie has been done, leave it alone…insomniac has been done, leave it alone….done, done, done, done, leave it alone…now we come to 21st century breakdown which is a phenomenal album…it’s been done, and they’ll leave it alone and move on to the next album which i’m sure will be excellent…
it doesn’t matter what style they adopt or direction they take because green day will always kick ass with every album they make…they’re that good
Ok well I understand why people are upset with this album. Ive been a greenday fan since I was ten. I remember hearing dookie/insomniac in the 90s along with nimrod. I love those three CDs. Warning i kinda ignored for a while… still don’t like it much. When I heard American Idiot i thought it was not good at all. I figured they lost everything after Warning. Then this album came out. I love it. They blended so many influences together. One of their best. Probably top four.
I’m 19 and American Idiot really defined my High School years. A lot of Green Day Fans hold Dookie on some platform. I listened to Dookie and sure, it’s catchy, but it lacks depth. American Idiot was a mind blowing album with a steadfast energy running from the title track to the end. It was memorable, and emotional. I put American Idiot within the top 3 spaces of my favorite albums of all time. Not 21st Century is a new breed. It has the depth and rock-opera continuity of American Idiot with more song appeal and less self-censorship. With completely new sounding songs like Peacemaker and Before the Lobotomy and familiarities like 21 Guns and Last of the American Girls it makes a fresh and interesting listen. I love it more every time I hear it. My only complaint is that it lacks the front to back appeal American Idiot has as I’m tempted to skip tracks like Murder City and American Eulogy.
So 21st Century Breakdown and American Idiot tie for my favorite Green Day Albums.
I am 27 years old and grew up listening to Green Day, Dookie still is their best album to date along with Kerplunk. To me Green Day did their best when playing true punk rock, not this pop “punk” crap with a catchy beat and EMO lyrics. I will admit that American Idiot was not their worst album, it did do a lot for a band that was struggling and I am happy for them… It just was not my taste as I prefer their punk rock side. But 21st was just a giant repeat of American Idiot. Same exact preachiness, same exact EMO lyrics. I think WE-(Dookie lovers) lost the war to 13 year old kids in Green Day. I just can’t look at them the same way anymore. I lost all respect for them. They sold out on this album. At least I still have Bad Religion!
I’m also 19 and grew up on Green Day (my parents are massive fans). So when American Idiot came out to begin my grade nine year it was love at first listen. For me, it was an hour’s bus ride to and from school, just enough to play all of AI on my walkman (I didn’t catch on to the iPod craze until I was much older). I’d even finish listening to it once I was off the bus, had to make it to whatsername or else it didn’t count. When I heard 21st CB was coming out, I had it preordered and was listening by 11 past midnight and loved every bit of it. When I got to see the light I was overjoyed by how amazing this album is. Then I heard the other four “bonus” tracks iTunes provided with preorders and was even more enchanted by their musical prowess. The next morning I left on an eight hour car trip for the canadian long weekend and played 21CB constantly.
That’s the beauty of music though, if we don’t like it we can mute it. So if you really don’t like this album, I feel sorry for you, but mostly don’t care too much about that, because I whole heartedly embrace this album as one of their finest.
PS
I’m not sure what is meant by “sound like little girls”
Have you ever heard a girl sing? I’d bet yes.
Furthermore if you can’t recognize Billie Joe’s voice after all that listening to GD you’ve done, I wouldn’t call you much of a fan. Each vocalist is unique and when you hear someone sing a bazillion times, it gets pretty hard not to think of them. especially when Billie Joe belts out those beautiful minor chord progressions, mmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMM makes my day!
I’m actually one of the few people that agree with Andrew and someone else who said Billie Joe sounds like a girl on the album, hahaha.
Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten into heavier and more complex music over the past 4 or 5 years that it took GD to write this album, but it’s just too sugar-coated for me (esp. Billie’s vocals). I do like how they’ve blended their influences in some of their songs, but there are only a couple of tracks that really stand out and the rest start sounding the same after a while to me.
Essential Green Day records:
1. 1,039/SOSH
2. Kerplunk!
3. Dookie
4. American Idiot
Haven’t heard 21st Century yet, but I hope it’ll make this list.
I agree with David list, except switch 21st and Dookie. Also, everyone who is complaining that “this isnt Green Day! I wish they would do another Dookie.” is getting on my nerves. They are NEVER going to do another Dookie or Insomniac. If you dont like it you dont have to listen to it. So QUIT COMPLAINING!
I can’t believe what I am reading here!!!! Green Day has followed me through my entire 20′s and hearing this album is the culmination of the entire decade to this point. With the world falling down around us and every last American Idiot paying absolutley no attention to the fact that the life that we live today will be gone tomorrow, this album not only graduates Green Day into my personal hall of fame but immortalizes them as leaders of the new age. Lyrics like “Are you what you own that you cannot buy?”, “She wears a rubber coat for the coming of the nuclear winter”, and “She is the saint of all the sinners, the one that’s fallen through the cracks, so don’t put away your burning light” serve as a call to all who can still rationalize that the world is screaming for a change from the materialistic and greedy ways. Green Day, as always, is RIGHT ON TRACK with their ideology. Perhaps you may think preachy, but maybe that’s what the world needs. I rate #1, followed closely by American Idiot as #2. The rest is simply stepping stones toward the maturity of these two albums.
One of the hardest things in being a hugely successful recording artist with a loyal following is that your “loyal” followers eventually become your harshest critics. Many just refuse to allow an artist to move on and do different things. If GD kept releasing “Dookie” siblings, they would be nowhere today and universally slammed, even I daresay, by those same die-hards (Springsteen has gone through this for years).
I wonder how many writers here truly appreciate how difficult it is to accomplish what GD has.
My ratings:
1. Dookie
2. American Idiot
3. Nimrod
4. 21st Century Breakdown
5. Insomniac
6. 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours
7. Warning
8. Kerplunk!
First of all, 21st century breakdown is quite a good album, but i think Green day have become a victim of their own sucess! seriously they gave themselves a huge task in beating Dookie and i don’t think the’ve done it yet.
“breakdown” sees a more diverse side to Green Day and you can’t blame them. they can’t enjoy making music if they’re tryin to mix up dookie songs and churn out new music to entertain the masses.
i agree with the dude that wrote the article, if you listen to this album and forget about comparing it to their previous work, you’ll find a truely great album.
ps. if you were to include shenanigans, it’d go between warning and 1039 SOHH.
21st cb is the result of an ageing punk band that has cottoned on to a way to carry on their success.i have never purchased any punk album with the intent of really enjoying the melodic sounds of the singers voice.there was always at least 10-12 songs on any green day album (pre warning)that always gave you a kick up the arse adrenaline rush and this is what is sadly lacking in 21st cb.
1.dookie
2.nimrod
3insomniac
4kerplunk
5smooth
6shenanigans
7warning
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20american idiot
21 21st cb
GREEN DAY R NO LONGER A PUNK BAND.FULL STOP.LIKE IT OR NOT.
AND I DONT
Oh man.. They are back with BANG BANG BANG…!!!
Seriously rockin songs.. with this launch they showed that y they rule 90′s…!! This is the perfect band we had coz they r havin grt singer… grt drumer.. infact he is coolest d drumer of all.. with coolest expressions… n grt guitarist..!! I love this band..!!
I m lukin fwd more frm Green day…!!
Oh, come on, they made “Dookie” in 1992. 17 years has passed since then. What do you expect from GD? World changed, Billie & co. got older, more serious people, no more rebelliously raged bunch. I was 20 when Dookie was released and became fan of Green day. They grew older, just like I did, so is their music and I love it.
And changing the sound and/or quality of music during time is something very natural. Who can say that even Beatles on “Sgt. Peppers…” sound exactly the same as on “Love Me Do”?? Or Elvis songs before he died or at the start of career?? Or Aerosmith? That is something perfectly normal…well, not in case AC/DC, they sound exactly the same as they did in 1980`s “Back in Black”.
Anyway, like any true Green Day fan who listens their music more than 15 years I cannot rank their albums…all of them are great and No.1 !
Very true, NastyB.
I think too many people are bent on comparing the last 2 albums with that of the 90′s. They fail to understand that greenday has written well over 150 songs during their career…do you really think that they can keep writing new songs in the same way after practically a decade of 3 chord-3 minute classic greenday songs?? Im actually suprised that they went as far as they did without experimenting with their song.
and for those who keep throwing a fit about them “selling out” as u say, then u can just keep listening to dookie, forget about these new albums, and end ur experience with greenday while the rest of us continue to enjoy their musical brilliance.
I think they should’ve just stuck with a bunch of songs like Christian’s Inferno and Murder City instead of going all out with piano ballads and such. And I mean, I’m all for creativity and conceptual writing, but it doesn’t feel put together. Not musically or lyrically. It feels more like a bunch of small ideas thrown into a blender and then randomly spit out.
That being said, I don’t deny the fact that they probably worked their asses off putting this record together, but I think they should’ve focused more on the melodies (rather than instrumentation experimentation) and a couple really solid ideas (rather than a hundred weaker ones). But hey, it’s still better than most of what’s out there on the mainstream level and 21 Guns could definitely be the new BOBD.
Ladies and gentleman… It is called progression… all great bands progress ..they grow up have children… view the world in a different and more mature light… and in that respect 21st Century Breakdown is absolutely stellar… anthem like songs..(do you know your enemy) and lyrically superior to anything previously written.. I know many lament that Green Day is no longer a raw punk band .. but you know what I am no longer drinking until I puke… Listen to the difference between “With the Beatles” and “Abbey Road” It is a sign of greatness to explore and improve as opposed to 6 versions of Dookie
No its not… if you want to listen to a lyrical genius sing about the world listen to Greg Graffin.. aka Bad Religion.. His lyrics will turn your world upside down.
21cb is a solid enough record, it has flashes of brilliance. But a lot of it sounds rushed and forced, there are tracks that shamelessly borrow from their own back catalogue, as well as other songs. One song sounds like a reject from their Network Money Money album. One piano driven song steals the verse vocal melody from ‘come on eileen’. However, a good half of the material on this record is the most well put together and innovative that Green Day has ever done. It just could easily be half as long. As for my faves, ill chime in with:
1. Insomniac
2. Kerplunk
3. Dookie
4. 39 Smooth
5. Nimrod
6. Warning
7. American Idiot
8. 21st Century Breakdown
I don’t hate the new stuff at all. But I started listening to Green Day when I was about 12, and the older stuff has a nostalgic value for me. Anyways, I think we should all be happy these guys are continuing to play music after 20 years and making millions of dollars, they still do it cause they love music. After all, I think they’d be the first to admit, they don’t need your money.
This album is AMAZING!
Sorry to say, but any other opinion is wrong ^^
VIVA LA GLORIA!!!!
I HEARD THAT JOHN!!!!!!
American idiot was the first album i bought for myself and it really taught me that i could have my own taste in music rather than whats popular and what my dad likes so its pretty significant.
I now own all the albums and when i got 21cbd i couldnt wit to hear it. The first time i heard it i wasnt sure but now it has grown on me and it is awesome
1. 21st Century Breakdown
2. Nimrod/American Idiot
3. Insomniac
4. Dookie
5. Warning
6. Kerplunk
7. 1039, Smoothed out Slappy Hours
6 and 7 were shit in my opinion only because of the rocording quality-they should re-record them make lots of $$$
I love this CD I have like listened to it a billion times since I got it in May. I don’t think it is the best one Green Day made but it’s still really good.
as far as people saying they have grown up(matured)i first listened to dookie at 16,and still listen to it now,its about taste,i hate it when people say a bands music all sounds the same,thats why you like them because all their music sounds the same,would you b interested in a band that played rock,pop,folk,country,rave,reggae,its about taste and early green day compared to moden are 2 totally different bands whether you like the change or not,this is undeniable.
This was a bad album, but what do you expect from Green Day? They are awful. Seriously, if people want to listen to good modern music don’t listen to this pop-punk garbage. Listen to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley band, Muse, Radiohead, and Wilco. They are way more “real” than Green Day, and they aren’t sell outs.
Jon, how in the world can you call Green Day sell-outs? They’re one of the best bands out there!
@Wolf
I agree that Greg Graffin/Bad Religion songs are great (“Generator” is one of my top-five albums of all time) but Green Day did not make Bad Religion mistake. On “The process of belief” & “The Empire Strikes Back” Bad Religion tried to sound like they used to, but that`s not it, Greg changed many band members (almost like Robert Smith in The Cure) he`s quite older, there are no more youthful rage and rebellion, old causes and beliefs are changed…so they started to sound…I don`t know how to describe it…repeatingly boring, maybe, like they are stuck in time…
And Green DDay did not make the same mistake.
Green Day done it again.
1. American Idiot
2. 21 Century Breakdown
3. Dookie
Beyond that who cares.
Well, i just think its stupid for people to keep waiting on an album that’s just like Dookie. As a band, their sound has evolved over the years, and of course their music will change. I personally loved 21st Century Breakdown. Being a huge American Idiot fan, and also a huge fan of all their previous albums, including Kerplunk and 1039 SmoothedOutSlappyHours, I was really skeptical as to whether Idiot’s follow up would be that great. But of course, it was even better to me. Green Day is the biggest band right now, I would say compared to U2′s new album, they are better. They are moving onto bigger and better things with their music. Its a great album, with alot of varying songs. And the lyrics were amazing as well.
Oh, and at Jon’s comment…
How can you say Green Day are worse than Wilco or Radiohead?
They are entirely different genres
And explain to me how you think they are sell-outs?
Am i the only one who really loved the song ?Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl). Both Vivas are great but that one seems especially awesome. However, the only one that gets soaked up on the radio and iTunes is 21 guns. Catchy tune sure but… wtf?
generic. TOO generic. this a band not a bunch of preachers right?
I will admit…i havent heard much of green day’s older stuff, i kind of started with international superhits, what i heard on the radio from idiot and then eventually the album itself, but i really enjoyed 21st century breakdown. I mean really, one of their inspirations was the kinks? Thats awesome, i think. And a new direction isn’t necessarily selling out. Also, i LOVE muse. But would probably not rate them higher than green day. Any band that plays tribute to so much classicness…as green day does…is pretty amazing to me.
I’ll admit that the first time i heard 21st Century Breakdown I was disappointed. But after I listened to it a few times it grew on me. I personal love the album.
1. Dookie
2. Kerplunk
3. 1039
4. Nimrod
5. 21st Century Breakdown
6. American Idiot
7. Insomniac
8. Warning (Though I would actually put the song Warning as one of my favorite Green Day songs)
21st Century Breakdown goes down as my favorite album of all time. As an actual member of the Class of ’13, I love this album. There is not a single track I do not love. This is not a sell out. American Idiot is a great album, and almost impossible to top. And yet Green Day did it. Dookie, one of the greatest albums ever made, was beat. Green Day has done it again. Great job.
1. 21st Century Breakdown
2. Dookie
3. American Idiot
4. Nimrod
5. Warning
6. Shenanigans
7. Kerplunk
8. Insomniac
9. 1039
Those who have JUST started liking GD after American Idiot and still like 21CB, you should think about that. Do you even know their older songs? Maybe you only started liking them because of American Idiot. Basically, that makes you a normal pop punk/alternative rock fan and not the sort of pop punk – punk rock GD 90s fan..
P.S. 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours was awesome. If you haven’t listened to the songs on their older albums as much as you’ve listened to American Idiot or 21CB, don’t judge it yet..
You fools.
1. Insomniac
2. 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours
3. 21st Century Breakdown
4. American Idiot
5. Nimrod
6. Warning
7. Kerplunk!
Honestly, it’s hard for me to give this thing a list.
21st century breakdown is there best album ever to me . they have grown up and they are trying to save the world with there music
American idiot was like a punch in the face that showed us the the world is going down hill fast and living in fear and hysteria will get us nowhere and 21st CB keeps that in mind but also tells us how to live in a world full of death fear and genocide thats what 21 CB is the best it talks about real problems not just drugs and sex
Well i was eagerly waiting for GD’s next album when as soon as it was announced and ‘preordable’ i bought it.And when it finally was in my hands i put it into cdplayer to finally hear it.And what i found out, or better heard was far away from my expectetions.The songs some times were just common tunes,sometimes boring and sometimes just bad.Heck, i even FastForwarded some songs cause i couldn’t hear them trough!That is indeed a bad sign.At least for me.
I absolutely LOVE Green Day and i am a fan of theirs many years now, having melt down theis cd’s in my cdplayer.American idiot was their last perfect album for me, not this.It sure has some great songs( Viva La Gloria, it just rocks the hell out of me ) but i am really dissapointed from the other ones.I trully hope they will make another one matching their glory and my expectetions.And just to quote some comments from here that i tottaly agree with:
I hate to say it, but the more I listen to this album the less I like it…
… the rest of 21st sounds like a version of something I’ve heard somewhere else many times before…
…but all-in-all 21st Century Breakdown was just boring. The majority songs felt rehashed or just plain uninteresting, there was not much musically going on (â€Know Your Enemy†seriously grates on me. The song is ten seconds repeated. And repeated. And repeated)…
Jesus Fucking Christ.
The issue isn’t about how the lead singer’s name is spelled.
You sound like a bunch of morons, reviewing like 12 year olds.
I personally find this record to be very innovative, seeing as how everyone thought they were going to plummet.
I am delighted.It’s not as in your face as American Idiot was, but I mean that in a good way.
They learned how to attack a situation going on in their lives, and write about it in a beautiful way.
Viva La Gloria and Restless Heart Syndrome are perfect examples of how the band has grown and evolved. It happens. Get over it. Anyone who says that they changed and says it’s for the worse, don’t get your panties in a twist. You have changed. I have changed. You either mature, or you work backwards.
And as for Billie’s voice, it has become more melodic. He sings with more debt than he has on past albums(Dookie etc). Even the band members themselves said they thought, that in order to get that raunchy, punk sound, they had to sing, well like The Ramones, and that it didn’t matter if their audience couldn’t understand a word they were saying.
I want to hear what they’re saying, don’t you?
I’m always interested in what music this band is coming out with because they always surprise me, yet I knew that it would wow me anyway.
Not many bands can do that nowadays. It doesn’t matter if the band explodes, just as long as they keep it together, because there are people who will continue to follow the band.
Have you noticed that many bands today, sound the same?
You HAVE to at least give them credit for sounding different.
Having grown up with the Beatles, etc., I was stunned when I heard AI, realizing I had stumbled on a group just as amazing. Since then I have bought all their albums(found I knew them from when my kids were young), and listened to them over and over. Love them all, and think Nimrod and Warning are incredibly underrated. I am hard put to say whether AI or 21st CB is better, but probably for the same reason other’s can’t get over Dookie. Sort of like my heart is still slammed when I hear the early Beatles — yet their later work shows real maturity and development. To reiterate, same for Green Day.
That said, I think this band is the best rock and roll band out there today, and right up there with the Beatles.
As for selling out, these people live by their beliefs more than any band I have every watched. Top ticket price is $50(rounded up), and they put on an unbelieveable show. Best shows I have ever seen, and that includes the Who, and too many others to mention.
Oh, and I also like most of the bands mentioned here. BTW, Bad Religion badly needs a better producer. The singer’s voice is lost to the other instruments. Too bad.
i think i might get abused for this but i think it should go
1) american idiot
2) 21cb
3) nimrod
4)dookie
5) the rest of their albums
its not that i dont like the others because i like alll of green days music. im 15 and i first REALLY started getting into green day when my sister bought bullent in a bible. i like all their stuff but some of it i pefere to others. ive noticed that newer fans pefere american idiot to dookie and there are alot of people who seem to only ever talk about dookie and also seem to hate their new stuff and tbh i think all those people should go fuck themselfs. bands change. get over it. if you love dookie then listen to dookie and stop complainigh about how you dont like their new stuff. just make sure you let everyone know your are or were a green day fan. anyway i love this album because its very melodic and comfortable. it feels like green day to me. i do pefere american idiot to this but i geuss thats because american idiot was more like the sort of album i would sing along to outloud in an exam or play along to with out realising. some very good songs on here my fav would parts would be:
restles heart syndrome (outro) just amazing
21st century breakdown (instrumental and after)
east jesus nowhere (all of it)
american eulogy (part 2. modern world)
and 21 guns (brfoe it got Ridiculously over played) so yea, its a good album if you like american idiot more than others.
just my opinion
I’ve been wondering who is the american idiot, but now i know who they are. all those americans who thinks 21 century breakdown does not deserve to be on the list of all the green day albums is the american idiot, so for those people who will negatively comment me back don’t bother because i will hunt you down and kick your ass….
green days old music is by fair better in my opinion
international superhits and warning stand out a mile for me, american idiot and 21st century breakdown both have great songs but are let down by quite a few average or poor songs. eg. extraordinary girl, christians inferno, peacemaker, letterbomb and restless heart syndrome. however international superhits and warning are pretty much all brilliant songs beginning to end
21st Century was my 1st album by Green Day, and the first couple of days of listening to it, i loved it. But now I find myself dreading one of the songs playing when my iPod is set at random. Some of my friends told me that new Green Day sucked, and that the old stuff was where it was all at. So, I tried it. Because of a sale at Best Buy, I am the owner of Shenanigans, Nimrod, and Insomniac. Green Day, I believe, did not sell out. But they were damn well close, in my opinion. They had the right idea by switching producers (as every artist should do at points in their career), but their choice caused a more “pop” sound. Pop doesn’t really bother me, but there is a line. The comparison between old and new Green Day is disturbing, in my opinion. If you listen to one after the other, just the thought of them being the same band is creepy.
21 Century Breakdown should not be nominated for a Grammy.
For what it’s worth, I’m 57 and the only Green Day music that I’m familiar with is Dookie, American Idiot and now 21st Century. The only “current” group that I follow (albums and concerts) is Modest Mouse. I wanted something to listen to while I drove across country (by myself) so I downloaded 21 off I-Tunes (with the knowledge that it may have been nominated for a Grammy) and drove off. I played it two times out and two times back. Maybe I’m out of it due to lack of all-around music exposure (one reviewer gave it 4.8 out of 10!) but I thought it was fantastic–I liked every track. I like it better than American Idiot.
everyone seems to be saying one of two things but not much else…
i love all green day albums but the new stuff is somewhat better i think. on the whole they have changed but for the better. they wouldn’t have been able to compete playing their old music and i for one would never have heard of them (i’m only 16).
albums:
1) American idiot
2) 21st century breakdown
3) Dookie
4) warning
5) nimrod
6) insomniac
7) 1039/sosh
I love Green Day.. just thought it was lame that they felt the need to follow up with ANOTHER rock opera. Similar themes, similar sound… just longer and more boring. I say it’s more boring, because it just doesn’t have that fresh feeling American Idiot had. Amercian Idiot also seemed far more relevant for it’s time. Though you have to admire some of the complexities and instrumentation on this record, sometimes I feel like I’d have to listen to the song a thousand times before I can really understand what’s going on – lyrically & musically, which is a credit to Billie. Totally agree with the comment made about the band now pretty much being focused on BJA and his thinking… perhaps that’s the missing ingredient? But who really knows how the band works..
As I am now going on 32 years of age and Green Day was the main band that got me through my teen years I can honestly say I love all their albums (though Shenanigans was a let down) but comparing early GD to the last two albums is like comparing the Beatles “I want to hold your hand” with “Come Together”. Green Day has grown and my guess is that Billie Joe became bored with writing the same punk songs over and over and I have no complaints about their direction whatsoever. American Idiot blew my mind when I first heard it…I had no idea GD had it in them to write something so brilliant and this album is very comparable.
I like when I read someone put they write EMO lyrics LOL..
EMO lyrics? Are u kidding me?
This new CD wasn’t even close to an EMO CD let alone the lyrics…
If you want EMO go listen to Hawthrone Heights and than tell me this is EMO…
DUMBASSES this world has.. DUMBASSES!
Dude, okay i’ll try to not sound like super immature,but you guys are being so critical, they have families and are so much older you expect them to be singing about the same subject matter as in Dookie? I wouldn’t like them a lot and they’re my favourite band no question about it. I think that you critics may be over-Romanticized Dookie, don’t you think? I love their new CD, they refuse to do as everyone tells them and are still super creative along the way. Sure i wasn’t a fan of them when they started out, but it’s not my fault, you don’t choose when you’re born, so people chill.
I just really like Green Day. All of their albums are very good in my opinion, butif I were to order and score their albums, it would be:
1. Warning (5/5, Fantastic album)
2. Dookie (5/5, another winner)
3. American Idiot (5/5, I can’t say why though, just an amazing album)
4. 21st Century Breakdown (4.5/5 because it is too long)
5. Nimrod (4.5/5 because there are a two songs that sound the same)
6. Insomniac (4.5/5 It’s a stupid reason, but because the songs have stupid names, like “Brat”)
7. Kerplunk (4.5/5 because the sound quality is really poor)
8. 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (4/5, also because the sound quality is terrible)
Not to mention International Superhits!, which is probably one of the best greatest hits albums I’ve ever heard.
What is wrong with Warning?!
1. American Idiot
2. Warning
3. 21st Century Breakdown
4. Dookie (maybe a tie with 3)
5. Insomniac
6. Nimrod
7. Smooth out slappy hours
American Idiot, Warning, and 21st show creativity! And lyrical ability!
Sure Dookie has basket case, longview, she, paradise.. all classics…
But that was in a different time! Recreating classics doesn’t work
Look at anyone who trys to sound like the Beatles or Bob Dylan today…
A punk album that is poor quality and talks about smoking weed and jacking
off and is written by 40 year olds would be PATHETIC…
Sure Dookie was a classic, but were it done today, it wouldn’t be close.
If Green Day tried to write Dookie over and over again, they would have already
been forgotten
switch nimrod and insomniac.. ’twas a mistake
1. american idiot
2. nimrod
3. dookie
4. 21st century breakdown
5. warning
6. shenanigans
7. 1039
8. insomniac
9. kerplunk
i love concept albums, the music to american idiot isnt as punky as i like it with the exeption to letterbomb, holiday, and jesus of suburbia but its got a great story its genius
i love 21st century breakdown, i can easily tell what billie joe is talkin about with the theme cuz i am the class of ’13…i was born in the age of nixon and all my life america has been a hell to me so i get what he is saying
The first time I heard Green Day was when I was in middle school and American Idiot came out. I absolutely loved it! Since then I have delved into their older music and I have to say I fell in love with all of their older albums too. Anyways, I have to agree with whoever said that this album gets better the more you listen to it. Although Know Your Enemy does sound very repeated it is a great song, and if you look at the lyrics word by word it really does mean something. Talking about the album overall I really enjoy it and it is really meaningful to me. I feel like they could have written the album just for me. So not only is the album fantastic lyrically, it is also fantastic to listen too.
To those who don’t like the album because it isn’t like Dookie and Insomniac I think that you should realize that what everyone is saying is right. They are getting older and more mature. They aren’t the same people that wrote songs about masturbating and doing drugs. They write honestly, so their lyrical and musical style has to change as they do. If it didn’t then they would be selling out by giving some fans what they want and are used to instead of staying true to themselves and the way their music is growing. So if you don’t like this album because you think they are selling out, I really believe that you should redefine the term itself.
All in all, I love the way Green Day started out and I love the way they have developed since then. And my apologies for the length of this post.
I just got this album recently as a gift from my girlfriend, since she knows i’m a green day fan… well, if compared to their past albums this is still in the same league like american idiot and dookie.
First of all it’s great that green day speaks for what they see in the government and the society… and their music is not just great, it’s freaking great. and for the guys who say it’s not great… learn the word “maturity”… i’m also getting older and i understand their thoughts now.
the great thing for me is every song in this album should be a single. if i’ll rate it it’s 8.5/8 LOL
All of you people saying that you want another Dookie are saying that breakdown is way too much like American Idiot. If Green Day did make another Dookie you’d be complaining about that now.
And also, please explain to me how Green Day are sell outs?