With the release of 21st Century Breakdown, I thought this might be the place to let loose my opinions of the album. Though I am writing this for the masses, someone may get something out of this, I really am writing it for myself. Sometimes we all just need to write something to clear our heads, you guys are my audience… SORRY IN ADVANCE!

Once again GD did not let me down. As I stated in my previous post, I can script my life to Green Day albums, the same goes with 21CB. The dynamics of this album are legendary. They take you on, in their words from AI, “a subliminal mind fuck” roller coaster journey that changes, turns, flips you around, and does it all over again. It starts out hard and fast, and ends hard and fast, the middle is a free for all of punk rock bedlam. This is one of those albums that you turn off the lamps, turn on the christmas tree lights you still having hanging up on your wall, get the incense going and drift off to another world.

The 70’s was the glory age of Rock N Roll. When you take bands like The Who, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Queen etc, and look at their albums, they may have one or two songs that hit your brain and your heart. GD has managed to do it with one album. Are there songs that I like more than others? Absolutely. When i listen to each song individually, there are a few i dont care for at all. When you listen to the same song, in its original context and order, its somehow makes sense and is now more enjoyable.

Lyrically, they put their balls on the line. As a writer, no matter the medium, we are all faced with that one piece that defines us. That one piece that we “risk it all” and to hell with what anyone else thinks, this one is for you. Its that moment when you finish the piece, that you realize that you actually ARE naked in the classroom (oh come on, we all have had that dream.) When you write that piece your life changes. Its about being honest with yourself, and allowing others to share with you. There is something great about that. Until you have had that defining moment, it is impossible to understand. I think i am still waiting.

I actually listened to every album consecutively since the release. If you listen carefully as the albums progress, they let us in to their minds a little bit, but always keeping us arms length away. With this album, they went all out. Naked in the classroom.

When you look back at life, and stop to realize that you were just a very small piece of reality, yet in the moment, reality seemed to be a very small piece of you. We all had feelings of helplessness that we thought would never end. Would that teasing never stop? Will that girl ever like me? How the hell am I going to survive? Yet if you are reading this post, none of that matters anymore. They stopped teasing because you grew up. She liked you or didnt like you, you moved on. You survived. Small piece of reality. Naked in the classroom.

I have drifted off from the album itself, and more on to what it means to me. Sorry for the long post. As always, if anyone has feedback, I would love to hear it. Email me danfoxh@gmail.com . Several of you responded from my last posting, look forward to more.

Dan

I’m a little younger than you, and my first exposure to Green Day was a snot nosed kid listening to Dookie and just loving the angst. But you’re right, it was aimless angst, directed at anyone. The band has matured into an outfit that can argue, criticise and rock, all in one album/song/verse.

@J. Carson: There will always be people who feel that a band/artist/actor/politician has sold out, and often there’s basis for that crit. But to base it all on a concert vid, where Billie Joe doesnt play guitar 100% of the time seems a little premature. From what I’ve seen of the tour vids, and bullet in a bible vids, is that GD made more of these shows than just the music, and a more polished performance was a result of that. I dont totally agree with the slurred lyrics part, but if it’s so, he’s hardly the first legend to do a show bombed. And the fact that there were three full studio albums between Dookie and American Idiot, with huge changes in musical format from album to album, doesnt lend much weight to argument that it all changed from Dookie to American Idiot, just like that. Likie Dan said, the band grew up, tried new things, matured and maybe got a little more focus on who they were, or wanted to be as musicians and the voices of so many people.

1) I have an opposing view from Chris’ opinion of AI, however I must say he delivered his thoughts tastefully and humbly. We are all entitled to our opinions, its how we convey them that sets us apart from barbarions… Allow me to explain.. Hitler, Stalin, George Bush, had a point of view, unfortunatly for all of us, they pushed their opinion to the world and shoved it down our throats. So thank you Chris for having a respectful opinion without the “F You, my ideas are the Only ideas.. how many of us forget.

2) At the age of 32, I have been with the band since 1039 came out on its first pressing. That was back in the day when Operation Ivy ruled, Rancid and Green Day still liked each other, Bad Religion was still in college but kicking ass on stage. It was a different era. We were all young, dumb, and stupid. Then we grow up. Some of us have kids, we pay taxes, read the news etc.. And our ideas and opinions change. Being close to the same age as the band, I have walked with them through their music. They have always said the things I have needed to hear, when I have needed to hear them. As they get older, and more complex, so do I. I quite litterally can chronical my life to a Green Day script. With that in mind, of COURSE they have changed their style, their lyrics etc.. THEY HAVE GROWN UP!

3) To the new generation of Green Day fans: Welcome! Always stay true to yourself, do not EVER take what someone says as fact, until you have used your own thoughts and ideas to make a decision. Thats what punk music is about. If you do not understand something, ask someone who does. If they do not answer to your satisfaction, ask someone else. That is how you weed out the bull sh**t. This is what Green Day has learned how to do. In the days of Dookie, it was only about Damn THE MAN. Never putting thought to which side of an issue made sense. This is what has changed in their music today, they apply reason, logic, and INFORMED judgement. There is way more to life than getting high and drunk. (not discounting either, just stating that there is more to it than that). When GD started, that was their only inputs, Drugs, Booze, and Love. Listen to 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours.

Sorry for ranting. If i have pissed someone off. GOOD, I like pissed off. If anyone has any interest in yelling, screaming,laughing or whatever at me, you can email me at danfoxh@gmail.com. I can take it.

It really, really bugged the shit out of me when I saw a concert vid from the American Idiot tour and saw that Billie Joe apparently no longer even plays the majority of the guitar parts; he has some non-celebrity stand inconspicuously in the back beyond camera view and play literally the entire rhythm line AND the entire solo. Billie Joe can be visibly seen to be playing AIR GUITAR through the solos, and for most of the verses he just lets it hang.

I just about shit. My mouth hung open. It’s not even a difficulty thing, because Billie Joe did fine doing guitar and vocals live for a long time. They just want him to go out and dance like a moron and play air guitar so the tour video cameras can get good, sexy action shots and the emo/faux-punk teenage girls that now represent 80% of their fanbase can ooh and ahh at how dreamy Billie Joe is.

All of this goes on while, as usual, Tre and Mike carry on quietly in the background, nailing every single song perfectly every fucking time, while Billie Joe now slurs his lyrics to the point where it often loses all semblance of musicality. Like a groan, except off key. Gone is the snotty, drawly snarl from the album tracks; he doesn’t even try. He seems simply to be there to sell Coca-Cola and t-shirts.

And now he’s making a friggin’ rock opera? How far can you get from your roots?

IAM EXCITED FOR THERE NEW ALBUM