Green Day - American Idiot

The Election of 2016 may have come to end, but for many it seems to be just the start. Donald Trump is to be the president of the United States after an intense year campaigning and debating against Hillary Clinton, and many are not happy about this. In perhaps what is the most negative reception to a president ever, there are actual protests going on in the streets and many are saying that Trump "is not their president."

There's a new wave of rebellion rising in the United States, but for some, this may be similar to something they've heard before. In 2004, Green Day predicted, almost word-for-word, the disillusioned feelings many Americans are feeling in their rock opera American Idiot. The album follows the story of a man who just can't come to terms with his place in society and runs away in search of clarity.

The album is lead in by the iconic title track 'American Idiot,' what may perhaps be the most relevant track on the record to this year's election. It's no mystery that the media was one of, if not the most influential element of the election. As hindsight kicks in, we've begun dissecting what happened this election for it to come out with such unexpected results. Turns out we don't need to, since Green Day had summed it up twelve years ago. The DNC shoved a candidate we just didn't want? 'American Idiot' chants "Can you hear the sound of hysteria? / The subliminal mind fuck America." The media sought to, for lack of a better term, sabotage the election in favor of Clinton? The chorus sings of the "Television dreams of tomorrow." Our soon-to-be president is a bigot? The chorus is brought in by "Welcome to a new kind of tension / All across the alien nation." This track hit on more issues in 2004 than what is affecting us now in 2016 that we choose to believe.

Beyond the foreshadowed messages comes the rebellious and uplifting instrumental, complete with the melodic guitar solo and punchy riffs. This is only one key sound that reprises itself throughout the record. The story of the record starts falling into the place as the main character, the 'Jesus Of Suburbia' is introduced. Billie Joe Armstrong's vision of a futuristic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' becomes a modern tale as the song goes through five distinct parts: part one, where the drug addicted Jesus Of Suburbia (JOS, as we'll refer to him as) claims he does not want to become another 'American Idiot,' part two where he makes confessions about his own broken hometown and his own loneliness, part three where he gives up hope, part four in which he questions if what he's experiencing is normal, and the final part five where he runs away in search of finding a new life. It's an introduction that really sets the mood of self-absorption evolving into self-hate and a need for something new.

'Holiday' has two sentiments: for the JOS, it's hard living life on the streets. It's a crazy living, making him wonder why he left the simplicity of his home and, furthermore, if he's ready to handle this lifestyle. On a grander scale, however, 'Holiday' is an anti-war song. It treads away from the story of the record and instead goes straight into a political bashing, the chorus chanting "I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies / This is the dawning of the rest of our lives," as if to say we should be free from political brainwashing and be free to have our own opinions before there's nothing left of our own ideas.

The only other song on the record that treads away from the story is the iconic 'Wake Me Up When September Ends,' an emotional song not only for the listener but also for Armstrong. It's a somber track about the loss of his father to cancer on September 1, 1982. Armstrong ran home  from his father's funeral and when his mother came home to console him, he cried "wake me up when September ends," which served as inspiration for this song. It gives the record some humanity, ultimately supplying a relatable sense to the record amongst the politically charged the themes throughout the record.

The album's story carries on from 'Holiday' in the hit 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams,' the ultra-popular hit resonating on an equally as relatable level as 'September.' It elaborates and the lost and confused feelings the JOS is having as he travels away from home in search of his new life. The song's mood gives it a powerful and emotional vibe that is probably the same feeling that many others are having in the face of the election's results. America is lost, perhaps even scared, of the future ahead of us. What's important about this song is that in its climax, it almost brings together all of the lost souls into one emotional burst as if to say you're never really alone. We're all scared and confused, but together we can find comfort and achieve what we want.

The album starts to move ahead beyond the JOS's travels. 'Are We The Waiting' slows down the pacing of the record from the pop-rock tempos of the previous tracks. The group vocals and anthemic drums sound powerfully but almost dejectedly below arpeggiated guitar chords as hte JOS loses what's left of his sanity. In the empty shell of himself, he forms an alter ego in 'St. Jimmy,' the image of everything he wishes he could be. The track segues seamlessly from 'Waiting' in true rock opera fashion, the fast punk blistering forward in a punchy manner. He begins asking Jimmy for justification for a drug-ridden life in 'Give Me Novocaine' which agains slows down the pacing. The sweeter track sounds something like you'd hear in a paradise setting (perhaps influenced by all the drugs he's taking), the carefree nature of the track picking up some energy with powerful distorted guitars in its choruses.

As many will say, love (and time) heals all wounds. The JOS meets a girl known as Whatsername in 'She's A Rebel,' a punk girl with her own set of problems that helps free him from his own problems. In the nature of the modern day, this might as well be Hillary Clinton (though she never really goes away, so I doubt we'll be forgetting her name any time soon). The Indian vibes of 'Extraordinary Girl' tells of their relationship starting to crumble, as her problems - some of which may be the result of the JOS - start becoming too much, sadly summed up in the chorus: "She's all alone again / Wiping the tears from her eyes / Some days he feels like dying / She gets so sick of crying." It all comes to an end in 'Letterbomb,' where Whatsername leaves him over his melodramatic nature. The blistering punk rock vibes from the earlier tracks on the record returns in the track, bringing the edginess back into the picture.

The journey of the JOS comes to an end in the second 'Bohemian Rhapsody' of the record, 'Homecoming.' It's another track with five distinct parts, but in a less self-deprecating way. Instead, he comes to terms with himself and society: in part one, St. Jimmy dies (figuratively, in his mind) and the JOS realizes he has gained nothing from this experience, against his original mindset, and in part two he gets a job and accepts conformity. With that acceptance, though, he begins to feel empty again, waiting for Whatsername to return to no avail. Part three is sung by bassist Mike Dirnt, giving the song a little change in timbre. Drummer Tré Cool takes over vocals in part four, taking up the character Tunny, someone the JOS met on his time in the street. Tunny brags about his luxurious life as a rebel, making the JOS a bit jealous and empty. Part five, however, sees him coming to terms with everything: himself, society, etc. He's not quite sure about who he is or how he's doing, but he has come to terms with it all. He is himself.

The album's conclusion is 'Whatsername' - even though he has come to terms with his own life, there's one thing that alludes him: love. The emotional conclusion of the record brings anthemic, melodic leads in both the vocals and guitars as it builds to one final climax of energy. The JOS regrets losing Whatsername, and can ponders over where she is and why he ever left her. The second verse says it all: "Seems that she disappeared without a trace / Did she ever marry old Whatshisface? I made a point to burn all of the photographs / She went away and then I took a different path / I remember the face but I can't recall the name / Now I wonder how Whatsername has been." The song then hits an emotional bridge with driven guitars and harmonies in the vocals. The song ends in quietly and understatedly, as the JOS's story concludes by trying to get the memories of Whatsername out of his mind.

American Idiot is more than just a story about a rebel. It's the emotion of feeling like an outsider, as someone who doesn't feel like they belong to a society. That's what a good half of America is feeling right now - alienation as a result of a new leader. They band's newest effort Revolution Radio is almost like a sequel to this record, with more of a sense of where the world is currently at, but it's the uncertainty of American Idiot that really sells it as a foreshadowing of the United States today.

This album doesn't tell us that there's no hope, though. It reminds us that there are those just like us feeling the same way, and furthermore, that we have things to cling onto when everything seems lost. Green Day predicted the future in the most unfortunate of ways, but it also provided a lesson for us in case it did ever come true. If you're someone who feels that way, just remember that there is hope for the future; that's because we are the future.

Favorite Tracks: Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Holiday, American Idiot, Whatsername

Least Favorite Track: Are We The Waiting

Rating: 91 / 100

Green Day - Revolution Radio

Many would've thought the bomb of the ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! trilogy and Billie Joe Armstrong's rehab spelled the end of the punk rock legends Green Day. Those ideas have been vanquished, as the band's new album Revolution Radio sees them regain their footing.

As Armstrong claimed, the trilogy had "absolutely no direction to them" and were trying to "be prolific for the sake of it," and there's a lot of merit to that. The albums were just a collection of aimless tracks, with no rhyme or reason to them besides the statement and implication of an album trilogy. That disappointment is being them, Armstrong calling Revolution Radio "not so much a makeover as a make under."

Another true statement. The band's recent outputs since American Idiot have been slammed largely because of their failed attempts; 21st Century Breakdown was a second try at a rock opera, and I've said enough about the trilogy already. Revolution Radio returns to the roots of what made Green Day great: songwriting, energy, and character. Lead single 'Bang Bang' - read our in-depth track review of it here - ignited that flame again, rejoicing fans at its politically charged lyrics and high energy riffs. The instrumental's fantastic, a pure mix of alternative rock and punk coming into one energetic track. The song even experiments a little bit, with an eastern influenced bridge, providing a dramatic moment without sacrificing the momentum or message.

Momentum is carried forward with 'Revolution Radio', another single from the record. The fun guitar moments that imitate the melody of the vocals with other little tidbits in between to keep the song going and interesting. Like 'Bang Bang', it's another political statement on social media, but in a positive light rather than a reprimanding one. Other big moments on the record include the true punk riff of 'Bouncing Off The Wall' and the big rock vibes of 'Say Goodbye' that won't fail to pump you up. The great and big choruses of 'Troubled Times' also have strength in its groovy feel and huge output.

The softer moments on the record give some depth to the record. Single 'Still Breathing' is the prime example. It's this album's 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams', but with the Revolution Radio twist. There's three distinct characters of the song: a child, a soldier, and a junkie at the end of his ropes, all connected by the familiarity with the world's chaos. They all understand that everything may seem horrible and at their end, but as stated in the chorus, which chants, "'Cause I'm still breathing / 'Cause I'm still breathing on my own / My head's above the rain and roses / Making my way away," life will go on and get better as long as they stay positive.

Another ballad-esque song is 'Outlaws', which feels like it came straight from American Idiot in tone. It feels as though this album and American Idiot are joined at the hip, both having the same function but growing independently of each other. There's political confusion and anger present within both, yet they each have their own separate narrative beyond that. Acoustic number 'Ordinary World' ends Revolution Radio, made for Armstrong's movie of the same name rather than the album, speaking of his character's undying punk rock dreams staying true to this day. It almost stays in tune with 'Still Breathing' in a sentimental way. The album opens similarly with 'Somewhere Now', its acoustic folk intro calling back to his folk collaboration with Norah Jones before kicking into its message.

Green Day are back if Revolution Radio has anything to say about it. Gone are the days of gimmick and lackluster attempts at a part two. Politically charged and fired up as ever, the flame within the band has been reignited with a new passion and drive. The band's no longer on the road to demise; rather, they're heading down the road to revolution.

Favorite Tracks: Still Breathing, Bang Bang, Revolution Radio

Least Favorite Track: Youngblood

Rating: 84 / 100

Green Day - 'Bang Bang'

Green Day is not a band that goes lightly. Their new single 'Bang Bang' is a blistering punk track full with punk appeal and big riffs.

'Bang Bang' is the first new music Green Day has offered since 2012's album trilogy, ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, an experiment that met conflicted reviews. Many of the songs within the three records sounded the same and made listening through the albums a chore. 'Bang Bang' will be found on the band's next album, Revolution Radio (details of the record can be found here), and Billie Joe Armstrong promises that the album has some dimension.

Speaking of 'Bang Bang' with Rolling Stone, Armstrong claimed, "It's about the culture of mass shooting that happens in America mixed with narcissistic social media. There's this sort of rage happening, but it's also now being filmed and we all have ourselves under surveillance. To me, that is so twisted. To get into the brain of someone like that was freaky." The song definitely follows this message - the chorus chants "Bang bang! Give me pain! Shoot me up to entertain" to comment on the media's coverage on American shootings over the past years.

The song is full of blistering lyrics. "I want to be a celebrity martyr... Hurrah, the hero of the hour" and "I've got my photo bomb / I've got my Vietnam / I love a lie just like anybody else". As far as Green Day songs go, this one isn't forgiving by any means. It's as reprimanding of the modern American media as you'd expect it to be.

Musically, there are some interesting things going on. The song begins with a lo-fi recording of a news report before kicking into a big, upfront riff and a punk beat. Armstrong's signature voice provides a melody that serves as a leading voice for a revolution (an uncommon occurrence in Green Day music). It has a very call-to-arms demeanor to it - definitely going to a big song onstage. The bridge moves differently, a middle eastern melody taking form before kicking back into the big chorus.

Green Day's next album has a lot of promise. 'Bang Bang' feels like it's breathed a new life back into the band. The last efforts sounded like it was the band's steam dying out, perhaps as a result of Billie Joe Armstrong's personal difficulties. Revolution Radio has a lot of promise. Green Day is back!

Rating: 79 / 100