American Idiot was a rarity of the 21st century: a bona fide four-quadrant hit, earning critical and commercial respect, roping in new fans young and old alike. It was so big it turned Green Day into something it had never been before -- respected, serious rockers, something they were never considered during their first flight of success with Dookie. Back then, they were clearly (and proudly) slacker rebels with a natural gift for a pop hook, but American Idiot was a big album with big ideas, a political rock opera in an era devoid of both protest rock and wild ambition, so its success was a surprise. It also ratcheted up high expectations for its successor, and Green Day consciously plays toward those expectations on 2009's 21st Century Breakdown, another political rock opera that isn't an explicit sequel but could easily be mistaken for one, especially as its narrative follows a young couple through the wilderness of modern urban America. Heady stuff, but like the best rock operas, the concept doesn't get in the way of the music, which is a bit of an accomplishment because 21st Century Breakdown leaves behind the punchy '60s Who fascination for Queen and '70s Who, giving this more than its share of pomp and circumstance. Then again, puffed-up protest is kind of the point of 21st Century Breakdown: it's meant to be taken seriously, so it's not entirely surprising that Green Day fall into many of the same pompous tarpits as their heroes, ratcheting up the stately pianos, vocal harmonies, repeated musical motifs, doubled and tripled guitars, and synthesized effects that substitute for strings, then adding some orchestras for good measure. It would all sound cluttered, even turgid, if it weren't for Green Day's unerring knack for writing muscular pop and natural inclination to run clean and lean, letting only one song run over five minutes and never letting the arrangements overshadow the song. Although Green Day's other natural gift, that for impish irreverent humor, is missed -- they left it all behind on their 2008 garage rock side project Foxboro Hot Tubs -- the band manages to have 21st Century Breakdown work on a grand scale without losing either their punk or pop roots, which makes the album not only a sequel to American Idiot, but its equal.
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 it’s major label debut, Dookie, in 1994.Fast forward five years from the [...]
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I've been listening to 21st Century Breakdown for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say, there's not much about it I don't like. There's lots of catchy riffs, meaningful lyrics, and several (5 or 6) of the songs have made it into my favorites.Not much of a review, I just really like this album. Buy it.
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For the past few days I haven't really been able to listen to much music other than 21st Century Breakdown , the new Green Day album. In some ways it's the band's best ever, their most mature, the fulfillment of all the promise they've always had. to my mind it's the best record of the year so far, and possibly the best of the new decade. There are no weak cuts. And, according in yesterday's NY...
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You won't find Green Day's latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, on the racks at Wal-Mart because "the big box giant declines to stock albums that carry parental advisory stickers" and the band did not release an edited version. But who...
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Green Day are dead! Long live Green Day! Gone are the days when you could comfortably compare the pop-punk trio to the likes of Blink-182, New Found Glory or The Offspring. The fun-loving brats of yesteryear with a penchant for faecal-humour now share the same cosmic fate as the subject in discussion: flushed from sight with nothing but a faint aroma of forest-glade fragrance to remind that i...
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Green Dayby James Greene, Jr. • May 18, 2009 Green Day21st Century Breakdown(Reprise, 2009)"Do you know your enemy?" Billie Joe repeatedly asks during 21st Century Breakdown's third song, "Know Your Enemy"; this seems like a legitimate question since Barack Obama took office. With Dubya out the door, who are the rich-as-shit rock 'n' roll protesters in this country supposed to rage against? Th.
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The fiery follow-up to American Idiot is both a conceptual mess and a breathtaking display of ambition, the band now trying to do everything at once at the expense of a unifying theme.
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Note: PMA gives away each album it reviews. Learn how to enter at the end of the review. Green Day 21st Century Breakdown Reprise Out May 15th [74] [Rating Scale] 7.4 out of 10 stars "Dad," I used to whine, "you had the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Springsteen. All of those bands managed to be both popular and good. But 'mainstream' music [...]
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Perhaps the only thing more unlikely than releasing a rock opera in 2009 is that it's a rock opera written and recorded by Green Day. But such is the case with "21st Century Breakdown" (Reprise, 3...
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This evening I had the privelege to attend a "secret" Green Day show in Oakland, CA at the incredibly beautiful and newly renovated Fox Theater.Green Day was filming a DVD of the event and had quite the lighting and background visuals on stage.The band was in great form, spending the first hour and twenty or so playing through the soon to be released 21st Century Breakdown. Hearing the piece li...
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I’ve got a treat for you. Whether you love it or hate it, take a listen to some new Green Day and let the PMA world know what you think.Me, I like it. I was a huge American Idiot fan, loving the audacity, catchiness, and ultimate scope of the record. This sounds like a decent [...]
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Green Day are picking up right where they left off on 2004's Grammy-grabbing American Idiot with the title-track off Idiot's follow-up 21st Century Breakdown. Clocking in at 5:22, the song starts with the usual anthemic punk rock Green Day are known for and slows down a la Idiot's "Tales From Another Broken Home" before finishing up. If this is songs any indication of what to expect from the 16...
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Green Day have a new video out for their single "21 Guns" hosted on MySpace. It was directed by Marc Webb who made videos for My Chemical Romance, Weezer, and All-American Rejects and is the director of the upcoming movie (500) Days of Summer. Check out the video below:Green Day ...
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Original article here. While I applaud any artist who refuses to bow down to the all-mighty dollar, I think Mike Dirnt is a little misguided in his statement, though. While Green Day have the right to refuse to change their music, Wal-Mart has the right to refuse to sell it. There is no "obligation" at all. And if people don't like it, they'll shop elsewhere and Wal-Mart will get the messa...
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I could picture John Lennon sitting at the piano, almost like the imagine video, doing this number, with George helping out on guitar and slide. One of many standout tracks on this CD, and a bit different from what you normally hear from these boys.
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Green Day and their eyeliner are slowly seeping back into the limelight after months locked away in the studio with producer Butch Vig recording their eighth full-length. Following the trios appearance last night at the Grammy's, where they presented Robert Plant and Alison Krauss with Album Of The Year, the band revealed the new album title, 21st Century Breakdown via the band's Web site. Like...
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21st Century Breakdown - Green...THIS IS SOOO MUCH FUN!AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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This evening I had the privelege to attend a "secret" Green Day show in Oakland, CA at the incredibly beautiful and newly renovated Fox Theater.Green Day was filming a DVD of the event and had quite the lighting and background visuals on stage.The band was in great form, spending the first hour and twenty or so playing through the soon to be released 21st Century Breakdown. Hearing the piece li...
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CNET -- "The disagreement between Warner Music Group and YouTube over music licensing appears to be coming to an end. (...) What that means is the music and videos from such Warner acts as Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the White Stripes may soon be back on the Web's largest video site." ...
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For the past few days I haven't really been able to listen to much music other than 21st Century Breakdown , the new Green Day album. In some ways it's the band's best ever, their most mature, the fulfillment of all the promise they've always had. to my mind it's the best record of the year so far, and possibly the best of the new decade. There are no weak cuts. And, according in yesterday's NY...
More >
I've been listening to 21st Century Breakdown for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say, there's not much about it I don't like. There's lots of catchy riffs, meaningful lyrics, and several (5 or 6) of the songs have made it into my favorites.Not much of a review, I just really like this album. Buy it.
More >
Last night, at the Independent in San Francisco, Green Day took the stage for the first time in three years to rehearse new material from their upcoming album 21st Century Breakdown. The show also served as a trial run, as the band plans on playing the full album front to back for their upcoming world tour. The [...]
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After seeing the Green Day "21st Century Breakdown" album advertised on MOG for 4.99 at Amazon.com (featuring a bonus track "Burnout") I decided to check iTunes and Rhapsody's MP3 store also.iTunes lists 4 (count 'em) versions ranging in price from 10.70 to 14.99! One version seems to be a messed up entry as it only lists 3 tracks for 13.70! The other 3 offer varying bonus tracks.Rhapsody lis...
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Green Dayby James Greene, Jr. • May 18, 2009 Green Day21st Century Breakdown(Reprise, 2009)"Do you know your enemy?" Billie Joe repeatedly asks during 21st Century Breakdown's third song, "Know Your Enemy"; this seems like a legitimate question since Barack Obama took office. With Dubya out the door, who are the rich-as-shit rock 'n' roll protesters in this country supposed to rage against? Th.
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SPIN Magazine revealed today that Green Day’s new studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, their first in nearly five years since 2004’s Grammy-winning American Idiot, is due out on Friday, May 15th. SPIN also confirmed that the first single off the album will be “Know Your Enemy,” and will hit radio and digital retailers in mid-April.-Sean [...]
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If Will at WAWSTSF hadn't let me know that this picked up halfway through, I probably wouldn't have bothered to listen to the whole thing. Still not blown away, but it's not bad for Green Day. Most people are talking about Green Day pre-American Idiot and post-American idiot. I talk about them as Dookie and post-Dookie. This is post-Dookie.Green Day - 21st Century BreakdownPigeonsandPlanes
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