American Idiot
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Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The first original album since 2000 from modern rock superheroes Green Day, American Idiot is one of the most anticipated and controversial albums of the year. Scathing yet self-effacing as it tells the tale of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, American Idiot is the punk rock epic. "A bold, polished punk opera." (Entertainment Weekly) "They're the biggest, most successful, punk band the world has ever seen. What's more, Green Day's next album may well be their masterpiece." (Kerrang!)
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For its first new set of music since 2000's Warning, Green Day tears up the blueprint and comes up with something unexpected: a punk rock concept album built around elaborate melodies, odd tempo changes, and a collection of songs that freely reference classic rock warhorses like the Beatles and Pink Floyd. "She's a Rebel" and "St. Jimmy" might sound like vintage Green Day, but the rest of the disc finds the Northern California trio trying on a variety of different guises: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a cliché-strewn Foo Fighters-style power ballad; "Extraordinary Girl" floats on Indian strings; and the hushed "Wake Me Up When September Ends" wouldn't sound entirely out of place on a Jessica Simpson record. It doesn't always work. "Dearly Beloved" eerily resembles the Alarm's "68 Guns," while the title track eerily resembles something Green Day has already done far too many times. But, overall, American Idiot represents a promising step forward. --Aidin Vaziri
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Customer Reviews
RLG Said: Timeless and cross-generational ( Aug. 9th 2010 )
I've been a Green Day fan for a while, but just bought the album after seeing the Broadway show in NYC. It's fascinating how the "messages" resonate with people across generations. I teach English to adult immigrants and even played a couple of songs and gave the lyrics to LONELY ROAD and WHATSERNAME to an advanced class. Whatersername was sort of a cultural curiosity to most of them, but Lonely Road resonated with the experiences of many. More proof of music as a universal and - sometimes - unifying language.
Single_chic Said: Awesome ( Jul. 22nd 2010 )
I received just what I ordered and am listening to it now. I ordered a CD. Nobody likes you everyone hates you, sorry I'm singing too!
B Said: Top Class album ( Jul. 15th 2010 )
Here is another short and sweet review so here goes. A amazing album I can't stop lisiting to this album. A punk rock opera is a very good discription of the album. There are plenty of brilliant songs. Turn this album up and enjoy.
Walmart Gift Card Said: Green Day's best album! ( Jun. 2nd 2010 )
American Idiot has to be Green Day's best album. I don't enjoy Rock Operas but still this is their best album ever!
Here is my review for each song.
1. American Idiot- 5/5. The first single on the album. I believe this song is about George W. Bush.
2. Jesus Of Suburbia- 5/5. I really like this song but it's so long, due to the Rock Opera.
3. Holiday- 5/5. Another great song. Which encouraged me to buy the album in the first place.
4. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams- 5/5. Great song with great lyrics. I also like the best too!
5. Are We The Waiting- 5/5. I think this song is rather fun. It makes you wanna scream out "Are We The Waiting"
6. St. Jimmy- 5/5. I like this song but sometimes it can be boring.
7. Give Me Novacaine- 5/5. This song seems to be beautiful in a way. I like the lyrics also.
8. She's A Rebel- 5/5. My favorite song on the album.
9. Extroardinary Girl- 5/5. This song is good too but not my favorite.
10. Letterbomb- 5/5- I do like this song but it's so hard to understand!
11. Wake Me Up When September Ends- 5/5. A very beautiful song. Written about Billie Jo Armstrong's father whom passed away.
12. Homecoming- 4/5. Basically the same as Jesus Of Suburbia. Way too long
13. Whatsername- 4/5. This song is good. It starts out slow and then gets higher.
Overal. 5/5. Buy the album!
JLR Said: A Lot of Things to Get Off My Chest... ( May. 29th 2010 )
I am beyond sick and tired of hearing trolls accusing a band for the most nonsensical reasons, the most obvious being "selling out". Reading these "comments", all I can say is that not only do they not know what "selling out" means but their in ability to spell and create an intelligent argument blatantly shows their ignorance. For many years, Green Day has suffered the brunt of all these Neanderthals that couldn't play guitar, even if they were pasted to a textbook written by Clapton or Beck.
Why are Green Day considered sellouts? Well here are the reasons:
#1: Green Day is successful, they made albums that went sold millions. Therefore, they are not one of us.
After reading such a sentence, it's little wonder why Green Day is not one of you. Just because a band is making money or selling millions of copies does not mean they sold out. Led Zeppelin rarely released singles and yet more than two of their albums have gotten Diamond in the USA. The Beatles sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide and they are considered artists. If we criticize a band like Green Day for selling albums, then we ought to do the same to these bands and THAT would be ridiculous.
In fact, any rock band's greatest dream would be make albums that millions will adore and purchase. With the amount of money they make, the band can be allowed to take chances, which Green Day did with NIMROD and WARNING after the success of DOOKIE and INSOMNIAC. Speaking of taking chances...
#2: Green Day has rejected the roots of punk rock and embrace new types of music, including pop, folk and even progressive rock. They are not punk rock because of this.
What is wrong with Green Day trying to expand their musical vocabulary? It shows that bands like this are more ambitious and serious about their craft than many of their lazy contemporaries. In the case of AMERICAN IDIOT, Green Day look to The Who, Husker Du, Queen, Dead Kennedys, the Jam, The Clash and even Meat Loaf to create, to the horror of punk fans everywhere, a concept album. Oh my God, run to the hills!!!!
The fact is many bands that fail to grow out of their roots and expand their sound often become redundant and their music less memorable. That's why Green Day don't wanna sound like "punk". Not only they do not want to pigeonholed to one genre but they want to try a new style, to prove that they have greater depth than critics suggest. That shows imagination, not indulgence; creativity, not laziness.
I just love how these "alt. rock" acolytes slam groups like Green Day for incorporating different sound to their punk roots but they don't criticize their heroes like The Clash, Sonic Youth and R.E.M. for doing the same thing. The Clash used R&B, jazz, reggae, ska, rockabilly and gospel for their music. Why are they not criticized? Sonic Youth dared to include actual melodies in SISTER and DAYDREAM NATION. And after they made guitar pop useful for the underground audiences, R.E.M. made a collection of folk songs in AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE. Why are THEY not considered sellouts?
I'll tell you why: because these people are too ignorant to realize that it is pointless to lambaste one band for daring to try something adventurous when their contemporaries have done it too. Common logic says an idea to embrace new sound or try to add something new to their music deserves applause rather than condemnation but God forbid they just accept a group's desire to achieve something original.
And finally, #3 Green Day releases singles, which is totally unwarranted to the underground. Releasing singles is equivalent to selling out to the man.
Going back to #1, it seems that the greatest sin that Green Day has committed, according to these so-called "underground audiences" is that they are trying to appeal to the masses. But what's worse, according to them, is that they release singles, which is like a kiss to death to your credibility. Corporate rockers sell singles, not "punk rock" bands.
Well, releasing singles may be a kiss to death to their "credibility" but these singles are the kingdom of commercial glory and that is why AMERICAN IDIOT has sold 5 million copies in the US and why Green Day are more musically literate than their critics. People need to understand that the best way for albums to sell is for the band to put out accessible singles to get the public to buy the album just for them. Green Day releases singles not to appease the musical establishment but to attract new fans and to get them to relate to their sentiments about the world. Like it's outrageous in getting the public to listen to your songs and getting to relate to you?
If Green Day is a sellout for selling singles, then so are the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Clash, the Who, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Oasis, Radiohead, the Sex Pistols, Queen, U2, R.E.M., Michael Jackson, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and hundreds of other artists who have released singles to sell records. Think of what you said: any band that sell singles is a sellout and all the bands I just mentioned have sold singles. Just thought I should bring that to mind.
Now, FINALLY, after all that ranting, onto the album...
AMERICAN IDIOT is a brilliant, sprawling concept album that recalls the finest moments of other terrific, messy rock operas such as QUADROPHENIA, THE WALL and ZEN ARCADE and like those albums, AMERICAN IDIOT can be appreciated as either a collection of strong rock songs and as a coherent vision of a turbulent society (in this case, Bush-era America). This album also serves as the culmination of the pop-rock direction that Green Day started in NIMROD and greatly improved in the excellent, underrated WARNING.
The opening title track, with its thunderous guitar riffs, slamming drums and Armstrong calling out to "Idiot America" and not being a part of a "redneck agenda", sets the mood but not the sound, in which from there, the group goes all over the place. This album is cascaded with mini-Queen operas ("Jesus of Suburbia", "Homecoming"), Clash-eseque anthems ("Are We the Waiting"), acoustic ballads ("Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Wake Me Up When September Ends"), full-throttle punk rock ("She's a Rebel", "Letterbomb") and melodic pop-rockers ("Holiday", "Extraordinary Girl", "Give Me Novacaine").
By any band's hands, this album would have fallen in its face but the tightness, chemistry and ambitions of Green Day bring it together, resulting in a record that is fiery, melodic and enjoyable to listen to. It is a splendid, multi-layered work that shows the maturity of Green Day as a band and Armstrong as a gifted songwriter coming to their own. Along with WARNING, it is their richest and most rewarding album ever released and I recommend ANYBODY (not just punk fans) to pick this up and give it a chance. Any prejudice towards this band ought to be thrown out the window. Just shut up, listen to the album and enjoy.