American Idiot

[Jeebs]

[COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]I just got Green Day's American Idiot album for Christmas, but I've been listening to it for a while. Did anyone else like it? I think it's one of (if not [i]the[/i]) best Green Day albums. I really like how the album tells a story. It's an interesting change from their usually music. My favorite songs are [i]Jesus of Suburbia[/i], [i]Give Me Novacaine[/i], [i]Letterbomb[/i], and [i]Whatername[/i].

Many people think that this is a political album, but they most likely haven't listened to all of it. Only two of the songs ([i]American Idiot[/i] & [i]Holiday[/i]) have political themes in them, and that has to do with the main character's (and the band's) political beliefs. For those interested, the story is about a boy known as the Jesus of Suburbia. He's an angsty teenage punk who's fed up with his life, so he decides to leave home in search of freedom, and instead learns about life and love (that sounds corny :animeswea) . You can find excellent explanations of the songs [URL=http://greendayauthority.com/TheBand/songmeanings.php#AmericanIdiot]here[/URL].

Please don't turn this into a Green Day bashing thread or anything like that. If you're going to criticize the album/band, at least explain your comment.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Samsara]

When it first came out, I loved it. But now it's just so overplayed that it's hard to listen to. However, I do believe it is a well done album, it really suprised me. I think it's Green Day's best.

[TheShinje]

[size=1][color=crimson] I decided to get this album when there were 2 songs from it playing on the radio that I liked, (Wake me up when September Ends, Holiday,) and I though since I liked them songs, I'd get the album, and ended up liking just about everything on there.

I had for a time refused to buy thuis album outright because of the title track, being a Republican supporter that I am. However, I found out that most of the songs don't really dwell on poilitcal issues and whine on the issue, and Holiday uis even catchy.
It's a very cool album, I too, like the albums that tell stories throughought, like this one about the "Jesus of Suburbia" I'm not that into the story though, since I tend to listen to whatever track I feel int he mood for, rather than listen to the whole thing all the time.

It surprised me, I was expecting leftist propaganda, but found plenty of stuff that a right wingist like myself cand rock to, very good effort on the part of Green Day.[/size][/color]

[Killer7]

Most of American Idiot's songs are kinda generic, my two favorite are Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming. BTW the name of the chracter is Jimmy.

[sakurasuka]

[quote name='Killer7']Most of American Idiot's songs are kinda generic, my two favorite are Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming. BTW the name of the chracter is Jimmy.[/quote]

[SIZE=1]Hm. Not necesarily. The songs 'Saint Jimmy' and 'Jesus of Suburbia' imply that this 'Saint Jimmy' is someone he meets after he rebels, but it could be interperated to mean that he met another part of himself, AKA 'Saint Jimmy', throwing away his old identity as 'Jesus of Suburbia'. It is never clear.[/size]

[quote name='Jeebs][COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]Many people think that this is a political album, but they most likely haven't listened to all of it.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]


[SIZE=1]It is, very much so, a political album. The entire undertone of the album was meant to make a political statement. You've obviously only read the Green Day Authority song meanings, and not heard the interviews. In all actuallity, the political aspects were meant to be the prominent parts, and the story of the angsty teenager was to be the underlying meaning, and give the lyrics a place to lead. Jesus of Suburbia was meant to be the vessel for Green Day to portray thier thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Many of them being political.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Jeebs][COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]Only two of the songs ([i]American Idiot[/i] & [i]Holiday[/i]) have political themes in them, and that has to do with the main character's (and the band's) political beliefs.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]

[SIZE=1]Only half true. The 'Song Meanings' written up on that page may have focused on Saint Jimmy/Jesus of Suburbia's mishaps and adventures in life and in love, but JoS himself is a political figure. They just tip-toed around that, even though it is a perfectly important part of the album.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Jeebs][COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]For those interested, the story is about a boy known as the Jesus of Suburbia. He's an angsty teenage punk who's fed up with his life, so he decides to leave home in search of freedom, and instead learns about life and love (that sounds corny :animeswea) .
[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[size=1]Yes, that is perfectly true. JoS is also meant to represent the rebel in all of us. Careful how you word that statement, though, angsty teenage punk as he may be, he's the very person the album revolves around.[/size]

[quote name='Green Day Authority]Please keep in mind that this is [B]just for fun[/B']. We can never be 100% sure that's what Billie/Mike/Tre meant when they wrote the songs. [/quote]

[SIZE=1]That would explain why it's not all exactly explained the way Billie Joe meant it to be. Also, many songs leave room for interpretation, so most songs can mean pretty much whatever you want them to.

Now, let's get down to business.

I'm only going to rate the high points and low points of the album, to give a general idea for those who haven't listened to it. We'll leave the in-between ones out, as they'll prove to be only text with no meaning coming from me.



AMERICAN IDIOT- In being the title track, I expected a bit more. Given it's a nice deviation from many of thier older songs, it could have been a bit faster paced. It is, after all, supposed to represent a lost teenager in a confusing world.

JESUS OF SUBURBIA (Broken down for your convenience =P)
I. JESUS OF SUBURBIA- Nicely done. The music blends perfectly with the lyrics, and it sets the scene for the rest of the song.
II. CITY OF THE DAMNED- I love how they toned down the lyrics just enough to make you feel some emotion, but still kept the feel of an angsty teen.
III. I DON'T CARE- My favorite part. Billie Joe really shines here, you see some of the same lead guitar tendencies as in Dookie. I love it.
IV.DEARLY BELOVED- This, I believe, is when the song gets serious. It pulls together the somewhat sparatic parts of the song and gives them a deeper meaning.
V. TALES OF ANOTHER BROKEN HOME- The bass could be a bit more prominent, as they seem to be somewhat lacking in this part of the song. Other than that minor detail, I am absolutely thrilled with how they pulled off the [I]'You're leavin'... You're leavin'... Oh, you're leavin' HOME!'[/I] without drowning out Billie Joe's voice [since it fades in and out]. Brilliant.

HOLIDAY- Awesome. Probably my favorite, next to JoS and Saint Jimmy. You've all heard this song, there's no need for me to break it down. I must say, though, I love the ending.

[i]Zieg heil to the president gasman,
Bombs away is your punishment.
Pulverize the Eiffel towers,
Who criticize your government.
Bang, Bang goes the broken glass and
Kill all the fags that don't agree.
Trials by fire, setting fires
Is not a way that's meant for me.
Just cause, just cause, because we're outlaws, yeah![/i]

BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS- Just another sad slow song. I dunno why everone loves it so much.

ARE WE THE WAITING?- Starts slow, with the drums... Guitar and bass join in... Nice, slow, steady beat... Lyrics are brilliant. I'd recomend this song to any who are slow to accept 'punk rock', as this song is just a good song. Not particuarly a 'punk' song, but a good song all in all.

ST. JIMMY- Hell YES. I love the guitar part from about 17 seconds in until the very end. Fast paced, essential to the story, nice lyrics, overall the best song on the album. Well... If you ask me, anyway. [i]'My name is Jimmy and you MAY NOT wear it out![/i]. Heh. If you think Jimmy is JoS's alter-ego, then this song will be proof. If you think JoS meets Jimmy after he leaves, then this song also seems to support that theory. Lol.

GIVE ME NOVACAINE- This is a necesary part of the album, I know, but I didn't personally think they did it to the best of their abilities. I think that the lyrics of the song would have better fit a fast-paced beat like 'She's a Rebel'. Maybe they could have made it better by adding some neat drum solos before the chorus...

SHE'S A REBEL- Old Whatsername. The beat is catchy, but other than that there isn't much to say about it. Good song.

HOMECOMING- I think this is one of those middle-of-the-line songs, but I'm only mentioning it because it is supposedly one of the 'high points' of the album. The death of Saint Jimmy (AKA Jesus of Suburbia, many think). The lyrics and the music are meh. Tre wrote this song. I think that's pretty much all there is to say.

WHATSERNAME- This song deserves a mention. Terrible lyrics. It's simply the Jesus of Suburbia looking back at past love wondering what went wrong. He remembers all of the good and bad that happened with his love, but that part of him [Saint Jimmy]is dead and gone, and he can't even recall her name...

GOVERNATOR- Heh. Governator. Haha. [i]'I'll be back'[/i] Get it? Hahaha... Meh.

FAVORITE SON- And you say this ISN'T a political album!?[/SIZE]

[Jeebs]

[quote name='Killer7']BTW the name of the chracter is Jimmy.[/quote]
It's not really clear if Jesus of Suburbia and St. Jimmy are the same person. According to Green Day, St. Jimmy is a boy that the main character meets on the streets. Jimmy is meant to represent one interpretation of rebel (bad*** who defies authority and does whatever he wants) while Whatername is meant to represent the other interpretation (someone who actually tries to change things). I think that St. Jimmy is an alter ego that the "Jesus of Suburbia" created, especially after seeing the video for [i]Jesus of Suburbia[/i]. Near the end of the video the JoS writes "St. Jimmy" on the bathroom wall before he leaves home, which is supposed to be before he meets Jimmy.

[quote name='sakurasuka']Tre wrote this song.[/quote]
Actually, Tre only wrote Rock 'n Roll Girlfriend, I think. All three members wrote the track together. Also, how do you listen to [i]Governator[/i] and [i]Favorite Son[/i]? I didn't hear them when listening to the CD in my CD player, and when I tried to play the CD on my computer, all I got was a window that offered me ringtones.

[sakurasuka]

[quote name='Jeebs]It's not really clear if Jesus of Suburbia and St. Jimmy are the same person. According to Green Day, St. Jimmy is a boy that the main character meets on the streets. Jimmy is meant to represent one interpretation of rebel (bad*** who defies authority and does whatever he wants) while Whatername is meant to represent the other interpretation (someone who actually tries to change things). I think that St. Jimmy is an alter ego that the "Jesus of Suburbia" created, especially after seeing the video for [i]Jesus of Suburbia[/i']. Near the end of the video the JoS writes "St. Jimmy" on the bathroom wall before he leaves home, which is supposed to be before he meets Jimmy.[/quote]

[size=1]Haha, we posted the same thing at the same time. Lol.[/size]


[quote name='Jeebs']Actually, Tre only wrote Rock 'n Roll Girlfriend, I think. All three members wrote the track together.[/quote]

[SIZE=1]Y'know... You're right. I wasn't even thinking, I was just trying to get to the end of the list. Lol. But Tre did write more of this one than any of the rest on the album. Sorry though, my bad.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Jeebs]Also, how do you listen to [i]Governator[/i] and [i]Favorite Son[/i']? I didn't hear them when listening to the CD in my CD player, and when I tried to play the CD on my computer, all I got was a window that offered me ringtones.[/quote]

[size=1]I downloaded it. I dunno if it's on the one you buy in stores or not, I don't buy CDs in stores. I use i-Tunes, usually.[/size]

[Guest bloodyangel]

is "american idiot" the only greenday cd you have. greendays cool

[sakurasuka]

[quote name='bloodyangel']is "american idiot" the only greenday cd you have. greendays cool[/quote]

[SIZE=1]I have every song Green Day has ever done [And many versions of each, I might add. I have a few versions of Basket Case recorded from when Green Day played at Woodstock] on my MP3 player currently.

But please, let's get some [i]real[/i] conversation going on in this thread! Finally I've found some Green Day lovers who aren't total Losers/Posers/Fluff-Brained-Go-With-The-Flow-Wanna-Be's.

Ah, another mention about WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS, this song was partially written in memorance of Billie Joe's late father. Though, most of you likely know that. Just trying to stir up some conversation.[/SIZE]

[Retribution]

[QUOTE=Shinji][size=1][color=crimson]I had for a time refused to buy thuis album outright because of the title track, being a Republican supporter that I am. However, I found out that most of the songs don't really dwell on poilitcal issues and whine on the issue, and Holiday uis even catchy.
It's a very cool album, I too, like the albums that tell stories throughought, like this one about the "Jesus of Suburbia" I'm not that into the story though, since I tend to listen to whatever track I feel int he mood for, rather than listen to the whole thing all the time.

It surprised me, I was expecting leftist propaganda, but found plenty of stuff that a right wingist like myself cand rock to, very good effort on the part of Green Day.[/size][/color][/QUOTE]
[size=1]Ah, c'mon, Shinji! This CD is the kind of stuff that you right wingers need to choke down in order to see the light. In all seriousness, though, I loved the album partially because it brings the problems of American society into the mix, instead of dancing around them.

"Get my television fix,
Sitting on my crucifix,
The living room in my private womb,
While the Mom's and Brad's are away,
To fall in love and fall in debt,
To alcohol and cigarettes and Mary Jane,
To keep me insane and doing someone else's cocaine"

I especially enjoy this part of the song, as well as "On a steady diet of soda pop and ritalin." Like previously mentioned, they bring up America's societal problems in catchy songs. They don't act like America's all awesome, and bring up all that's wrong with it. Props to Green Day for doing that.

As for the songs themselves, I really enjoy the tunes, and it's an overall awesome rock 'n roll album. I personally think it's their best, with Dookie coming up with a close second. I personally think that WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS is one of the weakest songs on the album. It's too slow, it lacks the zing of the rest of their songs, and the interesting lyrics.

As a side note, Shinji, I'm somewhat surprised you enjoyed HOLIDAY ... it's like ... the most anti-Bush song on the album.[/size]

[TheShinje]

[size=1][color=crimson] Retri, I think it's more the fact that Holiday isn't laying the smackdown on Republicans as much as it is the Iraq war, and man, I hate that friggin war![/size][/color]

[Billie_Forever]

I loved this album...Dispite the fact that is it very much a concept album and has been called so by Billie Joe himself and on some levels i dont wholly enjoy concepts albums but in this case i really did like it...
I think that American Idiot as well as Dookie were the best by far, though i did enjoy the change of styles and experimentations that were set out in Warning and Nimrod...
And even though it was a very over-played song "Good Riddance/Time Of Your Life" is still my favourite song, when i first heard it i was as oblivious as many about the lyrics meanings but after a brief investigation i became to fully understand that it wasnt a "sweet goodbye" but more of a "******* off"...Still love it though.. :catgirl:

My favourite songs off the album would probably be JoS, Homecoming and Are We The Waiting..I dont really have reasons that can list because i cant think of the words to describe it....

I really am tired of people saying that this album ruined Green Day's career and made them too main stream...I mean sure they are very popular now...and many little "Groupie" girls all like it because of Billie Joe..but really most bands tend to eventually and i think it is stupid how they are getting "ripped" by older fans just because they are doing what they set out to do...bring their music to epople all over the world and raise awarness.... :animesmil

Anyhow..i could go on for hours...but i wont....I just wanted to say i did love this album and that more than two songs delt with political thoughts...though many only see "Holiday" and "American Idiot" as the two that deal with these issues as it is a granted from the powerful lyrics such as:
"Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mindf*** America."

[orbindo]

Well, guess i'll jump in.
Yes, American Idiot was a great album. It was such a success that the band went on a world tour, that finished up in Australia this past month, named the American Idiot World Tour. As you can guess from the name the entire tour was dedicated to the album.
Also, to expand on what ive just said and add some conversation, i heard that the band wrote the album so that people could easily sing along to it (thus making American Idiot great concert material). what do you guys think of that?

[Billie_Forever]

[QUOTE=orbindo]Well, guess i'll jump in.
Yes, American Idiot was a great album. It was such a success that the band went on a world tour, that finished up in Australia this past month, named the American Idiot World Tour. As you can guess from the name the entire tour was dedicated to the album.
Also, to expand on what ive just said and add some conversation, i heard that the band wrote the album so that people could easily sing along to it (thus making American Idiot great concert material). what do you guys think of that?[/QUOTE]

Well they wrote it because their first attemp was stolen and is to this day still lost somewhere...they wanted to make a better album..one that would make people aware of what was happening in the world and telling them they didnt have to conform to President Bush's views...

The whole writing it so it was easy to sing along with view..may of been an included factor but...I dont think it was made solely to make an interesting and very involving concert

[Claire]

[FONT=Arial]I haven't heard this whole album, just the overplayed stuff on the radio and TV that I don't care for. Not because it's popular, mind you, I just don't like it. And because of me not liking what I've heard, I'm reluctant to try the whole album out.
However, since I don't want to be viewed as a person who relies on the opinions of others to make her own, I'll give this album a higher rating for my Yahoo! Launchcast Radio. That way I can't guarantee that the better songs will come on, but at least I'm giving it a chance. =P

The first time I saw the "Wake Me Up When September Ends" intro, I knew that it was new Green Day and that I was watching Mtv (I was home sick that day, with absolutely nothing to do). I actually teared up during the video, reminding myself "Green Day ew ew eeeew."

But anyway, I'll try to listen to some of the better stuff on American Idiot. It's strange, I can play the title track and the intro to Wake Me Up on guitar, even though I don't like it. x_x [/FONT]