Green Day
'21st Century Breakdown
(Reprise)
The continuation of development
When their major label debut album “Dookie” was released in 1994 it went on to sell over 10 million, won a Grammy Award, and it seemed the whole world had fallen in love with the audacious, 3 chord pop/punk songs of America’s new brats on the block. Billie Joe Armstrong’s discontent with the life around him revealed itself in lyrics of swiping satire and vitriol which fuelled the inner exasperation of likeminded youths keen to elect a standard bearer as the voice of their generation. But further releases - Insomniac, Nimrod and Warning failed to build on the anticipation of greatness “Dookie” conjured up. In fact, had it not been for the acoustic ballad “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” Nimrod may never have achieved the double platinum success it did. But just when it seemed Green Day were running on empty they returned with the 2004 masterpiece “American Idiot” and saved their musical lives. A concept album which contained within the hopes and the dreams of America and revealed a much matured level of song writing from Armstrong. Once again the world danced to their tunes, sat up and listened to what they had to say and seemed to gift the band with a new spirit. Such runaway success though can become its very own achilles heel and living up to the brilliance of a predecessor (as Dookie proved) can be an almost impossible thing to do.
But, with stunning new album, “21st Century Breakdown” Green Day have not only lived up to the reputation “American Idiot” brought, they’ve surpassed it effortlessly and proved it was no fluke. It’s an epic excursion brimming with the confidence of a band who have finally found their feet and are existing at a level they’ve naturally evolved to. Divided into three parts “Heroes and Cons”, “Charlatans and Saints” and “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades” it narrates the story of two runaways, Christian and Gloria, in an eradicated, post Bush America. Conceptually, it’s an album more fully realised than any of its predecessors and boasts a musical range of quite encyclopedic depth in comparison. The raised fist snarls ( Know Your Enemy, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.) The significant ballads (Last Night On Earth, 21 Guns) and the anthemic contrivance (Viva La Gloria, Murder City) is where you’ll find some of the best examples of Green Day pushing their musical boundaries further than they’ve possibly ever done before and ending up with something to be truly proud of. To imagine bleak romanticism the omnipotence of positive thinking is maybe one way of summing up the parts of this whole record. Whatever anyone considers it to be though it will always remain a truly great and important release of these times.
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